Big River - June 1993

June 1993

the monthly newsletter for people who live, work or play on the Upper Mississippi River

Bugging the Backwaters Will Exotic Beetles Control Exotic Weeds?

Vol. 1, No. 6

$2

Too Many Rough Fish Too Little Commercial Fishing

By Tony Kolars

By Pamela Eyden

Bud Ramer's fish bowl is running out of room.

Inside a wire-mesh cage in the backwaters of the Mississippi River near St. Paul, little beetles are waking up hungry after a long, cold winter. One kind of beetle, reddish brown with a schnoz the shape of an elephant's trunk, will lay its eggs near the roots of its favorite plant. Two other species will eat their way up through the plant's tender shoots, leaves and flowers. With luck, these little beetles will do a lot of damage to the plants in their cage this summer.

Insects are often cast as bad guys in plots involving plants, but not this time. This time the plant is purple loosestrife, which biologists say is crowding cattails and other valuable plants out of North American wetlands. If the three species of beetles in the cage are hardy enough to survive northern winters, reproduce well and don't get to munching on anything besides purple loosestrife, they'll be heroes.

If the three species of beetles in the cage are hardy enough to survive northern winters, reproduce well and don't get to munching on anything besides purple loosestrife, they'll be heroes.

The cages and beetles in Pig's Eye Lake are all part of a biological control experiment sponsored by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, with the backing of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Last August DNR researchers put 4,000 adult, leaf-eating beetles and 1,600 eggs of the root-mining weevil into the enclosure. In mid-May of this year they found a few beetles, some leaf damage and some had laid eggs already. This month researchers will find out how many beetles survived the winter.

As a commercial fisherman for 40 years, he has seen a lot of changes on the Mississippi River and speaks of it as an overcrowded fishbowl. Yet unless some changes are made in the laws governing commercial fishing, he cautions, the industry may go belly-up.

Ramer, who is from Winona, has fished the river nearly all his life. At age 16, he started casting his nets commercially and hauling his catches to open markets. Times were good and the fish were cooperating, so he started selling fish out of his garage.

In the early 1970s, he invested everything he had into Ramer's Fish Market. At the time, there were close to 16 fulltime commercial fishing operations working the river in Minnesota.

Now Ramer's is one of only a handful of fish markets struggling to make it in the state. His work force has gone from 16 full-time employees to three part timers.

Most of his day is spent at the store, a quiet little shop on Second St. in the shadow of the Interstate Bridge. The freezers are filled with fresh catches. The air is spiced with a hint of burning hickory from the smokehouse. Ramer's favorite fish is smoked carp.

But, he has a bone to . pick about the state of What's inside. .. the fishing industry.

Ramer has even dissuaded his children from Corridor Study 4 becoming commercial Current Events 5 fishermen. He doesn' t How Many Boats?

7 see anyone investing in River Calendar 8 the industry, and he

Coming in July •What's Up With Docks

(Beetles, continued on page 2)

(Rough, continued on page 3)

BIG RlvER

2

(Beetles, from page 1) "Ifwe don't find them right away, we'll just keep checking. This is all new. We didn't know for sure when these things come out of dormancy in Minnesota," said Luke Skinner, DNR purple loosestrife program coordinator.

Meet the Beetles Who are these beetles and what's their modus operandi?

Root-mining weevils (hylobius transversovittatus) are 10 millimeters (5/16") long, red-brown and have the elephantlike snout characteristic of weevils. They lay eggs in the lower stem of the plant, near the root, where developing larvae do a lot of damage by eating the vascular tissue through which nutrients flow. They frequently destroy the whole plant.

H. transversovittatus

G. pusilla G. calmariensis

(2 1/2 times actual size)

The leaf-eating beetles (galerucella pusilla and galeruella calmariensis) are wood-brown and about the size of ladybugs.

They fly some and walk a lot. On sunny days they climb up to the tips of the stems, munching as they go. They eat leaves, flowers and new shoots, but prefer the tips. Put enough of them to work on a plant, and they stop seed production.

The Problem All three beetles come from Europe. That's where purple loosestrife emigrated from 200 years ago. Like dandelions, plantain, thistle, water hyacinth and other plants now thought of as noxious pests, it came without any of the animals that feed on it and keep its population in balance in the ecosystem. Since 1907, when gardeners at the Glensheen Mansion in Duluth brought it to Minnesota to beautify wetlands on the grounds, loosestrife has spread to 68 of Minnesota's 87 counties_:_ 1,440 sites covering about 38,000 acres. The six-foot-tall stems support plum-purple flowers that would be a fitting subject for a Monet painting. Unfortunately, loosestrife crowds out cattails, sedges, arrowhead and other plants that provide food and shelter for wildlife.

"An established stand of loosestrife grows so thick you can't walk through it," said Skinner. "It's woody and impenetrable. Ducks can't nest in it. Muskrats won't eat it. Northern pike, which spawn in the weeds in shallow bays, can't get into it, either."

A mature loosestrife plant has deep roots that sprout seven to ten stalks. It grows fast - as much as a half-foot per day - and casts about 2,000 seeds, almost all of which sprout if given half a chance. It resists chemical herbicides, digging,

June 1993

mowing, burning, water level manipulations and plant competitors.

Skinner has worked on the loosestrife problem for quite a few years now, first as a biologist for the Hennepin County Parks system.

"We tried everything," Skinner recalled.

Biological control has a long history in the U.S. but its main focus has always been on controlling pest insects - for example, gypsy moths, Dutch elm beetles, European corn borers and Japanese beetles. Biological control of weeds is relatively new, but it is attracting more support and funding.

When entomologist Dharma Sreenivasam began working for the Minnesota Department of Agriculture in 1988, he was one of two scientists in the biological control program. Now he manages a program with a staff of 26 scientists.

"Our first concerted effort in Minnesota was in 1988," he said. "We are now implementing biological control programs for loosestrife, Canada thistle and leafy spurge. Leafy spurge has been a success story. We have 17 projects scheduled for 1994 and 1995, including musk thistle and cocklebur."

The Legislative Commission on Minnesota Resources recently funded the DNR loosestrife control project for two more years.

The Test Although purple loosestrife is a raging purple problem in many wetland areas in the Upper Mississippi River, nobody is in a big hurry to release the beetles. The USDA tested the beetles for many years in its European labs before bringing them to this country and testing them again under quarantine conditions. By the time the USDA selected four states Minnesota, Washington, Maryland and New York- as field testing sites, scientists were fairly certain that the three beetles eat only loosestrife. But they still take precautions against the possibility that the beetles will take a sudden liking to something else - wild rice, for example.

"These beetles have gone through strict testing procedures, but there's always a little concern about that," Skinner admitted.

If all goes well in Pig's Eye Lake this summer, the beetles may be distributed to six breeding sites in southeastern Minnesota, where the DNR can raise enough to begin dispersing them into loosestrife-infested wetlands, where they should flourish. If the beetles start making a dent in the loosestrife, their own numbers will diminish, too.

"We don't intend to eradicate loosestrife," Skinner said.

"We are just trying to reunite it with its natural enemies, so it's not overly competitive."

At any rate, it will be years before anyone sees beetles climbing around on loosestrife plants in Mississippi River backwaters.

"Most people will never notice them," Skinner said.•

Pamela Eyden is assistant editor of Big River.

-J

June 1993

BIG RlvER

(Rough, from page 1) can't blame them. "The lean days far out-number the prosperous," he said with a shake of the head. "And the light at the end of the tunnel is getting dimmer."

Ramer says the problem is, paradoxically, too many fish.

"They're crowding themselves out. We got a lot of fish coming out of the river, but they are small fish, which cuts my production."

The fish he is concerned about are the "rough fish" that he sells, mainly sheepshead, carp, catfish, buffalo and suckers.

But for reasons ranging from state regulations to fewer commercial fishermen, the rough fish are overcrowding the river and Ramer will tell you "It's becoming a fish bowl with too many fish and not enough management. They're starving each other out."

"It's becoming a fish bowl with too many fish and not enough management. They're starving each other out."

The carp, especially, are smaller because there are so many of them. As the number of fish competing for food increases, the average size of the fish decreases.

Competition for food among fish has taken its toll on walleye and other game fish as well. Though Ramer only fishes for game fish recreationally, he knows higher rough fish populations are hurting game fish. "Sport fishermen will tell you - they are catching less trophy-size fish. They just aren't out there."

Ramer sees a lot of similarities between today's commercial fishing and farming 60 years ago. Farmers modernized their techniques to become more productive and to make better use of the land. This is what the fishing industry must do now to become more efficient. Unfortunately, businesses like Ramer's haven't been allowed to adapt to the changes in the river and markets.

"I sell a low-priced product. To be efficient and economical, I need to sell a lot of fish."

The Mississippi has also changed, resulting in further suffering for commercial fishermen. When PCB levels in river fish exceeded safe limits for human consumption in the 1980s, the public was told not to eat fish from the river. Now that the levels are down again, people are still afraid to buy the fish.

Ramer says this is due to mismanagement of information and unreasonable state regulations. "I've worked and eaten fish from that river every day of my life. If anyone should be sick it should be me. I took one carp, cut it down the middle, and had half tested in Wisconsin, the other in Minnesota.

Wisconsin passed it and Minnesota didn't. Same damn fish!"

He isn't angry at the Department of Natural Resources, the state or his customers, but is frustrated that the commercial fishing industry "has its hands tied and can't change with

3

the times."

Ramer agrees that fish should be tested for contaminates and welcomes inspections, but he would like to see laws changed to allow commercial fisherman to fish at night, as they do in Iowa. Ramer is also currently working with State Senator Steve Morse on a bill permitting the use of hoop nets, similar to those used in Iowa. The nets are placed in the current to catch a larger variety of fish. Non-targeted species and game fish are released live and unhurt.

"I want what Iowa has," Ramer said. "If it works in Iowa, why can't it work here? It's the same river, same damn fish, and they're right out my back door!" As it is now, Bud is forced to buy many of his fish from Iowa fisherman.

He is quick to point out that even though he finds the DNR too conservative in its management of the river, it does a good job of protecting game fish. He doesn't want to go after game fish, but they will suffer unless the rough fish population is properly managed. Harvesting rough fish from the river leaves more room for game fish.

"If they aren't going to make these changes, then they should at least subsidize commercial fishermen like they do farmers. We are taking carp out of the river, but right now we're doing that at a loss," he said.

When Ramer looks back on his career as a fisherman, he sees other similarities to farming. At age 56, he worries that unless changes are made soon, his industry is going to go the way of many small farms.

More Marketing To adapt to the times, Ramer has become less of a fisherman and more of a businessman, salesman and marketing agent. Because the volume of fish he deals with has gone down over the years, but the price hasn't changed, Ramer has to process his product more to increase its value. "I'm not getting the quantity of good-size fish I used to, so now I'm making up for it in quality."

Market demands have also changed, now that supermarkets offer a processed product that is pan-ready. Ramer works harder to keep up with this competition.

"We customize our product-cutting it, cleaning it, boxing it up and sending it air mail where ever we have to," Ramer said. "Nobody buys a chicken today that hasn't been plucked, cleaned, boned and processed first. The same is true for fish."

This "prepackaged" approach is keeping his business afloat. He now sells his buffalo and catfish via air mail to markets in the Twin Cities, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Denver, Florida, Chicago and New York.

"Everybody knows Ramer's," he said, and he'd like to keep it that way. "But the river is too crowded with fish, and something has to go."

What goes may be the commercial fisherman.+

Tony Kolars is associate editor of Big River.

Bm RlvER

4

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ORGANIZATIONS Mississippi River Heritage Corridor Study

By Jennifer Pettit

The area adjacent to the Mississippi River has been the subject of an intensive study without most residents of the area being aware of it.

Since 1990, the Mississippi River Heritage Corridor Study Commission has been looking into whether the area merits a congressional designation as a National Heritage Corridor.

Such a designation is one possible method of protecting the river and valley through a cooperative effort of government and public interests.

The commission is about half done with its study. An interim report will be presented to Congress in July. Next year it should be completed and Congress should make its decision.

"What we have to accomplish is an inventory of the various features we have to offer to help make people aware of the culture and history (along the river)."

Evan Zantow, chairman of the study commission, summed up the work, "What we have to accomplish is an inventory of the various features we have to offer to help make people aware of the culture and history (along the river)."

"At this point we can't guarantee 100 percent that we will make the recommendation to Congress," he said. "But I feel very optimistic about it."

If the valley is designated as a heritage corridor everyone would benefit, said Zantow. He hopes that educating people about the river's unique culture and landscape would help instill a stewardship attitude among those who resides there.

"It's like putting a carrot out in front, hoping people will see the advantages of conservation and stewardship," he said.

The mission of the study is not to determine what changes would take place after the designation, said Zantow.

Another group would be appointed by Congress to implement the heritage corridor.

Some of the more tangible results could include highlighting the corridor in travel publications, distributing road maps and listing things to see and do along the river. Another result could be that signs, similar to the "Great River Road" signs put up by the Mississippi River Parkway Commission,

June 1993

would publicize the corridor, said Zantow, who also serves on the Parkway Commission.

It is Zantow's hope that Congress will appoint the Mississippi River Parkway Commission to work on the implementation if the designation is made.

Some oppose the creation of a Mississippi River Heritage Corridor. Some property owners in the river valley have voiced concern that it would interfere with property rights because such a designation could lead to rules that would hinder their use of their land.

Zantow said it would not control what individuals do with their land or include any land acquisition, but would help balance the interests of conservationists and land owners by working on zoning laws acceptable to both parties.

The study commission will not be recommending any land use regulations. However, Zantow said he hopes that people will see the value in preserving the land and pass the regulations on their own.

"It should be up to the government and the individual citizens to pass zoning ordinances," Zantow said. "The land isn't going to be worth anything unless it is taken care of."

The 15-rriember Corridor Study Commission includes one member from each of the Mississippi River Parkway Commissions in the 10 states bordering the river and representatives from five federal agencies: the Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of Commerce, Coast Guard, National Park Service and Army Corps of Engineers. An interdisciplinary team from the Denver Service Center of the National Park Service is conducting the study under the guidance of the study commission.

The study commission receives partial funding from Congress and seeks private funding.

The study commission needs public input to complete its findings. Meetings are held throughout the year at various locations in the United States. For more information, contact Director Evan Zantow at (608) 786-0710.+

Jennifer Pettit is a freelance journalist who lives on Latsch Island.

Big River is published monthly by Big River, 267 E Sanborn,

Winona, MN 55987, (507) 454-6758. editor/publisher Reggie McLeod assistant editor Pamela Eyden associate editor Tony Kolars Subscriptions are $20 for one year, $36 for two years or $2 per single issue. Send subscriptions, single copy orders and change-of-address requests to Big River, PO Box 741, Winona, MN 55987.

Application to mail at second-class postage rates is pending at Winona, MN. Big River, Volume 1, Number 6, copyright © June 1993.

Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher is prohibited.

Printed on recycled paper.

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June 1993

BIG RlvER

CURRENT EVENTS

By Reggie McLeod and Tony Kolars

New Tax Versus Old Subsidy The barge industry is fighting to keep its $750 million subsidy, which takes the form of dredging, lock maintenance and other costs of supporting shipping on the nation's inland waterways. However, environmentalists and many politicians call the subsidy pork-barrel spending and argue that most of the benefit goes to a handful of powerful firms.

The barge industry has been protesting very strongly against a proposed dollar-a-gallon tax on towboat fuel (See Current Events in the April 1993 Big River.). It argues that the tax would hurt small barge companies and farmers, who ship much of their grain on barges.

A range of interests, from conservatives, including Ronald Reagan and the National Taxpayers Union, to liberals, including Ralph Nader and the National Wildlife Federation, have tried to trim the subsidy, according to an article from the Cox News Service (in the St. Paul Pioneer Press 5-23-93).

The Boston Globe found that 10 big firms own about twothirds of the nation's river barge fleet and that big waterway interests contributed $3.7 million to congressional candidates in the 1992 election.

The Waterways Journal (5-17-93) reported that the House Ways and Means committee approved a compromise proposal to raise the tax by only 53 cents over five years.

"We are making clear to all that while this is referred to by some as a 'compromise,' that it is one in which we had no part, and which we reject," said Joseph Farrell, president of the American Waterways Operators.

Many public officials and environmental groups have opposed a study recently initiated by the Army Corps of Engineers to plan future expansion of the navigation . system.+

Zebra Blockade In an attempt to slow the spread of zebra mussels into the upper St. Croix River, the National Park Service is stopping upstream traffic at the Arcola sandbar.

The Park Service has asked the Army Corps of Engineers for a permit to place a floating buoy line across the river at the sandbar, which is north of Stillwater and south of Marine on St. Croix. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and both the Minnesota and Wisconsin Departments of Natural Resources are working with the National Park Service on the project.

The mussels have been found in the lower St. Croix, the Mississippi as far upstream as the Twin Cities and in the lower 25 miles of the Minnesota River. In their larval stage they are too tiny to see and can be transported in bilge water,

5

minnow buckets or anything else that holds water.

"In addition to threatened and endangered species, we are very concerned that an infestation of zebra mussels will impact fisheries, swimming beaches, cause damage to boat motors and clog intake and discharge points for water systems," said Don Castleberry, National Park Service Midwest regional director.

Roger Holmes, director of the Minnesota DNR Division of Fish and Wildlife said, "The St. Croix River is home to 41 species of native mussels; two of these, the Higgins' eye pearly mussel and the winged mapleleaf mussels, are on the federal endangered species list. The winged mapleleaf mussel is found nowhere else in the world outside of a 10-mile stretch of the St. Croix River, within the National Wild and Scenic Rivers system, downstream from Taylors Falls, Minn.

It also is home to one of only a few reproducing populations of Higgins' eye pearly mussels. The river system also supports 140 other rare and endangered species. In the St. Croix River, the invasion of zebra mussels poses a threat beyond extirpation and presents the very real possibility of species extinction."+

Teaching About Iowa Birds A Teachers Activity Booklet About ... Iowa Birds, an 84-page spiral-bound book is available from the Iowa Ornithologists Union in cooperation with the Iowa Conservation Education Council. It costs $4 plus $2 for shipping and handling from Iowa Ornithologists Union, c/o Linda Zaletal, 715 West St., Colo, IA 50056. +

Mussel Researcher Honored The timing was right for Marian Havlik who was recently recognized by the prestigious International Rolex Awards for Enterprise. Havlik submitted a project proposal to determine the effects of the zebra mussel on native and endangered freshwater mussels in the Mississippi and to do follow-up studies on the success of transplanted mussels to other parts of the river.

"This is a crucial matter," Havlik said. "If something isn't done soon, we can kiss many freshwater fauna in the Mississippi goodbye."

Her project appears with 664 other worldwide winners in the 1993 Rolex Awards for Enterprise book. Inclusion in the contest, held every three years, is imp~rtant to Havlik because "It is not a simple thing to enter or win... and it recognizes people who have stuck with their commitments for a long time."

Havlik, founder and owner of Malacological Consultants, La Crosse, has been fighting for years for the protection of rare mussels such as the Higgins' eye and winged mapleleaf species.+

(Current Events, continued on next page)

6

BIG RlvER

(Current Events, from page 5)

Angler Nets $100 Fish Sam Amundson caught a black crappie last fall and in the process reeled in $100 from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

According to a Minnesota DNR news release (4-20-93), Amundson's fish was one of thousands tagged by the agencies in the Finger Lakes, downstream of Lock and Dam 4, near Kellogg, Minnesota. He was picked for the reward by a random selection from turned-in tags.

The rewards encourage fishermen to report tagged catches of bluegill, black crappie and largemouth bass. This will help biologist determine winter-time habitat needs of these species and provide information on an effort to reintroduce freshwater flow into the Finger Lakes from culverts to be constructed this summer.

Construction of the lock and dam in 1935 reduced freshwater flow in the lake, reducing levels of oxygen during the winter. The study and rewards will continue through 1996.+

Wetlands for Waterfowl A half-million ducks should soon benefit from 1.9 million acres of newly protected wetlands in the Upper Midwest.

According to an article in The Country Today (4-21-93), public and privately owned land, 70 percent of which is in Minnesota, will be "enhanced, created, or restored" for waterfowl preservation over the next 15 years.

Jim Leach of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said the plan is an effort at instilling "an environmental ethic" and "land ethic in private landowners" because the government doesn't have money to do all the necessary management.

"That's why we need to convince private (landowners) that these wetlands are important to society and that it's up to the landowner to protect them."

The plan aims to restore waterfowl populations in the Midwest to levels found in the 1970s, including an annual spring breeding population of 62 million ducks. The program is is a collective effort of Ducks Unlimited, the Nature Conservancy, the Fish and Wildlife Service and the DNRs of six states, including Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin.+

June 1993

seas of Europe, has now been found in all the Great Lakes and is slowly moving into more and more of the Mississippi and its tributaries. In the Great Lakes they are so abundant that they clog water intake valves, kill native mussels and increase the drag on ships hulls.+

Fish and Wildlife Video If you missed it in theaters you can now watch it on video. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has just released "Understanding a Changing System: The Upper Mississippi River System Long Term Resource Monitoring Program."

The video explains the program and illustrates some of the methods of collecting and compiling information about the river, including field research, geographic information systems and spatial data management.

For information about obtaining it, call Barry Drazkowski at the Fish and Wildlife Service, (608) 783-7550.+

Fish Advisories If you catch a white bass on the Minnesota side of the Mississippi River, don't eat it, because it's contaminated with PCBs. If you catch it on the Wisconsin side, it's okay.

The two states don't always agree on the health risks of eating fish caught in the waters that mark their borders. In any event, reading the spring fish consumption advisories from the Minnesota Department of Health and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources probably converts a new batch of catch-and-release anglers every year.

The two states do agree on a few points: Stay away from channel cats. Small fish are generally better for you than big fish. Crappies and sunfish are pretty clean.+

New Exotic Fish Discovered A commercial fisherman from Cassville Slough last February netted the first "big head carp" reported in the Upper Mississippi River.

The UMRCC News Letter (March/ April 1993) said the heavy-bodied, broad-headed, fine-scaled carp is raised for food in ponds by Chinese.+

Reggie McLeod is editor and Tony Kolars is associate editor of Big River.

Zebras Reach New Orleans The pesky zebra mollusk has muscled its way to within 98 miles of the mouth of the Mississippi. The Dubuque Telegraph-Herald (5-6-93) reported that workers at the Harvey, Louisiana, locks found four to five mussels per square foot on culvert valves in early May. Previously, the most southerly sighting of the zebra mussel was 80 miles upriver from Baton Rouge.

The dime-sized mussel, native to the Black and Caspian

Do you have river information to share?

Let Big River help. Send press releases, letters to the editor, news clippings and meeting notices to Big River, PO Box 741, Winona, MN 55987.

And remember, the deadline for calendar information is the 15th of the month before the meeting or event.

BIG RlvER

June 1993

7

How Many Boats?

Registered Boats In River Counties

STEARNS

27,198 boats

30,997 boats

-+-+---

Wisconsin entire state 512,234 boats

RAMSEY

89,873 boats

Minnesota entire state 636,000 boats 8,230 boats 9,252 boats

HOUSTON .__ _....____ _ __

3,259 boats

VERNON

Iowa entire state 180,876 boats

Boat registration rules vary from state to state. Minnesota and Illinois require all boats to be registered, including canoes.

Wisconsin only licenses canoes longer than 13 feet. Iowa only registers vessels with power.

The Iowa figures are for May 15, 1993. The Minnesota count is from April 8, 1993. Figures from Illinois and Wisconsin are for December 31, 1992.

Even though we only included counties bordering the river, boaters in nearby counties also use the river. For instance, Olmsted County, Minnesota, which is west of Houston County, has 15,089 registered boats, most of which are probably on Lake Pepin.+ The information on this map was collected from the respective states.

Illinois entire state 368,147 boats

BIG RlvER

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RIVER CALENDAR JUNE 2 Mississippi River Study on phosphorus in the Mississippi River and Lake Pepin presented at a public forum, Boatworks, 10 Church Ave., Wabasha, open house at 6 p.m., meeting at 7 p.m. Call the Metropolitan Waste Control Commission, (612) 229-2100.

3 Natural Resource Commission, Iowa DNR, Hampton, Iowa. Contact Iowa DNR, Wallace State Office Bldg., Des Moines, Iowa 50319-0034'

June 1993

14 St. Croix Valley Sierra Club, monthly meeting, 6:30 p.m., Stillwater Public Library, Stillwater, Minn.

16 Mississippi River Parkway Commission of Minnesota, meeting 4 p.m ., to be followed in the evening by a community involvement meeting, Red Wing. Call (612) 224-9903.

17 Mississippi River Parkway Commission of Minnesota, community involvement meeting, Winona. Call (612) 2249903.

19 Upper Mississippi Festival, Lake Bemidji State Park, Bemidji, Minn.

21 Environmental Protection Commission, Iowa DNR, Des Moines, Iowa. Contact Iowa DNR, Wallace State Office Bldg., Des Moines, Iowa 50319-0034.

26 Schoolcraft Canoe Trip, visit the Mississippi River near Schoolcraft State Park. Call (218) 566-2383 for information.

5 River Clean-up, Mississippi River Revival, Twin Cities Chapter, Boom Island Marina, 1 mile north of Riverplace, 9 a .m. Bring gloves and work clothes. Call (612) 339-4142.

27 Rocky Point Sailing Race, Lake Bemidji State Park, Bemidji, Minn.

3-4 The Upper Mississippi River Valley - A Common Vision, workshop about strategies for land protection. St. Mary's College, Winona. Call Minn.-Wis. Boundary Area Commission, (715) 386-9444 or (612) 436-7131.

27-30 Innovations in Inland Navigation, U.S. Section, Permanent International Association of Navigation Congresses, Adam's Mark Hotel, St. Louis, Mo. Call PIANC, (202) 504-4312, fax (202) 272-8839.

6 Minnesota State Parks Open House, free admission to all state parks. Many parks will offer special activities. Call 296-6157 in the Twin Cities or 1-800-766-6000.

6 Crow Wing Family Canoe Day, paddle from Kiwanis Park, Brainerd, Minn., to Crow Wing State Park. For information call the Minnesota DNR, (218) 828-2623.

6-12 National Safe Boating Week.

7-13 National Fishing Week, Como Park Zoo, St. Paul, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Serivce will offer a variety of displays and activities.

8 Natural Resource Commission, Iowa DNR, Fayette County, Iowa. Contact Iowa DNR, Wallace State Office Bldg., Des Moines, Iowa 50319-0034.

9-11 American Association of Port Authorities, Port Operations Seminar. Marriott at Sawgrass, Jacksonville, Fla. Call AAPA.(703) 684-5700.

10 Minnesota-Wisconsin Boundary Area Commission meeting. Call (612) 436-7131 or (715) 386-9444.

10 Lower Wisconsin State Riverway Board meeting, Woodman, Wis. Call 1-800-221-3792 or (608) 739-3188.

11-12 Midwest Riverboat Buffs, spring meeting, Alton, Ill. Call John R. Miller, (319) 524-6491.

11-13 Free Fishing Days in Iowa. State residents can fish without a license. All fishing regulations must be obeyed.

12 Learn to Canoe at Fort Snelling State Park, St. Paul, with presentations by river and canoeing experts, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information call Mark Cleveland, park naturalist, (612) 726-9247.

12-13 Take-A-Kid Fishing Weekend in Minnesota. Adult residents can fish without a license if fishing with a youngster 16 or younger.

The Metropolitan Waste Control Commission (Twin Cities) plans a series of breakfast meetings to review and solicit comment on its proposed 1994 budget. All meetings are from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. For reservations call Sarah Kline at (612) 229-2129.

June 4 T. Wrights, 3310 South Highway 101, Minnetonka.

June 8 Holiday Inn North, 2200 Freeway Blvd, Brooklyn Center.

June 15 Maplewood Inn, 1780 E. County Rd. D, Maplewood.

June 16 Nicollet Island Inn, 95 Merriam St, Minneapolis.

June 17 Drover's Inn, 7901 S. Concord St., South St. Paul.

June 23 Metro Wastewater Treatment Plant, 2400 Childs Rd., St. Paul. Following the breakfast meeting there will be a tour of the plant, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

JULY 13-17 Mississippi River - Past, Present, and Future is the theme of the Izaak Walton League of America National Convention, Holiday Inn, Davenport, Iowa.

8 Minnesota-Wisconsin Boundary Area Commission, committee meetings. Call (612) 436-7131 or (715) 386-9444.

Feb. 5 to July 31 Exhibit of Mississippi River Photos from a Century Ago are on display at the North Lobby of the Landmark Center, 75 W. Fifth St., St. Paul. Henry Bosse took these stunning photos between 1883 and 1891, when he worked for the Army Corps of Engineers. They show steamboats, log rafts, early bridges and scenes of the corps maintaining the navigation channel. When these blue cyanotype photographs were discovered recently experts praised their artistic quality. The exhibit is free.+