E-Newsletter ■ March 2007

Save the dates

Plan now to join The Wetlands Initiative for two events in 2007. On Saturday, June 16, 2007, come enjoy the Sue & Wes Dixon Waterfowl Refuge in all its natural splendor at our Field Day in Hennepin, Illinois. We’ll have a grilled lunch, educational nature activities for all skill and endurance levels, and a canoe trek on the lakes.

Moving indoors in the fall, we’ll host our 2nd Annual Fall Gala, From Restoration, Inspiration, at the Arts Club of Chicago on Tuesday, October 2, 2007 from 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm. The evening will include a silent auction featuring nature photography and other items, and a delicious buffet. (Invitations will be sent out in late summer only to those on our mailing list with Chicago-region zip codes.)

Goose Pond permit application sent to regulators

The Goose Pond Nutrient Farm Pilot Project is across the Illinois River from the Dixon Waterfowl Refuge at Hennepin, Illinois.

Since March 9th, state and federal regulators have been considering the impact of the Goose Pond Nutrient Farm Pilot Project on flooding, endangered species, and existing wetlands. As agent of the Goose Pond Mutual Drainage and Levee District, The Wetlands Initiative submitted a joint permit application to all appropriate regulators. This is the next step needed prior to nutrient farm construction and restoration of 1,400 acres in the Illinois River floodplain.

The permit application includes preliminary engineering design, restoration plans, and information about the impact of the project on the area. Regulators estimate that it could take anywhere from 3 to 6 months to issue the permit, including reviewing any public comment.

Co-founder Donald Hey takes on president job

Donald Hey, co-founder of The Wetlands Initiative with Al Pyott, took on the role of TWI’s president on January 1st. For the past 30 years, Donald has been a leading researcher, advocate, and practitioner of wetland restoration. He has been instrumental in founding two major wetland restoration/research projects in Illinois—the Des Plaines River Wetlands Demonstration Project and the Hennepin & Hopper Lakes Project. Based on his research as a hydrologist, Donald developed the “nutrient farming” strategy to create a vehicle for landowners to generate a profit by restoring large-scale wetlands. Former TWI president Jim Taylor has returned to private business, but remains on The Wetlands Initiative’s board of directors.

The Wetlands Initiative also welcomes John W. Sentell as executive vice president. John’s executive background includes a broad range of Fortune 500 marketing and branding work for Campbell-Ewald, Inc. and the Leo Burnett Company, as well as independent consulting. A conservationist and fly fisherman, John has held officer positions within various community-based nonprofits, including his current role on the executive committee of the Lake Forest Open Lands Association. At TWI, John will be responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the organization, overseeing marketing and development, and working closely with the board to develop and implement key strategic initiatives.

In other staff news, Laura Urban is now serving as TWI's development director. Laura has been writing about wetlands since 1990, freelancing for Wetlands Research, Inc. Since 1994 she has been writing for The Wetlands Initiative, including writing the popular Living with Wetlands: A Handbook for Homeowners in Northeastern Illinois. Laura has a B.S. in journalism from Northwestern University.

Carp operation to begin in Hennepin and Hopper lakes

Sport fishing on Hopper Lake

In late March, commercial fishermen and fisheries biologists will launch an operation designed to investigate the population dynamics of the common carp in Hennepin and Hopper lakes. They also will test a management strategy to significantly reduce the carp population. The Wetlands Initiative expects the two-prong strategy to provide key findings on how to reduce and control populations of this invasive species.

Scientists from the University of Minnesota first will catch and mark the carp, and then release them. The following week, commercial fishermen will net fish, sorting out the carp and returning the native (non-carp) fish to the lakes. Scientists will be able to use the markings on the carp to categorize the population growth dynamics of the carp community.

How did the carp get into a seemingly closed system such as Hennepin and Hopper? The answer is that they probably never left the drainage ditches that were present in the pre-restoration farm fields. In 2001, prior to the filling of the lakes, The Wetlands Initiative drew down the water level in all the ditches and applied pesticide. However, the fish survey that first year did indeed indicate that carp still were present. The lakes were consequently stocked with carnivorous fish who were expected to control the carp.

Carp degrade shallow lakes by uprooting aquatic plants and causing excessive turbidity, which can lead to declines in waterfowl and important native fish species. The common carp was introduced in North America in 1879 as a game fish. Today the species is considered an aggressive invasive in 48 states.

Spring brings new life in the marsh

	The yellow headed blackbird is one of the state endangered species now breeding at the Dixon Waterfowl Refuge

Ornithologist Doug Stotz says that the continued growth and establishment of breeding habitat at the Dixon Waterfowl Refuge is a major success story of the ongoing restoration effort at the refuge.

“The Dixon Waterfowl Refuge now is able to support breeding populations of the rarest birds in the state: Yellow-headed Blackbirds, Common Moorhens, Ruddy Ducks, Redheads, and Least Bitterns. It’s also an ideal place for Barred Owls and Great Horned Owls to breed,” said Doug.

New movie on our web site

Give us 6½ minutes of your time, and we’ll share with you our grand vision to restore the Mississippi River Basin – and beyond! A Solution So Clear is now available on our web site.

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