LCW Final Conservation Plan
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Table'of'Contents'
FIGURES'.................................................................................................................................'3!
TABLES'...................................................................................................................................'3!
1.! PROJECT'SUMMARY'........................................................................................................'5!
1.1.! PROJECT!NAME!....................................................................................................................!5!
1.2.! PROJECT!LOCATION!...............................................................................................................!5!
1.3.! PROJECT!VISION!...................................................................................................................!5!
1.4.! CONTACT!NAME!AND!ADDRESS!...............................................................................................!5!
1.5.! PROJECT!START!AND!END!DATES!..............................................................................................!5!
1.6.! BRIEF!PROJECT!DESCRIPTION!...................................................................................................!5!
2.! INTRODUCTION'...............................................................................................................'6!
2.1.! CONSERVATION!PLANNING!FOR!LCW:!PAST!AND!PRESENT!............................................................!6!
2.2.! PHYSIOGRAPHIC!AND!ECOLOGICAL!SUMMARY!.............................................................................!8!
3.! METHODS'.......................................................................................................................'11!
3.1.! PROJECT!TEAM!...................................................................................................................!11!
3.2.! CONSERVATION!PLANNING!APPROACH!....................................................................................!12!
4.! SCOPE,'VISION'AND'CONSERVATION'TARGETS'............................................................'14!
4.1.! SCOPE!AND!MAP!................................................................................................................!14!
4.2.! VISION!..............................................................................................................................!15!
4.3.! TARGETS!...........................................................................................................................!15!
4.3.1%Conservation%Targets%...................................................................................................%15!
4.3.2%Human%Well9Being%Targets%..........................................................................................%17!
5.! VIABILITY'ASSESSMENT'..................................................................................................'19!
5.1.! TARGET!1:!RIPARIAN!ZONES!..................................................................................................!20!
5.2.! TARGET!2:!LOWERY!CREEK!...................................................................................................!21!
5.3.! TARGET!3:!OAK!COMMUNITIES!..............................................................................................!23!
6.! THREAT'ASSESSMENT'.....................................................................................................'27!
6.1.! THREAT!RANKING!...............................................................................................................!27!
6.2.! THREAT!DESCRIPTION!AND!DETAILS!........................................................................................!29!
6.3.! THREAT!SUMMARY!BY!TARGET!..............................................................................................!33!
7.! SITUATION'ANALYSIS'......................................................................................................'35!
8.! ACTION'PLAN'.................................................................................................................'38!
8.1.! CONSERVATION!GOALS!........................................................................................................!38!
8.2.! MANAGEMENT!STRATEGIES!TO!ACHIEVE!GOALS!AND!OBJECTIVES!.................................................!39!
8.2.1%Strategy%Summary%........................................................................................................%39!
8.2.2%Strategies%and%Related%Objectives%................................................................................%40!
8.2.3%Strategy%Timeline%and%Budget%......................................................................................%44!
9.! MONITORING'PLAN'........................................................................................................'46!
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1.# Project'Summary'
1.1.% Project!Name!
Lowery!Creek!Watershed!Management!Plan!
1.2.% Project!Location!
Lowery!Creek!sub`watershed!located!in!Iowa!County!within!the!Otter!and!Morrey!Creek!
Watershed.!This!area!is!part!of!Wisconsin’s!Driftless!Area.!Lowery!Creek!tributary!feeds!into!the!
lower!Wisconsin!River!west!of!Tower!Hill!State!Park.!The!area!is!approximately!53!miles!west!of!
Madison,!Wisconsin.!
1.3.% Project!Vision!
To!protect!the!ecological!health!and!cultural!integrity!of!Lowery!Creek!Watershed!for!current!
and!future!generations!through!sustainable!management!of!the!aquatic,!riparian,!and!oak!
habitats.
1.4.% Contact!Name!and!Address!
Peter!Riddle,!Project!Representative,!Driftless!Area!Land!Conservancy!
118!S.!Iowa!St.,!Dodgeville,!WI!53533!
1.5.% Project!Start!and!End!Dates!
Start:!August!6,!2015!
End:!August!6,!2025!!
1.6.% Brief!Project!Description!
The!Lowery!Creek!Watershed,!located!in!southwestern!Wisconsin!south!of!Spring!Green,!is!an!
area!mostly!known!for!Taliesin,!Frank!Lloyd!Wright’s!estate,!as!well!as!for!its!natural!beauty.!
The!majority!of!the!watershed!is!private!property,!with!a!large!part!being!agricultural!land.!This!
project!began!as!a!result!of!a!meeting!between!a!number!of!residents!of!the!area!who!were!
concerned!about!the!conservation!of!the!beauty!and!resources!found!in!the!watershed.!They!
enlisted!the!support!of!Driftless!Area!Land!Conservancy!and!the!Nelson!Institute!at!UW`
Madison!in!order!to!clarify!targets!of!conservation!and!to!draft!a!management!plan!to!ensure!
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the!protection!of!the!viewshed!and!natural!resources!of!the!area,!as!well!as!to!promote!
sustainable!agricultural!practices!in!the!watershed.!The!University!of!Wisconsin`Madison!team!
of!graduate!students!who!drafted!the!management!plan!identified!Lowery!Creek,!riparian!
zones,!and!oak!forests!as!the!main!targets!of!conservation.!The!current!status!of!the!targets!is!
largely!unknown,!since!very!little!data!exists!on!the!area.!Agricultural!runoff,!cattle!grazing,!
residential!development,!and!invasive!species!have!been!identified!as!some!of!the!primary!
threats!to!these!targets,!along!with!some!concern!of!flooding,!drought,!and!temperature!
changes!caused!by!global!warming.'
2.# Introduction'
The!Lowery!Creek!watershed!(LCW),!in!Iowa!County,!Wisconsin,!makes!up!an!area!of!roughly!
3,500!hectares,!the!majority!of!which!is!private!property.!Taliesin,!the!property!for!which!this!
area!is!best!known,!was!the!home!of!Frank!Lloyd!Wright,!and!was!where!he!designed!many!of!
his!most!famous!architectural!works!between!1911!and!the!late!1950s.!The!approximately!243`
hectares!of!land!upon!which!his!studio!and!home!are!built!were!passed!down!to!him!from!his!
maternal!family.!Today!the!site!is!owned!and!operated!by!the!Frank!Lloyd!Wright!Foundation,!
still!operating!as!an!educational!facility!for!architects,!and!has!been!designated!as!a!National!
Historic!Landmark!(“Historic!Legacy,”!n.d.).!
LCW!is!in!the!Driftless!Area!of!Wisconsin,!a!region!characterized!by!a!rugged!topography!of!
steep!river!valleys!carved!into!the!landscape!(Driftless!Wisconsin,!n.d.).!The!area!is!known!as!
Driftless!as!it!was!not!affected!by!glacial!drift!during!the!last!ice!age,!and!as!such,!rivers!were!
able!to!sculpt!the!bedrock!to!form!the!many!valleys!and!distinctive!terrain.!The!Wisconsin!River!
is!one!of!these!rivers,!flowing!at!this!point!westward!into!the!Mississippi.!LCW!is!a!sub`
watershed!of!the!Morrey!and!Otter!Creek!watersheds,!all!of!which!drain!into!the!Wisconsin!
River!(see!Figure!1).!As!such,!any!human!activity!that!affects!the!local!creeks!also!affects!the!
Wisconsin!River,!and!in!turn!the!Mississippi!River,!and!ultimately,!the!Gulf!of!Mexico.!
2.1.% Conservation!Planning!for!LCW:!Past!and!Present!
As!the!area!is!primarily!private!property!and!hasn’t!been!the!focus!of!state!conservation!by!the!
Department!of!Natural!Resources!(DNR),!very!little!data!exists!on!the!current!ecological!status!
of!the!watershed.!In!terms!of!local!conservation,!a!number!of!private!efforts!to!ensure!the!
viability!of!the!watershed!ecosystems!are!currently!in!progress!on!several!properties.!Some!
notable!conservation!efforts!include!those!by!several!local!farmers!who!have!implemented!
sustainable!agricultural!practices!for!both!cattle!and!crops,!have!worked!to!protect!and!restore!
riparian!zones,!and!have!engaged!in!restoration!of!their!forests!to!the!native!oak!savanna!
woodlands.!An!initiative!is!also!underway!by!Taliesin!Preservation,!Inc.,!which!is!working!on!a!
proposal!to!rehabilitate!the!pond!on!the!Taliesin!property,!which!suffers!from!high!
sedimentation,!nutrient!loading,!eutrophication,!and!other!issues!that!are!presumed!to!be!
common!throughout!the!watershed!(GAIA,!2014).!!
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2.2.% Physiographic!and!Ecological!Summary!
Lowery!Creek!Watershed!is!a!sub`watershed!of!Otter!and!Morrey!Creek!located!in!Iowa!County,!
Wisconsin.!!LCW!covers!3,498!hectares!just!south!of!the!Lower!Wisconsin!River!(see!Figure!1).!
The!main!tributary!to!the!Wisconsin!River!within!LCW,!Lowery!Creek,!is!spring`fed.!
This!southwest!Wisconsin!portion!is!part!of!the!unique!physiographic!region!known!as!the!
Driftless!Area.!The!Driftless!Area!is!a!region!that!escaped!glaciations,!as!a!result,!the!land!
topography!is!characterized!with!deep!valleys,!ridges,!and!steep!woodland!slopes!(WAP,!2008).!
The!ecosystems!found!here,!historically,!are!rare!and!easily!subjected!to!anthropogenic!
pressures!such!as!growing!agriculture!practices.!Most!forest!found!in!this!viewshed!has!shifted!
away!from!the!oak!savanna!and!pine!barren!relics!to!predominately!dry`mesic!forests!
(Wisconsin!DNR,!2010).!Figure!2!shows!the!various!uses!and!ecological!communities!found!in!
LCW.!!The!land!use!of!the!watershed!heavily!influenced!this!management!plan.!Still!
predominantly!forests,!agriculture!has!a!strong!presence!near!the!aquatic!systems.!
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3.# Methods'
3.1.% !Project!Team!
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Table%1:%Project%team%
Project'Team'Name! Organization! Role!
Peter'Riddle'' Driftless!Area!Land!Conservancy! Project!Advisor!!
Arlyne'Johnson'' University!of!Wisconsin`Madison! Process!Facilitator!!
Anya'Lim' University!of!Wisconsin`Madison! Process!Facilitator!!
Jared'Ellenson' University!of!Wisconsin`Madison! Team!Member!!
Lauren'Leckwee' University!of!Wisconsin`Madison! Team!Member!!
Maggie'Stewart'' University!of!Wisconsin`Madison! Team!Member!!
Ryan'Thompson' University!of!Wisconsin`Madison! Team!Member!!
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Project'Team'Members''
Jared!Ellenson,!Lauren!Leckwee,!Maggie!Stewart,!and!Ryan!Thompson!are!the!student!team!
members!that!collaborated!to!research,!analyze,!compile!information,!and!develop!the!written!
conservation!plan.!This!plan!utilized!an!adaptive!management!software!application!called!
Miradi!(Foundations!of!Success![FOS],!2009)!to!organize!and!visualize!the!conservation!plan.!
This!conservation!plan!was!developed!as!part!of!a!conservation!planning!course!(Environmental!
Studies!972)!at!the!University!of!Wisconsin`Madison,!and!will!be!given!to!the!Driftless!Area!
Land!Conservancy!as!an!advisory!plan!for!The!Lowery!Creek!Watershed!Partnership.!We,!as!
student!team!members,!will!not!be!responsible!for!implementing!this!plan.!
Project'Advisor'
Peter!Riddle!was!the!primary!point!of!contact!for!the!project!team.!He!provided!important!
insight!into!the!work!of!the!Driftless!Area!Land!Conservancy,!and!the!desires!of!the!Lowery!
Creek!Partnership!regarding!this!conservation!plan.!He!aided!the!project!team!members!search!
for!historical!data,!and!GIS!information.!Peter!was!also!responsible!for!setting!up!
coordinating/arranging!meetings!with!project!stakeholders.!!
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The!Open!Standards!bring!together!common!ideas,!approaches,!and!terminology!in!
conservation!planning!designs,!management,!and!monitoring!in!an!effort!to!help!practitioners!
improve!the!practice!of!conservation.!As!seen!in!the!previous!figure!the!Open!Standards!is!a!
cyclical!five!step!process:!
•% Conceptualizing!the!project!vision!and!context!
•% Planning!actions!and!monitoring!
•% Implementing!actions!and!monitoring!!
•% Analyzing!data!using!the!results,!and!adapting!the!project!
•% Sharing!learning!
This!process!is!designed!to!aid!conservation!management!planners!through!the!entire!life!of!the!
project!and!it!is!important!to!note!that!the!Open!Standards!process!is!iterative!and!requires!
project!management!teams!to!go!through!the!five!steps!of!the!management!cycle!multiple!
times.!The!goal!of!this!adaptive!management!style!!is!to!help!project!teams!and!managers!plan,!
revisit,!and!continually!improve!their!work!(FOS,!2009).!
Terms!to!be!used!throughout!this!plan:!
Adaptive'Management!–!The!incorporation!of!a!formal!learning!process!into!conservation!
action.!Specifically,!it!is!the!integration!of!project!design,!management,!and!monitoring,!to!
provide!a!framework!to!systematically!test!assumptions,!promote!learning,!and!supply!timely!
information!for!management!decisions.!!
Conservation'Target!–!An!element!of!biodiversity!at!a!project!site,!which!can!be!a!species,!
habitat,!or!ecological!system!that!a!project!has!chosen!to!focus!on.!All!targets!at!a!site!should!
collectively!represent!the!biodiversity!of!concern!at!the!site.!Synonymous!with!biodiversity!
target.!!
Direct'Threats!–!Primarily!human!actions!that!immediately!degrade!one!or!more!conservation!
targets.!For!example,!“logging”!or!“fishing.”!They!can!also!be!natural!phenomena!altered!by!
human!activities!(e.g.,!increase!in!extreme!storm!events!due!to!climate!change).!Typically!tied!
to!one!or!more!stakeholders.!Sometimes!referred!to!as!a!“pressure”!or!“source!of!stress.”!!
Key'Ecological'Attribute'(KEA)!–!Aspects!of!a!target’s!biology!or!ecology!that!if!present,!define!a!
healthy!target!and!if!missing!or!altered,!would!lead!to!the!outright!loss!or!extreme!degradation!
of!that!target!over!time.!!
Goal!–!A!formal!statement!detailing!a!desired!impact!of!a!project,!such!as!the!desired!future!
status!of!a!target.!A!good!goal!meets!the!criteria!of!being!linked!to!targets,!impact!oriented,!
measurable,!time!limited,!and!specific!(CMP,!2013).!% % !
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Figure%6:%Cattle%grazing%in%riparian%zone%and%wallowing%in%creek!
Target'2.'Lowery'Creek'
Lowery!Creek!is!a!spring!fed!creek!located!South!of!Spring!Green.!It!is!approximately!6!miles!
long.!The!head!of!the!creek!is!at!47°!03’!57’’!N,!90°!03’!55’’!W!and!flows!North!to!the!Wisconsin!
River!(United!States!Geologic!Service,!1974).!It!is!a!tributary!to!the!Lower!Wisconsin!River!via!
Taliesin!Lake.!It!is!a!Class!II!trout!stream,!which!means!it!is!stocked!by!the!Wisconsin!DNR!
(WDNR,!n.d.).!Taliesin!Lake!a!nested!target!of!the!Lowery!Creek!conservation!target!because!it!
is!directly!influenced!by!upstream!activities.!One!function!of!Taliesin!lake!is!that!it!currently!acts!
as!a!nutrient!sink;!as!a!result,!it!is!highly!eutrophic1
!(Taliesin!employee,!personal!
communication,!July!10,!2015).!By!protecting!Lowery!Creek!the!Taliesin!Lake!is!also!protected.!
Both!Lowery!Creek!and!Taliesin!Lake!are!important!components!to!our!human!well`being!
targets.!Lowery!Creek!is!the!main!focus!of!our!project!scope!and!important!for!the!viewshed.!
This!target!is!being!degraded!by!current!agricultural!practices!taking!place!within!the!
watershed.!Despite!these!facts,!the!status!of!the!Lowery!Creek!is!believed!to!be!good!(Figure!5;!
Table!4),!based!on!assumptions!and!visual!observation!from!a!brief!visit!by!the!project!team.!
Very!little!recorded!data!currently!exists.!
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!Eutrophication!is!excessive!richness!of!nutrients!in!a!water!body!that!causes!dense!growth!of!
plant!life!and!death!of!animal!life!from!lack!of!oxygen!(Art,!1993).!
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Target'3.'Oak'Communities!
The!woodland!communities!make!up!a!large!percent!of!the!land!cover!in!the!watershed!(refer!
to!land!cover!map,!Figure!2)!and!are!a!vital!component!to!the!viewshed.!Infrequent!or!
inadequate!forest!management!has!resulted!in!a!succession!from!oak!communities!to!what!is!
suspected!to!be!dry`mesic!forest.!This!is!an!assumption!based!on!known!land!practices,!but!
more!data!will!need!to!be!collected.!Current!status!of!the!oak!communities!is!assumed!to!be!
poor!(Figure!5;!Table!4).!It!is!assumed!that!cattle!overgrazing!and!invasive!species!helped!lead!
to!the!conversion!to!dry`mesic!forest!in!the!Lowery!Creek!Watershed.!It!is!also!assumed!that!
the!woodlands!on!private!land!are!used!for!other!ecosystem!services!such!as!for!fuelwood!or!
other!timber!harvesting!needs.!
Expected!native!species!characteristic!of!oak!openings!and!oak!woodlands!are,!as!defined!by!
Curtis!(1959):!Bur!oak!(Quercus%macrocarpa),!white!oak,!and!black!oaks!(Quercus%velutina).!
These!species!are!most!dominant!in!mature!stands,!of!which!very!few!likely!remain!in!the!
watershed.!Shagbark!hickory!(Carya%ovata),!red!oak,!hackberry!(Celtis%occidentalis)!and!black!
cherry!(Prunus%serotina)!also!should!be!present.!Species!in!oak!openings!are!shade!intolerant.!
Forbes!and!ground!layer!plants!are!dominantly!grasses,!sedges,!and!legumes.!American!
hazelnut!(Corylus%americana)!is!fairly!common,!as!well!as,!black`eyed!susan!(Rudbeckia%hirta),!
round`headed!bush!clover!(Lespedeza%capitata),!little!bluestem!(Schizachyrium%scoparium),!
spiderwort!(Tradescantia%ohioensis),%and!lupine!(Lupinus%perennis).!Oak!woodlands!are!
between!Oak!Opening!and!Southern!dry`mesic!Forest!on!the!vegetation!gradient!(Hyde!and!
Staffen,!2012).!Oak!openings!share!common!species!with!prairies,!where!as!in!oak!woodlands,!
prairie!species!would!not!populate!under!dense!canopy!cover!(Epstein,!Judziewicz,!and!
Spencer,!2002).!
Expected!native!species!characteristic!of!a!dry`mesic!forest!are!as!defined!by!Curtis!(1959)!are:!
red!oak!(Quercus%rubra),!white!oak!(Q.%alba),!sugar!and!red!maples!(Acer%saccharum!and!A.%
rubrum),!and!white!ash!(Fraxinus%americana).!Also,!shagbark!hickory!and!basswood!(Tilia%
americana)%tend!to!occur!(Epstein,!Judziewicz,!and!Spencer,!2002).!Native!forbes!and!ground!
layer!species!as!described!by!Curtis!(1959)!include:!wild!geranium!(Geranium%maculatum),!jack`
in`the`pulpit!(Arisaema%triphyllum),!false!Solomon's`seal!(Maianthemum%racemosum),!
interrupted!fern!(Osmunda%claytoniana),!Lady!Fern!(Athyrium%Filix9femina),!and!woodland!
sunflower!(Helianthus%strumosus).!Species!in!dry`mesic!forests!are!tolerant!of!deep!shade!and!
thrive!with!infrequent!fire.!!
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4.3.2!Human!Well`Being!Targets!
Target'1.'Food'Security'
Since!agriculture!is!a!predominant!land!use!within!the!watershed,!and!is!a!high!priority!of!the!
stakeholders,!this!human!well`being!target!is!crucial!to!the!success!of!the!project.!Food!security!
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is!supported!by!the!regulating2
!ecosystem!services!of!water!quality,!crop!pollination,!and!water!
retention!and!flood!control,!which!are!derived!from!healthy!riparian!zones!and!oak!
communities.!It!is!also!supported!by!the!provisioning3
!ecosystem!services!of!food!from!fishing!
and!hunting!that!is!provided!by!maintaining!the!health!of!Lowery!Creek,!a!Class!2!trout!stream,!
and!healthy!forests!that!support!deer!populations!(Wisconsin!Department!of!Natural!Resources!
[Wisconsin!DNR],!n.d.).!Essentially,!by!protecting!each!of!the!conservation!targets,!this!helps!to!
ensure!that!crops!can!continue!to!be!cultivated!for!consumption!within!the!watershed,!
fishermen!can!continue!to!catch!and!eat!trout,!and!hunters!can!harvest!deer.!
Target'2.'Economic'Stability'
Also!related!to!agriculture!is!the!human!well`being!target!of!economic!stability.!By!protecting!
the!conservation!targets,!this!in!turn!maintains!the!ecosystem!services!that!support!the!free`
range!cattle!businesses!and!cultivation!of!crops!for!sale.!The!regulating!ecosystem!services!
provided!by!riparian!zones!and!oak!communities!support!the!economic!stability!of!agriculture!
in!the!watershed!by!purifying!water,!providing!pollination,!and!preventing!floods.!Oak!
communities!also!provide!the!provisioning!service!of!fuel!wood,!which!could!also!be!sold!as!a!
product.!
Target'3.'Cultural'Cohesion'
One!of!the!primary!concerns!of!stakeholders!in!the!initial!planning!meetings!for!the!Lowery!
Creek!Watershed!partnership!was!to!maintain!the!viewshed,!which!can!be!classified!as!a!
cultural4
!ecosystem!service.!The!viewshed!is!supported!by!both!the!creek!itself!and!healthy!oak!
habitats;!in!order!to!maintain!the!natural!beauty!the!area!is!renowned!for,!these!conservation!
targets!must!be!protected.!The!natural!beauty!of!the!viewshed!in!turn!contributes!to!cultural!
cohesion!amongst!landowners!and!visitors!to!the!area,!and!can!provide!a!cultural!connection!to!
these!people!for!generations!to!come.!
Target'4.'Mental,'Physical,'Spiritual'Health'
In!much!the!same!way,!maintaining!healthy!woodlands!and!creek!supports!the!viewshed,!which!
also!contributes!to!the!human!well`being!target!of!mental,!physical,!and!spiritual!health.!The!
beauty!and!inspiring!views!encourage!residents!and!visitors!to!spend!more!time!in!nature!and!
take!strolls!along!trails,!which!leads!to!physical!benefits,!as!well!as!mental!clarity!and!spiritual!
inspiration.!If!the!woodlands!in!particular!were!degraded,!this!would!considerably!lessen!the!
appeal!of!the!viewshed!and!the!benefits!it!entails.!
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!Regulating!ecosystem!services!include!those!that!regulate!ecological!processes,!such!as!carbon!
sequestration,!climate!regulation,!and!purification!of!water.!
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!Provisioning!services!include!products!that!are!derived!from!ecosystems,!such!as!fuel!wood,!water,!and!
food.!
4
!Cultural!ecosystem!services!include!non`material!benefits!such!as!spiritual!enrichment,!reflection,!
recreation,!and!aesthetic!experiences.!
- 19. 19!
!
5.# Viability'Assessment'
A!viability!assessment!uses!sound!ecological!guidelines!to!help!identify!and!define!healthy!
targets!and!set!measurable!goals.!The!purpose!of!conducting!a!viability!assessment!is!to!
determine!methodology!of!how!to!measure!the!health!of!conservation!targets!over!time!(FOS,!
2009).!The!main!components!of!a!viability!assessment!methodology!are:!1)!Identify!Key!
Ecological!Attributes!(KEA),!2)!Choose!appropriate!measurable!indicators!for!each!KEA,!and!3)!
Determine!the!current!and!future!status!of!each!KEA.
CMP!Open!Standards!(CMP,!2013)!defines!KEA!as!“aspects!of!a!target’s!biology!or!ecology!that!
if!present,!define!a!healthy!target!and!if!missing!or!altered,!would!lead!to!the!outright!loss!or!
extreme!degradation!of!that!target!over!time.”!!A!good!KEA!is!one!that!can!easily!be!placed!into!
one!of!three!measurable!categories:
•% Size:!a!measure!of!the!area!of!the!conservation!target!or!relative!abundance!of!the!
target’s!occurrence.
•% Condition:!the!biological!structures!and!interactions!that!characterize!the!space!that!the!
target!occupies.
•% Landscape'context:!aspects!of!a!target’s!environment!that!include!ecological!processes,!
regimes!and!connectivity!of!habitats
Indicators!are!a!measurable!entity!of!the!KEA!related!to!the!change!in!specific!aspects!of!a!
target!status.!Indicators!must!be!sensitive!to!change,!and!precise!and!consistent!in!
measurement!so!that!anyone!can!equally!define!them!over!time.!Current!and!future!status,!if!
known,!can!be!valued!on!a!rating!scale!as!follows:!very%good,!good,!fair,!or!poor%(FOS,!2009).!
•% Very!Good:!ecologically!desirable!status;!requires!little!intervention!for!maintenance
•% Good:!indicator!within!acceptable!range!of!variation;!some!intervention!required!for!
maintenance
•% Fair:!outside!acceptable!range!of!variation;!requires!human!intervention
•% Poor:!restoration!increasingly!difficult;!may!result!in!extirpation!of!target
The!following!sections!(5.1`5.3)!contain!viability!assessments!for!our!three!conservation!targets.!
Lowery!Creek!Watershed!lies!entirely!under!private!ownership;!therefore,!to!date!there!is!very!
little!data!regarding!the!past!or!current!status!of!our!targets.!Available!data!has!been!
incorporated!as!the!‘current!status’!for!Riparian!Zone,!Lowery!Creek,!and!Oak!Communities!
indicators.!All!other!‘current!status’!assessments!are!assumptions!based!on!the!hydrology,!
ecology,!and!anthropogenic!effects!within!the!watershed.!Recommendations!for!future!
research!will!be!described!in!later!sections!of!this!plan!(see!section!9.!Monitoring;!10.!
Recommendations!for!Adaptive!Management).!The!viability!scale!and!indicators!will!be!refined!
as!new!information!becomes!available.!
- 21. 21!
!
Figure%7:%Lowery%Creek%riparian%zone%reference%diagram.%
5.2.% Target!2:!Lowery!Creek!
KEA'2.1'Creek'Composition.!Lowery!creek!composition!is!indicated!by!multiple!commonly!
accepted!water!chemistry!parameters!(see!Table!4).!This!assessment!will!follow!the!
recommended!data!collection!on!the!Stream!Monitoring!Data!Recording!Form!(Version!
2015.1.2)!by!a!Citizen!Scientist!or!Water!Action!Volunteer!(Appendix!A)!(WAV,!2007).!Rarely!is!it!
possible!to!assess!water!quality!with!independent!parameters.!Evaluating!multiple!
measurements!yields!a!thorough!evaluation.!Though!not!an!extensive!list,!this!plan!uses!
parameters!that!best!fit!the!KEA!assessment!given!available!resources!within!the!project!scope.!
The!selected!indicators!will!provide!sound!data!in!the!future!status!assessment!of!Lowery!
Creek.!Current!status!of!all!parameters!is!unknown.!Lowery!Creek!and!its!tributaries!are!spring!
fed,!therefore,!estimated!status!is!Fair9Good!for!all!indicators.!
Macroinvertebrates5
!as!an!indicator!for!stream!health!is!a!rapid!assessment!methodology.!
Benthic6
!communities!are!simple!and!ideal!KEA!indicators!because!Group!1!and!2!species!are!
sensitive!to!changes!in!water!quality!(EPA,!2012).!Table!2!below!shows!the!direct!relationship!of!
macroinvertebrate!presence!and!the!viability!assessment!rating!scale.!It!is!suspected!that!one!
stress!on!Lowery!Creek!is!nonpoint!runoff7
;!with!a!low!mobility!and!high!abundance,!
macroinvertebrates!are!the!quickest!way!to!evaluate!the!threat!of!this!stress.!A!high!biotic!
index!value!(≥3.5)!implies!the!stream!has!excellent!water!quality!(see!Table!3).!Citizen!Scientists!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
5
!Macroinvertebrates!are!organisms!without!a!backbone!that!are!visible!to!the!eye!without!a!microscope!
6
!Benthic!refers!to!a!community!or!ecological!region!at!the!lowest!level!of!a!body!of!water,!including!
sediment!and!organisms.!
7
!Nonpoint!runoff!refers!to!pollution!that!comes!from!not!one!direct,!but!a!number!of!indirect!sources,!
including!fertilizer,!pesticides,!sedimentation!from!agricultural!runoff,!and!other!types!of!pollution.!It!is!
caused!by!rainfall!or!snowmelt!carrying!pollution!downslope!or!downstream.!
- 22. 22!
!
of!the!Water!Action!Volunteer!program!can!easily!sample!water!quality!parameters!and!assess!
benthic!communities!(see!Strategy!section!8).!Current!status!is!unknown!and!assumed!to!be!
Good!(Table!4).%
Most!common!genus!of!macroinvertebrates!expected!to!be!in!Lowery!Creek!are:!Stonefly!
(Plecoptera),!Dobsonfly!(Corydalinae),!Alderfly!(Sialidae),!Watersnipe!Fly!(Athericidae),!Caddisfly!
(Trichoptera),!Dragonfly!(Anisoptera),!Mayfly!(Ephemeroptera),!Damselfly!(Zygoptera),!Black!Fly!
(Simuliidae),!and!Non`red!Midge!(Chironomidae).!If!conditions!of!Lowery!Creek!are!poor,!then!
species!of!snails,!scuds,!freshwater!mussels,!crawfish,!pouch!snails,!leeches,!and!bloodworm!are!
also!expected!(WAV,!2007).!
%
Table%2:%WAV%biotic%index%guide%(May9October)%–%Version%2015.1.2%(WAV,%2007)
Rating'
Scale
Biotic'Index'
Groups'
(Value)
Species'(subset) Sensitivity Requirements
Very'
good
Group!1!(4) Larva:!Stonefly,!
Dobsonfly,!Alderfly,!
Water!Snipe!Fly
Highly!
sensitive!to!
pollutants.
High!Dissolved!Oxygen!
(DO)!(>5!mg/L),!neutral!
pH,!Cold!temperature
Good Group!2!(3) Larva:!Caddisfly,!
Dragonfly,!Mayfly,!
Damselfly;!Freshwater!
mussel,!crawfish
Semi`
sensitive!to!
pollutants.
High!DO(>5!mg/L),!
neutral!pH,!Cold!
temperature
Fair Group!3!(2) Larva:!Black!Fly,!Non`
red!Midge;!Snails,!Scud
Semi`tolerant!
to!pollutants
Tolerate!low!DO,!
high/low!pH,!warm!
temperature
Poor Group!4!(1) Pouch!Snail,!Leech,!
aquatic!worms:!
Bloodworm,!tubiflex
Tolerant!of!
pollutants
Tolerate!low!DO,!
high/low!pH,!warm!
temperature
!
!
- 23. 23!
!
5.3.% Target!3:!Oak!Communities!
'KEA'Oakb1.'Canopy'Cover.'Canopy!cover!is!indicated!by!percent!of!crown!closure8
.!The!primary!
function!served!by!this!KEA!is!to!maintain!the!viewshed.!Historically,!this!area!of!Wisconsin!
ranged!from!Oak!Savanna!with!≤50%!crown!closure!to!Oak!Woodlands!≥!50%!crown!closure!
(Epstein,!2002).!According!to!Curtis!(1959),!“Healthy!oak!forests!typically!have!large,!open`
grown!trees!with!wide,!horizontally!spreading!crowns!over!short,!thick!boles.”!Oak!species!are!
shade!intolerant!and!fire`resistant,!therefore,!oak!woodlands!require!regular!burn!for!healthy!
population!maintenance!and!growth!(Hyde!and!Staffen,!2012).!Fire!suppression!in!the!Lowery!
Creek!Watershed!facilitated!the!encroachment!and!prevalence!of!dry`mesic!forest!species.!To!
the!detriment!of!the!oaks,!mesophytic!tree!species!are!becoming!more!common!under!current!
management!practices!and!fire!suppression!policies!(Epstein,!Judziewicz,!and!Spencer,!2002).!
Refer!to!Table!3!for!expected!species!in!oak!communities!and!dry`mesic!forests.!!
Restoring!and!maintaining!an!oak!savanna!or!woodland!requires!regular!prescribed!burns!(Hyde!
and!Staffen,!2012).!However,!if!viewshed!alone!is!the!most!important!factor,!this!decision!will!
need!to!be!discussed!within!the!partnership.!This!plan!is!a!guide!for!stakeholders!to!decide!how!
to!best!maintain!their!woodlands!for!personal!interest.!If!the!viewshed!is!the!main!concern!of!
the!stakeholder,!then!the!current!status!of!the!woodlands!is!good.!They!are!dense!forests!with!
a!high!percent!of!canopy!cover!(visual!estimation!of!>70%).!Ideally,!through!this!management!
plan,!stakeholders!will!opt!to!restore!their!woodlands!to!one!of!the!oak!dominated!
communities.!Current!status!of!this!indicator!is!Fair%(Table!4).!
'
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
8
!Crown!closure!is!the!amount!of!the!sky!hemisphere!obscured!by!vegetation!when!viewed!by!a!single!point.!
Closure!is!based!on!the!effects!of!tree!heights!and!canopy!widths!and!takes!into!account!light!interception!
and!other!factors!that!influence!habitat!below
!
- 26. 26!
!
%
Table%4:%Viability%assessment%of%Lowery%Creek%Watershed%conservation%targets%
Conservation'Targets'
!!!+Key!Ecological!Attributes!
!!!!!!!!•Indicator!
Current'
Status'
(2015)'
Poor' Fair' Good' Very'
Good'
Source'
1.'Riparian'Zones'
Fair!
! ! ! ! !
!!!!+RZ`1.!Bank!Stability!
Poor!
! ! ! ! !
!!!!!!!!!!•RZ`1a.!Width!of!Bank!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!with!Exposed!Soil!
Poor!
>3.3!ft! 1.7`3.3!ft! 0.7`1.6!ft! <0.7!ft! External!
!!!!!+RZ`2.!Buffer!Zone!Integrity!
Fair!
! ! ! ! !
!!!!!!!!!!•RZ`2a.!Species!Richness!
Fair!
0`3!
species!
4`5!!
species!
6`10!!
species!
>10!
species!
Rough!
Guess!
!!!!!!!!!!•RZ`2b.!Vegetated!Width!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!from!Bank!
Fair!
<3.3!ft! 3.3`16.0!ft! 16.1`33!ft! >33!ft! External!
2.'Lowery'Creek'
Good!
! ! ! ! !
!!!!!+LC`1.!Creek!Composition!
Good!
! ! ! ! !
!!!!!!!!!!•LC`1a.!Biotic!Index!Score!
Good!
1.0`2.0! 2.1`2.5! 2.6`3.5! >3.5! External!
!!!!!!!!!!•LC`1b.!Dissolved!Oxygen!
Fair!
<4.0!
mg/L!
4.0`6.0!
mg/L!
6.1`9.0!!
mg/L!
>9.0!
mg/L!
External!
!!!!!!!!!!•LC`1c.!pH!Level!
Good!
<5.9;!>9! 8.1`8.9! 6.0`6.9;!!
7.1`8.0!
7.0! External!
!!!!!!!!!!•LC`1d.!Temperature!
Good!
>68.1ºF! 32.0`51.9ºF! 52.0`57.9ºF;!
62.1`68.0ºF!
58.0`
62.0ºF!
External!
!!!!!!!!!!•LC`1e.!Total!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Phosphorous! Fair!
>0.99!
mg/L!
0.06`0.99!
mg/L!
0.01`0.05!
mg/L!
<0.01!
mg/L!
External!
!!!!!!!!!!•LC`1f.!Transparency!
Good!
<20.0!!
cm!
20.1`50.0!
cm!
50.1`100.0!
cm!
>100.0!!
cm!
External!
3.'Oak'Communities'
Poor!
! ! ! ! !
!!!!!+Oak`1.!Canopy!Cover!
Fair!
! ! ! ! !
!!!!!!!!!!•Oak`1a.!Percent!Crown!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Closure!
Fair!
>96.0%! 70.1`95.5%! 50.1`70.0%! 50%! External!
!!!!!+Oak`2.!Invasive!Species!
Poor!
! ! ! ! !
!!!!!!!!!!•Oak`2a.!Percent!of!Total!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Vegetation!that!is!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Invasive!
Poor!
>50.0%! 10.1`49.9%! 3.0`10.0%! <3.0%! Rough!
Guess!
!
- 27. 27!
!
6.# Threat'Assessment'
Table%5:%Assessment%of%direct%threats%on%conservation%targets
!
6.1.% Threat!Ranking!
A!key!aspect!of!the!Lowery!Creek!Watershed!conservation!plan!involved!identifying!and!ranking!
the!threats!to!the!identified!conservation!targets!of!the!Lowery!Creek!Watershed!(Riparian!
Zones,!Lowery!Creek!and!Oak!Communities).!In!order!to!do!this,!direct!threats!needed!to!be!
determined,!as!well!as!what!stresses!they!were!causing!on!the!targets.!!Direct!threats!are!
human`produced!activities!that!directly!degrade!conservation!targets!and!stresses!are!the!
resulting!altered!KEAs!of!a!target!due!to!direct!threats!(FOS,!2009).!An!example!of!this!would!be!
presence!of!agricultural!runoff!due!to!farmer!practices!that!results!in!reducing!the!creek’s!water!
quality.!The!agricultural!runoff!is!the!threat!in!this!case!and!the!reduction!of!water!quality!is!the!
stress.!!
!
There!were!five!threats!identified!for!the!three!targets!(Riparian!Zones,!Lowery!Creek!and!Oak!
Community),!agricultural!runoff,!greenhouse!gas!emissions,!residential!development,!invasive!
nonnative!species!and!unpaddocked!free!range!cattle.!After!identifying!the!direct!threats!to!the!
Lowery!Creek!Watershed,!they!were!ranked!using!three!criteria:!scope,!severity!and!
irreversibility.!Scope!looks!at!the!area!influenced!by!the!threat!and!severity!rates!the!threat!
- 28. 28!
!
based!on!the!level!of!damage!it!would!cause.!Finally,!the!irreversibility!examines!to!what!extent!
the!effects!of!the!threat!could!be!undone!if!the!threat!disappeared.!All!three!of!these!criteria!
were!looked!at!with!a!timescale!of!about!ten!years,!with!the!exception!of!the!threat!of!
greenhouse!gas!emissions.!!The!timescale!on!emissions!was!extended,!because!the!predictions!
for!climate!change!are!projected!of!the!next!fifty!years.!
!
After!identifying!the!direct!threats,!a!summary,!individually!ranking!the!scope,!severity!and!
irreversibility!of!each!threat!for!all!three!targets,!was!completed.!Threats!were!ranked!as!very!
high,!high,!medium!or!low.!In!order!to!make!these!decisions!the!CMP!criteria!for!scope,!severity!
and!irreversibility!(CMP,!2013)!was!used.!After!applying!each!threat!to!all!three!of!the!targets,!
the!total!threat!ranking!for!each!target!and!for!the!project!overall!was!determined!by!the!
Miradi!Software!(see!Table!5).!It!was!determined!that!the!threats!of!agricultural!runoff,!and!
unpaddocked!free!range!cattle!have!a!high!summary!threat!rating.!Residential!development,!
invasive;!nonnative!species!and!greenhouse!gas!emission!received!summary!ratings!of!medium.!
Riparian!zones!and!Lowery!Creek!both!received!summary!target!ratings!of!high,!while!oak!
communities!were!rated!at!low.!The!overall!project!rating!was!determined!to!be!high.!!
! !
- 29. 29!
!
6.2.% Threat!Description!and!Details!
Threat'Category:!Pollution
T1.Agricultural!Runoff
Targets!affected:!Riparian!Zones,!Lowery!Creek!
Threat!Description:!Water`borne!pollutants!from!agricultural,!silvicultural,!and!aquaculture!
systems!that!include!nutrients,!toxic!chemicals!and/or!sediments!including!the!effects!of!these!
pollutants!on!the!site!where!they!are!applied!
Altered!KEAs`!Reduced!bank!integrity!by!nonpoint!source!pollution!and!reduced!water!quality!
by!nonpoint!source!pollution
Threat!Details:!Within!the!watershed,!agricultural!runoff!has!a!huge!impact!on!the!targets:!
riparian!zone!and!Lowery!Creek.!Agricultural!runoff!leads!to!an!increase!of!nonpoint!source!
pollution!that!infiltrates!the!surrounding!water!sources!(Environmental!protection!Agency,!
2005).!!Some!specific!sources!of!nonpoint!source!pollution!that!are!commonly!found!in!found!in!
agricultural!runoff!include!herbicides!(such!as!Roundup)!and!cattle!manure.!Any!chemical!or!
nutrient!that!is!not!absorbed!by!the!plants!gets!filtered!through!the!riparian!zone,!if!the!riparian!
zone!does!not!absorb!the!chemical;!it!is!deposited!into!the!waters!of!Lowery!Creek.!The!
stresses!and!altered!KEA’s!due!to!agricultural!runoff!led!to!the!summery!threat!rating!of!high!
for!agriculture!runoff!(see!Table!5).!!
The!threat!level!to!the!riparian!zone!from!agricultural!runoff!was!determined!to!be!high!in!
Miradi.!Runoff!results!in!a!stress!of!decreased!bank!integrity!though!nonpoint!source!pollution!
by!increasing!bank!erosion!(Lyons,!Trimble!and!Paine,!2000).!!!
Agricultural!runoff!also!leads!to!the!stress!of!reduced!water!quality!in!Lowery!Creek!due!to!
nonpoint!source!pollution!(Lyons!et!al,!2000).!In!terms!of!Lowery!Creek,!Miradi!gave!the!threat!
of!agricultural!runoff!a!very!high!rating.!The!increase!in!nonpoint!source!pollution!changes!the!
key!ecological!attribute!of!creek!composition!in!ways!that!would!be!hard!to!change!or!reverse!
(Houser!and!Richardson,!2010).!!
!
Threat'Category:!Agriculture!and!Aquaculture
T2.Unpaddocked!Free!Range!Cattle
Targets!Affected:!Riparian!Zones,!Lowery!Creek!and!Oak!Communities
Threat!Description:!Domestic!terrestrial!animals!raised!in!one!location!on!farmed!or!non`local!
resources!(farming);!also!domestic!or!semi!domesticated!animals!allowed!to!roam!in!the!wild!
and!supported!by!natural!habitats!(ranching)!
Altered!KEAs`!Overgrazing,!reduced!bank!integrity!by!nonpoint!source!pollution,!reduced!water!
quality!by!nonpoint!source!pollution!and!change!in!species!occurrence
- 30. 30!
!
Threat!Details:!Cattle!in!the!area!are!free!ranging!and!they!become!a!threat!if!they!are!
unpaddocked.!Unpaddocked!cattle!have!open!access!to!all!three!of!the!conservation!targets!for!
an!unmanaged!amount!of!time.!The!fact!that!the!cattle!are!free!range!is!not!the!threat,!it!is!the!
fact!that!they!are!unpaddocked!and!not!controlled.!
Within!the!riparian!zones!the!threat!of!unpaddocked!free!range!cattle!was!found!to!be!high.!
Unpaddocked!free!range!cattle!can!overgraze!the!riparian!zones,!which!compromise!the!
integrity!of!the!buffer!zone!because!it!leads!to!a!decrease!in!the!width!of!vegetation!from!the!
bank.!In!addition,!when!cattle!have!access!to!the!riparian!zone,!they!can!alter!the!bank!stability!
and!buffer!zone!integrity!due!to!the!damage!they!cause!by!simply!walking!through!and!standing!
on!the!zone.!Their!hooves!uproot!plants!and!disturb!the!wet!soil,!both!of!which!can!decrease!
the!width!of!vegetation!from!the!bank!while!increasing!the!width!of!the!bank!with!exposed!soil!
(Mulla!et!al,!1999).!!
In!terms!of!Lowery!Creek,!when!cattle!have!access!to!the!creek,!they!are!free!to!defecate!into!
the!water,!changing!the!creek!composition!(Hoorman,!and!McCutcheon,!2005).!The!changes!in!
creek!composition!led!to!a!high!threat!ranking!for!unpaddocked!free!range!cattle!on!Lowery!
Creek.!!
In!the!oak!communities,!the!unpaddocked!free!range!cattle!are!exasperating!the!threat!of!
invasive!species.!The!cattle!help!to!disperse!seeds!and!disturb!the!soil!(Bartuszevige!and!
Endress,!2008),!which!ultimately!causes!a!change!in!species!occurrence!of!invasive!species.!
Unpaddocked!free!range!cattle!in!the!oak!communities!also!alter!the!amount!of!canopy!cover.!
Cattle!eat!plants!in!the!shrub!layer!of!the!oak!communities,!which!can!include!young!saplings.!
When!the!saplings!are!eaten!there!is!a!cascading!effect!that!leads!to!less!mature!trees!in!the!
future!(Compton,!Hedtcke,!and!Harrington,!2003).!!Having!
!fewer!mature!trees!on!the!landscape,!reduces!that!amount!of!canopy!cover.!If!the!
stakeholders!decide!to!restore!the!historical!oak!savannas,!having!cattle!graze!in!the!oak!
communities!would!be!an!effect!way!to!achieve!that.!If!the!stakeholders!decide!to!maintain!the!
oak!communities!that!are!in!the!watershed!currently!than!unpaddocked!free!range!cattle!will!
be!a!threat.!The!low!scope!but!high!irreversibility!and!severity!led!to!rating!unpaddock!free!
range!cattle!in!the!oak!communities!as!a!low!threat!overall.!The!overall!threat!rating!for!the!
unpaddocked!free!range!cattle!on!the!Lowery!Creek!Watershed!is!high!(Table!5).!
'
Threat'Category:!Residential!and!Commercial!Development'
T3.!Residential!Development!
Targets!Affected:!Riparian!Zones,!and!Oak!Forests
Threat!Description:!Human!cities,!towns,!and!settlements!including!non`housing!development!
typically!integrated!with!housing!%
Altered!KEAs`!Reduced!bank!integrity!by!nonpoint!source!pollution!and!deforestation!
- 31. 31!
!
Threat!Details:!The!threat!of!residential!development!in!the!Lowery!Creek!Watershed!has!an!
overall!threat!ranking!of!medium!(see!Table!5).!Due!to!the!fact!that!all!of!the!property!in!the!
scope!is!privately!owned,!development!will!always!be!a!threat!to!the!watershed,!unless!it!is!
addressed!through!conservation!easements.!Residential!development!of!the!riparian!zone!was!
calculated!to!be!a!medium!ranked!threat.!This!is!because!residential!development!near!the!
riparian!zone!would!increase!the!amount!of!nonpoint!source!pollution!resulting!in!reduced!
buffer!zone!integrity.!The!reduction!would!stem!from!a!decrease!in!the!width!of!vegetation!for!
the!bank,!caused!by!an!increase!of!nonpoint!source!pollution!(Committee!on!Riparian!Zone!
Functioning!and!Strategies!for!Management,!2002).!!!The!decrease!in!canopy!cover!due!to!
deforestation!in!the!oak!communities!led!to!a!medium!threat!rating.!The!threat!rating!for!
residential!development!was!determined!to!be!medium!(Table!5).!!
Threat'Category:!Invasive!&!Problematic!Species,!Pathogens!&!Genes
T4.Invasive;!non`native!species!!
Targets!Affected:!Oak!Communities!
Threat!Description:!Harmful!plants!and!animals!not!originally!found!within!the!ecosystem(s)!in!
question!and!directly!or!indirectly!introduced!and!spread!into!it!by!human!activities!
Altered!KEAs`!Change!in!species!occurrence
Threat!Details:!!The!threat!of!invasive;!nonnative!species!has!a!big!impact!on!the!oak!
communities!within!the!Lowery!Creek!Watershed.!When!the!group!visited!the!site!on!July!10th
!
in!2015,!they!were!able!to!personally!observe!that!there!are!already!invasive!species!within!the!
oak!communities!(refer!to!Table!3).!The!unpaddocked!free!range!cattle!in!the!watershed!
exasperate!the!threat!of!invasive!nonnative!plant!species!because!they!help!disburse!seeds!and!
disrupt!the!oak!communities’!soil!(Bartuszevige!and!Endress,!2008).!Because!invasive!species!
are!so!fast!growing,!they!out!compete!the!native!species!in!the!area!(Allendorf!and!Lundquist,!
2003)!and!increase!the!percentage!of!total!vegetation!that!is!invasive!which!changes!species!
occurrence!in!the!communities.!The!group’s!individual!threat!rating!of!invasive!species!on!the!
oak!communities!was!high!and!the!overall!threat!rating!for!invasive!species!was!medium!(see!
Table!5).!!
!
Direct'Threat:!Climate!Change
T5.!Greenhouse!Gas!Emissions
Targets!Affected:!Riparian!Zones,!Lowery!Creek!and!Oak!Forests!
Altered!KEAs`!change!in!precipitation!leads!to!reduced!water!quality!by!nonpoint!source!
pollution,!changes!in!temperature!leads!to!altered!seasonal!averages!of!creek!temperature,!and!
exasperates!the!threat!of!invasive!species!which!changes!species!occurrence
- 32. 32!
!
Greenhouse!gases!are!gases!that!trap!heat!in!the!earth’s!atmosphere!(EPA).!Human!activities!
can!increase!the!amount!of!greenhouse!gases!in!the!atmosphere!(Intergovernmental!Panel!on!
Climate!Change,!2013).!We!are!seeing!globally!that!increasing!emissions!is!causing!global!
climate!change!(IPCC,!2013).!Global!climate!change!results!in!regional!changes!in!things!such!as!
precipitation,!temperature,!snowpack!and!number!of!extreme!weather!events.!In!Wisconsin,!it!
is!predicted!that!over!the!next!50!years!we!will!see!an!overall!increase!in!temperature,!
precipitation!and!number!of!severe!storms!(WICCI,!2011).
Using!WICCI’s!2011!report9
,!the!group!was!able!to!assume!what!the!affects!would!be!on!the!
Lowery!Creek!Watershed,!in!terms!of!changes!in!precipitation!and!temperature!specifically.!
The!WICCI’s!2011!Report!predicted!that!the!annual!average!temperature,!in!southwestern!
Wisconsin!it!is!predicted!to!increase!by!6.5°F.!Precipitation!projections!are!harder!to!obtain!but!
WICCI!projects!that!Wisconsin!will!experience!an!increase!in!precipitation!over!the!next!fifty!
years,!with!75%!probability.!
In!the!Lowery!Creek!Watershed,!the!group!assessed!that!the!projected!changes!in!temperature!
and!precipitation,!due!to!an!increase!in!greenhouse!gas!emissions,!would!result!in!stresses!on!
Lowery!Creek!and!the!Oak!Communities.!!
In!terms!of!Lowery!Creek!itself,!greenhouse!gas!emissions!will!lead!to!changes!in!the!creek!
composition!due!to!changes!in!the!water!quality!in!Lowery!Creek.!One!of!the!indicators!for!
creek!composition!is!water!temperature!and!the!WICCI!report!directly!says!that!surface!water!
temperature!will!increase!over!the!next!50!years,!which!is!caused!by!the!increase!of!air!
temperature!for!greenhouse!gas!emissions.!The!increase!in!precipitation!will!result!in!more!
runoff!and!will!increase!the!nonpoint!source!pollution!in!Lowery!Creek!(WICCI,!2011).!!
The!increases!in!precipitation!and!air!temperature!will!lead!to!a!reduction!of!water!quality!by!
nonpoint!source!pollution,!which!is!an!alteration!of!the!KEA!creek!composition.!An!increase!in!
precipitation!will!lead!to!increased!runoff!into!the!creek!and!will!alter!the!status!of!some!of!the!
identified!indicators.!Some!specific!indicators!that!will!change!due!to!increased!precipitation!
include!total!phosphorous!and!pH!level!(WICCI!2011).!The!increase!in!air!temperature!will!allow!
for!more!eutrophication!within!the!stream!and!decrease!the!amount!of!dissolved!oxygen!in!the!
water!(WICCI,!2013),!which!would!degrade!the!water!quality.!!
The!projected!increase!of!air!temperature!would!also!change!the!average!seasonal!
temperatures!of!the!water!in!Lowery!Creek!(WICCI,!2011).!An!increase!in!water!temperature!
would!lead!to!the!altered!KEA!of!creek!composition!because!one!of!the!indicators!for!that!KEA!
is!water!temperature.!One!of!the!biggest!effects!that!the!changes!in!seasonal!averages!water!
temperatures!will!be!on!the!trout!that!live!in!the!creek.!Trout!need!a!cold`water!habitat!to!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
9
!All!predictions!in!future!temperature!and!precipitation!were!based!on!the!WICCI!2011!document!
“Wisconsin’s!Changing!Climate:!Impacts!and!Adaptation”.!The!predictions!are!for!the!next!fifty!years,!not!the!
next!fifteen!years!like!all!other!threats!to!the!Lowery!Creek!Watershed!mentioned.!
- 33. 33!
!
survive!and!the!WICCI!report!says!that!the!projected!increase!in!temperature!could!wipe!them!
out!in!most!of!the!state.!!
Increased!air!temperatures!will!help!to!exasperate!the!threat!of!invasive!species!(Hellman,!
Byers,!Bierwagen!and!Dukes,!2008)!within!the!oak!communities.!Invasive!plant!species!are!
highly!adaptable!and!will!be!able!to!adjust!to!the!increases!in!air!temperatures.!Native!species!
grow!slower!and!get!out!competed!by!the!quick!growing!invasives.!Because!invasive!species!can!
thrive!in!new!temperature!regimes!they!will!become!more!prominent!on!the!landscape!and!will!
alter!species!occurrence!in!the!Lowery!Creek!Watershed.!!
The!threat!of!greenhouse!gas!emissions!for!both!Lowery!Creek!and!the!oak!communities!were!
determined!to!be!medium,!with!a!medium!summery!threat!rating!for!emissions!on!the!Lowery!
Creek!watershed!(see!Table!5).!!
6.3.% Threat!Summary!by!Target!
Riparian'Zone:!!
It!was!determined!that!the!riparian!zones!in!the!Lowery!Creek!Watershed!will!be!affected!by!
three!direct!threats:!1)!Agricultural!runoff,!2)!Unpaddocked!free!range!cattle!3)!Residential!
development.!Cattle!that!are!managed!as!unpaddocked!free!range!and!are!not!excluded!from!
the!areas!near!Lowery!Creek,!which!should!be!riparian!zones,!are!a!huge!threat!to!the!riparian!
zones.!Unpaddocked!free!range!cattle!compromise!the!buffer!zone!integrity!via!overgrazing!and!
they!reduce!bank!integrity!by!nonpoint!source!pollution,!which!reduces!the!bank!stability.!
Overgrazing!reduces!the!buffer!zone!integrity!because!it!increases!the!width!of!exposed!soil!
(Hoorman,!and!McCutcheon,!2005).!Unpaddocked!free!range!cattle!are!able!to!go!directly!into!
the!stream!and!in!order!to!do!that!they!need!to!walk!across!the!riparian!zones.!The!process!of!a!
cow!walking!through!the!moist!soil!in!the!zone!increases!nonpoint!source!pollution!(erosion)!
and!it!decreases!the!bank!integrity!by!leading!to!a!decline!in!the!width!of!vegetation!from!the!
bank!(Hoorman,!and!McCutcheon,!2005).!Agricultural!runoff!leads!to!changes!in!species!
richness!in!the!riparian!zone!because!it!can!limit!what!species!of!plant!can!grow!there.!By!
increasing!bank!erosion!due!to!agricultural!runoff,!species!richness!in!the!buffer!zones!declines,!
resulting!in!a!stress!of!decreasing!the!bank!integrity!though!nonpoint!source!pollution!(Lyons,!
Trimble!and!Paine,!2000).!!As!long!as!the!land!around!Lowery!Creek!is!all!privately!owned,!there!
will!be!potential!for!residential!development.!Residential!development!near!the!riparian!zone!
could!reduce!the!bank!integrity!through!nonpoint!source!pollution!due!to!an!increase!in!erosion!
because!of!too!much!exposed!soil.!All!of!these!factors!led!to!the!summary!target!rating!of!high!
for!the!riparian!zone.!!The!summary!target!rating!for!the!riparian!zones!was!calculated!to!be!
high!(see!Table!5).!
Lowery'Creek:!!
Lowery!Creek!has!three!direct!threats:!1)!Agricultural!runoff,!2)!Unpaddocked!free!range!Cattle,!
and!3)!Greenhouse!Gas!Emissions.!Some!examples!of!agricultural!runoff!are!chemicals!used!on!
crops!in!an!unsafe!or!unsustainable!way!or!through!improperly!managed!manure!piles.!Both!
- 34. 34!
!
examples!lead!to!nonpoint!source!pollutants,!which!then!filter!into!the!riparian!zone!and!
eventually!end!up!in!Lowery!Creek.!These!nonpoint!source!pollutants!cause!the!water!quality!to!
decline!and!alter!the!creek!composition!(Mulla!et!al.,!1999).!Without!any!exclusion!devices,!
cattle!have!free!access!to!Lowery!Creek,!leading!to!more!pollutants!in!the!water.!Cows!defecate!
in!the!water,!changing!the!creek!composition.!Greenhouse!gas!emissions!will!lead!to!an!
increase!in!both!temperature!and!precipitation!in!the!area.!Both!will!lead!to!changes!in!Lowery!
Creek.!The!change!in!air!temperature!and!the!change!in!precipitation!will!alter!the!creek!
composition.!Changes!in!air!temperature!will!alter!amount!of!eutrophication!in!the!creek!and!
reduce!the!level!of!dissolved!oxygen!in!the!water!(Houser!and!Richardson,!2010).!Houser!and!
Richardson!also!talk!about!how!the!change!in!precipitation!will!lead!to!a!corresponding!increase!
of!runoff!that!would!alter!the!creek’!s!composition.!The!summary!target!rating!for!Lowery!Creek!
was!determined!to!be!high!(see!Table!5).!!
Oak'Community:!!
The!Oak!communities!in!the!Lowery!Creek!Watershed!have!four!direct!threats:!Unpaddocked!
free!range!cattle,!residential!development,!invasive;!non`native!species!and!greenhouse!gas!
emissions.!Unpaddocked!free!range!cattle!can!exasperate!the!threat!of!invasive!species!in!the!
oak!communities,!cattle!help!to!disperse!seeds!of!invasive!plants!which!increases!the!
occurrence!of!invasive!species!(Bartuszevige!and!Endress,!2008).!Residential!development!in!or!
near!the!oak!communities!will!cause!deforestation!and!the!canopy!cover!in!the!oak!
communities!will!be!decreased.!Invasive!Species!will!have!a!big!impact!on!the!oak!communities!
because!they!can!easily!dominate!the!landscape,!which!changes!the!species!occurrence!within!
the!communities!(Allendorf!and!Lundquist,!2003).!Greenhouse!gas!emissions!will!alter!the!oak!
communities!as!a!result!of!both!the!changes!in!temperature!and!precipitation.!WICCI!predicts!
that!the!average!temperatures!in!Wisconsin!could!increase!by!6.5!degrees!Fahrenheit.!The!
changes!in!temperature!will!exasperate!the!threat!of!invasives!by!increasing!their!abundance!
(Hellman,!Byers,!Bierwagen!and!Dukes,!2008).!Due!to!all!of!the!threats!listed,!Miradi!calculated!
the!summary!target!rating!to!be!medium!for!the!oak!communities!which!is!shown!in!Table!5.!
! '
- 35. 35!
!
7.#Situation'Analysis'
A!situation!analysis!is!a!method!of!analyzing!and!creating!a!visual!model!of!the!complex!mix!of!
factors!affecting!the!targets!of!the!Lowery!Creek!watershed!conservation!management!plan,!
including!direct!threats,!indirect!threats10
,!and!opportunities11
.!Since!it!is!common!for!team!
members!and!stakeholders!to!have!slight!differences!in!their!vision!of!the!many!factors!at!play!
and!overall!context!of!a!conservation!project,!conducting!a!situation!analysis!is!a!crucial!tool!in!
clarifying!the!various!factors!involved!and!the!relationships!between!those!factors.!With!this!
conceptual!model!diagram,!the!team!and!stakeholders!can!more!effectively!communicate!and!
coordinate!strategic!solutions.!
This!plan!was!developed!by!applying!the!steps!suggested!by!the!CMP!Open!Standards!to!
identify!the!scope,!conservation!targets,!direct!threats,!and!indirect!threats!outlined!here.!The!
process!to!arrive!at!these!factors!involved!extensive!discussion!with!Peter!Riddle,!the!project!
representative!from!Driftless!Area!Land!Conservancy,!research!on!the!DNR!website!and!a!
variety!of!other!sources!about!common!threats!and!conservation!targets!in!watersheds,!as!well!
as!by!making!a!number!of!assumptions.!Some!of!the!assumptions!included!the!extent!of!
damage!caused!by!improperly!managed!cattle!grazing,!the!total!area!of!riparian!buffer!zones,!
the!potential!for!impact!by!residential!development,!and!the!types!and!extent!of!invasive!
species!in!the!oak!woodlands.!Several!of!our!assumptions!were!clarified!or!corrected!by!a!visit!
to!the!watershed!on!July!10,!2015,!in!which!the!project!team!met!with!several!stakeholders!
from!the!Lowery!Creek!partnership!and!toured!their!properties!and!surrounding!area.!We!were!
surprised!to!see!healthier!than!expected!riparian!zones!in!many!of!the!areas,!although!other!
locations!confirmed!our!initial!guesses!as!to!the!state!of!the!riparian!buffers.!Other!
assumptions,!such!as!the!water!quality!in!the!creek,!have!yet!to!be!confirmed,!as!no!current!
data!can!be!found.!
In!the!conceptual!model!diagram!below!(Figure!7),!the!left`hand!side!contains!primarily!indirect!
threats!(orange!boxes)!which!in!turn!lead!to!direct!threats!(pink!boxes).!An!orange!box!with!a!
“+”!in!the!text!indicates!an!opportunity!rather!than!an!indirect!threat.!For!example,!the!indirect!
threat!of!“High!demand!for!grass`fed!beef”!can!potentially!lead!to!overgrazing!as!farmers!seek!
to!provide!a!higher!supply!of!beef,!while!the!opportunity!“Public!interest!for!sustainable!
agriculture”!is!an!opportunity!that!can!help!to!mitigate!or!minimize!that!contributing!factor.!
The!indirect!threats!drive!direct!threats,!as!for!example!“Lack!of!resources!or!interest!to!
implement!effective!grazing!practices”!leads!to!threats!posed!by!unpaddocked!cattle,!which!
cause!the!stress!of!nonpoint!source!pollution!in!Lowery!Creek.!We!also!identified!some!indirect!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
10
!Indirect!threats!are!contributing!factors!in!a!situation!analysis!that!serves!to!drive!the!direct!threats,!and!
can!be!a!point!of!intervention!for!conservation!action.!Can!also!be!called!root!causes!or!underlying!causes.!
11
!Opportunities!are!also!contributing!factors,!but!that!can!have!a!positive!effect!on!conservation!targets,!
either!directly!or!indirectly,!and!also!can!serve!as!a!point!of!intervention!for!strategic!conservation!actions.!
- 38. !
!
8.! Action)Plan)
The!action!plan!lays!out!a!framework!for!realizing!the!vision!presented!in!this!management!
plan.!Building!upon!the!analysis!of!targets,!key!ecological!attributes,!direct!and!indirect!threats,!
and!opportunities,!the!action!plan!presents!a!set!of!strategies,!goals,!specific!actions,!and!
monitoring!that!will!work!to!conserve!the!targets!identified!by!the!plan.!Currently,!our!action!
plan!includes!the!following!elements:!!
•! Goals:!the!project!team!has!identified!goals!for!each!of!the!conservation!targets,!which!
are!linked!directly!to!the!targets,!impact@oriented,!measurable,!time@limited,!and!
specific.!
•! Strategies:!one!strategy!with!two!sub@strategies!that!are!designed!to!mitigate!the!
threats!to!conservation!targets!
•! Activities:)will!need!to!be!undertaken!to!move!each!part!of!the!strategy!forward!in!
order!to!achieve!desired!results!
•! Results)chains:!also!called!a!“theory!of!change”,!which!presents!the!assumptions!of!how!
each!strategy!will!lead!to!reduction!of!threats!to!conservation!targets!
•! Objectives:!similar!to!goals,!except!that!are!connected!to!specific!results!in!the!results!
chain,!rather!than!to!conservation!targets!
8.1.! Conservation!Goals!
Target)1.)Riparian)zones:!!
Goal%1.1:!By!2020,!riparian!buffer!zone!integrity!will!be!defined!by!having!<0.7!feet!of!exposed!
soil!from!water.!Vegetation!will!start!at!0.7!feet!and!extend!>33!feet!from!the!bank,!and!will!
have!a!species!richness!of!>10!plants/m2.!
Target)2.)Lowery)Creek:))
Goal%2.1:!By!summer!2025,!Lowery!Creek!will!have!a!constant!temperature!of!58@62ºF,!a!pH!
between!6@8,!and!a!dissolved!oxygen!level!of!6.1@9.0!mg/L.!Transparency!will!be!120!mm!or!
greater!with!a!phosphorus!level!of!0.01!to!0.05!mg/L.!Aquatic!macroinvertebrate!assessment!
will!rank!2.6@3.5!on!the!Water!Action!Volunteers!Biotic!Index.!
Target)3.)Oak)Communities:))
Goal%3.1:!By!2030,!canopy!will!have!50.1@70.0%!crown!closure.!!
Goal%3.2:!By!2025,!the!percent!of!vegetation!that!is!invasive!will!be!less!than!10%!of!total!
vegetation.!
- 39. 39!
!
8.2.! Management!Strategies!to!Achieve!Goals!and!Objectives!
8.2.1!Strategy!Summary!
The!project!team!brainstormed!a!number!of!possible!strategies!to!address!the!direct!threats!
identified!in!this!management!plan.!The!team!used!a!spreadsheet!to!make!a!list!of!all!of!the!
strategies!that!immediately!came!to!mind,!and!associated!each!strategy!with!a!possible!
intervention!point!(direct!threats,!indirect!threats,!or!conservation!targets).!The!CMP!Actions!
Classifications!(Version!2.0!Beta)!provided!some!further!ideas!and!guidance!on!clear!phrasing!of!
possible!actions!that!can!be!taken!to!address!particular!types!of!threats,!and!offers!
explanations!of!when!certain!actions!might!be!relevant.!
After!compiling!the!initial!list!of!seven!potential!strategies,!the!team!used!the!Brainstorm!
function!within!the!Miradi!software!(see!Figure!9)!application!to!rank!strategies!in!terms!of!two!
main!criteria:!!
•! Potential)Impact:!This!refers!to!the!strategy’s!ability!to!create!the!desired!changes!in!
status!of!conservation!targets.!Is!ranked!on!a!scale!of!1!to!4!(Low=1,!Medium=2,!High=3,!
Very!High=4).!
•! Feasibility:!!Refers!to!the!likelihood!that!the!implementing!team!can!apply!the!strategy!
within!the!likely!time,!financial,!human!resources,!ethical,!and!other!constraints.!Ranked!
on!the!same!four@point!scale!as!above!(Low=1,!Medium=2,!High=3,!Very!High=4).!
!
Figure%9:%Brainstorm%mode%in%Miradi%
- 40. 40!
!
Each!strategy!was!considered!according!to!these!criteria,!and!the!team!made!best!guesses!and!
assumptions!as!to!the!overall!effectiveness!of!the!strategy,!reasoning!through!why!and!how!
each!strategy!might!achieve!its!goals!and!what!obstacles!it!might!face.!The!team!then!average!
the!scores!for!each!strategy,!with!higher!scores!representing!higher!perceived!effectiveness,!
and!thus!was!given!a!higher!priority.!!
Some!of!the!strategies!with!high!rankings!were!eliminated,!as!it!was!decided!that!they!would!be!
best!be!integrated!as!sub@strategies,!rather!than!distinct!strategies!in!themselves.!For!example,!
originally!the!team!identified!“Incorporate!SWIMS!and!WAV!monitoring”!as!a!separate!strategy,!
but!later!assimilated!it!into!the!“Collaborative!Watershed!Stewardship!Network”!strategy.!The!
team!reasoned!that!WAV!monitoring!would!be!more!likely!to!be!effective!if!landowners!within!
the!watershed!monitored!the!creek!as!part!of!the!strategy!to!reduce!nonpoint!source!pollution,!
rather!than!have!outside!organizations!or!individuals!conduct!monitoring.!
Table!6!shows!all!of!the!strategies!and!rankings!as!applied!in!Miradi.!
Table%6:%Strategy%brainstorming%and%rankings%in%Miradi%
Strategy!
Number!
Strategy! Impact! Feasibility! Summary!
Rating!
S01)
campaign!to!promote!sustainable!ag!
practices!
4! 2! 3!
S02) install!cattle!fencing! 4! 2! 3!
S03) obtain!state!or!private!grants!for!protection! 3! 3! 3!
S04) prescribed!burns! 2! 2! 2!
S05) conservation!easements! 4! 3! 3.5!
S06) incorporate!SWIMS!and!WAV!programs! 3! 4! 3.5!
S07) collaborative!stewardship!partnership! 4! 4! 4!
!
8.2.2!Strategies!and!Related!Objectives!
Strategy)1:)Collaborative)Watershed)Stewardship)Network:)Agricultural)Threats)
The!project!team,!through!the!brainstorming!portal!in!Miradi,!developed!this!strategy!aimed!at!
addressing!the!direct!threats!posed!by!agriculture.!Specifically,!it!will!address!unpaddocked)
free)range)cattle!as!well!as!agriculture)runoff!by!establishing!a!set!of!best!management!
practices!(BMPs)!to!be!employed!within!the!watershed.!This!part!of!the!Watershed!Stewardship!
- 41. 41!
!
Network!(WSN)!strategy!is!designed!to!impact!two!of!our!conservation!targets,!the!riparian!
zone!and!Lowery!Creek!itself.!!
The!team’s!assumption!is!that!once!the!group!is!formed,!they!(the!WSN)!will!be!able!to!identify!
current!sustainable!and!unsustainable!practices!within!their!watershed.!If!they!do!that!they!
then!will!be!able!to!identify!the!BMPs.!As!seen!in!the!Results!Chain!in!Figure!10,!there!are!four!
intermediate!results!within!the!group!box!of!Development!and!Support!of!BMPs.!This!group!
box!was!designed!to!include!the!communication!of!BMPs,!which!will!include!the!identification!
of!necessary!resources,!the!applications!for!funding,!and!ultimately!securing!essential!
resources.!If!that!is!achieved,!then!the!WSN!will!implement!the!BMPs!identified,!and!it!is!
assumed!then,!that!they!will!be!able!to!apply!pressure!to!other!non@cooperative!members!of!
the!watershed!with!the!intentions!of!reducing!agricultural!threats.!!
Threat)Reduction)Objectives:)
1.! AG@PR!3:!By!summer!2017,!80%!of!farmers!in!stewardship!network!will!have!
implemented!BMPs!for!reducing!nonpoint!source!pollution.!
2.! AG@PR!4:!By!summer!2017,!80%!of!farmers!in!stewardship!network!will!have!
implemented!BMPs!for!reducing!nonpoint!source!pollution.!
Intermediate)Objectives:)
1.! AG@PR!1:!By!the!end!of!2015!the!top!3!sustainable!and!3!unsustainable!practices!will!
be!identified!
2.! AG@PR!2:!By!February!2016,!X!number!of!applications!for!funding!will!be!submitted!
and!pending!approval.!
3.! WAV@1:!!By!May!2016,!at!least!two!stewardship!network!members!are!trained!in!
WAV!program!for!stream!quality!monitoring.!
4.! WAV@2:!!By!May!2016,!network!will!have!conducted!baseline!stream!quality!
monitoring!on!at!least!three!different!points!within!watershed!and!submitted!to!
DNR:!below!the!spring@fed!source,!station!253196,!confluence!point,!Taliesin!lake,!
downstream!from!Taliesin!dam;!additional!sites!as!desired!by!landowners.!
Activities:)
1.! Organize!community!roundtable!
2.! Conduct!planning!workshop!
3.! Conduct!grant!writing!workshop!
4.! Group!implements!BMPs!
- 43. !
!
Strategy(2:(Collaborative(Watershed(Stewardship(Network:(Invasive(Species(
While!in!essence!this!is!the!same!strategy!as!shown!in!the!Conceptual!Model!(see!Figure!8),!the!
activities!and!desired!results!are!sufficiently!different!from!the!above!strategy!description!that!
this!plan!treats!it!as!a!distinct!strategy.!To!address!the!direct!threat!of!invasive,!nonAnative!
species,!the!strategy!will!use!the!collaborative!efforts!of!the!WSN!to!identify!invasive!species!
within!the!watershed!and!eliminate!the!most!immediate!and!extensive!threats.!Network!
members!would!work!together!to!create!a!plan!to!mitigate!threats!of!invasives!in!the!
conservation!target!of!oak!communities!on!each!of!the!landowners’!properties.!
The!Results!Chain!in!Figure!10!demonstrates!the!project!team’s!assumptions!for!how!the!WSN!
can!mitigate!the!threat!of!invasives.!Once!the!WSN!group!is!formed,!then!expert!training!can!be!
conducted,!in!which!two!intermediate!results!can!take!place:!the!group!is!trained!on!identifying!
specific!invasive!species!within!the!watershed,!and!then!the!group!is!trained!on!how!to!manage!
and!eliminate!invasive!species.!Then!the!group!can!develop!an!action!plan!for!controlling!
invasives!within!specific!properties!in!the!watershed.!The!group!then!implements!the!plan,!
leading!to!the!reduction!of!invasive!species!and!a!change!in!species!occurrence!in!oak!
communities,!specifically!that!of!increasing!the!proportion!of!native,!nonAproblematic!species.!
Threat(Reduction(Objectives:(
1.! INVA4:!!By!June!2017,!group!will!have!implemented!action!plan!and!eradicated!40%!of!
invasive!species!within!high!priority!areas.!
Intermediate(Objectives:(
1.! INVA1:!!By!June!2016,!group!members!are!able!to!identify!by!sight!at!least!five!of!the!
most!common!invasive!species!found!in!the!oak!communities.!
2.! INVA2:!!By!June!2016,!group!members!are!able!to!apply!management!techniques!for!at!
least!five!of!the!invasive!species!in!watershed!without!expert!guidance.!
3.! INVA3:!!By!December!2016,!partnership!develops!a!management!plan!consisting!of!
identification!of!the!highest!priority!areas,!a!timeline!for!removal!in!each!identified!area,!
a!system!to!monitor!and!evaluate!success.!
Activities:(
1.! Invite!expert!on!invasive!species!control!
2.! Conduct!workshop!on!invasives!control!
3.! Organize!community!roundtable!to!draft!action!plan!
4.! Group!implements!action!plan!
!
- 45. 45!
!
Budget(
The!budget!in!Table!8!below!includes!estimates!for!staff!and!other!projected!expenses!for!the!
Stewardship!Network!strategy!focusing!on!agricultural!threats:!
Table&8:&Projected&budget&for&Stewardship&Network&strategy&focusing&on&agricultural&threats,&2015&to&2017&
Activity( Expense(Description( Notes( Cost(
All!activities! Staff!costs!! Salaries!for!staff!to!facilitate!workshops!and!other!
network!activities,!2015!to!2017!
15500!
Planning!
workshop!
Venue!rental! Booking!a!venue!to!deliver!the!workshop!for!
communicating!ag!BMPs!to!WSN!
2000!
Planning!
workshop!
A/v!equipment!rental! Projector,!screen,!speakers,!microphone!for!workshop! 200!
Planning!
workshop!
Marketing!materials! Designing!and!printing!flyers!to!distribute!amongst!
landowners!in!the!WSN!
200!
Grant!writing!
workshop!
Venue!rental! Booking!a!venue!to!deliver!the!workshop!for!
communicating!ag!BMPs!to!WSN!
2000!
Grant!writing!
workshop!
A/v!equipment!rental! Projector,!screen,!speakers,!microphone!for!workshop! 200!
Grant!writing!
workshop!
Marketing!materials! Designing!and!printing!flyers!to!distribute!amongst!
landowners!in!the!WSN!
200!
Group!
implements!
BMPs!
Outreach!and!
educational!materials!
Production!of!videos,!photography,!and!text!
educational!content!about!BMPs!and!how!to!
implement!
5000!
Group!
implements!plan!
Monitoring!equipment!
and!supplies!
PVC!pipe,!tape!measure,!spherical!densiometer,!etc! 200!
! ! Total(Budget:( 25500(
!
- 46. !
!
9.! Monitoring*Plan*
9.1.! Goals!
Table&9:&Monitoring&plan&for&riparian&zone&conservation&goals&
What!(indicator)* How!(method)* When* Who* Where* Comments*
Goal:!By!2020,!riparian!buffer!zone!integrity!will!be!defined!by!having!<0.7!feet!of!exposed!soil!from!water.!Vegetation!will!start!at!0.7!feet!and!
extend!>33!feet!from!the!bank,!and!will!have!a!species!richness!of!>10!plants/m2.!!
Monitoring!Approach:!time!series!
Width!of!bank!with!
exposed!soil!
Tape!measure! Monthly,!snowmelt!to!
snowfall!
Members!of!wsn! At!three!random!
points!where!creek!
flows!within!each!
landowners'!property,!
minimum!25!feet!
apart!
Landowners!with!
creek!running!
through!their!property!
would!be!responsible!
for!taking!
measurementsM!will!
have!a!training!
session!to!properly!
conduct!tests!
Vegetated!width!from!
bank!
Tape!measure! Monthly,!snowmelt!to!
snowfall!
Members!of!wsn! Same!as!above! !
Species!richness! Quadrat!frame! Monthly,!june!through!
october!
Members!of!wsn! At!three!random!
points!where!creek!
flows!within!each!
landowners'!property,!
minimum!25!feet!
apartM!one!quadrant!
on!bank,!two!
quadrants!inland!from!
creek!on!a!transect!
!
- 47. 47!
!
Table&10:&Monitoring&plan&for&Lowery&Creek&conservation&goal&using&WAV&citizen&science&indicators&
What!(indicator)* How!(method)* When* Who* Where* Comments*
Goal:!By!summer!2025,!Lowery!Creek!will!have!a!constant!temperature!of!58T62ºF,!a!pH!between!6T8,!and!a!dissolved!oxygen!level!of!6.1T9.0!
mg/L.!Transparency!will!be!120!mm!or!greater!with!a!phosphorus!level!of!0.01!to!0.05!mg/L.!Aquatic!macroinvertebrate!assessment!will!rank!
2.6T3.5!on!the!Water!Action!Volunteers!Biotic!Index.!
Monitoring!Approach:!time!series!
Temperature! WAV!stream!
monitoring!
Monthly,!May!through!
October!
Members!of!WSN!
trained!in!WAV!
below!the!springfed!
source,!station!
253196,!confluence!
point,!Taliesin!lake,!
downstream!from!
Taliesin!damM!
additional!sites!as!
desired!by!
landowners!
WAV!offers!training!
every!spring,!and!it's!
possible!to!schedule!
a!training!in!the!
watershed.!Then!
volunteers!are!
requested!to!take!
monthly!readings!
until!October!
pH!level! WAV!stream!
monitoring!
Monthly,!May!through!
October!
Members!of!WSN!
trained!in!WAV!
Same!points!as!
above!
!
Dissolved!oxygen! WAV!stream!
monitoring!
Monthly,!May!through!
October!
Members!of!WSN!
trained!in!WAV!
Same!points!as!
above!
!
Transparency! WAV!stream!
monitoring!
Monthly,!May!through!
October!
Members!of!WSN!
trained!in!WAV!
Same!points!as!
above!
!
Total!phophorus! WAV!stream!
monitoring!
Monthly,!May!through!
October!
Members!of!WSN!
trained!in!WAV!
Same!points!as!
above!
!
WAV!biotic!index!
score!
WAV!stream!
monitoring!
Monthly,!May!through!
October!
Members!of!WSN!
trained!in!WAV!
Same!points!as!
above!
!
!
!
- 48. 48!
!
Table&11:&Monitoring&plan&for&first&conservation&goal&for&oak&communities&
What!
(indicator)*
How!(method)* When* Who* Where* Comments*
Goal:!By!2025,!the!percent!of!vegetation!that!is!invasive!will!be!less!than!10%!of!total!vegetation.!
Monitoring!Approach:!time!series!
%!of!total!
vegetation!that!
is!invasive!
Quadrat!frame! June!and!
October!each!
year!
Members!of!
wsn!
Within!any!oak!
forest!in!
watershed!
Members!will!be!trained!in!invasives!workshop.!
Methods!for!building!and!using!quadrat!frame:!
http://ei.cornell.edu/ecology/invspec/plotsample.html!!
!
Table&12:&Monitoring&plan&for&second&conservation&goal&for&oak&communities&
What!
(indicator)*
How!(method)* When* Who* Where* Comments*
Goal:!By!2030,!canopy!will!have!50.1T70.0%!crown!closure.!
Monitoring!Approach:!preTtest/postTtest!
%!crown!
closure!
Test!with!
spherical!
densiometer!
Summer!2016!
summer!2021!
Members!of!
wsn!
Within!any!oak!
forest!in!
watershed!
Members!may!need!to!be!trained!on!the!usage!of!
deviceM!network!also!needs!to!purchase!device:!
http://www.forestryT
suppliers.com/product_pages/Products.asp?mi=13971!!
!
!
!
!
- 49. 49!
!
9.2.! Objectives!
Table&13:&Monitoring&plan&for&objective&for&Stewardship&Network&results&chain&–&identifying&sustainable&and&unsustainable&agriculture&practices&
What!(indicator)! How!(method)! When! Who! Where! Comments!
Objective:!By!end!of!2015,!the!top!3!unsustainable!ag!practices!and!top!3!sustainable!practices!will!be!identified!by!the!watershed!network.!
Monitoring!Approach:!preTtest/postTtest!
#!of!sustainable!
practices!
Network!
roundtable!
discussion!
PRE:!
12/2015!
POST:!
12/2017!
Farmers!
within!WSN!
Entire!
watershed!
This!roundtable!will!be!facilitated!by!Driftless!and!involve!all!
members!of!the!stewardship!network,!in!order!to!identify!
what!works!and!what!doesn't!work.!
#!of!unsustainable!
practices!
Network!
roundtable!
discussion!
PRE:!
12/2015!
POST:!
12/2017!
Farmers!
within!WSN!
Entire!
watershed!
This!roundtable!will!be!facilitated!by!Driftless!and!involve!all!
members!of!the!stewardship!network,!in!order!to!identify!
what!works!and!what!doesn't!work.!
!
Table&14:&Monitoring&plan&for&objective&for&Stewardship&Network&results&chain&K&grant&applications&approved!
What!(indicator)! How!(method)! When! Who! Where! Comments!
Objective:!By!February!2016,!all!applications!for!funding!will!be!submitted!by!farmers!and!pending!approval.!
Monitoring!Approach:!time!series!
#!of!funding!
applications!
approved!
Network!
member!followT
ups!
Every!three!
months!
Designated!
funding!admin!
guru!
Entire!
watershed!
This!can!be!a!role!for!a!member!of!the!network!or!
outside!consultant!that!can!help!other!members!with!
funding!applications.!
*
* *
- 50. 50!
!
Table&15:&Monitoring&plan&for&objective&for&Stewardship&Network&results&chain&–&WSN&members&trained&in&WAV&methods!
What!(indicator)! How!(method)! When! Who! Where! Comments!
Objective:!By!May!2016,!at!least!two!stewardship!network!members!are!trained!in!WAV!program!for!stream!quality!monitoring.!
Monitoring!Approach:!preTtest/postTtest!
#!of!network!
members!trained!
Attend!WAV!
training!in!spring!
Spring!of!
each!year!
At!least!two!
network!
members!
In!watershed!or!
nearest!training!
site!
http://watermonitoring.uwex.edu/wav/events.html!
!
Table&16:&Monitoring&plan&for&objective&for&Stewardship&Network&results&chain&K&WAV&baseline&monitoring!
What!
(indicator)!
How!
(method)!
When! Who! Where! Comments!
Objective:!By!May!2016,!network!will!have!conducted!baseline!stream!quality!monitoring!on!at!least!three!different!points!within!watershed!and!
submitted!to!DNR:!below!the!springfed!source,!station!253196,!confluence!point,!Taliesin!lake,!downstream!from!Taliesin!damM!additional!sites!
as!desired!by!landowners.!
Monitoring!Approach:!time!series!
#!of!creek!
points!
measured!
Using!WAV!
methods!
Monthly!basis!
following!the!
training!and!until!
October!
Two!
members!
trained!
Below!the!springfed!source,!station!
253196,!confluence!point,!Taliesin!lake,!
downstream!from!Taliesin!damM!additional!
sites!as!desired!by!landowners!
Essential!to!conduct!baseline!
monitoring!prior!to!the!
implementation!of!BMPs!
*
! &
- 51. 51!
!
Table&17:&Monitoring&plan&for&objective&for&Stewardship&Network&results&chain&K&farmers&implement&BMP&cattle&practices!
What!(indicator)! How!(method)! When! Who! Where! Comments!
Objective:!By!spring!2017,!80%!of!farmers!in!stewardship!network!will!have!implemented!paddocked!free!range!cattle!practices.!
Monitoring!Approach:!preTtest/postTtest!
#!of!farmers!
implementing!BMP!cattle!
practices!
Network!
roundtable!
discussion!
PRE:!
12/2015!
POST:!
12/2017!
Farmers!
within!WSN!
Entire!
watershed!
As!the!watershed!isn't!extensively!large,!it!is!
conceivable!that!this!can!be!monitored!simply!by!
landowners!speaking!to!each!other.!
*
Table&18:&Monitoring&plan&for&objective&for&Stewardship&Network&results&chain&K&farmers&implement&agriculture&BMPs&
What!(indicator)! How!(method)! When! Who! Where! Comments!
Objective:!By!summer!2017,!80%!of!farmers!in!stewardship!network!will!have!implemented!BMPs!for!reducing!nonpoint!source!pollution.!
Monitoring!Approach:!preTtest/postTtest!
#!of!farmers!
implementing!BMP!ag!
practices!
Network!
roundtable!
discussion!
PRE:!
12/2015!
POST:!
12/2017!
Farmers!
within!WSN!
Entire!
watershed!
As!the!watershed!isn't!extensively!large,!it!is!
conceivable!that!this!can!be!monitored!simply!by!
landowners!speaking!to!each!other.!!
!
Also!need!to!consider!planting!seasons!and!when!
farmers!will!be!able!to!implement!practices!
!
- 52. !
!
10.$Recommendations$
Based!on!the!team’s!assumptions!and!the!fact!that!monitoring,!data!collection,!and!analysis!will!
be!ongoing!activities,!the!project!team!recommends!that!the!watershed!stewardship!network!
develop!systems!for!recording,!storing,!processing,!and!backing!up!project!data.!The!WSN!will!
need!to!continue!to!upload!the!WAV!data!onto!the!WDNR!website!monthly!during!the!year.!
Options!for!storage!systems!include!Google!Drive,!Dropbox,!or!potentially!on!a!Lowery!Creek!
Watershed!Stewardship!Network!website.!
A!question!the!WSN!will!have!to!ask!is!who!is!going!to!be!analyzing!the!collected!data!in!order!
to!measure!the!effectiveness!of!the!conservation!plan.!The!project!team!recommends!that!the!
WSN!consider!hiring!an!outside!consultant!to!help!with!the!analysis.!Other!issues!concern!
assigning!responsibility!for!managing!and!tracking!financial!records!of!the!WSN,!and!developing!
a!system!of!communication!between!the!network!members.!
Assumptions!that!need!to!be!tested!to!ensure!success!of!the!strategies!presented!here:!
•! That!the!partnership!has!time,!interest,!and!resources!to!implement!strategies!
•! That!strategies!are!feasible!to!solve!issues!
•! That!landowners!will!be!interested!in!easements!on!their!land(s)!for!mitigating!
development!threat!
•! No!data!exists!on!quality!of!targets!O!thus!we!made!many!assumptions!about!the!current!
status!of!riparian!zones,!the!creek,!and!forests!throughout!the!watershed!
!
!
$ $
- 53. 53!
!
Works$Cited$
Allendorf,!F.!W.,!&!Lundquist,!L.!L.!(2003).!Introduction:!population!biology,!evolution,!and!control!of!
invasive!species.!Conservation+Biology,!17(1),!24O30.!
Aronson,!M.!F.,!&!Handel,!S.!N.!(2011).!Deer!and!invasive!plant!species!suppress!forest!herbaceous!
communities!and!canopy!tree!regeneration.!Natural+Areas+Journal,!31(4),!400O407.!
Art,!H.!W.!(1993)!Eutrophication,!in!Art,!H.!W.,!ed.,!A!dictionary!of!ecology!and!environmental!science!
(1st!ed.):!New!York,!New!York,!Henry!Holt!and!Company,!p.!196.!http://trca.on.ca/theOlivingOcity!
/watersheds/lakeOontarioOwaterfront/westernOdurham/moreOinformation.dot#sthash.r!Xnv4MGm.dpuf!
Bartuszevige,!A.!M.!&!Endress,!B,!A.!(2008).!Do!ungulates!facilitate!native!and!exotic!plant!spread?:!Seed!
dispersal!by!cattle,!elk!and!deer!in!northeast!Oregon.!Journal+of+Arid+Environments,!72!(6)!906O913.!
Bohn,!C.!(1986).!Biological!importance!of!streambank!stability.!Rangelands!,+8!(2),!55O56.!
Bradley,!B.!A.,!Wilcove,!D.!S.,!&!Oppenheimer,!M.!(2010).!Climate!change!increases!risk!of!plant!invasion!
in!the!eastern!United!States.!Biological+Invasions,!12(6),!1855O1872.!
Conservation!Measures!Partnership.!(2013).!Open+standards+for+the+practice+of+conservation,+Version+
3.0.!Retrieved!from!http://comOopenstandards.org/downloadOos/!
Committee!on!Riparian!Zone!Functioning!and!Strategies!for!Management.!(2002).!Riparian!areas:!
Functions!and!strategies!for!management.!Washington,!DC:!National!Academy!Press.!182O184.!
Compton,!P.,!Hedtcke,!J.,!and!Harrington!J.!(2003).!Integrating!livestock!production!and!conservation:!
Use!of!cattle!in!oak!savanna!restoration.![Project!Summery].!University!of!Wisconsin!Extension.!
Retrieved!from!http://cleanwater.uwex.edu/pubs/pdf/savannareport.pdf!
Curtis,!J.!T.!(1959).!The+vegetation+of+Wisconsin:+an+ordination+of+plant+communities.!Madison,!WI:!
University!of!Wisconsin!Press.!
E.!Bernhardt,!T.!S.!(n.d.).!Restoring+oak+woodlands+in+California:+theory+and+practice.!Retrieved!July!11,!
2015,!from!Phytosphere!Research:!http://phytosphere.com/restoringoakwoodlands/oakrestoration.htm!
Environmental!Protection!Agency.!(2005).!Agricultural!nonpoint!source!fact!sheet.!(EPA!Publication!No.!
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