What In The Name Of Winter...

As forecasted, the warm and unstable air has intruded in on our Wisconsin Winter. This morning, for the first time in my lifetime, I witnessed a thunderstorm with pea sized hail during the month of January. Is this January?! Crazy weather is upon us.

Our 8" snowpack melted quickly during Jan 5-8.



Check out the radar loop!

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Field Report (Johnsburg, WI) By Matt Schaeve (STS Consultants)

I didn't take a lot of pics of the actual waterways. I didn't bring my rubber boots, so I don't feel like getting all dirty today.

That black stuff with stakes is silt fence. It is one type of an erosion control device. The black tube like stuff is called silt socks. Another form of erosion control. We try to prevent/reduce sedimentation into wetlands and waterways.




These two are pictures on the opposite side of the same wetland. The cattails are actually a waterway, and the large ponded area is a wetland adjacent to that waterway. You can't see the water flowing, because it is actually flowing under the ice layer, through a culvert under the access road. This is an access road to a wind turbine, and they are all graveled. I've never seen that pond there before, but a lot of wetlands/waterways don't have water except for after the winter thaw, or after large rainfalls. I saw some waterways really going, but I didn't pull over to take pics. I'm focusing on areas of potential stormwater/erosion issues.





These are actually farm drainage swales. The first is actually considered a navigable waterway by the DNR. Don't get me started as to their inconsistancy for determining what is navigable and non-navigable. Almost got stuck a couple times today. Thank goodness for 4x4. The top 6" is very soft.

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