Big River - February 1996 by wsuopenriver

February 1996

Vol. 4 , No. 2

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

$2.75

Commercial Fishing Skiing the Backwaters Beneath the Ice By Reggie McLeod For several years I tried to imagine how commercial fishermen use huge nets in the river in the middle of winter. I tried to imagine how they herd fish with snowmobiles. After pestering a couple of fishermen for two mild winters I finally got lucky in February 1988. In fact, we all got lucky. An unusual scene unfolds late on a Saturday afternoon on the frozen Mississippi River about a mile below the Trempealeau darn. A man on a snowmobile and a man on a three-wheel, all-terrain vehicle drive back and forth. Two guys pull rhythmically on ropes that run through holes in the ice. On the end of each rope a heavy chain clanks on the river bottom. Another man smacks the water with an inverted funnel attached to a pole. Another hunches intently over a small black box watching black marks appear on a scroll of paper. If we could peer through a foot and a half of snow-covered ice and the through murky river we would see tight

If they pull up empty nets, their only pay for a long day's work is lots of fresh air, sore muscles and cold bones. schools of frightened carp, gar, sheepshead and buffalo fish being driven into a trap. Over a thousand feet of seine net stretches out in a huge "L" shape under the ice. The short end of the L starts at a hole near the shore of an island and runs west across the channel for about 250 feet, then upriver for about 800 feet. The six men are driving fish into the net from upriver.

(Ice continued on page 2)

By John Sagan From the lower end of Lake Pepin to Trempealeau Mountain, the big river backwaters are a dream for the cross country skier. When the conditions are right (and no one can agree on when the conditions are right), a skier can travel for miles and miles in an afternoon and find plenty of adventures. The endorphins build up as you cruise, and soon you slide into a second childhood. Every peninsula becomes a new country- unexplored and holding secrets. The eagles wheel, dive, swoop and glide above and before you. In the farther reaches, there are otter trails to follow and deer trails become highways through the trees. Mice leave their tiny patterns between the trees on snowy plains, from grassy island to grassy island. And the ancient trees dream of a century past. Ice fishermen watch you glide by, wondering whether to try it themselves one day with a fish box in tow. Snowrnobilers leave a trail of oily fumes as they scream by to avoid the improbable human before them. In a snowstorm, on a bright sunny day or on a moonlit midnight, skiing the backwaters of the big river opens up the heart and makes

(Skiing continued on page 4)

WHAT'S INSIDE â&#x20AC;˘â&#x20AC;˘.

Wintertime Bluegills Where they go and why

Current Events Hue and Cry, Move the People

Letter to the Editor Phosphorus in Lake Pepin

River Calendar & Almanac Grumpy Old Men, Winter Carnivals

February 1996

BIG RrvER

(Ice continued from page 1) They have spent the day stringing nets and ropes under the ice. Each man imagines schools of fish swimming into

gather. Within a day or two after locating fish, they round up a crew of from five to eight. They cut a hole through the ice, about four by 12 feet, near shore, in shallow water. Then they cut triangular holes about every 75 feet in a line running from the shore across the current to the opposite shore. There they cut a larger hole and more triangular holes in a line running upriver about another 800 feet. A larger hole is cut at the end of that line. An 80-foot length of boards nailed together is used to string ropes under the ice. Men guide it from hole to hole with poles and heavy wires. Sometimes it misses a hole, and they have to augur extra holes through the ice to locate it

"It's got to go like clockwork," he says. uThis cold causes nothing but problems."

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Cold fish waiting for a ride to shore. the trap. They are working for shares; if they pull up empty nets their only pay for a long, hard, dangerous, cold day' s work is lots of fresh air, sore muscles and cold bones. The man hunched over the sonar is Bud Ramer, 50, owner of Ramer's Fish Store, in Winona. He has fished the river for more than 30 years. He watches schools of fish moving downriver. Every few minutes he gets up to aim the sonar probe in a different direction. Schools of fish are being driven toward the nets, but the sonar cannot reach far enough to show whether there are many fish already surrounded by the nets. He worries because it took longer than it should have to place the nets and ropes under the ice. The commotion may have driven many fish out of the area. "It's got to go like clockwork," he says. "This cold causes nothing but problems." Weather forecasters predicted temperatures in the 20s, but at noon the temperature hasn't reached 10 above. Neither machines nor humans work well in extreme cold. Snowmobiles, the power auger, the chain saw and the winch are balky. In the afternoon, as the temperature creeps above 10, the wind begins blowing up the frozen

and get it back on course. Meanwhile, other crew members examine and mend nets. When the ropes are strung out they are used to pull the net out under the ice in an L shape. Then more holes are cut, and the board is used to string ropes from the top of the L back to the island shore. Another line runs parallel to shore back to the original hole. "Every crew does things a little differently," explains Lloyd Maas, of Trempealeau, as he mends nets Saturday morning. "You learn something new every time." After the nets are laid out the men are careful not to walk or drive across the enclosed area. The noise could drive fish away. Twilight turns the snow from light blue to dark gray as Ramer watches the final school of fish move slowly beneath

river valley. ~ f~~SJlil!ili The techniques for fishing ~ II Cl> below the ice are a testament 8: Cl> a: to the persistence and resourcefulness of the fishermen. First they use sonar to survey spots where fish are likely to

The crew loads the big haul.

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February 1996

BIG Riv.ER

fish . They frequently use it to improve game fishing on lakes. Before sonar, fishing under the ice was a hit-and-miss proposition with about two successful hauls out of ten. Sonar reverses the odds to about eight successful pulls out of ten. However, years of commercial fishing and deterioration of the river from silt and sand has decreased the size of hauls. But not this time. The men cannot empty the net on Sunday. They return Monday and Tuesday. In all, over 100,000 pounds of fish are taken. It is the best haul of sheepshead

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him and toward the nets. The men move quickly to the top of the L and began pulling the net closed. They pull it from hole to hole toward the shore, then from hole to hole along the shore to the large hole, where the other end of the net is secured. Several times the net snags on sunken trees. Holes are cut through the ice to free it. By 11 p.m. only the bag-like section of net remains under the ice. From the swarm of fish thrashing in the open water the fishermen estimate that they might harvest 50,000 pounds. By midnight they are on their way home. Sunday morning they begin filling about 200 fish boxes as they slowly retrieve the remaining 100 feet of net. One man pushes fish to one end of the hole, where another scoops them out with a net. Two scoops of the net fill a box with about 130 pounds of fish. A pickup truck ferries boxes of fish to Ramer's larger truck on the Minnesota shore. Occasionally a walleye or other game fish is pulled out of the mass of carp, gar, sheepshead, buffalo fish and catfish and returned to the water beyond the edge of the net. In an interview the previous week Ramer explained that few game fish are netted, because rough fish tend to drive them out of an area. In fact, removing rough fish improves the habitat for game fish. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources published a book in 1969 describing the use of horizontal sonar for seining under the ice for rough

Before sonar, fishing under the ice was a hit-and-miss proposition with about two successful hauls out of ten. and perhaps the largest haul altogether he has ever made, Ramer says. Ramer sells river fish in his store, along with other fresh and frozen fish and seafood. He pickles or smokes about a half million pounds of carp a year, most of which are sold to about 160 grocery stores in the upper Midwest. This haul, however, is too large for Ramer to sort and process. He will sell it to a wholesaler for about eight to 10 cents a pound. Most of it will be eaten in the Chicago area and the East Coast.

Reggie McLeod is editor of Big River. This story originally appeared in several newspapers in the winter of 1988.

BIG RIVER Big River (ISSN 1 070-8340) is published monthly by Big River, 70 1/z East Fourth Street, Suite 203, Winona, MN 55987; (507) 454-5949; E-mail: bigriver@aol.com Reggie McLeod

editor/publisher

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circulation and marketing manager

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layout and design

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BIG RrvER

(Skiing continued from page 1) almost anything possible. For those who like to ski, the choice of location is never easy. Try any landing at any point in any park off any road. If you want wide-open, flat-out skiing try the big backwater above Trempealeau Mountain. If you want intimate winding pathways through the trees and over the islands try the Nelson Bottoms or Reno Bottoms. If you want civilized groomed trails try Perrot Park near Trempealeau, Wis., but you won't see much of the river. Merrick Park near Fountain City, Wis., has small trails through the woods with many frozen little rivers all leading to the big river, and for an extra treat offers Devils Cut, which never freezes. Cutting back a little into the hills you can go up the Whitewater Delta. If you feel like really big skiing, head for Lake Pepin, which has some mighty dramatic shoreline at the right time of year. The river can be a dangerous place in any season. Forethought and knowledge of the river will make you safer. Ski with a couple of friends and keep a little distance apart, especially if you are skiing in unfamiliar territory. Talk about safety and what you might encounter and how you will respond. Even when the ice is thick enough to drive a car on, dangerously thin spots will remain near springs, wing dams and places with current. One afternoon, a friend was out with his wife on a benign little backwater that he had skied many times before. Since he was a faster skier, he took a longer path, while keeping his wife in sight. As he crossed an area that had a current, the ice gave way, dropping him waist deep in a mucky slough. He had to remove his skis and wade to shore, where he put his skis back on and headed back to the landing, as fast as he could go. Some days you may have to break trail and other days will be just right, with the snow windswept and packed for the fastest skiing. Read the river, and it will give the answers that you are looking for.

John Sagan is a freelance writer living in Fountain City, Wis.

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February 1996

Wintertime Bluegills Catching bluegills in winter is not always as easy as it appears. Part of the problem for a novice is locating the fish. One reliable method is to follow the ice fishing crowds. But with this method, basic questions remained unanswered: Why the large groups of ice fishermen? Why aren' t the fishermen spread out over the backwater lakes as in summer? How do they know where to fish? Why are they located in the same spots year after year? The answer to all of these questions, says Brian Brecka, Department of N atural Resources Fish Manager at Alma, Wis., is that bluegills migrate in fall to "wintering areas," places in the Mississippi River where they find adequate winter habitat. Wintering areas for bluegills are critical for survival during the long winter months. Without them the bluegill population we enjoy today will likely decline. "There are four important elements that d etermine whether an area is suitable for wintering," Brecka explained . "Bluegills, other sunfish and largemouth bass prefer deepwater areas, with warm w ater temperatures (about 39 degrees), lots of oxygen and no flow." Finding food is generally not a problem. Bluegills in winter eat the same food items as they do in summer - aquatic insects, zooplankton and freshwater shrimp. "Wintering areas w ith the best survival rates have a water depth greater than three feet." Brecka said. "The depth reduces the risk of water freezing to the bottom. Deeper water also has a greater oxygen reserve because of the simple fact there is greater water volume and consequently more oxygen than shallow water." An equally important factor is little to no current, as flowing w ater brings with it a harmful decrease in water temperature. Moving water is colder than the 39-degree water in the backwaters. This is important because even a few degrees of difference significantly affects bluegill survival. For m any reasons, there are not many of these preferred areas left in the Mississippi River. Sedimentation has filled in m any w intering areas. Some have becom e so shallow they freeze to the bottom. Areas that previously did not have flowing water now do, which is detrimental to backwater lake species in the winter. So how do they survive without the optimum conditions? Bluegills and other backw ater lake species seek out the best w intering areas in the river and som etimes travel great d istances to do it. For example, some largem outh bass travel more than 12 miles to their wintering areas. They also make compromises when choosing their winter habitat. They may tolerate less depth, a slight increase in flow or a slight d ecrease in wa ter temperature or oxygen. ~

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This story was provided by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. TheiJ would like to hear your questions or comments about this or any other M ississippi River issue. Please contact your local DNR office or write to Mississippi River Tidbits, Wisconsin DNR, State Office Building, Room 104, 3550 Mormon Coulee Road, La Crosse, WI 54601 .

February 1996

BIG

RrvER

CURRENT EVENTS By Pamela Eyden, Molly McGuire and Reggie McLeod

River Summit and Suit

any river biologists believe that the ecosystem of the Upper Mississippi River may be collapsing because of the lock-and-dam system. Meanwhile, the Army Corps of Engineers is studying the feasibility of expanding the navigation system. Two events this winter may change the future of the river.

The ecological future of the Upper Mississippi River will be the focus of a two-day gathering in the Twin Cities, February 1 and 2, arranged by the St. Paul District of the Corps. The eightmember planning committee for the event includes representatives from the Corps, barge industry, environmental groups and government agencies. It invited 45 organizations and state and federal agencies to send as many as three representatives each to discuss the future of the river's natural resources. Meanwhile, the Izaak Walton League of America retained a Minneapolis law firm "to exercise every legal means possible to prevent the catastrophic collapse of the Upper Mississippi River ecosystem predicted by state and federal river biologists." The firm, Faegre & Benson, has an impressive reputation in the field of environmental law, including a jury verdict to award $5 billion to Alaska fisher-

men for damages resulting from the Exxon Valdez oil spill. "By policy and practice, the League litigates only as a last resort, but years of effort on our part to keep away from the courts and to try to cooperate with the Corps of Engineers has produced little," said Paul Hansen, executive director of the League. "We regret the need to take a litigious position on these issues, but we are left with no other option." In an article in The Waterways Journal (1-22-96), Chris Brescia, president of the Midwest Area Rivers Coalition 2000, a barge industry association, accused the League of trying to derail the River Summit with the announcement.

Jack Blask

ommercial fisherman, clammer and river advocate Jack Blask died January 2, near the banks of the Mississippi. He was born near the river, in Houston County, Minn., on November 23, 1927. His father was also a commercial fisherman on the river. Blask, who lived near Genoa, Wis., spent a lifetime learning about the river and sharing that knowledge with others. He served as president of the Upper Mississippi River Fisheries Council and chairman of the Vernon County Conservation Congress. He was also a member of the Corps of Engineers Dredge Spoil Committee, the Citizens Group to the Basin Commission and Congressman Steve Gunderson's River Committee.

Subscriptions If you want your own subscription to Big River or have a friend who would, we can now take your subscriptions over the phone. Just call (507) 454-5949 during normal business hours. We can bill you for your subscription or charge it to your VISA or MasterCard. 1-year subscription $28 2-year subscription $50 Or mail your subscription to Big River, PO Box 741, Winona, MN 55987.

River Forums in Cyber Space

ig River's World Wide Web site (http://www . luminet.net/ -bigriver) now includes two forums: one for discussions of general river issues and another for river educators. We would like these forums to be places where researchers, business people, students, environmentalists, teachers and

anyone else can ask questions or share ideas. To add your message to a forum, just click on the indicated spot to open a blank e-mail form. Write your message and click on "send." Please include your name and city in the message. We will add your message to the forum in a day or two. Please tell us about your favorite spot on the river, what you think of the Navigation Study or whatever else is on your mind.

Move the People

orthern States Power (NSP) offered the Prairie Island Indian community $20 million and 1,750 acres of land for its support for storing spent nuclear fuel in casks near the island's nuclear power plant, according to a copyrighted article in the St. Paul Pioneer Press (1-2696).

The Minnesota Legislature told NSP to store the spent fuel casks elsewhere in Goodhue County. Prairie Island is in the Mississippi River, upriver from Red Wing. The Minneapolis-based utility company got permission to store the waste outside of the plant after a contentious battle in the legislature. In exchange NSP agreed to limit the number of storage casks to 17, which limited the productive life of the plant. In its bid to renegotiate the agreement with the state, it will ask permission to store more nuclear waste inside the plant, extending its operating life and allowing it to create more hazardous waste.

River Resources

f you have questions about surface or groundwater in Minnesota, try the Water Line, a free hookup to a water whiz, 800-455-4526. â&#x20AC;˘ The Iowa DNR is offering new, round-the-dock taped messages to answer frequently asked questions: hunting, (515) 281-4687; fishing, (515) 281-

(Current Events continued on page 6)

(Current Events continued from page 5)

3474; parks and camping, (515) 281-8368; forestry, (515) 281-8733; and other topics during business hours, (515) 281-4367. • Birders, check out the Minnesota Birding Network: MnBirdREQUEST@linux.winona.msus.edu. Leave the subject line blank, type "subscribe " as the message. • A handy field companion, the 96page Iowa Wildlife Viewing Guide is available from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Send $8.95 plus $2.00 for shipping and handling to the Iowa Wildlife Diversity Program, IDNR, Wallace State Office Building, 902 E. Grand Ave., Des Moines, IA 50319-0034. It's also at Iowa Welcome Centers and bookstores.

Hue and Cry

he Crawford County farmer with the yellow mobile home now has until May 31, 1996, to paint the structure a complying earth-tone color, according to the Boscobel (Wis.) Dial (12-21-95). Because the home is visible from the Wisconsin River during leaf-on, the Lower Wisconsin State Riverway Board is enforcing its color policy, but has extended the deadline for the paint job (see Big River, January 1996). At its December 14 meeting the board clarified its colorization exemption for agricultural structures on the riverway, stressing that farm houses are treated the same as other dwellings. The Wisconsin Assembly is looking at a bill allowing greater land use possibilities along the riverway, including timber harvesting, mining, quarrying, trails and bluff-top construction under certain conditions while still assuring the scenic protection goals of the Riverway, according to the (Prairie du Chien) Courier Press (12-13-95).

Water Death Toll

February 1996

BIG RlvER

ife preservers might have preserved three lives in Minnesota boat accidents last year, according to the Depart-

ment of Natural Resources. In every case, there were two people aboard, and the one wearing a personal flotation device survived, the person without perished. Capsizing or falling from small boats or canoes accounted for 80 percent of the 1995 Minnesota boating fatalities. Minnesota's 1995 water death toll was the third lowest on record, with the 20 boat fatalities ranking fifth lowest. Of the 35 non-boat drownings, 14 victims either dove or fell into the water, and nine went through thin ice. Minnesota boaters fare well when compared nationally. The 1995 accident rate of 2.67 deaths per 100,000 registered boaters is less than half of the 1994 national figure.

ADM Board Cozy

esponding to charges from angry shareholders that the ArcherDaniels-Midland (ADM) board is dominated by a cozy, old-boys' club, the huge agribusiness and river grain shipper announced that it would turn majority control to outside directors at the next annual meeting, according to the N ew York Times (1-16-96). Ten of the 17 directors are current or former compan y executives and the other seven have ties to top management, according to the Associated Press (1-16-96). The board also announced that outsiders have already been named to key board committees. However, these particular outsiders seem more in than out, including the father of ADM's treasurer, a retired company president and a retired chairman. Apparently these picks meet the literal definition of outsiders, but some large investors feel that the revamping is less than sincere, and at least one influential investor is preparing its own proposals. Objections to the comfy makeup of the board is just one of the problems vexing ADM (see Big River, November 1995).

Barge Bill

controversial "barge bill" that would prohibit single-hulled tank vessels from transporting oil or hazardous material in Wisconsin on the Mississippi River has passed the State Assembly and is making its way through the Senate Environment and Energy Committee, heading for a vote after the senate reconvenes in March. The bill requires single-hulled vessels to be accompanied by tugboats, and imposes stiff penalties on single-hulled vessels that discharge oil or hazardous material. It also gives state officials the right to stop, board and inspect vessels they suspect of violating the law. The barge industry opposes the bill, claiming that it is unnecessary and would have "burdensome and costly effects." The Waterways Journal (1-15-96) took issue w ith the use of escort tugs, claiming they w ould increase the risk, and with the stop-and-board provision, which it said was redundant. The Jou rnal called the legislation "a hatchet job on the industry." On the other hand, according to a fact sheet distributed by the Wisconsin DNR: • The U.S. Coast Guard reports that during 1994 it recorded 48 commercial vessel collisions, 607 barge-bridge strikes, 37 barge or boat sinkings and 91 threats to the environment on the Upper Mississippi River. • No spill booms exist that could contain an oil spill on the Main Channel of the Mississippi River. Major spills will simply spread down river. • The Coast Guard reported to Congress in 1992 that "there are no equivalent designs to the double hull tanker for the prevention of oil outflow due to groundings, which is the most prevalent type of casualty in U.S. w aters." • There w ere 20 m ajor U.S. vessel spills in 1994 involving the discharge of at least 10,000 gallons of oil. Eleven originated from tank barges of the type covered by Wisconsin' s "double hull" legislation.

BIG RlvER

February 1995

days-a-week dumping schedule will be bad for fish, birds and wildlife, not to mention boaters, residents and tourists. The MPCA is accepting comments about the Vonco expansion at a public meeting February 7 (see Calendar on page 8). Written comments will be accepted until February 15. Mail them to Shelley Burman, MPCA, Ground Water and Solid Waste Division, 520 Lafayette Rd., St. Paul, MN 55155-4194.

for studying and nurturing native freshwater mussels, now that the Upper Mississippi River Conservation Committee has permission from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to begin the project. Researchers are concerned that invading zebra mussels will displace native mussels in the Mississippi. The project is a volunteer effort. If you are interested in helping, call Kurt Welke, Wisconsin DNR, Prairie du Chien.

Generosity Pays

Tree Survivors of the Flood

ou may never have heard of Dwayne Andreas, but chances are your senators and representatives have. Andreas owns the Archer Daniels Midland Company, also called ADM, one of the nation's largest river shipping and farm commodity processing companies. According to a recent story in the St. Paul Pioneer Press ("Andreas Thrives No Matter Who Wins," 1-22-95), Andreas has been a "prince of political philanthropy for nearly 50 years. Over the years, he

In the last presidential election, the generosity of Andreas, his family and companies put him at the top of the Republican donor list and third on the Democrats'. has been generous to both Democrats and Republicans, liberals and conservatives, whose only common denominator has been their power to help him. And they have." In the last presidential election, the generosity of Andreas, his family and companies put him at the top of the Republican donor list and third on the Democrats'. Besides shipping, storing, milling and distilling one of every four kernels of corn grown in the U.S., ADM has risen to the top of both the corn sweetener and ethanol industries.

Mussel Refuge

ne of the fish rearing ponds at the Genoa Fish Hatchery will be used

rees near St. Louis were the most severely damaged by the flood of 1993, while trees in Pool 4 (from Red Wing, Minn., to Alma, Wis.) showed the least damage, according to a study done by scientists in the Long Term Resource Monitoring Program. Saplings everywhere showed more damage than did mature trees, but silver maple, cottonwood, box elder, black willow and sycamore are regenerating vigorously.

Upbound,Downbound

to the Twin Cities and less wh ~at away from it than in the 1960s and 1970s, but they carry more corn, cement, chemicals and fertilizers. Jerry Fruin and Dan Halbach authored both reports.

Another Invader he newest invader to worry about is the ruffe (pronounced "rough"), a small fish three to five inches long, that reached Duluth by transoceanic ship in 1986 and has been spreading eastward since, driving out native fish. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service is holding public meetings at cities on the Great Lakes this winter to explain the Ruffe Control Program, described as an 11th-hour attempt to contain the fish and protect Great Lakes fisheries from an estimated $7 billion damage. -

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

knowledgeable wag at a river management conference last summer said that the barge companies' biggest customer on the Missouri River was the Army Corps, which imports stone to repair the channel so barge shipping can continue. The audience laughed. Now, after a cursory reading of a report titled Barge Traffic on the Illinois and Missouri Rivers 1972 - 1992, it seems he was right. The report, from the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics at the University of Minnesota, concludes that the Missouri River is declining in importance as a commercial waterway. "The vast majority of its annual tonnage consists of intra river movements of sand, gravel and rock," it says. A parallel report, Barge Movements on the Upper Mississippi River: Trends and Projections 1963-2002, concludes that barge transportation on the Mississippi will continue to be important to Minnesota's economy, even though the commodities and quantities shipped have changed a lot in the last 30 years. For example, barges carry less coal

Dear Editor: Your article in the January issue titled "Free Park" couldn't be farther from the truth. In fact, Washington County Park Planners have gone to the Metropolitan Council to ask for additional funds because the concept of having it paid for by gravel mining revenues simply will not work. The park planners had promised the citizens that this project would be on hold until 40 years in the future, when mining was anticipated to be finished. Yet, they are already asking the Metropolitan Council to ask the legislature for additional funds to begin acquisition this year. I believe the park planners kn<'w that this would be the route they would have to go and misled citizen committees on the park issue to gain approval of the master plan. Sincerely, Dennis Hanna St. Paul Park, Minn.

February 1996

BIG RIVER

RIVER CALENDAR Special Events & Festivals February through 4 St. Paul Winter Carnival, 800-488-4023. 2-4 Winter Rec Fest, La Crosse, (608) 782-2366. 3-4 Winter Carnival, Winona, (507) 454-2692. 3 Skiing, hiking, and snowshoeing,

Interstate Park, St. Croix Falls, Wis., 6 p .m. - 9 p .m., (715) 483-3747. 3 Ice Fishing Contest, Pepin, Wis., (715) 672-5709. 7-11 Greater NW Vacation Show, Min-

neapolis Convention Center. 9-11 Feb-Fab-Fest, Prairie du Chien, Marquette and McGregor, (319) 8732186. 10 Skiing and hiking, Wyalusing State Park, Bagley, Wis ., 6 p.m. - 9 p.m., (608) 996-2261. 16-18 International Eelpout Festival,

Walker, Minn. 17 Bird feeding workshop, Sheraton Inn-Midway, St. Paul, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., $5, Minn. DN R, (612) 297-4966. 17 Ice Fishing Contest, Lake City, Minn., 800-369-4123. 19 Wolf howl, Itasca (Minn.) State Park, reservations, (21 8) 266-2110. 24 Grumpy Old Men Festival, Wabasha, Minn., 800-565-4158. 28 Minn. fish houses off the ice,

south. through March Eagle Watch, Wabasha, Minn., d eck staffed Sundays 1 p .m. 3 p .m., 800-565-4158.

March 1 Beginning of Minn. 1996 game and

fish license year. 2-3 Eagle Watch weekend, Winona, 800-657-4972. 7-10 Sports & Travel Show, St. Cloud

Civic Center. 9-10, 16-17, 23-24 Maple Syruping program, Ft. Snelling State Park, St. Paul, (612) 726-9247. 15 Minn. fish houses off the ice,

north. 16 Bluebird workshop, William O'Brien (Minn.) State Park. 17 Soar with the Eagles, Wabasha, Minn., 800-565-4158.

Meetings & Hearings 6 Lower St. Croix Mgmt. Commission

Technical committee, Stillwater (Minn.) City Hall, 9:30 a.m. - 12 noon, (612) 436-7131 or (715) 386-9444. 6 Lower St. Croix Interagency Planning Team, kick-off public meeting on new management plan, Stillwater (Minn.) High School, 7 p .m ., (612) 439-7122. 8 Minn.-Wis. Boundary Area Commission, La Crosse, 9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p .m., (61 2) 436-7131 or (715) 386-9444. 12 St. Croix Valley Sierra Club, Stillwater (Minn.) Public Libra ry, 6:30 p .m., (715) 425-5807. 13 Mississippi River Parkway Com-

mission of Minn., State Office Bldg., St. Paul, 4 p.m. - 6 p.m., confirmations by Feb. 7, (612) 224-9903. 20 Public hearing, Prairie Sand & Gra vel permit to expand barge loading facility on St. Feriole Island, 1 p.m., UW Ext.-Crawford Cty. facility, Prairie du Chien, David Ballman, (612) 290-5373. Final environmental impact statement, Environmental Resources Section, St. Paul District Corps of Engineers, 190 Fifth St. E, St. Paul MN 55101. Upper Mississippi River Basin Association meetings, Airport Hilton, St. Louis, Mo., (612) 224-2880. 20 Floodplain Mgmt. Work Group

21 Annual meeting 22 Environmental Mgmt. program,

coordinating committee March 1-2 Mississippi River Parkway Commission Mid-Winter meeting, Des Moines, (612) 224-9903. March 6 Public meeting, La Crosse River Marsh plan, 4 p .m. - 8 p .m., Logan High School, (608) 785-2205. March 11 St. Croix Valley Sierra Club, Stillwater (Minn.) Public Library, 6:30 p.m., (715) 425-5807

Workshops & Conferences 9 Wetland and Drainage Conference, St. Cloud, Minn., (612) 253-8829.

Wisconsin angler education instructor workshops, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., free, call two weeks in ad vance. 10 Milwaukee, Mike Keniry, (414) 382-7921 24 Wilmot, Rick Rousseau, (414) 8622331 March 9 Milwaukee, Judy Klippel, (414) 527-0232 March 23 La Crosse, Scott Murphy, (608) 783-2820 April 6 Eau Claire, Tim Chmelik, (715) 833-7500 April 13 Madison, Eric Walser, (608) 242-5700 April 27 Spooner, Stan Johannes, (715) 635-4150

March 30 Great Lakes Declining Amphibian Conference, Milw aukee, (414) 278-2766, gsc@csd.u wm.edu. April 25-26 Mississippi River Research Consortium annual meeting, La Crosse, Mark Sandheinrich, (608) 785-8261.

ALMANAC By Ken Salwey, Pool 5A Now in the dead of winter, the silence of the g reat river and its backwaters is seldom broken. Occasionally o ne hears the ra ucous cry of a blue jay or a c row, and a s the ic e thic kens and shifts about on the coldest days, one sometimes hears a sharp crack like a rifl e shot. But m ostly it's q uiet, except for the homeless winter wind moving throug h the dry c attails, bullrushes and wild rice . These same w inter winds make beautiful, sparkling patterns in the snow, while the trees above stand naked against the crisp c loudless sky. This is surely a time of rest and silence and dea th . All things are either sleeping or fig hting to survive, yet a kee n observer will note the spring -time call of the c hic kad ee. C ut a hole in the ic e along the b a c kwater bays and you ' ll see minnows, insec ts and p lants thriving. As the sun climbs higher in the sky, you know that winter's icy grip will soon loosen. Like the old saying goes, "If we c an 't stand the wint er, we don' t deserve the spring."