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2) Our refusal to show you results of water sampling — Water samples were taken to <br />measure dissolved oxygen (measured on site with a meter) and total phosphorus (sent to a <br />school for analysis). The oxygen readings were very low (higher levels are better, low <br />levels are bad), right at the limit of being able to support any aquatic life. The total <br />phosphorus samples were not analyzed at a state certified lab, therefore they can only be <br />used to give us a general idea of phosphorus levels, however the school indicated that the <br />samples were very high and even analyzed one sample (taken at the culvert on field road <br />north of buildings) four times, because they couldn't believe how high the amount of <br />total phosphorus was. <br />3) Why didn't we take official water quality samples? — Twenty-four barnyards were <br />inventoried for the Big Wood Lake Watershed area. The only way to sample each <br />barnyard would be to set up a sampling station above and below each barnyard in the <br />watershed. The costs of this would be exceptionally high for one barnyard, not to <br />mention 24 barnyards. The streams themselves were sampled, but it is not possible to do <br />runoff sampling for each barnyard, given our current budget and staff availability. This <br />is why we use modeling, so every barnyard, all 24 in this case, is put on a level playing <br />field and uses the same model parameters. It is more important to note that your <br />barnyard was one of the two highest contributors in the watershed, rather than the fact <br />that it exceeded 100 lbs. of phosphorus. I have enclosed an article from Hoard's <br />Dairyman, which briefly explains the benefits of barnyard runoff control practices as <br />observed from actual water sampling stations. <br />4) Why did we refuse to give you names and places where a clean water diversion has <br />worked? — Our contracted technician from Polk County, stated that she submitted names <br />of people (three names) that have a similar practice on their property, but could not give a <br />name of someone with the exact same thing, because every farm operators situation is a <br />little different. Clean water diversions have been used for many, many years as an <br />effective conservation practice. Common sense tells us that runoff water flowing through <br />a grass ditch (essentially what a diversion is) will not pick up nearly as many pollutants <br />(sediment and phosphorus) as water allowed to flow through a barnyard which consists of <br />bare soil and manure. A detailed description of construction specifications can be <br />obtained from our office. <br />5) "Common sense indicates to me your $5,000.00 project will not make a nickels worth <br />of difference to the quality of the water if or when it leaves my property". — There is no <br />question that during a rainfall or snowmelt runoff event, runoff water from your fields <br />and farmstead does leave your property. Our office has photographs of a road culvert on <br />County Line Road, which was at or near capacity this spring. A very large volume of <br />water was leaving your property. The stream and culvert are now dry, however it only <br />takes one runoff event to flush sediment and phosphorus down this channel to the rest of <br />the watershed. A reduction of approximately 120 pounds of phosphorus, annually, is a <br />significant improvement in water quality to the watershed below you. <br />6) Question whether "Spirit Creek" even meets the dictionary definition of a creek. - My <br />dictionary defines creek (or crick) as "A small stream, often a shallow or intermittent <br />