Otter Creek options considered
By Todd Krysiak
SUMPTER — Knowing there is no way to prevent Otter Creek from overcoming its banks during heavy rainfalls, landowners along the waterway turned their attention toward reducing the damage floodwaters could cause. Landowners and county leaders met Saturday at the Badger Ammunition Plant to look at options. Sauk County Land Conservation Department employee and steering committee member Jen Stewart pointed to several projects already undertaken by area farmers to reduce problems. Stewart said landowner Bob Weiss installed a grass waterway that cut across his field in areas where water had flooded the field in the past. She said this helped to slow the water traveling in the creek during flood periods, created additional water storage that was not in a field and prevented soil erosion. "He couldn't keep the water out, so he seeded it down," Stewart said. "He still has flooding problems, but at least the soil is more stable." Weiss owns a farm north of Highway PF and Otter Creek Road. Stewart also pointed to several other properties that have had similar problems and could benefit from the method. During the group's previous meeting, landowners learned that a National Resources Conservation Service study found there was no economical way to prevent the creek from flooding based upon a number of potential solutions the group asked the service to research. Galen Alwin said a minor improvement he made was to plant a grass and alfalfa mix in an area that was carved out by floodwaters from Otter Creek in 2000. Alwin said the flood created a 6-foot gully that reached all the way across his field that he had to replace. The removal of some cropland has helped with erosion, he said. "It's not real productive," Alwin said. "It's just there to save the soil." Another possibility landowners were encouraged to consider included stream bank restoration aimed at reducing bank erosion. Stewart pointed to property bordering Otter Creek owned by Curt Pellman, where a narrow, plant-choked portion of the creek was cleared and the banks were excavated and covered with erosion-resistant fabric. Stewart said the project likely increased the creek's capacity by 50 percent on Pellman's land, would reduce erosion and decrease the likelihood that his surrounding farmland would be flooded. Stewart said the quarter-mile stretch cost about $8,400 and about 80 percent was paid for through state and county grants. University of Wisconsin-Baraboo Extension Lower Wisconsin River Basin specialist John Exo suggested the landowners consider a number of solutions and rank them in the order they believe would be most beneficial. Exo said the steering committee could then decide what the next steps should be. NRCS employee Nancy Brereton suggested the landowners choose one or two projects together, rather than moving forward individually to increase the likelihood of receiving grant funding. Stewart also suggested the landowners consider what kind of organizational structure they might seek to make future decisions. Exo said he could set up an opportunity for the landowners to meet with a group of property owners from the Sugar River watershed, an organization he said has been very active. "You can ask them questions about how they organized, the things they like and what maybe didn't work as well," he said. The group plans to meet again in April. A specific date has not been set.