KRLT issues statement against proposed road course

By Sarah Nigbor

TOWN OF RIVER FALLS – The South Fork of the Kinnickinnic Riv – er, which flows east for 7.1 miles from its beginning in the town of River Falls to where it empties into the Kinnickinnic River below the Junction Falls dam, is a jewel. Just ask UW-River Falls conservation and envi- ronmental planning student Reid Dawald. Dawald has been working with the Kinni Corridor Col – laborative since May 2022. As an intern, his job has been to study the water quality of the South Fork, which flows through land east of Riv er Falls that has been ear- marked for an automotive country club/high speed road course. Although he doesn't consider himself an expert, Dawald believes a largescale development, such as the one proposed, would im –

pact the waters of the Class I trout stream (a tributary of the Kinnickinnic River). "I'm not sure exactly what this place would look like, but I would imagine runou from the impervious surfaces would make its way into the

See SOUTH FORK, Page 10

The South Fork of the Kinnickinnic River as it flows east from the 900th Street bridge in the town of River Falls. Photo by Sarah Nigbor South Fork

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South Fork,” Dawald said. “If they plan on creating bridges that go over the South Fork, that would concern me as I usually see more erosion around the bridges that currently go over the South Fork.”

Kinnick Development Group, headed by Minnesota developer Neal Krzyzaniak, is proposing a 500-plus acre automotive country club/ road course on acreage he is under contract to purchase from the Moody and Bohn families, east of Highway 65 and north and south of Highway 29. The large-scale luxury development would include a 5-mile private road course with club house, an outside entertainment area for car shows, swap meets and live entertainment; a facility to teach safe driving skills with on-staff instructors, 600 garage-style condo villas, a 100-unit RV park, a smaller training driving track, a skid pad, multiple restaurants, a store, a rooftop bar, corporate offices, a chapel, steam room, pool and more. Krzyzaniak said at a July 20 meeting with concerned citizens that he plans to incorporate the South Fork into his design, building trails and bridges along it.

Local residents have formed groups opposing the development, including a “Stop the River Falls Race Track” Facebook group and a Stop the River Falls Race Track website.

Dawald’s study

The main focus of Dawald’s internship with KCC has been monitoring the Kinni’s water quality in order to establish a baseline to see how the river might change when the two dams on the main river (Junction Falls and Powell) are removed.

“The Kinni will continue to have water quality measurements taken after the dams have been removed and then the data we are collecting now will be used to see how the water quality has changed,” Dawald said.

Dawald has also spent his summer recording water temperature, turbidity, alkalinity, pH, nitrates, nitrites, phosphorous and mineral levels at six different locations along the South Fork.

“I picked these locations earlier this summer to try to see how the water quality might change from the start of the South Fork to the confluence with the Kinnickinnic,” Dawald said. “I have three locations spread out along Highway 29, two locations on UWRF, and one location in Glen Park right before the South Fork enters the Kinnickinnic River.”

Dawald has been testing the water at these locations once a month since May. He uses a test kit, given to him by Trout Unlimited, that contains a thermometer, test strips and phosphorous test kit. He also uses a secchi tube that allows him to measure water turbidity (clarity). He records all of his information on the WiseH20 app, which anyone can download to see his results. He spends about 20 minutes at each site to record the information.

The South Fork begins on private property from a spring, as most of the other streams that feed into the Kinni. This gives trout the cold, clean water they need to survive, Dawald said.

According to Kiap-Tu-Wish Trout Unlimited, the South Fork has a high quantity and concentration of wild native brook trout, as opposed to the Kinni which contains high numbers of brown trout. The creek is also home to spawning areas, wetlands and many springs.

So far, Dawald’s study shows stable water quality conditions. He was hoping to see more significant rainfall events this summer, in order to see how runoff from farm fields and from the city might impact the South Fork, but it’s been a dry summer.

“I have been trying to document some erosion concerns as well,” Dawald said. “There are some bad erosion areas along the South Fork, one spot being underneath the Highway 65 bridge near the intersection of 29 and 65.”

In his time studying the South Fork, Dawald has noted a large variety of animals that inhabit the area surrounding the tributary. He and another intern record plant and animal species as they come across them while monitoring the Kinni.

“It would be difficult to list them all because there is an abundance of wildlife surrounding the South Fork,” Dawald said. “Brook trout are one of the few native trout species in Wisconsin and Trout Unlimited reported that they only occupy 55% of their historical habitat in Wisconsin.”

Bird species abound along the South Fork and birding is a popular activity, according to the Department of Natural Resources website. Some species noted along that area are mourning warblers, grasshopper sparrows, eastern bluebirds, easter kingbirds, Canadian geese and more.

“While I am not an expert on the effects of noise pollution on animals, I know there have been previous studies that have said noise pollution can negatively impact different animal species, so that concerns me as well,” Dawald said about the proposed development.

KRLT statement

The Kinnickinnic River Land Trust is a community- based land trust dedicated to working with the community to conserve and protect the beauty and health of the Kinni and its watershed. They work with landowners, private organizations and government to conserve clean water, wildlife, recreation, natural areas, wild trout, scenic beauty and family farms.

On Aug. 6, KRLT Board President Charles Rader issued a statement on behalf of the organization opposing the proposed road course.

“The Kinnickinnic River Land Trust is strongly opposed to the proposed Kinnickinnic Development racecourse along the South Fork of the Kinnickinnic River and its unnamed tributaries,” the statement says. “This project is bad for the environment, the Kinnickinnic River, and the community.

“A development of this type would greatly disturb the environment along the South Fork east of River Falls. This area includes a stretch of the river, two tributaries, floodplain, woodlands, and wetlands that currently help to keep the Kinni running cold and clear. This area is designated by WDNR as a Class I Trout Stream and Brook Trout Reserve; it is worthy of special protection. A Brook Trout Reserve is a high-quality self-sustaining trout population with unique genetic characteristics; because of this, it is resilient to climate change. A racecourse would dramatically alter this ecosystem in ways that would directly damage the riparian habitat and impact water quality in the South Fork, its tributaries, and downstream sections of the Kinnickinnic River. In addition, such a development is sure to negatively impact wildlife and outdoor recreational opportunities provided by the adjoining Fishery Area and Wisconsin residents’ rights of navigability on the South Fork.

“Maintaining sensitive land in its natural state is the best tool that we have for protecting the health of the Kinnickinnic River and its tributaries. A development of this type would create many acres of impermeable surface and generate increased runoff. Furthermore, landscaping around the proposed condominiums and track would further disturb the natural environment and ability for the land to absorb water and clean and cool it before it enters the river. The chemicals used in the automotive industry and landscaping are likely to end up in the river system, further damaging the ecosystem.

“In regard to the community, the noise pollution created by high-performance vehicles would be profound. The track and skid pad would generate noise from mid-morning to dusk for a significant portion of the year and would be heard clearly throughout a significant portion of River Falls. People move to River Falls and the surrounding area because it is a quiet community with many natural and scenic attributes, not to hear cars racing around a track. If it were a one or twice a year event, it might be tolerable, but it is not when it becomes a daily occurrence. For the nearby neighbors, the noise would be unbearable.

Simply, this is the wrong place for this development. We strongly urge the City of River Falls to not accept the planned development due to significant adverse impacts on the river system and the community. There are more suitable places for a development of this type, and we recommend the developer look for a location that will not have impacts on the Kinnickinnic River and the community that live here. The KRLT will continue to monitor the plans, work with the citizens of the community and groups, and advocate for protection of the river.”

On Aug. 20, Stop the River Falls Racetrack is holding an information session 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Veterans Park, downtown River Falls.

The land in the distance is known as the Moody pines by neighbors, a tract of land on which a Minnesota developer wants to build an automotive country club and road course. Photo by Sarah Nigbor

Trout Unlimited has taken part in streambank restoration projects along the South Fork. Photo courtesy of Kiap-Tu-Wish