Someone recently asked me what the staff and Board of the Conservancy do between cleaning up after the successful Holly Ball in early December and the springtime, when people return their focus to the outdoors, their yards and gardens, and the lakes.

The answer: quite a lot, although we, too, took off a little time to celebrate Christmas and the New Year, as we trust you did.

Our Board actually takes a long jump between regular meetings this time of year, as some members are traveling and others are not in the area as much as in good weather. However, several members are involved in committee activity this time of year, and the staff is in full swing.

For example, Jim, Lynn, and I recently attended a meeting of several governmental and nongovernmental organizations around the lake. The meeting was called by Ted Peters of the Geneva Lake Environmental Agency to discuss the state of groundwater throughout our watershed area. It's clear we all have much more to learn, both from each other and through additional research.

We are seeking answers to such basic questions as: What is the condition of our water resources, are we taking good enough care of them, and will our water resources serve our needs into the future? We also want to know how proposed new residential and industrial development may affect the quality and quantity of our natural water resources.

The staff and Board are also busy working the kinks out of our 2007 plans and budget. While we are sound financially, our conservation plans are aggressive, and increased resources are needed. Terry Quinn, our new development specialist, is working on outreach to current and new supporters to keep us on track financially. We're also working on developing a new three-year strategic plan for the Conservancy as a guidepost as we plan our projects and initiatives.

We'll also be busy early in the year working to prepare for a new certification program of our national parent organization, the Land Trust Alliance (LTA). This certification will assure everyone that the Conservancy meets the highest organizational, operational, and ethical standards among the thousands of local land-protection organizations across the country.

Yes, we're busy. We're doing all these things, in addition to updating existing land-protection agreements, monitoring and attending planning commission meetings throughout the area, and sharing conservation news and ideas with local officials, our supporters, and the public. We're reaching out through this newsletter, on our Web site, which Katie keeps up to date, and through our local news media.
And, we're digging out of the snow!

By James V. Celano III

How do you consider recommending rezoning 2,100 acres, more than 3¼ square miles of land, without examining its effect on the remaining community and its natural resources?

Apparently, you believe that either the request is reasonable and fair or that if you don't, the alternatives for the land and the community are worse.

Let's briefly look at reasonable and fair. Is it reasonable to freely purchase lands in the open marketplace with the expectation of following the existing zoning for the profitable venture of constructing homes, retail space, industrial facilities, and the like? The answer is yes if you accept the community's adopted and widely recognized plans for the land. Is there room for give and take? Well, I guess that depends upon your definition of give and take.

By the Town of Delavan's estimate, these 2,100 acres are zoned to allow for approximately 1,750 residential units, with minimal if any additional retail and or industrial development. Sho-Deen, Inc., the developer of the Jackson Creek project has insisted on more - much more.

Initially, 6,000 residential units were shown on a conceptual site plan that included numerous other uses. In the latest version, the plans now show the placement of some 4,750 residential units along with several hundred thousand square feet of commercial space. Is it reasonable to expect the Town to accommodate a development that is 270% greater than anything ever considered? Sho-Deen Inc. has threatened to annex the lands in question to one of two adjacent communities if the 270% increase is not approved.

If the land was purchased in such quantity and by such a financially capable entity, under no duress, isn't it safe to assume the customary analysis would have uncovered the limits placed upon the land by the Town and its citizens through the zoning and planning process?

Exercising similarly sound judgment, one could calculate with reasonable certainty the profit anticipated when undertaking such a risk. Given the known facts and limitations on this land, the minimal expectations are evaluated and the decision to purchase the land or not is made. Other developers do it every day. Can developers, hoping to improve the profit picture somewhat, negotiate for more? One would hope so. If the undertaking were deemed profitable given the known facts (purchase price vs. the set number of residential units allowed), how much more profitable would it be with a 270% increase in the number of residential units allowed, with the land cost remaining fixed?

To that end, if this truly is a negotiation, what should be a reasonable response on the Town's behalf? What should the community and its neighbors receive in return for such a massive blow to their previous plans? This is, after all, something that would affect everyone and everything for miles in every direction.
What about balancing this impact?

Even if you are able to somehow ignore the inevitable shock to one of the most ecologically sensitive areas in this county and, in particular, around Delavan Lake, by rationalizing the enormous increase in human activity as somehow necessary, why not insist on having other areas affected by this onslaught of activity protected in exchange?

If the developer insists on ignoring the existing zoning and is demanding a dramatic increase in the capacity of the 2,100 acres, why not equally insist that the developer transfer the development rights from other properties? Why not ask Sho-Deen to shoulder some of the burden they are imposing on the community by balancing the future impact? Whatever amount of additional development Sho-Deen wishes to add to this particular site, beyond the established plan, they should be prepared to buy those rights from somewhere else.

Make no mistake; nothing in this suggestion would relieve the developer from his responsibility to deliver the most environmentally sensitive and ecologically sustainable project possible. We must continue to protect and care for these 2,100 acres regardless of the density of development placed upon them.
Purchasing development rights from other landowners throughout the Town is not something new. This very reasonable and logical approach to sustainable growth is gaining elsewhere, with impressive and promising results.

With the community's blessing and oversight, these properties would remain permanently open space, dedicated to agricultural preservation or native habitat restoration. This would help reduce the ultimate pressure on every aspect of this one possible future picture. Infrastructure needs would be more compact and less costly, school needs reduced, Delavan Lake would see cleaner run-off, and we could all breathe easier.

Together, here in Walworth County, we face this increasing threat from large-scale development on a daily basis. Among our concerns, the Conservancy asks everyone to consider the sustainability of the needs required to support these projects. Please help by supporting us in our quest for an answer.

By Katie Sullivan

Groundwater, or rather the water that seeps into the ground, filling the spaces between particles of sand, soil, or rock, has been a source of sustenance for humans forever. Will it continue to be so, or will our thirst outstrip our supply?

Nationally, according to a United States Geological Survey (USGS) from 2000, groundwater provides an estimated:

• 37% of agricultural use (mostly for irrigation)
  
• 37% of the public water supply withdrawals
  
• 51% of all drinking water for the total population
  
• 99% of drinking water for the rural population
  Additionally, 98% of the world's total supply of drinkable water is groundwater1.
  

Wisconsin alone has 1.2 quadrillion (a million billion!) gallons of groundwater, a quantity that is in addition to the Mississippi River and two Great Lakes2. This is an incredible amount of groundwater - and unique to our region. As inconceivable as it may seem, we are beginning to withdraw more water from our aquifers than nature can replenish - usually through rain and snowmelt.

Of course, the replenishment rate fluctuates based on a variety of factors, including soil type, topography, and the depth of the water table (the topmost layer of a groundwater system, that separates the level of relatively dry soil and earth from the water-saturated level). All told, it can take up to several thousand years to recharge fully a depleted groundwater system.

The aquifer that provides the groundwater for those of us in the lakes area is part of a larger system that supplies water to much of southeastern Wisconsin, and that aquifer's resources are currently under mounting pressure. Resources once considered limitless are beginning to show strain. Dryer creek beds and lower lake levels are just some of the repercussions.

What does this mean for Geneva Lake? What influences are affecting our groundwater supply? If this is really a significant issue, what is going to be done about it?

What is the relationship between Geneva Lake and groundwater?
Groundwater is a significant source of water for Geneva Lake; it's delicate ecosystem and water levels are continually affected by the amount of groundwater inflow and outflow. The more we withdraw from the aquifer, the less water will flow into - and eventually out of - Geneva Lake. Many of the domestic, municipal, and industrial wells in the area draw from the same groundwater system that feeds Geneva Lake3.

What is the replenishment issue?
While groundwater is replenished by snowmelt and rain, natural disasters such as draught put pressure on groundwater resources. More is drawn out for irrigation and other agricultural and landscaping uses while less seeps back.

Developed lands, usually in the form of impervious surfaces, also alter groundwater balance by diverting rain, snowmelt and other seepage away from the ground-level and sub-surface water basins from which much of our water resources are drawn.
Additionally, most of the wastewater in the lakes area is pumped out of the lake watershed after treatment. This creates a net loss for our watershed and reduces the amount of water returned to the aquifer4.

In a 2005 report (No. 41), Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission estimated that the current replenishment rate for the lakes area is 3-6 inches a year. In short, it will take two to four years to replenish one foot of water removed from the aquifer. However, it has been estimated that the levels are dropping at a rate of three to four feet each year - that's between eight and 16 years worth of recharge necessary to replenish one year's supply of water, which we use for our crops, our homes, manufacturing, and ourselves.

Of course, the exact depth of the aquifer remains an unknown. The deepest wells do not exceed 1500 feet, and it is believed that - in some places - our aquifer goes beyond that. This is not to say that the amount of water is limitless, however, and at that depth several other concerns come to the fore. One of them is the naturally occurring radium and arsenic found in water at that level. The water then needs to be treated at a great expense before being considered safe for general consumption. All told, deepening our search for water leads to increased costs and ignores the sustainability issues at the core of the groundwater debate.

Okay, so it is an issue - what is being done?
The Geneva Lake Environmental Agency (GLEA) has spearheaded an effort to educate local communities on the role groundwater plays in the lakes area, especially Geneva Lake. They are currently working with the Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey to outline the scope of the project and hope to convene with local groups in late February.

It is the hope that this education effort will foster awareness and possible solutions to the communities in addition to encouraging a regional cooperative effort concerning future sustainable growth in conjunction with our existing needs. The Conservancy is looking forward to being a participant in this awareness program, as it is an integral part of our effort to educate the community about why we have to be judicious of these finite natural resources.

For more information on the issues facing everyone's groundwater, visit www.groundwater.org

1.Groundwater Basics, retrieved from www.groundwater.org
2. Gaumnitz, L. (June, 2004) A Growing Thirst for Groundwater Wisconsin Natural Resources Magazine, retrieved from http://www.wnrmag.com/stories/2004/jun04/ground.htm
3&4: Gotkowitz, M and Schoephoester, P. (2006) Groundwater Data Compilation for the Geneva Lake, WI Area

The Conservancy is now partnered with GoodSearch.com? Use GoodSearch to search the Internet, and every time you do, the Conservancy benefits! It is estimated that if 100 people use GoodSearch just twice a day, GoodSearch will be able to donate $730 a year to the Conservancy.

Log onto www.goodsearch.com (powered by Yahoo!), and type "Geneva Lake Conservancy" into the "I support" box. Once you do, every click of the "search" button will designate funds for the Conservancy. The more people who use this site, the more donations we'll receive. So please spread the word to your friends and family!

By Christine Krzyzewski, GLC Volunteer

The looming energy crisis is something that we witness every day. From the nation-wide media attention to the small acts of filling up one's car or powering one's home, we have become acutely aware that our dependence on foreign oil is not good.

With the constantly fluctuating gas prices and the instability in the Middle East, using our cars tends to have the most obvious impact on our daily lives. What are the options we have for filling our cars? Is there truly a way we can shift from foreign oil and dangerous emissions to an environmentally friendly, domestic alternative?

Biodiesel is one of the possible solutions to the energy crisis. Like its cousin ethanol, biodiesel must be used in conjunction with diesel fuel. There is some promise biodiesel can be used alone, but issues with cold-weather operation and the gelling of the fuel are preventing its widespread use. Despite this, the emissions as a whole tend to be significantly lower, especially in emitting dangerous greenhouse gases.

Both ethanol and biodiesel are produced from vegetable oils. In ethanol's case, corn is used, although, cellulose taken from grasses, - particularly switchgrass - wood chips, and other natural waste is a more effective alternative and one that companies are hoping to continue developing. With biodiesel, manufacturers use a wide variety of vegetable oils in the process. Algae and oil palm have the highest returns per acre, but in the United States the most commonly used crops are soybeans.

Of concern with both alternative fuel processes is the quantity of groundwater being withdrawn during production. Most plants average upwards of 300 million gallons a year for a 100 million gallon fuel plant, and although water is recycled at most plants, the pressure on the aquifer cannot be ignored.

In all of these processes, a great amount of energy is required to obtain a usable fuel, causing some to worry that the environmental impact has simply shifted from the driving process to the production process. While soot, carbon dioxide, and carbon monoxide emissions are reduced, it is at a growing cost to the land, in growing these crops and processing them to a point where they can be used as fuels.

Thus far, biofuels are a transitory solution for our growing energy concerns. Biofuels will not reduce the environmental impact or our dependence on foreign oil. We need to continue to develop and research new fuel alternatives, such as cellulose ethanol, hydrogen fuel, or electric cars. America needs to end its love affair with gas-guzzling vehicles and unnecessary trips in the car.

Reducing emissions and dependence is not just about changing the kind of fuel that we use, but about reducing the amount of fuel that we need. The regular suggestions are the best: Carpool if you can, keep your tires inflated, change your filters regularly, and avoid vehicles that get less than 30 miles per gallon. In doing so, you will match the impact ethanol and biodiesel have on our oil supplies and save energy better used in searching for even more sustainable alternatives.

Scroll down for a comprehensive comparison between Ethanol and Biodiesel and their fossil fuel counterparts.

Hill, J. et all. (July, 2006). Environmental, economic and energetic costs and benefits of biodiesel and ethanol biofuels. PNAS:103(30). Pp 11206-11210.

*Based on average 2005 numbers
**How much it costs to produce one gallon of alternative fuels
***This ratio represents the amount of energy available after production - for every unit of energy that goes into production, X% comes back as fuel.
**** This was retrieved from a separate report: Nelson, R. (October, 1994). Potential Feedstock Supply and Costs for Biodiesel Production.

The Conservancy now has a Charity Badge from SixDegrees.org? In partnership with the Network For Good, SixDegrees.org, created by Kevin Bacon, is capitalizing on the "small world phenomenon" in order to inspire online giving to charity. Additionally, SixDegrees.org has established 6 matching grants to those non-celebrity badges that have the greatest number of donations between now and March 31, 2007.

Donate between now and March 31, and we will be eligible to win one of the 6 matching grants!

As we begin to thaw out of our delayed Wisconsin winter, the Mill House is once again on our minds. This historic building has been beatifully restored and we wish to keep it that way. Below are some things we need to help us in that endeavor.

Painters - Do you or anyone you know want to help freshen up the paint at the Mill House?

Paint - If you can't help in person, a donation of paint for the house and the trim is always welcome.

Roofers - Needed: able-bodied, willing individuals (hopefully not afraid of heights) to help re-roof the Mill House!

Cedar Shingles - to make sure we keep the charm and elegance of the "Old Girl" a
donation of enough cedar shingles to re-roof the back half of the house would be fantastic!