Karst Indentification & Reporting Workshops & Field Trips
Two Karst identification and reporting workshops are scheduled for Crawford county.
Saturday, August 1, 10-12 Presentation with Dr. Kelvin Rodolfo. Bring your own lunch. The 12:30 field trip to see karst features will include viewing karst features and visiting Phil Burgess' rock collection in Prairie du Chien. Event is at Century Hall in Wauzeka. Sponsored by Crawford Stewardship Project, 608-735-4277. Coffee and lemonade provided.
Saturday, August 22, 10-12 Presentation with Dr. Kelvin Rodolfo. Bring your own lunch. The 12:30 field trip will visit examples of karst features nearby. Event is at Soldiers Grove Community Room, Cosponsored by Crawford Stewardship Project, 608-735-4277 and Soldiers Grove Library. Coffee and lemonade provided.
Dr. Kelvin Rodolfo professor emeritus of University of Illinois-Chicago will show a power point on karst geology. Following the presentation, Dr. Rodolfo will answer questions and explain the Wisconsin Geological Survey's Interagency Karst Reporting Form. Landowners may wish to complete the form and submit it for later verification of karst land features. This is one of several first steps leading to a karst study of Crawford County. The more information gathered, the more complete and accurate the study will be.
Crawford County is one of a number of areas in Wisconsin underlain by karst geology. "Karst" refers to an area where bedrock, such as limestone or dolomite, has been dissolved by water. Karst regions are generally characterized by connected cracks and layers between rocks that easily transport water. Sinkholes, shallow soils, sinking streams, and springs are found in karst areas. These areas are vulnerable to contamination from pollutants traveling directly to groundwater through shallow soils overlaying fractured bedrock.