Are we pumping the central sands dry? Toxic Chemical Hell? Student arriving UWSP 2016 It doesn’t look that way on the monitoring wells 15 up 6 down 1 same Help! I need more data points Are we poisoning the ecosystem? Silicosis dust particles measure < 1/250,000 of an inch across or <10 microns Jordan Coal Miner with canary

Indicator species, People and Brookies Portage County Wisconsin DPH – crude death rate is 721/100,000 – Infant mortality 1 – Death rate age /100,000 Vernon County Wisconsin DPH – Crude death rate 849/100,000 – Infant deaths 3 – Death Rate age /100,000 Should we top off the Vernon County drinking water with a bit of Aldicarb? Brook Trout are a sensitive indicator of environmental degradation. The brookies are doing just fine in the ditches

Are we pumping the central sands dry? Toxic Chemical Hell? Check for yourself Student arriving UWSP 2016 Build your own monitoring wells or use USGS data for over pumping. We have them by the dozen and they look OK.. Canary in the coal mine method. We have no canaries in the streams but we do have two indicator sensitive species, people and brook trout. Both look good. Coal Miner with canary

Sustainable Trout Fishing Enough native trout of an interesting size to last all of the season? Lots of Fish? A chance for a trophy? Size matter?

The Central Sands Yield – 35,000 Wisconsin Jobs – National Crop Ratings  Cranberries #1  Green Beans #1  Beets #1  Carrots #2  Sweet Corn #2  Potatoes #3  Peas #3  Pickling Cucumbers #3

Little Plover River

Groundwater well 17

Chips or Fish? Present to TU, River Alliance, League of Conservation Voters, UWGB, High schools OR? Choosing between agriculture OR the environment may be a necessary question where water supplies are persistently scarce Portage County is not California because your groundwater is sustainable

Aquifers are not all Created Equal – Conductivity varies from inches to kilometers/day – Recharge varies – Aquatards present or not – Confined/unconfined – Shallow as Door County

Remediation The Portage County Drainage District 1904

How do you detect over pumping? You put in monitoring wells to check water levels You can build one for $100 Fleet Farm 1.PVC pipe 2.Sand point 3.1 oz sinker 4.String with chalk 5.Tape measure

Are we pumping the central sands dry? Toxic Chemical Hell? Student arriving UWSP 2016 Are we poisoning the ecosystem? Brookies are the canary in the coal mine. Brag on their presence! Silicosis dust particles measure < 1/250,000 of an inch across or <10 microns Jordan

Are we poisoning the ecosystem? Brookies are the canary in the coal mine. Brag on their presence!

Silicone Size Matters a Lot Only respirable silica dust <10 microns, too small to frack can cause silicosis 98+% pure SiO2, rounded (blown for millennia) which sorts for size uniformly and fracks well but you can’t inhale it St. Peter microns Jordan microns Dust is produced by grinding, sandblasting Dust is avoided with filters, sprays, masks 48% of OSAHA sites have > 10 mgm/m3 resepirable particles < 10 mikes across : Freeman & GrossmanScandinavian Journal of Work and Environmental Health 1995: 21;47-49

Silicosis Monitoring Potter’s rot, Grinders asthma, The miner’s complaint Potter’s rot, Grinders asthma, The miner’s complaint NIOSH Surveillance Branch Avoid resprable silicone < 10 microns Walls, curtains, water spray, enclosed cab, mask, Education i.e. no beards under masks, etc Medical surveilance

Water Questions ??? How much groundwater can be used for irrigating crops with a reasonable impact? What is a reasonable impaczt? No water in the Little Plover?

Groundwater Stakeholders Brook Trout Food Growers Food processors

You can outlaw irrigation, but no french fries for you.

, Fished down and out happens 1.Find a place nobody can get to 2.Recycle fish 3.Improve habitat to increase carrying capacity