2011/08/05 - OTHER - (NA) - Note

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From: Cook, Paul Sent: Friday, August 05, 20118:30 AM To: Lance Forys Cc: Lane, Ann; DaRonco, Jonna Subject: RE: fillling and grading permit application Lance: I understand the storm on July 1 created a lot of havoc with yards. I guess we are all still recovering from that, so I can appreciate your situation with using the 4 wheeler to do clean up. Often just foot traffic can prevent the growth of vegetation on our sandy soils and I noticed some areas that seem to have been bare for quite some time. I did not notice any terrible unevenness in your yard area. I walked all around there, took many pictures and did not find a single hole that needed filling,just a lot of bare sand. Some of the sand is slowly washing away, but I did not observe any major washouts that needed to be filled back in. I had no problem walking all over the bare areas and did not turn an ankle once and believe me I have terribly weak ankles. To get rain water to absorb into the soil and not runoff and carry more sand with it has nothing at all to do with filling in holes, unless you take care of the runoff water problem it will continue to slowly wash away the soil whether it is the native sand there or expensive black dirt brought in from somewhere else. If rain runoff is the concern this is likely generated above the areas of bare soil. We do not have "black dirt" topsoil in most areas of Burnett County. Our native topsoil, particularly in your area is very sandy and it will grow grass if you follow the recommendations I have given you. Sandy soil is not nutrient poor. This is a very very common misconception and most landscapers have no knowledge of this. What the sandy soil lacks is simply organic matter. Organic matter adds water holding capacity to soil. The use of an erosion control mat, replaces the need for organic matter, as it holds the moisture at the soil surface while grass seed germinates. I would be willing to meet with you on-site if you feel it is necessary, to discuss all these issues at length and perhaps locate the actual source of your runoff problem. At this time I still cannot allow the placement of black dirt or any major grading activities as this site simply needs vegetation and perhaps some runoff controls along with a permanently developed walkway. Again, repeated foot traffic will prevent grass growth on our sandy soils. Please email again or call 715-349-2186 (office)or 715-497-6755 (cell) if you would like to set up an appointment or further discuss your land use application. Thanks, Paul Cook Conservation Specialist Burnett County LWCD From: Lance Forys [mailto:l.forys@hotmail.com] Sent: Friday, July 29, 2011 1:19 PM To: Cook, Paul Subject: Re: fillling and grading permit application Hello Paul, We are concerned that you may have gotten the wrong impression by seeing the four-wheeler at the cabin. After the July 1 storms, we were using it to haul away tree trunks, branches, and debris. Perhaps our terminology is incorrect. Our intentions are to even out the unevenness of the yard. We simply want the pits and potholes and unevenness smoothed out. It is very uneven and difficult for us to walk on. Any grading would be minimal so as to eliminate the little pits and holes, etc. We would like for rainwater to absorb, rather than run down the land, creating additional grooves and channels. We do not intend to change the lay of the land--just minimally fill any ankle-twisting holes and plant grass. Also, on the south side, we frequently have to replace dirt around the deck posts as it washes away, leaving more and more of the posts exposed. What appears to be a dirt "path" simply does not grow grass and needs black dirt and grass to hold the hill on the south side in place. We are happy with the shoreline restoration--the problem never was that part of the property. The continuing problem is on the south side.