Issuu

May 1994

the monthly newsletter for people who live, work or play on the Upper Mississippi River

Fish for the Future By Lee Kernen

Vol. 2, No. 5

Earthen Pyramids Mark Ancient Outpost

American pioneers were overwhelmed

By Reggie McLeod

with the abundance of timber, fish and wildlife they found in North America, and many thought these resources were inexhaustible. They never dreamed that all the big pine could be cut or that all the elk could disappear. Great Lakes commercial fisherman continued intensive harvests, even as they saw the number of fish declining. No one thought of harvesting natural resources at a rate that would allow an annual harvest, as we do today. We call this sustainability. It is the long-term management of a resource that allows an annual harvest without weakening or losing the resource base for future generations. Instead of shooting a million deer in one year and then closing the season, wildlife managers issue tags that allow hunters to shoot the number of deer each year that keeps the statewide herd at a sustainable level. The Department of Natural Resources uses similar management techniques for timber and fish. The key to this type of management is to know how much harvest a resource can take. Foresters, for example,

a great city near the Mississippi River. It covered nearly five square miles. A wooden palisade protected 200 acres of the heart of the city. Estimates of its population range from 10,000 to more than 30,000. At the time, it was one of the largest cities in the world, probably bigger than London, Paris or Rome. Today, from the top of a 100-foot high mound, shaped like a pyramid with a flat top, one can look west across the bottoms and the river to see the St. Louis Arch. We don't know who built the mound, but we've dubbed their culture Middle Mississippian. We don't know what they called their city, but we call it Cahokia. We don't know where they came from or why they abandoned Cahokia at about 1300 A.O., but we know they travelled over much of what is now the central United States. They built flat-topped, pyramid-shaped

It still takes about as long to

produce an eight-ounce bluegill as it does a four- to five-year-old trophy buck! know that it takes a clear-cut aspen stand about 40 years to regenerate and be of harvestable size again - they call this a 40-year cutting cycle. Wildlife managers deal with much shorter cycles. A deer can grow from a tiny spotted fawn to a 120-pound (Future Fish continued on page 3)

A thousand years ago people built

(Mississippians continued on page 2)

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(Mississippians continued from page 1) mounds and left other signs of their visits in many places, including the lower Apple River, in northwest Illinois; Trempealeau, Wis.; and Red Wing; Minn. The eroded remains of three flat-topped mounds on a narrow point of ridge command a dizzying view of Trempealeau and the Mississippi River. The mounds are on private land, but grants from the state and the village may soon make it possible to repair and preserve the mounds, and make the site more accessible to the public, according to Roland L. Rodell, staff archaeologist, Mississippi Valley Archaeology Center.

George Squier The best evidence that the Middle Mississippians established a presence in Trempealeau comes from work done about a century ago by George Squier, whose family moved to the village in the 1860s. Squier's father was a Baptist minister and farmer, whose land included the three platform mounds and a garden plot below. Young George showed an interest in archaeology and geology. His studies eventually took him to Harvard for several years, though he never completed his degree. "Squier came back to Trempealeau and inherited the family farm. He became a small farmer, but his interest in geology and archaeology persisted," explained Rodell. Squier published papers on both subjects, corresponded with experts in both fields and carried out research projects,

Some of Squier's most important digging was done right in his own garden.

May 1994

Four years ago Rodell and other archaeologists dug a few test pits in the front yard that used to be Squier's garden. In one of the pits they found four sherds coated with red slip - pieces of a rimless round jar, a design characteristic of Cahokian pottery.

Mound Discovered Continuing his detective work, Rodell read a report by Squier and an earlier report by George Gale of a flat-topped mound in Trempealeau. Earlier investigators believed both reports described the largest of the three platform mounds on the ridge above Squier's garden. "The mound at Trempealeau is about seven feet high, with a level surface at the top about twenty-five feet by fifty feet, with graded ways from each of the four sides about twenty-five feet long, with the full width of the sides," Gale wrote in 1867. The dimensions didn't match any of the mounds on the ridge, so Rodell used tax records and a plat book to find the likely location of what had been referred to locally as the "altar mound." "I drove out there, and sure enough, there was still a slight rise where the mound was," Rodell recalled . Workers had discovered two pieces of red slip pottery when working on an underground cable.nearby. "It suggests that this mound may have been built by Middle Mississippians," Rodell said.

Fig . .3

No See.le

including a survey of archaeological sites along the Wisconsin side of the Mississippi, from Trempealeau to Pierce County. He collected stone tools and pottery sherds of many kinds. However, some of Squier' s most important digging was done right in his own garden. The Trempealeau area has probably been an important gathering site for thousands of years, perhaps because Mount Trempealeau, one of the only bluffs on a river island, makes such a distinctive landmark. Trempealeau and the surrounding area used to contain many dozens of indian mounds built by several different cultures, Rodell explained. Among the pottery sherds Squier found in his garden were a few that seemed out of place. They were coated with a red or brown, shiny slip and had thin, folded rims. In his writing he compared them to European pottery. Later, when he read about pottery found at Cahokia, he recognized the style of his finds and the probable connection with the platform mounds on the hill above his garden.

Squier drew this contour map of the three platform mounds in 1905. The mound labeled "1" measures about 57.4 by 52 .4 feet at its base.

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May 1994

(Future Fish continued from page 1)

What were they doing there? It's tough to write a history from such sparse clues, but it's only natural to ask why Middle Mississippians came to Trempealeau and stayed around long enough to build platform mounds. The Middle Mississippian influence at Trempealeau appears to have occurred early in Cahokia's history, about 950 to 1050. The pottery found near Red Wing matches styles produced at a later time, according to Rodell. The stockaded villages and other indications of warfare have suggested to some that the Middle Mississippians controlled a large empire, but archaeologists generally believe they were more trade oriented. "We think there were people in power who were trying to extend their economic base." Hixton silicified sandstone - an attractive stone used for making blades, arrowheads and other tools - was found in Cahokia with other material dated to as late as 1100 or 1200, but it was absent in later material. Most of this stone probably came from Silver Mound, near Hixton, Wis. The Trempealeau River passes a short distance from Silver Mound and flows into the Mississippi near Trempealeau, providing a convenient route to the resource. Perhaps this and the fact that it was a gathering place made Trempealeau a good spot for a trading post. Eventually Red Wing proved a better spot and the post moved up the river, Rodell speculated. The most dramatic Middle Mississippian site in the upper Midwest is Aztalan, southeast of Madison, Wis . That settlement, surrounded by a palisade and containing several large platform mounds, was also built during the early part of the Middle Mississippian era. =

Reggie McLeod is editor of Big River.

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forked buck in just 18 months. A pheasant that starts out as a tiny puffball of down in May is by October a cackling rooster, gaudy with color as it rockets skyward in front of a hunter. From egg to trophy in six months! Fish fall between wildlife and timber when it comes to generation time. At six months, a walleye is lucky to be six inches Jong and as big around as your thumb. At one and a half years - the same age at which that deer has become a four-point, 120-pound buck - a walleye in northern Wisconsin is only 10 inches long and weighs five ounces. In fact it takes four to five years for a walleye to reach the legal length of 15 inches. A decent fish of 20 or 21 inches is seven years old. A trophy walleye of 25 to 28 inches is easily 12 to 15 years old. Muskies are even longer Jived. The 48-pound monster recently caught in Round Lake near Hayward was 18 years old and was hatched back in 1975. But the average musky harvested by anglers in Wisconsin is only six to seven years old. Panfish live and mature much faster, of course. It takes four years to grow a nice, round, 9-inch yellow perch that any angler would be pleased to put in a cooler. Bluegills, too, can grow to a nice pan size of seven to eight inches at four to five years of age. Even at that, it still takes about as Jong to produce an eight-ounce bluegill as it does a four- to fiveyear-old trophy buck! Replacement time for fish means that if we harvest the larger fish too rapidly it will take years to grow their replacements. Who wants to fish in a lake that has only small fish in it? Most anglers like to dream of tying into a real lunker, or at least like to think that such a trophy lives in the lake. Wisconsin has some beautiful fish, and thousands of whopper northern pike, muskies, bass and walleyes are caught and harvested every year across the state. But the numbers of such trophies in each lake can be surprisingly low. Beautiful Lake Tomahawk, near Woodruff, covers an area of 3,400 acres and sports a population of about 8,400 adult walleye. Biologists estimate that only 830 (10 percent) of these fish exceed 25 inches in length. Big Lake, near Boulder Junction covers 850 acres and has an estimated 550 adult muskies swimming in it, but only about 50 of them are larger than the 40-inch minimum size limit. As you can see, large game fish are really quite a scarce resource. The next time you or your partner catch a beautiful 19inch bass, a 33-inch northern or a 26-inch walleye, take time to appreciate that it took 10 years for the fish to get to that size. And if you catch a second, please consider releasing it for the future.

This is one in a series of "Wisconsin Fishing" columns by Lee Kernen, Director of the DNR Bureau of Fisheries Management.

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RIVER NAMES Betsey and Paps' Journey By John Sagan

On a hot July afternoon, two young girls raced their raft downriver from Fountain City, Wisconsin. It wasn't much of a raft; it was more a collection of brush and logs. The two had enjoyed quite a time building the raft. As they navigated their rough craft downstream, the channel split at Prairie Chief Island. They couldn't decide whether to go right or left, so they split the raft, and Betsey went to the left and Pap to the right. As they floated out of sight of one another, each called out, "Good bye, we may never meet again!" About a half mile downstream they met again, lashed their rafts back together and continued their adventure. Today, over a hundred years later, the two girls and their race are remembered in the names of the channels they raced, Betsey Slough and Pap Slough. This story was related to me by Dan Krumholz, a Fountain City native, while we were poring over old maps in his office overlooking Fountain City Bay. Dan, who works for the Army Corps of Engineers, has always been interested in river lore. On the maps were all the names of all the landmarks, lights and other features of the river. We wanted to find out if we could get the stories of their naming. Just as Betsey and Pap have their monument, so do others. Titus Light and Daymark, on Betsey Slough, is named after Nathan B. Titus, a Corps cartographer. In the history of the St. Paul District we found the story of the "Titus-Thompson affair." The good Mr. Titus was involved in a retail coal business while employed as the foreman of the United States boatyard in Fountain City. An engineer from St. Paul was sent down to look into the matter. The subsequent report said that Titus used government day laborers to unload and deliver coal. However, the boatyard time sheets showed that the workers had not been paid for those days by the government. The report stated that there was no objection to the laborers choosing to work for Titus at a higher wage than that paid by the government. But, another coal company in town, run by Paul Fugina, the brother of the judge of Buffalo County, had the judge write a letter to the chief of engineers accusing Titus of selling coal that belonged to the government. The letter also accused Captain William A. Thompson, the assistant engineer from La Crosse, of helping Titus break the law and using quarterboats to put up friends and relatives. Judge M.L. Fugina also claimed that Thompson had civil service employees pick wild grapes, maintain the quarterboats and operate government launches for fishing trips.

May 1994

Two more investigations were held after repeated allegations by the judge. One of the defenders of Thompson, General Alexander Mackenzie, argued that he himself had used government houseboats for private purposes and that Thompson had only followed established custom. Nevertheless, regulations were regulations, and the third investigation found Titus and Thompson guilty of the offenses charged. Leniency was recommended for Thompson. Titus kept his government job, but his pay was cut by ten dollars a month. It was noted that Titus had committed perjury during the hearings. The investigator reported that Titus was "a man of coarse fibre who might grow into evil practices if carelessly superintended." The judge and his brother were satisfied with the findings, but were disgusted by the lenient treatment. As for Thompson, the dredge named after him now makes its base at Fountain City.

John Sagan is a freelance writer living in Fountain City. He aspires to become the Austrian consul to that river town . I

<) Fountain City

May 1994

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Foon WITH AVIEW

"People always like to compare places around here with places far away, so I say 'the Mississippi is the Nile of North America - it is the beginning and the center of a great civilization,"' Hinderlie said. "Some people read about the Mississippi River when they are children and they weep to come here, because they see the glory of it." Pepin is an out of the way location for such a restaurant. Its major claim to fame is being one of Laura Ingalls Wilder's childhood residences. Wilder, who was born in 1867, wrote Little House on the Prairie and On the Banks of Plum Creek. Paul and Carol Hinderlie were looking for a summer home, not a business location, when they first ventured downriver from the Twin Cities. The building, which was built in 1858, was in shambles and had no indoor plumbing when they found it. Remodelling took a lot of hard work. Maintaining it still takes work, which usually gets done in the winter, when the restaurant is closed. Contrary to popular misconceptions, the Hinderlies and Ahlstrom do not winter in Florida or the Bahamas. "A lot of people think you make a lot of money if you own a restaurant, but it's not true," Hinderlie said. "We like the seasonal rhythm of running the restaurant. It's really busy in the summer. Then there's the big push to make it through October. And then it's quiet. This is a great.place to be in the winter. We ice skate, ski, get a lot of sleep, read, get involved in church and civic activities." In between winter chores, Harbor View chefs also get around to trying out new dishes for the next summer season.

The Harbor View Cafe By Pamela Eyden

In the summer, people sit at sidewalk tables in front of the Harbor View Cafe in Pepin, Wis., drinking mineral water, white wine, imported beer and gin and tonics while waiting their turn for a table inside. Weekend visitors may wait an hour or more during prime dinner hours, but few complain. Swallows and osprey fly overhead. Breezes rustle through the cottonwoods. Halyards clink against the masts of sailboats in the marina across the street. The sun sets behind the bluffs on the other side of Lake Pepin. Lake Pepin is one of the few places in the Upper Mississippi River where sailboats can tack back and forth without ramming into islands, wing dams or tree stumps. Diners curious about the terrain can consult a wall-sized topographical map inside the front door of the restaurant. That's King's Coulee across the lake and Lake City, Minn., upriver. "A lot of our success is because of the river," admits coowner Paul Hinderlie. "I'd be terrified to open a place like this in, say, Lemon, South Dakota. The river makes people hungry." Inside, the air is sweet with garlic and spices. Books and photographs line the walls. The tables and settings are informal and cozy. The day's menu, scrawled on a blackboard, distracts your attention from the river view. Chefs at the Harbor View specialize in fresh fish and seafood - grilled tuna, king salmon in parchment, garlic broiled shrimp and catfish with black bean sauce. The menu, "The Mississippi is the Nile of North America - it is the beginning and the center of a great civilization." which evolves with the season, also features lamb, chicken, veal and pork, as well as pasta and vegetarian dishes. Entres range in price from $9 to $18, and include a fresh green salad. The coffee is strong; the desserts are rich. Since the Harbor View opened, in 1980, owners Paul and Carol Hinderlie and Tom Ahlstrom have not placed a single advertisem ent. Their business has grown and flourished by word of mouth alone. People come from as far as the Twin Cities, Rochester and La Crosse. The restaurant serves an average of 250 people at dinner, except during summer weekend evenings, when the average is 350. The extra 100 people come by boat, Hinderlie said.

Pamela Eyden is assistant editor of Big River. This is the first of a series of articles about restaurants with a great view of the Mississippi. Tell us your favorites . :;:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::;::::::::~::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::·:·:·:·:·:·:·:·:·:·:·:·:·

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CURRENT EVENTS By Reggie McLeod

Corps to Charge R & R Fees

his month the Army Corps of Engineers begins a nation-wide program to collect user fees for swimming beaches and boat ramps at many developed recreation areas, according to an article in The River Register (March/ April 1994). Initially, users will be asked to leave fees in unattended drop boxes, but eventually collection booths will operate at many sites. Daily fees for swimming beaches will be $1 per person, for boat ramps $2. Three dollars covers a car-full of activities and users. A $25 annual pass covers all the swimming and launching a vehicle load of users cares to do. The new fees are expected to generate $18 million a year. The Corps already collects more than $19 million in recreation fees.

River Conferences

iver experts from around the world will flock to La Crosse this summer to share ideas and discoveries. "Sustaining the Ecological Integrity of Large Floodplain River" takes place from July 12 to 15 at the La Crosse Center and the Radisson Hotel. This international conferenceis followed by "Companion Workshop on the Upper Mississippi River System," July 18 to 19. In addition to displays, presentations and panels, participants will tour the Mississippi in canoes, travel to demonstrations and attend social events. Fees vary, depending on attendance and activities. For more information call Richard Anderson, Western Illinois University, (309) 298-1060.

Watchable Wildlife

hat type of frog is that calling out its spring welcome? When is the best time to listen for song birds as they return to or pass through Wisconsin? What type of plants will attract butter-

flies? Where are the best places to view waterfowl as they gather before their autumn migrations south? Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources wildlife areas, fish hatcheries, parks, forests and recreation areas offer a variety of workshops and outings to answer your questions and satisfy your curiousity. The DNR wildlife education program has compiled a list of these opportunities, complete with times, dates, locations and contacts, in a new brochure called "Look Who's Watching You." It highlights watchable wildlife activities from April through December. The brochure is available at park, forest and other DNR offices, or by calling (608) 266-2621.

Perseverance or Short-sightedness?

letter from the Coast Alliance inviting participants to a workshop last month on the National Flood Insurance Program shared this nugget: "In a nineyear period from 1978 to 1987, approximately 43 percent or $1 billion of the total losses to the Flood Insurance Program were repetitive losses."

Flood of Fish

iver researchers are netting a lot more fish than usual, as well as some unusual species. In one 24-hour period they hauled in 8,600 fish weighing 400 pounds and representing 22 species. This single catch was about equal to half the 1992 catch, according to River Almanac (March 1994). Researchers are finding blue suckers and black crappies on the open river, which is very unusual. Because most of the fish are less than a year old, researchers believe the flood probably has something to do with these changes. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources reports that anglers are catching grass pickerel and northern pike in trout streams along the Wisconsin River. Apparently both species have be-

May 1994

come so abundant that they are seeking out new waters. Many anglers are mistaking the grass pickerels for young muskel unge. Though they look very similar, scales cover only the top half of the bony plate covering the gills of muskies. Scales cover the entire plates of pickerels.

Growing Bigger Northerns

orthern pike look like they can take care of themselves, but both Wisconsin and Minnesota want to help them out. The folks attending Wisconsin's spring fish and game rule hearings, which are held in every county, voted strongly in favor of stricter rules for northerns. To the question of whether to" establish a 26-inch length limit and two per day bag limit for northern pike in 28 southern counties" 3,837 voted yes and 1,358 voted no. When asked whether or not to "establish a minimum length and a daily bag limit for northern pike on select waters around the state," 2,929 voted yes and 2,343 voted no. Currently there are no length limits, and anglers can keep five northerns per day on most state waters. Voters also supported a ban on "Swedish" or pike hooks in all waters, by 3,766to1,053. A recent DNR study found that nearly a third of the northerns caught on Swedish hooks and released died within 48 hours, compared to a death rate of only one percent of those caught on treble hooks. After May 14, Minnesota anglers can only keep one northern 30 inches or longer and one walleye 20 inches or longer per day. Few of us will be affected by this new limit, unless we also start returning more medium-sized pike so they have a better chance to grow into lunkers in a f.ew years.

Gambling Setback In Mo

issouri voters surprised riverboat casino operators by defeating a referendum to allow slot machines and other "games of chance" on riverboats, according to The Watenvays Journal (4-11-94). Riverboat casinos can operate in

May 1994

Missouri, but a state supreme court decisioninJanuaryruled that "games of skill," such as blackjack and poker are permitted, but "games of chance," such as slot machines, are not legal. Voters defeated the referendum to legalize riverboat slot machines by 1,261 votes out of more than one million cast,

"Games of skill," such as blackjack and poker are permitted, but games of chance," such as slot machines, are not legal in Missouri. 11

despite a $2.8-million advertising blitz by gambling supporters. Opponents did very little advertising. The defeat brought some gambling related construction projects to a halt, but gambling supporters may take the issue back to the voters in August or November.

Giant Beaver

oline, Illinois, is being terrorized by a giant beaver that's destroying docks and birch. So far the beast, reportedly 80 pounds and five feet tall, has eluded capture and camera, reports the Dubuque Telegraph Herald (3-25-94).

Nuclear Storage Roll Call

n March 30, the Minnesota Senate voted 42 to 24 to permit dry-cask storage of nuclear waste on Prairie Island. At press time the state House of Representatives had not voted on the issue. The following state senators voted in favor of nuclear waste storage on Prairie Island: William V. Belanger, Jr., IRBloomington; Duane D. Benson, IRLanesboro; Joanne E. Benson, IR-St. Cloud; Charles A. Berg, DFL-Chokio; Joe Bertram, Sr., DFL-Paynesville; Florian Chmielewski, DFL-Sturgeon Lake; Dick

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Day, IR-Owatonna; Steve Dille, IR- Dassel; Paula E. Hanson, DFL-Ham Lake; John C. Hottinger, DFL-Mankato; Jerry R. Janeczich, DFL-Chisholm; Dean E. Johnson, IR-Willmar; Douglas J. Johnson, DFL-Cook; Terry D. Johnston, IR-Prior Lake; RandyC. Kelly, DFL-St. Paul; Sheila M. Kiscaden, IR-Rochester; David L. Knutson, IR-Burnsville; Carl W. Kroening, DFL-Minneapolis; Gary W. Laidig, IR-Stillwater; Keith Langseth, DFL-Glyndon; Cal Larson, IR-Fergus Falls; Arlene J. Lesewski, IR-Marshall; Bob Lessard, DFL-International Falls; Patrick D. McGowan,IR-Maple Grove; Gene Merriam, DFL-Coon Rapids; James P. Metzen, DFL-South St. Paul; Roger D. Moe, DFL-Erskine; Steve L. Murphy, DFLRed Wing; Thomas M. Neuville, IRNorthfield ; Steven G. Novak, DFL-New Brighton; Edward C. Oliver, IRDeephaven; Gen Olson, IR-Minnetrista; Pat Pariseau, IR-Farmington; Phil J. Riveness, DFL-Bloomington; Martha R. Robertson, IR-Minnetonka; Linda Run beck, IR-Circle Pines; Dallas C. Sams, DFL-Staples; Don Samuelson, DFLBrainerd;SamG. Solon, DFL-Duluth; Dan Stevens, IR-Mora; Roy W. Terwillinger, IR-Edina; and Jim Vickerman, DFL-Tracy. The following senators voted against nuclear waste storage on Prairie Island: Ellen R. Anderson, DFL-St. Paul; Tracy L. Beckman, DFL-Bricelyn; Linda Berglin, DFL-Minneapolis; Don Betzold, DFLFridley; Kevin M. Chandler, DFL-White Bear Lake; Ric ha rd J. Cohen, DFL-St. Paul; Harold R. Finn, DFL-Cass Lake; Carol

Flynn, DFL-Minneapolis; Dennis R. Frederickson, IR-New Ulm; Janet B. Johnson, DFL-North Branch; Jane Krentz, DFL-Stillwater; William P. Luther, DFLBrooklyn Park; John Marty, DFLRoseville; Ted A. Mondale, DFL-St. Louis Park; Steven Morse, DFL-Dakota; Sandra L. Pappas, DFL-St. Paul; Pat Piper, DFLAustin; Lawrence J. Pogemiller, DFLMinnea polis; Leonard R. Price, Woodbury; Jane B. Ranum, DFL-Minneapolis; Ember D. Reichgott, DFL-New Hope; Allan H. Spear, DFL-Minneapolis; LeRoy A. Stumpf, DFL-Thief River Falls; and Deanna Wiener, DFL-Eagan.

Eagles Poisoned

ests on 17 bald eagles found dead in northwest Wisconsin discovered traces of an insecticide, according to an Associated Press story (St. Paul Pioneer Press, 4-20-94). The eagles, which were discovered in the Fish Lake area of Burnett County, were killed by Carbofuran, a pesticide used to kill worms in corn, strawberries and potatoes, according to state and federal officials. The birds may have been deliberately poisoned. Very few crops are grown in the area where the birds died. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources are offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons who caused the deaths. -

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RIVER CALENDAR

May 1994

JUNE American Rivers Month 4 Muskie Opener, Minnesota. 5 Minnesota State Parks Open House.

MAY 1-3 Aldo Leopold education workshop, St. Croix State Park, Hinckley, Minn. Call Pheasants Forever, (612) 481-7142. 3 Navigation Environmental Coordination Committee, of Corps UMR-IWWS Navigation Study, meeting, 8 a.m.-1 p.m., Moline Ill. Call 1-800-872-8822. 7-8 Take A Mom Fishing Weekend, Minnesota. 12 Mississippi River Parkway Commission of Minn., meeting, 4 p.m. - 6 p.m., State Office Bldg., St. Paul. Call (612) 224-9903. 10-12 Zebra Mussels, biology, ecology and control workshop, Radisson Hotel, Denver, Col. Call Larry Sanders, (601) 634-2976. 13-14 International Migratory Bird Day, Spring Birds of the Bluff Country, Friday, 6:30 p.m., Lake Park Lodge, Winona; field trips, Saturday, 7 a.m., Kiwanis Club Shelter, Prairie Island, Winona. Call U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, (507) 452-4232, to register. 14-15 Apple Blossom Volksmarch, O.L. Kipp State Park, Dakota, Minn. 14 Northern, Walleye & Sauger Opener, Minnesota. 14 Coulee Stream Trout Habitat Improvement, field trip and stream shocking demonstration, 9 a.m. to noon, Coon Valley, Wis. To register, send request and self-addressed stamped envelope to: Field Trips, Natural Resources Foundation, PO Box 129, Madison, WI 53701. 15 Blue Heron Consort, early river music concert, 4 p.m. Church of St. Stephen, Minneapolis. 16 La Crosse Area River Biologists and Managers, Development of Agreements Between the River States and the U.S. Coast Guard on Environmental Protection, 7 p.m., Heileman Hall, La Crosse. 17 Environmental Management Program Coordinating Committee, meeting, Radisson Hotel, St. Paul. Call UMRBA, (612) 224-2880. 18 Upper Mississippi River Basin Association, quarterly meeting, Radisson Hotel, St. Paul. Call (612) 224-2880. 18-19 Mississippi Water Resources Association/Mississippi Ports and Terminals CounciL joint spring meeting, Greenville, Miss. Call Margie Tyler, (601) 957-6536. 19-21 Propeller Club, Ohio/Mississippi Valley Joint Regional Meeting, Executive Inn, Paducah, Ky. Call Luke A. Moore, (502) 898-8818. 28 Bass Opener, Minnesota.

5-11 National Fishing Week. 5-11 National Safe Boating Week. 11-12 Take A Kid Fishing Weekend. Fort Snelling State Park, St. Paul. Call Mark Cleveland, (612) 726-9247. April 30-May 1 Plant a traditional native American garden, 2 p.m. May 7-8 Crops and Gardening, 1830 to 1850, 2 p.m. Coon Rapids Dam Visitor Center, West Brooklyn Park, Minn. Call (612) 424-8172 for reservations. May 1 Ducks & Donuts, birdwatching on the river, 9 a.m. May 7 Mississippi River Critters, 1 p.m. May 29-30 Turtles of Minnesota, 1 p.m.-4 p.m. Wildlife Art in America, Bell Museum Qf Natural History, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, February 26 - May 15. An exhibit of more than 100 works by great historical artists and the finest of the present generation. For information call Byron Webster, (612) 624-0225. Minn.-Wis. Boundary Area Commission meetings. For information call (612) 436-7131 or (715) 386-9444. May 3 St. Croix River Regional Committee, 9:30 a.m. 11:30 a.m., Prescott (Wis.) City Hall. May 12 Miss. River Regional Committee, Red Wing Public Library, 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. June 9 Full commission. Sierra Club, Coulee Region, monthly meetings, 7 p.m., Trane Employees Credit Union, La Crosse. May 24 Steve Richter, Nature Conservancy, Mississippi bluff prairie management. Sierra Club's St. Croix Valley Interstate Group, monthly meetings, 6:30 p.m., Stillwater (Minn.) Public Library. May 9 David Paxson, president of Population Balance. June 13 monthly meeting. Lower Wisconsin State Riverway Board meetings, 5 p.m. Call 1-800-221-3792 or (608) 739-3188. May 12 Bridgeport, Wis. June 8 Lone Rock, Wis.