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On the Refuge...

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“To Flood or Not to Flood – That is the Question”

By Scott Lee

 

With the winters around here comes snow – often a lot of it (well, most winters, anyway).  This winter will likely be no different, although Climate certainly has altered expectations and it’s hard to predict just what our winter will be like.

 

Another pretty sure thing around here is that when that snow melts, we also have to face the fact that we will likely have to deal with the Mississippi flooding at the end of the winter.  We’ve had a couple of dandies the past two years. 

 

The 2023 spring flood turned out to be the third worst flood around here in history.  At that time, I saw a list of the “Top 10 floods of All Time” in the Trempealeau (La Crosse, Winona) area.  It was rather depressing as I read through the years of those floods, as I realized that I had lived through nine of the ten.  That is a sad reminder of two things – 1) I am getting old, and 2) again, climate change is NOT a hoax.

 

The 2024 flood came in the summer, which is much less common.  It was not caused by the runoff of the melting snow coming down from the north, but rather due to huge amounts of rainfall.  This flood moved into the top ten as well so I have now lived through 10 of the top 11 floods in history (I just missed the 1880 flood.  Yet again, another frightening example of climate change NOT being a hoax.

 

Fortunately, the refuge has taken some major flood prevention improvements this fall so the entry road will likely not have to be closed due to flooding nearly as often (check it out if you haven’t been out there recently).  However, if this troubling trend continues and we all don’t start making necessary changes, the occasional closing of the refuge road, although sad and frustrating to all of us who love visiting there, will be a minor inconvenience compared to everything else we will face.

Birds of Trempealeau Refuge

 

The annual Audubon Christmas Count for the Trempealeau WI area was held on December 15th. This year’s count was 29 species totaling 515 birds. Last year’s count was 29 species but had a total of 2,080 birds. The decline was contributed to the large number of migrating waterfowl that had moved south before this year’s count date.

 

Interesting finds in the Refuge and surrounding area included:

6 Trumpeter Swans

1 Red-headed woodpecker

2 Norther Flickers

1 American Kestrel

1 Belted Kingfisher

111 American Robins

20 Cedar Waxwings

1 Northern Shrike

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More Dates

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Saturday, June 7th, 2025

Plein Air Artists in the Refuge 

 Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge

 Saturday, June 7, 2023, 7:00 am - 1:00 pm

Nature Explorers: Photography Adventure on the Trail
Friday, June 20th
10 a.m.—12:00 p.m.

Grab your camera or phone and get ready for a fun adventure. Nature Explorers is a 2-hour guided walk just for kids ages 8 to 15, where we’ll explore a nature trail and learn how to take awesome pictures of the world around us – like bugs, birds, flowers, and trees! Along the way, kids will discover how to spot interesting photo subjects, use light and angles to take cool shots, and tell stories through their pictures.


This class is great for beginners and nature lovers alike - no fancy camera needed! Just bring your curiosity, comfy walking shoes, and a bit of bug spray.
Let’s go exploring!
Meet at the OWL Center
Sponsored by the Friends of the Trempealeau Refuge.
Class size limit is 15
To register email Val Critzman at
kvcritz@gmail.com

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