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1. There is a cure for the "summertime blues"
2. Shelter Insurance to share the cost of Share the Harvest
3. Developers, conservationists to seek common ground
4. Commission to meet Sept. 25 at Roaring River
"Outdoor people constitute a close fraternity, often international in its membership. Like music and art, love of nature is a common language that can transcend political or social boundaries."-President Jimmy Carter, A Childhood Outdoors
1. There is a cure for the "summertime blues"
Got too much "seaweed" in your pond? The Conservation Department has advice to help you get it under control.
JEFFERSON CITY-The Missouri countryside is speckled with farm ponds, where hot summer weather often stimulates an abundant growth of algae. This growth, variously called seaweed, moss and less flattering names, can interfere with fishing and swimming. More seriously, some ponds get a type of algae that harms fish and other animals.
"Certain types of blue-green algae are toxic to fish. It's a serious condition," says Dale Cornelius, a fisheries management assistant with the Missouri Department of Conservation. Cornelius reports one case near Sedalia where too many domestic waterfowl on a pond over fertilized the water, causing a growth of blue-green algae. Fish died; some geese that ate the algae died, and dogs that drank the water got sick.
"Blue-green algae can turn the water in a pond to a bright green color and sometimes floating pads of bright blue will develop," Cornelius says. Billions of small, hairlike algae plants called phytoplankton floating cause the green color while the bright blue pads are a type of algae that produce extremely toxic substances.
Ten to 15 percent of a healthy pond can be occupied by rooted aquatic plants. They are desirable and can promote the growth of fish in the pond, but when it comes to algae, be it the toxic blue-green kind or the more common filamentous algae, Cornelius says there is no reason to let it reach problem levels. "If there is enough algae in your pond to interfere with fishing or fish spawning, you probably want to treat it," he says.
Pond owners often report finding dead fish in hot weather, but for every kill reported, several others go unnoticed. "The combination of warm water and cloudy days can cause fish kills," Cornelius says. Decaying algae consumes the oxygen in the water and, with no sunshine, plants aren't producing the oxygen that fish need.
Big fish often die first. They come to the top of the water, where more oxygen is available, but they can't get enough oxygen from the thin surface layer. Small fish sometimes survive on minute amounts of oxygen in shallow water around the edge of the pond.
Algae often grow in ponds because the water has too much phosphorous and nitrogen. These nutrients can come from fertilizer runoff from parks, lawns or cropland. Excess nutrients also can come from malfunctioning septic tanks, sewage lagoons or livestock feedlots. The problem can be more serious with older ponds, because nutrients accumulate over time.
To reduce the effects of nutrient runoff, pond owners should establish a buffer zone of unfertilized land 100 feet or wider around ponds. Repairing faulty sewage systems or diverting animal feedlot runoff away from the pond may be the solution in other cases.
"You can provide a nutrient and sediment trap by creating a wetland between the pond and the feedlot," Cornelius says. He adds that sewage lines and lagoons should be inspected for leaks.
Aquatic plants are a necessary part of ponds and lakes. They keep the water oxygenated, provide food, cover and nesting sites for fish and stabilize the shoreline and pond bottom. But some types of algae can form dense growths that make fishing, swimming and other recreational uses nearly impossible, and at that point there is no reason not to treat the pond, according to Cornelius.
Chemical treatment of blue-green algae can be effective and harmless to fish if done properly. Copper sulfate or other copper-based herbicides are the most common types for algae control and are usually available at farm supply stores.With any aquatic herbicide, oxygen depletion can be a problem as the treated vegetation dies and decomposes; it is best to treat the pond when the temperature is below 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Only one-quarter to one-third of the vegetation should be treated at one time.
Mats of algae also can be removed by hand with a rake or other tool from small areas such as swimming sites. Algae removed from the pond by mechanical means should be deposited below the pond's dam to ensure that the nutrients tied up in the vegetation do not re-enter the pond.
- Jim Auckley -
Hunters willing to donate a whole deer to needy families will have help paying for processing this year.
COLUMBIA, Mo.-A Missouri-based insurance company says it will pay part of the cost of processing deer donated to needy people through the "Share the Harvest" program.
Shelter Insurance Companies, headquartered in Columbia, has agreed to pay $20 toward the processing of any whole deer that a hunter donates to Share the Harvest. In previous seasons, hunters paid all or some of the cost of processing their deer before donating all or a portion of it to the program.
"This is a great partnership," says Dave Beffa, a protection programs supervisor with the Missouri Department of Conservation. "It helps everybody involved and means that more venison will be donated to needy families. The participation of Shelter Insurance is bound to make the program grow, and with more deer being taken by hunters, auto-deer collisions on Missouri highways should drop, too."
Share the Harvest was begun six years ago. It is run by local organizations that find USDA-approved meat processors and charitable agencies, usually food pantries, Salvation Army posts or ministerial groups, to distribute the meat. After receiving approval from the Conservation Department, the partners are ready to receive meat from hunters.
A hunter who wants to donate a whole deer to the program asks a participating meat processor for a Shelter Processing Payback coupon. The processor has only to sign the coupon and give it to the hunter, who fills in information on his address and telephone number. The hunter then presents the coupon and a receipt from the meat processor at a Shelter Insurance Office. Shelter will then mail the hunter a check for $20.
Processing typically costs $40 to $50 for skinning, boning, cutting and grinding, so the offer will cover about half of the hunter's cost.
Deer donated through Share the Harvest must be legally harvested in Missouri between Oct. 1, 1998 and Jan. 24, 1999. Shelter's payback offer applies only to whole deer donations. Coupons must be presented to a Shelter office prior to May 31, 1999.
Rick McVeigh, director of advertising with Shelter Insurance, says his company's contribution benefits everyone involved. "Hunters win by doing their part to help people in need; cooperating processing plants win by getting positive feedback for their involvement and donating locker space. Sponsoring organizations win by having a ready-made service project for a good cause," McVeigh says.
Besides helping the needy, Shelter officials hope to reduce deaths, injuries and property damage that result from deer/automobile collisions. As hunters fill more of the multiple deer permits issued by the Conservation Department, they will help the agency reduce deer numbers in areas where they are above target levels.
If the Processing Payback Program works well this season, Shelter may repeat it in years to come.
Hunters interested in donating venison should check first with the packing house they use. If their regular processor is not participating in Share the Harvest, the county conservation agent may be able to direct them to a processor that does participate. As a last resort, they can call Beffa at (573) 751-4115, ext. 819.
- Jim Auckley -
ST. LOUIS-Urban expansion and redevelopment projects often affect more than a city's boundaries and residents. Displaced wildlife, loss of natural habitat and opportunities to use and enjoy those resources can be consequences of development. The Missouri Department of Conservation is optimistic that, with proper planning, cities can meet their development needs while minimizing loss of natural amenities. To help metropolitan St. Louis achieve that goal, the Missouri Department of Conservation will host a series of forums to raise awareness of development issues.
"The Missouri constitution charges us with the care and protection of our fish, forest and wildlife and with providing opportunities for all citizens to use, enjoy and learn about those resources," says Conservation Department Outreach and Education Division Administrator Kathy Love.
"Many citizens have expressed concern about the impact of urban development on wildlife and natural resources. We're holding these forums to help citizens, city officials and developers work together to assure that our outdoor resources can continue to contribute to the quality of life in the urban areas."
On Sept. 29, the Conservation Department will hold the first Common Ground Forum. The session from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center will examine sustainable flood plain use in the St. Louis area. Panelists will discuss how the flood plains are being used, consequences of that use and floodplain development techniques that conserve habitat and recreational opportunities.
The panels will consist of developers, government officials, environmentalists and conservation experts. Public participation will be encouraged during question-and-answer sessions following each panel discussion. The forum also will feature informational booths from several businesses, as well as conservation and government agencies.
Reservations are required for the forums. To make reservations or for more information on the Sustainable Floodplain Use forum, call (314) 301-1500.
Four Common Ground Forums will be held. The topics of the other three forums will be urban streams and waterways, urban forests and redevelopment.
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Missouri Stream Teams, Conservation Federation of Missouri and the Missouri Home Builders Association will co-sponsor the forums.
- Arleasha Mays -
4. Commission to meet Sept. 25 at Roaring River
JEFFERSON CITY-The Missouri Conservation Commission will meet Sept. 25 at Roaring River State Park, Highway 112 South, Cassville. The meeting will begin at 10:15 a.m., following a closed executive session.
Commission meetings are open to the public. Items to be placed on the agenda for a presentation or other business should be sent in writing to Director, Missouri Department of Conservation, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0180; fax (573) 751-4467. Requests must be received by Sept. 14. People requiring special services or accommodations to attend the meeting can make arrangements at the same address, or by phone at (573) 751-4115.
Commissioners are: Randy Herzog, St. Joseph, chairman; Anita B. Gorman, Kansas City, vice-chairman; Howard L. Wood, Bonne Terre, secretary; and Ronald J. Stites, Plattsburg, member.
-Jim Low-
News Services Coordinator
(314) 751-4115, ext. 243
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