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LoonWatch collaborates with Clean Sweep program to Get the Lead Out

August 22, 2012

LoonWatch, a program of the Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute at Northland College, is partnering with the Clean Sweep program to "Get the Lead Out" of northern Wisconsin lakes. The two programs are hosting "Get the Lead Out" tackle exchanges in Red Cliff and Mason on Thursday, Aug. 30. A tackle exchange will be held from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at the old casino parking lot in Red Cliff. In the afternoon, a tackle exchange will be held from 3 to 4:30 p.m. at the Mason Area Solid Waste District Recycling Center.

The "Get the Lead Out" campaign aims to educate anglers about the negative impacts lead tackle can pose to wildlife and waterfowl.

"Each year loons and other water birds die from lead poisoning due to ingesting lead fishing tackle," said Erica LeMoine, Program Coordinator for LoonWatch. "LoonWatch will be offering free non-lead tackle. I hope that people become educated on the importance of using non-lead tackle and how lead tackle can be detrimental to, not only wildlife health, but human health as well."

Lead-free tackle includes various sizes of jigs, split shot, bullet, egg, and bass casting weights. LoonWatch will exhibit a display on different types of lead-free materials and how they compare in size and weight. Steel, bismuth, tin and tungsten are other metals that have been used as fishing tackle.

The Clean Sweep program will be collecting unwanted hazardous chemical wastes in coordination with the tackle exchange.

"I'm just happy to collaborate with the LoonWatch tackle change. I think it's a wonderful opportunity to combine efforts to collect hazardous chemicals with efforts to exchange lead tackle for non-lead alternatives," said Tim Kane with the Bayfield County UW-Extension Office. "It's a good partnership."

Electronic items and hazardous chemicals will be collected onsite, such as oil-based paints, antifreeze, insecticides and more. People can find more information about the event by calling Tim Kane with the Bayfield County UW-Extension Office at (715) 373-6104 or Erica LeMoine with LoonWatch at (715) 682-1220.

Established in 1978, LoonWatch protects common loons and their aquatic habitats through education, monitoring and research. LoonWatch plays a critical role in raising citizen awareness about loons, and in helping people make the connection between how they use lakes and the ability of loons to flourish on those lakes. LoonWatch's population surveys and monitoring work is primarily in Wisconsin, but education activities extend across North America.