News
Bike Across America Raises Money for a Better Watershed
In 2016, Jaine and John Winters bicycled across America from the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco CA to the Wright Brothers Museum in Kitty Hawk NC to raise money for improving Decatur Lake for boating, fishing and swimming and for improving the water quality and animal habitat for the Sugar River Watershed in general.
It was a success as $5000 dollars was donated to the Pearl Island Restoration Project sponsored by the City of Brodhead to be matched with a WDNR grant to improve the waterways at the Brodhead Mill Race. This fundraiser also contributed over $3000 dollars for the building of 15 signs to be installed at all of the public boat landings from Belleville WI to Harrison IL to demark the Sugar River Canoe and Kayak Trail. Installation of the signs will start in the spring of 2017 and should be completed by the beginning of the summer of 2017.
Using other monies from the same fundraiser, the DLMRA is now applying for a WDNR grant to improve the navigability of the lake in preparation of the Sugar River Canoe and Kayak Trail which will be developed in the Spring of 2017.
Jaine and John have done numerous presentations of their epic bike ride to organizations in the area including the Optimists, Library Clubs and Area Schools. Last fall, as a past teacher at Brodhead High School, John taught a unit covering watersheds, water quality and environmental awareness as it pertains to the Sugar River Watershed to the Agriculture classes at Brodhead.
By raising awareness of the beautiful water resource it is hoped we will preserve this environmental gem located right in our own backyard and protect our Sugar River Watershed for future generations.
John and Jaine at Atlantic Ocean on completion of Bike Across America