More than 15 years ago, when Jeff Hastings took over leadership of Trout Unlimited’s Driftless Area Restoration Effort, one of his first priorities was to build his knowledge of restoration techniques. As he dug in, he found plenty of information. He also found that much of it didn’t get wide distribution throughout the area’s four…
The summer of 2024 was our second year having field technicians working across the Driftless Area to assess the condition, fish passage status and flood vulnerability of bridges and culverts on our coldwater streams. This work is often termed “Aquatic Organism Passage” or AOP due to the broad ecosystem benefits that are achieved when…
In May of 2024, the Oak Brook Trout Unlimited chapter traveled to the Driftless Area for their annual fishing visit. But in addition to the chapter’s usual fishing and stewarding their section of highway near Viroqua, magnanimous chapter member Dave Carlson also offered to give TUDARE a preview of the eDNA sampling methods the chapter has…
Without willing, conservation-minded landowners, very few stream restoration projects would happen in the Driftless Area. Over 90% of Driftless trout streams flow through private land, so building relationships and educating landowners about the benefits of stream restoration are critical first steps in assuring that stream restoration work will continue. With this reality in mind,…
12/19/2005 December 19, 2005 Contact: Duke Welter, (715) 579-7538 or Laura Hewitt, (608) 250-3534, lhewitt@tu.org Trout Unlimited and Partners Receive Funding for Restoration in Midwests Driftless Area WASHINGTON, D.C.Trout Unlimited and state partners received a Multistate Conservation Grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services Sport Fish Restoration Fund in early December to support the…
3/30/2006 Trout Unlimited Receives Prestigious Conservation Award March 30, 2006 Contact: Laura Hewitt, TU Watershed Programs Director, 608-250-3534 Trout Unlimited Receives Prestigious Conservation Award WASHINGTON, DC – Trout Unlimited, North Americas largest coldwater fisheries conservation organization, has received the 2006 Thomas F. Waters Stewardship Award in recognition of its work to restore the rivers and…
09/29/05 NEWS RELEASE For release September 29, 2005 For more information: Duke Welter 715-579-7538 Chris Wood 571-274-0601 Laura Hewitt 608-250-3534 U.S. SENATE APPROVES APPROPRIATION FOR RESTORATION PLANNING IN THE MIDWESTS DRIFTLESS AREA Arlington, VA The United States Senate has approved an appropriation to help with the planning for the restoration of the Midwests Driftless Area.…
“We make fishing better” is one of our mottos here at Trout Unlimited. Our efforts do more than simply make fishing better, of course. But everything we do, at some level, translates to better fishing. That sits pretty well with our 300,000 members and supporters because most of them are, in fact, anglers and appreciate…
The Trout Unlimited Driftless Area Restoration Effort (TUDARE) was started by Trout Unlimited volunteers to expand capacity for stream restoration projects in the unglaciated region of the Upper Mississippi River Basin in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Illinois. TUDARE works to bring together partners from nonprofit conservation groups, community groups, schools, federal, state, and other agencies…
By Duke Welter Trout Unlimited’s Driftless Area Restoration Effort set a restoration record in 2017 and produced a record of solid accomplishments. TU and the many partners who work with TUDARE completed nearly 20 miles of stream restoration through 50 Farm Bill and other projects, adding to the more than 1,200 miles of public stream…
By Duke Welter Near ly 60 people participated in a recent bus tour to visit restored streams in the heart of Southeast Minnesota’s Driftless Area. In this 10th annual tour organized by the Trout Unlimited Driftless Area Restoration Effort, participants got to walk four streams and talk with project managers, biologists, designers and contractors. Questions…
For the past two years, the DARE team has been providing free pollinator seed to enhance Driftless Area streams. The seed mix is not intended to replace the planned seeding mixture, but to supplement pollinator plants into the mixture.
National Fish Habitat Partnership proposals and applications: The unique 24,000 square-mile unglaciated Driftless Area in the heart of the Upper Mississippi River basin is a natural resource treasure. The scenic landscape with its steep hills and rocky bluffs is home to one of the country’s most remarkable freshwater resources — more than 600 coldwater limestone…
4/01/2005 NEWS RELEASE Embargoed until: 1:00 p.m. CST, April 1, 2005 For more information: “Duke” Welter 715-579-7538 Laura Hewitt 608-250-3534 Steve Kinsella 651-647-1545 TROUT UNLIMITED CALLS FOR RESTORATION OF THE MIDWEST’S DRIFTLESS AREA Minneapolis, MN – A wide scale restoration of the streams and rivers of the Midwest’s Driftless Area will bring enormous environmental and…
The National Fish Habitat Partnership has announced its latest round of funding, a list of 95 projects in 24 states, putting nearly $40 million toward a vast and diverse array of work around the country.
CONTACT: Duke Welter/ Trout Unlimited Driftless Area Restoration Effort outreach coordinator dwelter@tu.org / 715-579-7538 Jeff Hastings/ Trout Unlimited Driftless Area Restoration Effort project manager jhastings@tu.org / 608-606-4158 (Oct. 18, 2016) HAYWARD, WIS. Trout Unlimiteds Driftless Area Restoration Effort has been selected for the Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame for the programs conservation work in…
May and June are great months for fishing caddis patterns in the driftless. This year, I noticed many fish receptive to caddis patterns stationed in shallow, fast water in broad daylight. Here are a few suggestions that might help you catch more trout on caddis patterns. I am not a big fan of floating caddis…
Several major restoration projects are on tap for the coming field season in the Driftless Area, one of Trout Unlimited’s Priority Waters. Here are several of the biggest efforts on tap Nohr Chapter – Snow Bottom Stream Improvement Project – Wisconsin The Nohr Chapter was awarded a Department of Natural Resources Surface Water Grant to…
There’s “Stihl” time for Driftless Area chapters to apply for a grant to purchase equipment from the forest and landscape equipment company. Stihl continues to be a great partner for TU’s work in the Driftless area, strengthening a collaboration that started several years ago. Under the partnership agreement, Stihl representatives from the Midwest region gather…
