Citizen-Based Stream Monitoring
Collect chemical, physical, and/or biological water quality data to assess the current overall stream health. The data can inform management decisions and may be used to identify impaired waters for biennial lists.
Monitor Aquatic Biology
Monitor to follow up on mIBI values (Fair and declining in 2011), and phosphorus values (Clearly Exceed in 2011).
Partnership Project
Lakeshore Natural Resources Partnership (LNRP) is sponsoring a project to continue to support the Friends of the Twin Rivers by engaging area citizens in educational activities in the Twin Rivers watersheds. Project final deliverables include: all data collected, agendas and minutes for planning meetings, presentations, newsletters and educational materials provided to the public. Specific project activities include: 1) Hold beach clean-up event; 2) Host a rain barrel workshop; 3) Host Water Action Volunteer (WAV) training sessions; 4) Host a river clean-up event; 5) Host educational seminars; 6) Host volunteer Restore the Shore Work Day events and write annual reports detailing invasive species found and habitat improvement project ideas in the watersheds.
Educate and engage residents
Lakeshore Natural Resources Partnership (LNRP) proposes to build upon past efforts and further develop the newly formed Friends of the Twin Rivers group by 1) providing targeted watershed education and outreach to local community members including directly engaging high school students, 2) expanding the network of student and community volunteers collecting water quality data throughout the watershed at strategic locations following the Water Action Volunteers monitoring protocols, and 3) leading a strategic planning process for the Friends of the Twin Rivers group. LNRP will facilitate at least two community education events, one symposium for high school students, and quarterly community meetings. LNRP will submit a final report summarizing the project to the Department.
Restore Riparian Habitat
Woodland Dunes Nature Center and Preserve proposes to improve habitat in the watershed of the East and West Twin Rivers by documenting opportunities for habitat improvements and developing an effective program for reaching, educating, and working with landowners to do so. Specifically, Woodland Dunes will develop a plan for increasing the capacity to improve the riparian areas within the lower reaches of the East and West Twin Rivers. Woodland Dunes will develop a plan for increasing outreach to landowners in the area, offering information on habitat management or restoration including onsite visits and site-specific advice.
Educate and engage residents
Woodland Dunes Nature Center shall supplement and build on previous work by partners to raise public awareness and participation in water stewardship in the East and West Twin Rivers. Specifically, Woodland Dunes will offer educational programs and action projects including WAV trainings, storm drain marking, river and beach clean-up events, guide West Twin River pontoon tours, and river paddles. Woodland Dunes will also coordinate with the City of Two Rivers to provide storm water management education to increase awareness of storm water pollution impacts to the East and West Twin Rivers. Fliers, newsletters, website, and newspaper articles will advertise the events.
Partnership Project
The Lakeshore Natural Resources Partnership, Inc. (LNRP) proposes to form and strengthen partnerships with and between river protection organizations in the Lakeshore Basin. Specifically, the LNRP plans to collaborate with each river-protection organization and sponsor special events that feature a keynote speaker of some notoriety, develop and publish a quarterly LNRP newsletter, and develop the LNRP website in order to increase its ability to communicate with its constituents.
Engage Volunteers in Monitoring/Restoration
The Woodland Dunes Nature Center, Inc. proposes to organize, educate, and sustain a citizen volunteer stewardship group for the East and West Twin River watersheds that will set up a program based on Wisconsin\00BFs Water Action Volunteers (WAV) stream monitoring program. The project elements and deliverables will be completed as described in the project proposal submitted to the Department and dated May 1, 2006. Amendment #1: Woodland Dunes Nature Center will assist the City of Two Rivers Stormwater Task Force in development of a comprehensive stormwater public education and outreach program. Woodland Dunes staff will meet with the task force to pritorize education topics and develop or modify existing materials to fit the needs of the Two Rivers community.
Rivers Planning Grant
This project is to do an initial assessment on the upper reaches of the East Twin River (WBIC 84000) to determine if there are any impairments and if additional data are needed to determine if the river should be added to the 303(d) list. The timing of this project is excellent because the fisheries folks are planning to assess the fish community in the upper reaches of the East Twin River this summer so the monitoring can be used in conjunction with the fish data to determine the current overall stream health.
Monitor or Propose 303(d) Listing
1) The West Twin River will be monitored at five locations: one site in each assessment unit 9948, 9949, 9950, 18050, & 18051. 2) A habitat assessment will be conducted in each assessment unit. Also continuous dissolved oxygen (DO) and temperature monitoring will be done for one week in each assessment unit. 3) Habitat assessments and continuous DO monitoring will be done in July or August 2011.
Monitor or Propose 303(d) Listing
Monitor to follow up on Clearly Exceeding phosphorus values and Poor mIBI.
Engage Volunteers in Monitoring/Restoration
Brown and Kewaunee Counties hire an aquatic invasive species coordinator similar to Manitowoc Countys coordinator.
The East Twin River is a large, low gradient stream (2.7 to 3.3 feet per mile) that flows 34.5 miles through mostly agricultural land on its way to Lake Michigan. Upper sections in Kewaunee County are slightly stained and classified as either Class 1 or Class 2 trout waters (WDNR 1995). Stream corridors are well buffered by forests and numerous groundwater seeps are present. Stream bottom sediments range from all sand to all silt with bedrock and gravel present in some streams (WCD 1966).