Fox River Current November/December 2004 Vol. 7, No. 6 Update from the Lower Fox River Intergovernmental Partnership Archaeological Survey Unearths Artifacts By Susan Pastor, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency [photo: A toy teacup such as this one is among the artifacts found by archaeologists on the shore of Little Lake Butte des Morts. ] A toy teacup, window glass, square nails, a bottle, mortar and brick fragments were among the hundreds of historic artifacts found during April's Phase I archaeological survey on the shore of Little Lake Butte des Morts. The survey also resulted in the identification of two prehistoric areas. Burned bone fragments found at one site may have belonged to prehistoric mammals. Other historic artifacts, such as aqua-colored glass bottle bases, had markings that made them easier to identify. These markings were from a manufacturing process that was used in the mid-1800s. According to the Phase I report, the glass pre-dates 1858. The report also indicated that one site could date back to 700 B.C. when it may have served as an early campsite. It also appears to have supported a farm in the mid to late 19th century. Another site has been known to artifact collectors for nearly 100 years, according to the report. Although many pieces have probably been removed, bits of pottery and tools were recovered from this area as the study was being done. A third site served as a small prehistoric campsite from 700 B.C. to A.D. 1200. The report said that several historic artifacts were found, but were in poor condition. Most were architectural pieces such as bricks, mortar and nails. "These surveys are very helpful to us as we clean up the Lower Fox River," said EPA Remedial Project Manager Jim Hahnenberg. "They alert us to valuable, historical resources which we need to work around as we move upriver." The agencies and companies involved in the cleanup project will take care to ensure that if site-related activities take place near these historical areas, construction actions will not harm them. Additionally, a water bottom survey is being evaluated to make sure that any in-lake activities do not affect any underwater archaeological or historical resources. An underwater sonar study was also done this year in conjunction with this survey. It evaluated the lake bottom for the presence of any submerged cultural resources that could be affected by future cleanup work. Although literature searches did not turn up any shipwrecks, the sonar study revealed characteristics typical of a vessel hull. The wooden object measures about 8 feet by 33 feet and shows evidence of a hollow interior. The study recommends that one of two strategies be used to identify the object or avoid it entirely during the cleanup. The first would be to put a 50-foot buffer zone around the area where no dredging would be allowed. The second would be to have divers check the object to find out if it is historically important. If it is a historic shipwreck, it should be reported to the state Historical Society of Wisconsin. "This is a very important find," Hahnenberg added. "If it does turn out to be a historic sunken ship, we will do everything we can to make sure it is not harmed." The sonar study also found eight large structures that resembled remnants of an old bridge and six wooden shapes that suggest an old log/lumber field. To verify these assumptions, however, divers may be called in to further check the area. During the course of the study, 19 sonar contacts were thought to be possible historical objects. A summary of the report will be available for review at the information repositories listed on Page 7. [Photo: This glass base dated pre-1858 was recovered during the archaeological survey. ] * * * Natural Resource-Based Public Use Enhancement Projects Underway by Colette Charbonneau, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Planning and design began last summer to complete the natural resource-based public use projects listed in a settlement agreement between Georgia-Pacific Corp., through its subsidiary, the Fort James Operating Co. and the Fox River/Green Bay Natural Resource Trustee Council. An implementation plan and schedule were required by a legal document called a consent decree between the paper company and Department of Interior, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Oneida Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin, and Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin. Construction should start soon on a few projects with most of the groundbreaking set to begin in spring 2005. Because it took longer than expected for a federal judge to review the consent decree, the City of De Pere's East River Trail Extension project was completed with other funds. The trustee council agreed to direct the funds associated with this project towards the City of De Pere's Fairgrounds Boat Launch Improvements project which was not fully funded through the agreement. You can expect to see several of these projects highlighted in the "Spotlight On" section of future Fox River Current newsletters: • Village of Allouez, Allouez Park acquisition and development • Village of Allouez East River Trail extension • Village of Ashwaubenon Fox River Riverwalk development • Town of Bellevue East River Parkway Trail trailhead facility • Town of Bellevue East River Trail extension • Brown County L.H. Barkhausen Waterfowl Preserve facility development • City of De Pere Fairgrounds boat launch improvements • City of Green Bay Leicht Park facility development • City of Green Bay Porlier fishing pier development • Village of Howard Bayshore Drive Park acquisition and development Trustees Agree on Land Policy By Susan Pastor, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency A new policy to be followed when non-profit organizations are buying land with natural resource damage assessment funds was developed earlier this year by the Fox River/Green Bay Natural Resource Trustees. The policy is a guide for the trustees' agencies, their staff members and groups seeking funds to purchase property to restore, repair, replace and/or buy natural resources injured by the release of PCBs. Trustees, local governmental agencies and organizations should refer to this policy before developing proposals. According to the policy: • properties must address the goals in the trustees' restoration plan. • the Fox River/Green Bay Natural Resource Trustee Council will not keep titles to any properties purchased, although a partnering agency and non-profit organization must accept responsibility for maintenance and liability. • all properties bought with settlement or NRDA funds must be from willing sellers. • the trustee council may commit funds to buy property, however, funds will not be released until the appropriate documentation is supplied to the partnering agency. • anything bought with trustee funds by an outside party must include a recorded notice of agreement which can be obtained from any trustee council member. • if the titles of properties cannot be cleared, funds will be reimbursed to the trustee council. For further information, or to obtain a copy of this policy, contact Trustee Council Coordinator Colette Charbonneau, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at Colette_Charbonneau@fws.gov or at (920) 866-1726. Fox River/Green Bay Natural Resource Trustee Council Logo The Fox River/Green Bay Natural Resource Trustee Council commissioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Graphic Design and Publishing Branch to develop a logo. The trustee council logo will be used on notices, signage and other correspondence to inform the public on issues relating to the design, planning, and implementation of restoration projects. The Fox River Current is featuring promising natural resource damage assessment projects in and near the Lower Fox River. Spotlight On: Bluegill Stocking Project in Suamico River and Green Bay By Colette Charbonneau, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Ice anglers have the Green Bay Area Great Lakes Sport Fishermen to thank when they catch bluegill for supper this winter. The Fox River/Green Bay Natural Resource Trustee Council approved the fishing club's restoration project to use natural resource damage assessment and restoration settlement funds this past summer. The club matched the settlement funds with contributions from its treasury and funding support from the Brown County Conservation Alliance. The settlement funds allowed the Sport Fishermen to double the number of bluegill they usually stock. On October 3, 800 fish were released into Suamico River and in the waters behind Long Tail Point in Green Bay. The club has been stocking bluegill since 1996 with most of the fish, 14,000 of them, being released into Suamico River. "This year, the club decided to release the majority of the fish behind Long Tail Point," declared Steve Seilo, chairman of the bluegill stocking program for the Sport Fishermen. "There are nice weed beds there where the fish can find food and shelter from predators. A few buckets of bluegill were also stocked in Suamico River." NRDA and restoration settlement funding will be provided for the stocking program for five years. The settlement funds will be matched annually by the Sport Fishermen and Brown County Conservation Alliance. The fishing club is working towards reestablishing a population of bluegill along the west shore of Green Bay. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources recently caught bluegill during summer fish surveys along the shores of Green Bay in and near Suamico River. [PHOTO COURTESY OF STEVE SEILO OF GREEN BAY AREA GREAT LAKES SPORT FISHERMEN Bill Willis, Green Bay Area Great Lakes Sport Fishermen president, releases young bluegill into Suamico River. ] "After a few more years of stocking, we hope to hear from DNR that our efforts are no longer needed because the bluegill are maintaining their population naturally," professed Bill Willis, president of the Sport Fishermen. "The club's goal is to reestablish bluegill for sport fishing on a year-round basis. We want to provide ice-fishing opportunities in the winter time." It won't be long before folks are heading out onto the ice with their ice augers, tip-ups and fishing buckets. Suamico River seems to be the best area to fish if you want to catch a bunch of bluegill to fry up for supper. A DNR Web page suggests winter fishing in the weed beds with bait referred to as grubs or mousies on special smaller fishing poles called ice jigs. According to the Web page, it should produce excellent results. So, if you see anybody out on the ice wearing a blue Green Bay Area Great Lakes Sport Fisherman jacket or hat, thank them for the bluegill. [PHOTO COURTESY OF STEVE SEILO OF GREEN BAY AREA GREAT LAKES SPORT FISHERMEN Bluegill of this size were released into Green Bay behind Long Tail Point and in Suamico River this fall. The fish should grow into a "keeper" by next summer. ] Out and About... By Susan Pastor, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency The Fox River Intergovernmental Partnership is made up of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Oneida Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin and Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin. These partners, as well as other supporting agencies, regularly provide speakers to organizations in the Fox Valley area. Agency and tribal representatives have appeared at local high school and college classes, environmental groups, science panels, conferences, English as a Second Language classes, chambers of commerce, and radio and TV talk shows. Speakers can cover a wide range of topics including: • fish consumption advisories • proper fish cleaning • restoration projects • dredging techniques • Superfund law • general PCB information • cleanup options To request a speaker from the Fox River Intergovernmental Partnership, contact Greg Swanson. Greg's contact information is listed on the back page of this newsletter. Profile On ... Ernie Watkins EPA–HQ Staffer Enjoys Midwest Connection By Susan Pastor, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Other than an occasional drive through Wisconsin en route to Minnesota to visit relatives, EPA Regional Coordinator Ernie Watkins spends most, if not all, of his time in the Washington, D.C. area. His work on the Lower Fox River project, however, provides him with a regular Midwest connection. The Virginia native spends his days reviewing technical documents and decisions developed by EPA's regional office in Chicago. "I look at the information, see that it makes sense and ensure that it is consistent with the other regions," he explained. "If something doesn't make sense to me, I ask for clarification. If it doesn't comply with national policies, I suggest ways to make it comply." The 16-year EPA veteran said he has been involved in many interesting Midwest projects, however, the Lower Fox River cleanup has kept him the busiest. "It has been an extremely complicated project because so much of the river is contaminated," he stated. "There are multiple dams, the lake and so many different issues to consider." Among the different issues he has overseen are fishing, boating and eating the fish. "There is a real risk to the people who are eating the fish and that is a concern of ours," he added. Another concern, initially, was the relationship EPA and its partners had with the paper companies responsible for the PCB contamination in the river and Green Bay. "They fought us tooth and nail in the beginning, but we worked through the issues together," Watkins continued. Watkins, who has a bachelor's degree in biology from Virginia Commonwealth UniversityoeRichmond, can compare the Lower Fox River to other contaminated sediment projects. "I worked on the Manistique (Michigan) River in 1994, which was the first sediment cleanup in the region. I've also been reviewing the Sheboygan River and Harbor project since 1991. We've learned a lot since then," he continued. "When I need information on other river projects, I can also call the project managers who work on the Hudson (New York) and Housatonic (Massachusetts) Rivers." Not always assigned to river and sediment projects, Watkins, 57, has "fond" memories of another Superfund project. "One that stands out is a site in Michigan called West KL where Upjohn was the company responsible for the contamination," he recalled. "The president's mom had a business in town. When Upjohn sent letters to local businesses informing them that they had contributed to the contamination, a letter was actually sent to her, too." When he is not behind his desk at EPA's Office of Site Remediation and Technical Innovation, Watkins likes to spend time with his wife of 32 years at his vacation home in Pennsylvania. "It has been in our family for five generations," he explained. "It's on a small river that allows for fishing and tubing. My kids still love it even though they are in their 20s now." Apparently, somewhat of a perfectionist, he also likes to restore old electronic equipment in his spare time. "You can still get parts for old amplifiers and tube radios," he said. "I started with computers and recently went back to this old hobby from my teenage years when I found some old stereo equipment. It's in the final stages of repair. It works, but it just doesn't sound as good as I'd like." Check out these Web sites: http://dnr.wi.gov/org/water/wm/lowerfox/ New! http://www.epa.gov/region5/sites/foxriver/ http://www.fws.gov/r9dec/nrdar/nrdamain.html http://www.fws.gov/r3pao/nrda/ Information Available at Local Libraries The Intergovernmental Partners invite the public to review technical reports, fact sheets and other documents related to the Lower Fox River cleanup at information repositories set up in the reference sections of the local libraries listed below. Information repositories at the public libraries in De Pere, Kaukauna, Little Chute, Neenah and Wrightstown have been discontinued. However, binders containing fact sheets are being maintained at these locations as well as at the following repositories: • Appleton Public Library, 225 N. Oneida St., Appleton, Wis.; (920) 832-6170 • Brown County Library, 515 Pine St., Green Bay, Wis.; (920) 448-4381, Ext. 394 • Door County Library, 107 S. Fourth Ave., Sturgeon Bay, Wis.; (920) 743-6578 • Oneida Community Library, 201 Elm St., Oneida, Wis.; (920) 869-2210 • Oshkosh Public Library, 106 Washington Ave., Oshkosh, Wis.; (920) 236-5205 An administrative record, which contains detailed information upon which the selection of the final site cleanup plan was based, is also available for review at two DNR offices: 801 E. Walnut St., Green Bay, Wis. and 101 S. Webster St., 2nd Floor, Madison, Wis. An administrative record is also available at the EPA Record Center, 77 W. Jackson Blvd., 7th Floor, Chicago, Ill. Prepared by the Fox River Intergovernmental Partnership: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin, Oneida Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Supporting agencies include Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services, U.S. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in these articles are solely those of the authors and are not necessarily shared by all members of the Fox River Intergovernmental Partnership. Fox River Current is published bimonthly by the Fox1 River Intergovernmental Partnership. Its purpose is to provide up-to-date information about cleanup and restoration efforts on the Lower Fox River. Call Greg Swanson at (608) 264-6024 to request a subscription or alternative format. Feedback on articles and ideas for future issues are welcome. Send comments to Greg Swanson, Fox River Current, DNR, CE/8, P.O. Box 7921, Madison, WI 53707 or e-mail Office of Public Affairs (P-19J) United States Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 77 W. Jackson Blvd. Chicago, IL 60604-3590 Reproduced on Recycled Paper