Dairyland Power Cooperative has been a valued partner in conservation with the fish hatchery for the past several decades. Their commitment to our conservation mission manifested itself recently by supplying an accessible fishing dock to one of our ponds in order to hold targeted fishing events and supplying a peregrine falcon display in our newly added Interpretive Center. The exhibit highlights their conservation work with this species. Recently during a scheduled Dairyland employee tour of the new Center, it was suggested that there was also an interesting bit of local history that would add to the Centers mission of pointing out local stories of historical interest. In fact, two topics emerged that really piqued our interest to use the Center to point out historical and conservation stories of the area. The first was to capture the story of the construction and final disposition of the Genoa’s prototype LaCrosse boiling water nuclear reactor, the first in the nation.

This pictorial story was compiled by Dana Bolwerk, Communications Specialist for Dairyland. The exhibit is currently in the local history wing in the Center. The next addition was to add a live camera feed of nesting adult peregrine falcons on the smokestack chimney of Dairyland’s Alma Wisconsin Power Plant. The nest and its two adults fledged 4 birds this year alone. During the off nesting periods the story of Dairyland’s Peregrine Falcon restoration efforts are described in a PowerPoint Display. We could not have added this exhibit without the help of Dairyland’s Environmental Biologist Ben Campbell and IT Specialist Mark Abitz.

We are very pleased with the addition of these fascinating local stories and feel that they truly help the Great River Road traveler understand the intrinsic history and conservation stories of the Upper Mississippi River region. Please come in and check them out! By: Doug Aloisi