There was a quiet, pre-emptive animal rescue recently in Mukwonago, but few people knew anything about it. The short, 700-foot stretch of the Mukwonago River from the Phantom Lake Dam to Highway 83 has a diverse fish community, with six rare species of fish. Among them is one of the largest remaining populations of longear sunfish in the state. Why the rescue? A very busy rail line crosses a bridge over this stretch of river, with trains sometimes carrying toxic cargoes. Over the last year, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources personnel and others have worried aloud about how a spill could wipe out the longear population. Hence, the rescue, mounted by the DNR, faculty and students from Wisconsin Lutheran College, personnel from Milwaukee’s Discovery World Museum, members of the Waukesha County Land Trust and staff of the Milwaukee County Zoo. Fifty longears were taken to the Milwaukee County Zoo, where they will comprise a refuge population in case a spill ever occurs in this stretch of river. Nice job, everyone!
Posted on: Fri, 12 Sep 2014 13:00:01 +0000
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