Members of the Cub Scout Pack 310 unveil the winning island names during the dedication ceremony. - FWS photo by Mary Stefanski

 An upbeat ceremony co-hosted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources was held at the Lower Spring Lake boat landing in Buffalo City, Wisconsin, on Friday, October 12.

The ceremony was held to celebrate National Wildlife Refuge Week and to dedicate the Spring Lake Island Habitat Rehabilitation and Enhancement Project. The Spring Lake project was funded through the Environmental Management Program at a cost of $3.5 million to restore over 500 acres of backwater vegetation and construct islands in the Spring Lake area of Lower Pool 5.

The dedication ceremony was attended by over 100 people who heard praises of the project from Bill Bruegger (Mayor, Buffalo City), Karrie Jackelen (Congressman Kind’s office), Robyn Thorson (Regional Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service), Judith DesHarnais (Deputy Project Manager, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers) and Scott Humrickhouse (Region Director, WI DNR).  The ceremony was also attended by “Angel” one of the bald eagles from the National Eagle Center in Wabasha, MN who graced her perch while the Cochrane/Fountain City Cub Scout Pack 310 presented the colors.

One highlight of the ceremony was the announcement of the winning entries for the Name the Island Contest. The unveiling was conducted by the Cub Scouts while retired U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Winona District Manager Robert Drieslein announced the names. Entries were received from 30 people providing over 200 possible names for the judging panel to choose from.

The five-person panel was comprised of a representative from each of the partnering agencies and one citizen. The winning entries were:  Water Snake Island (submitted by: Brian Pember, Winona, MN);  Deep Hole Island (submitted by: Emmett Keller, Chippewa Falls, WI); Bulrush Island (submitted by: Sharon Grawe, Northfield, MN); Snipe Island (submitted by: Ron Burfield, Houston, MN);  Pelican Island (submitted by: Scott Mehus, Buffalo City, WI; Robin Grawe, Winona, MN; Joni MacLeod, Fountain City, WI; Drew Ibach, Belvidere, WI; Margaret and Mac McCauley, Winona, MN; Margaret Kiihne, Winona, MN); and Deer Toe Island (submitted by: Scott Mehus, Buffalo City, WI).

Following the dedication, a ribbon cutting ceremony was held and guided boat tours were given to those who wanted to view the islands from the water. There were also informational booths available from The Nature Conservancy, Swan Watch and partnering State and Federal agencies. Educational activities were provided for 175 students from the Cochrane/Fountain City Elementary and High School. The students had a variety of opportunities from seeing live fish “shocked” from the waters around the islands, capturing insects from the project area and studying them, using binoculars to view birds, aging and measuring trees and much more.