DRIFTLESS - Starting with a drive down Highway 14 to Spring Green and a trip to the Otter Creek Boat Landing in Iowa County, it was clear to see the area suffering from lack of rainfall and high temperatures. The bright sun shone with a hazy light due to unhealthy levels of ozone and particulate matter from wildfires burning in Canada.

Crops that could be irrigated looked lush and green, but those without irrigation in the sandy soils of the Lower Wisconsin River terraces looked stressed and stunted. The area had not received any meaningful rainfall in May and June, and by all reports, row crop and livestock farmers are worried about their crops and second crop hay for their animals. A worry scarcely alleviated by less than hoped for amounts of rain over the June 24-25 weekend.

According to the National Weather Service, the Muscoda area of Richland County, and northern Grant County, received 0.21 inches of rain on Saturday, June 24, and 0.48 inches on Sunday, June 24. The Viroqua area is reported to have received 0.22 inches over the weekend, with some areas in northern Crawford County reporting a total of 0.60 inches of rain.

In their June 22 ‘drought update,’ NWS announced that Crawford, Grant, Richland, and Vernon counties had moved from abnormally dry (D0) conditions into moderate (D1) and severe (D2) drought conditions.

Considered the area of the largest precipitation deficit in the NWS-LaCrosse service area, estimated precipitation deficits from April 1 through June 20 are estimated at six-to-nine inches.

On a Voyageur Canoe trip on the Wisconsin River, from Spring Green to Lone Rock, Lower Wisconsin State Riverway Board (LWSRB) Executive Director Mark Cupp explained that river levels, at about 4,500 cubic-feet-per-second (cfs) are more typical of levels seen in August versus June. The trip down the river meandered around sandbars, from side to side, searching for deeper water, and felt more like a canoe trip down the Kickapoo River.

“It’s ironic that just a few months ago we were seeing very high flows of 45,000 cfs on the river, and now we’re seeing flows of 4,500 cfs,” Cupp told canoe trip participants. “Current flows are ten times less than they were just a few months ago.”

Those high flows in late April and May had impacted progress on the Wisconsin Department of Transporation’s Lone Rock Bridge replacement project. The high water washed out a construction dike at the south end of the project, stranded equipment, and prevented access at the south end of the work area.

“Originally, DOT told our board that closures of Highway 133 west of Avoca would be in place from Memorial Day through Labor Day,” Cupp explained. “The closure dates have continued to be pushed back because of this spring’s high waters.”

The most recent update from DOT about the highway closures indicate that it is anticipated to start in July and remain closed thru October/November, due to work zone flooding downtime in April. The closure limits will be a 2,200-foot segment west of the existing bridge intersection, with existing bridges and Highway 130 toward Dodgeville remaining open. There will be emergency vehicle access only through the work zone, and no local traffic access will be allowed.

Passersby can clearly see that Kramer Construction has made impressive progress on replacement of the construction causeway in the favorable work conditions created by unusually low flows on the river.

Frank’s Hill

Later in the day, a large crowd of almost 75 people came to the Frank’s Hill effigy mound site to watch the sun set on 2023’s longest day. The group was undeterred by hot temperatures and bad air quality, and enjoyed a spectacular, if hazy, panoramic view of the river valley.

On the ascent of the hill, visitors could clearly see deep-rooted prairie plants drooping in the heat and drought conditions. The normally vibrant green grass was dry and crunchy, and there weren’t many mosquitoes given the dry conditions.