More than 115 participants recently connected at the Stoney Creek Lodge in Onalaska, Wisc., for the 18th annual Driftless Area Symposium.. Held in late February, the event featured presentations on a wide variety of topics, including trout genetics, stocking activities, stream restoration permitting, outreach strategies, beavers, springs and more. There were more than 30 presenters, including nine students who shared their research activities. The event…
Every TU project that improves watershed connectivity is important. One that opens 20-plus miles of coldwater habitat? Well, that’s next level. This July, crews will start work on a project to dismantle an obsolete dam on Broad Brook, a 22-mile tributary to the Hoosic River in Vermont and Massachusetts with headwaters in the Green Mountain National Forest. Built in 1889, the dam infrastructure was part of a system that served a water supply…
Several great apps can help anglers navigate to primo fishing spots in the Driftless area. Now, a new interactive ArcGIS StoryMap adds another layer of information, showcasing where Trout Unlimited’s collaboration with the National Fish Habitat Partnership is creating conservation successes across the region and making fishing even better. The Driftless Area Restoration Effort (TU DARE) is a long-running collaborative initiative focused on restoring coldwater streams, improving fish habitat, and strengthening watershed…
For many Americans, Southeast Alaska’s Inside Passage and Tongass National Forest is a dream destination. Nearly 3 million visitors come every year to see the world’s largest intact temperate rainforest and its towering old-growth trees, dramatic mountains rising from the sea and tidewater glaciers. Right now, there’s an incredible opportunity to help maintain the prolific fish and wildlife habitat in the forest for years…
Sometimes the right place and the right people come together at exactly the right time to create a stream restoration project that is truly remarkable. The place is 7200 feet of the North Branch of Wilson Creek in Dunn County, Wisc., on the properties of Bill Manwarren and Josh Edhlund. Wilson Creek, like many Driftless streams, was straightened on these properties to increase land available for agriculture and to improve efficiency with large…
This summer, Trout Unlimited employed two seasonal technicians to collect culvert and bridge inventory data in Dane County, Wisc. This inventory is part of our larger effort to better understand the extent of habitat fragmentation across the Driftless Area and ensure that we have sufficient information about outdated infrastructure to have ready solutions when it…
By Cameron Akers Where legal, winter can be a great time to get on the water, if you’re adequately prepared. Trout are hungry after spawning, but low, clear water can make them a challenge. First and foremost, if you see a redd, which is a trout’s nest, stay off it! Redds are areas, typically near riffles, that trout clear out to lay their eggs. These eggs can…