ESD Teams Up With Conservation for Spring Fisheries Surveys

The arrow indicates where one of the spines was removed for aging

 MITW fisheries biologist Richard Annamitta recently started the spring fishery surveys on several local lakes.  ESD is assisting with the effort which  includes electrofishing and fyke net surveys.  What does a fishery survey do for us?  Fishery surveys allow the fisheries biologist to determine the health, size structure, density of the fish population.  The type of survey we are using here is the mark and recapture survey.  This is done by capturing fish and tagging them with floy tags.  Floy tags are small cylindrical tags with a number on it for identification purposes.  All of the marked fish are released back into the lake.  The recapture run is done anywhere from one to three days after the fish are released.  The number of tagged fish versus the number of untagged fish are then entered into a formula to calculate the number of that species of fish in the lake.  When this information is routinely gathered the population can be monitored and the information is used to help guide management decisions.  The goal is to have healthy fish populations which can provide a quality fishing experience for fishermen.  The lakes being electrofished this year are Burney, Elma, Hazel and Crowell.  The early surveys are used to determine the success of the walleye stocking program that has been ongoing.  The panfish and bass populations will be assessed later this spring when those fish move into the shallower water.  Determining population estimates for the fish in reservation lakes will be a big step forward in managing our resources.  Along with the fishery surveys, ESD is also collecting fish samples which will be analyzed for mercury.  Mercury in the environment is a concern and although we haven't had any issues with mercury in fish we are going to monitoring on a regular basis. 

A view from the front of the boat, the arrows indicate small fish in the electrical field

A juvenile walleye has a floy tag inserted into it's back

Fish and measured and weighed prior to tagging

Typically there are two netters on the front of the electrofishing boat

In the video below you can see small panfish as they hit the electrical field behind the probes.

Tornado Awareness Week April 11-15, 2011

Wisconsin Tornado & Severe Weather Awareness Week

April 11-15, 2011

 (MADISON)  Are you and your family ready for storms? Tornadoes and Severe Weather are guaranteed in every Wisconsin spring and summer. Preparing now could save your life and the lives of loved ones.

April 11-15, 2011 is Tornado and Severe Weather Awareness Week in Wisconsin.  The campaign is to remind people of the dangers associated with tornadoes, thunderstorms, flooding and hail and to encourage citizens to take protective safety measures. A statewide drill is planned for Thursday, April 14 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. The drill will be an ideal opportunity for schools, businesses and individuals to practice safe procedures for severe weather and to learn more about severe weather including:

-Wisconsin averages 21 tornadoes annually.

-In 2010, 46 tornadoes in Wisconsin were confirmed by the National Weather Services, the second greatest yearly number on record. Fortunately, no one was killed but 22 were injured and the tornadoes caused nearly $30 million in property damage.

-The peak tornado season in Wisconsin is April to August, but tornadoes can occur any time of year, like the January 7, 2008 storms near Kenosha.

-Tornadoes can occur anytime, day or night, but are most frequent between 4pm and 9pm.

Wisconsin Emergency Management, ReadyWisconsin and the National Weather Service have planned a series of special efforts to promote storm safety including:

-PSA Campaign: A TV public service campaign with tornado survivors urging everyone to have an emergency weather radio.

-Survival Stories: Other real Wisconsin survivors share their tornado stories on the ReadyWisconsin website.

-Ready Radio Days. ReadyWisconsin teams up with the National Weather Service and TV stations across the state to promote the use of emergency weather radios.

-ReadyWisconsin Trivia Challenge: Answer a question for a chance to win an Emergency Weather  Radio. Go to http://readywisconsin.wi.gov to enter.

Watches & Warnings:

TORNADO WATCH: Conditions are favorable for the development of tornadoes

in your area. Remain alert for approaching storms.

TORNADO WARNING: A tornado is imminent (based on weather radar

information) or has been sighted by spotters. If a tornado warning is issued for

your area - move to your pre-designated place of safety. SEEK SHELTER

IMMEDIATELY!

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH: Conditions are favorable for the

development of severe thunderstorms with damaging straight-line (downburst)

winds and/or large hail.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING: Severe thunderstorms with damaging

straight-line winds and/or large hail are imminent or are occurring.

Where to Go In Severe Weather:

• In a house with a basement: Avoid windows. Get in the basement and under

some kind of sturdy protection (heavy table, work bench or stairs), or cover

yourself with a mattress or sleeping bag.

• In a house with no basement, a dorm, or an apartment: Avoid windows. Go to the lowest floor, small center room (like a bathroom or closet), under a stair well or in an interior hallway with no windows. Crouch as low as possible to the floor, facing down; and cover your head with your hands. Even in an interior room, you should cover yourself with some sort of thick padding (mattress, blankets, etc.), to protect against flying or falling debris.

• In an office building: Go directly to an enclosed, windowless area in the center of the building -- away from glass. Then, crouch down and cover your head. Interior stairwells are usually good places to take shelter. Stay off elevators- you could become trapped in them if the power is lost.

• In a mobile home: Get out! Most tornadoes can destroy even tied-down mobile

homes. If your community has a tornado shelter, go there fast. If there is a

sturdy permanent building within close distance, seek shelter there. Otherwise,

lie flat on low ground away from your home, protecting your head. If possible, use

open ground away from trees and cars, which can be blown onto you.

• At school: Follow the drill! Go to the interior hall or room in an orderly way as

you are told. Crouch low, head down, and protect the back of your head with your

arms. Stay away from windows and large open rooms like gyms and auditoriums.

• In a car or truck: Get out of the vehicle immediately and seek shelter in a

permanent building. Do not try to out run a tornado. If there is no shelter, lie flat

and face down, protecting the back of your head with your arms.

Emergency Weather Radios Save Lives:

Wisconsin Emergency Management (WEM) and the National Weather Service (NWS) encourage families, schools and businesses to have an Emergency Weather Radio. These radios are like “smoke alarms” for danger. The radio picks up emergency information 24-hours a day with critical information directly from the National Weather Service and other agencies and can be programmed to monitor specific counties in your area. You can purchase Emergency Weather Radios at most electronic retailers.  For more information on Emergency Weather Radios go to http://readywisconsin.wi.gov

Also Before the Storm:

• Develop a plan for you and your family for home, work, school and outdoors.

• Have frequent drills.

• Know the county/township in which you live, and keep a highway map nearby

to follow storm movement from weather bulletins.

• Listen to local radio and television stations for further information.

A Disaster Supplies Kit Should Include:

• A 3-day supply of water (one gallon per person per day) and food that won't

spoil.

• One change of clothing and footwear per person.

• Blanket or sleeping bag per person.

• A first-aid kit, including prescription medicines.

• Emergency tools, including a battery-powered NOAA Weather Radio and a

portable radio, flashlight, and plenty of extra batteries.

• An extra set of car keys and a credit card or cash.

• Special items for infant, elderly, or disabled family members.

Other Resources for Tornado and Severe Weather:

ReadyWisconsin

http://readywisconsin.wi.gov

National Weather Service — Links to local NWS offices

http://www.weather.gov

For more information, please contact your County Emergency Management

Director or your local National Weather Service Office.

New Car Seat Recommendations

As of April 2011, the American Academy of Pediatrics advises parents to keep their toddlers in rear-facing seat, until the age of two years old or until they reach the maximum height and weight for the seat they are in.   A rear-facing seat supports the head, neck and spine of infants and toddlers in a crash, because it distributes the force of the collision over the entire body. The recommended age of two is not a law but rather a new guideline to help parents keep their child as safe as possible in a vehicle.  Smaller children benefit from riding rear-facing longer, other children may reach the maximum height and weight earlier than two years old. For more information, contact Pam Nelson, R.N., IP Coordinator at Environmental Services.  (715) 799-4938.

Buckle Up, Every Trip, Every Time!