2004 Blue River Brushing Volunteers
2004 Blue River Project Report / 2005 Blue River Project Report
Beginning of the 2006 Blue River Project-February on the Blue River
Blue River Habitat Improvement Project 2006
Background
The Nohr Chapter of Trout Unlimited annually undertakes a stream restoration project as an essential part of its mission to conserve, protect, and restore the coldwater streams of Southwest Wisconsin. The effort to restore a segment of the Blue River started in the Fall of 2003 with board approval of the proposed project proposal. Subsequent to board approval the designated project leaders initiated efforts to secure funding, recruit partners, and to prepare grant applications. When it became apparent that funding adequate to achieve project goals had been pledged the board granted final approval to proceed.
Sponsorship and partners
The Nohr Chapter's role in this project is to serve as the project sponsor or project leader. Because the chapter does not have the physical or financial resources to effectively undertake project activities it is necessary to reach out to other organizations for volunteer labor and financial assistance; that is, a partnership is required to achieve desired quality outcomes . Exemplary technical and ecological project outcomes are of top priority. Exemplary outcomes are the chapter's motivational push and they provide the cohesiveness that binds our partnership efforts.
The partners for the Blue River 2004 project are:
The Larry Wolenec family (Land owner)
The Harry & Laura Nohr Chapter of TU
The Blackhawk Chapter TU
The Elliott Donnelley Chapter TU
The Oak Brook Chapter TU
The Lee Wulff Chapter TU
The Garry Borger Chapter TU
National TU Embrace-A-Stream
Wisconsin State Council TU
Wisconsin DNR
Madison Fishing Expo
The Besadny Foundation
Iowa County Land Conservation Dept.
USDA NRCS
Lands' End
The Patagonia Corp.
Stream restoration work is labor intense and expensive. The partners listed above provided over 700 hours of volunteer labor, financial support for contracted machine work and required materials, and for moral support necessary to move the project to completion.
Project Activities
The in-stream design of the project was done in late winter by Roger Widner of the West Fork Sports Club. Mr. Widner was chosen to do the design because he has extensive experience in stream restoration design and work.
2004 Blue River Brushing Volunteers
Volunteers at work brushing
Lunker Building
The project design called for the installation of 40 wooden cribs (lunkers) that would provide overhead cover for fish. The necessary materials were purchased and a work day was scheduled in May to build the structures.
About 25 volunteers responded and the required units were assembled on site. Building lunkers is hard and heavy work. The generators and power tools that the Nohr Chapter previously purchased helped speed the process.
Lunker building site
Stream and Riparian Improvement Work
The foremost objective of the Nohr Chapter is to complete projects that reflect and exceed the best-known practices in stream restoration work. We endeavor to produce outcomes that reflect the highest standards of technical expertise and esthetic quality. This begins with a design drafted by a recognized restoration practitioner. It is reflected in lunker structures that are built to proven standards with quality materials. We are also selective regarding the nature of the rip-rap materials and the face rock that go into the project. We endeavor to employ contractors who have demonstrated exceptional skill in doing this type work, and we monitor all aspects of the job. These efforts have paid off; the Blue River project definitely reflects quality of a higher standard.
The targeted stream segment of this project commences at the County Highway I bridge between the Villages of Highland and Montfort and continues upstream (Eastward) approximately one-half mile on the property of the Larry Wolenec family. The Wisconsin DNR holds a public fishing easement on this segment.
Major segments of the overhead tree canopy have been removed to promote the growth of riparian grasses and biotic mass in the stream. Lunker structures have been placed on the outside of strategic bends; they have been topped with flat face rock, back-filled with rip-rap, covered with soil, seeded, and mulched. Rock deflectors have been installed, where appropriate, to direct the current flow through the lunkers to keep them free of silt. (Forty lunkers were installed; most were installed in tandem of 2 to 4 units.)
Two cattle crossings and a watering area were installed because a portion of the riparian is pastured. These areas provide passage for the cows to cross without disturbing stream bed sediment.
Several rock weirs were placed for the purpose of restoring the riffle-pool-riffle sequence and for the purpose of scouring holes. A series of J-hook structures were installed in one area that flowed wide and flat for the purpose of speeding the flow and creating back eddies that in time will have the effect of filling behind the structures and narrowing the stream.
A significant portion of the run has been rip-rapped at the bank toe and the eroded bank was then tapered back at about a 2 to 1 ratio. This will retard erosion at the waters' edge and will enable flood water to flow over the tapered portion without cutting into the seeded soil.
In general, the flow has been accelerated; this will enable the stream to flush accumulated silt, scour deep holes, and it should also run somewhat cooler. The lunkers and deep holes will provide overhead cover, and the restoration of the riffle-pool-riffle sequence will enhance the opportunity for natural reproduction. The rip-rapping, strategically redirecting the flow and bank tapering will reduce soil erosion to a minimum.
Conclusion
The Blue is one of the most significant and appealing streams of Southwest Wisconsin. The scenery is spectacular and the stream itself is large enough to attract and accommodate a considerable number of anglers. It is one of those streams that fishermen will travel a couple hundred miles to fish. This project and future projects will enhance the fishery and increase its appeal. The Nohr Chapter is proud to have sponsored this project, and is deeply indebted to our partners who have donated volunteer services and funds to the effort. We could not have done it
without that help.
Download Blue River Habitat Improvement Project Summary (pdf file)
BLUE RIVER HABITAT IMPROVEMENT PROJECT
2005
Blue River Habitat Improvement Project 2005
Project Evaluation
The Nohr Chapter of Trout Unlimited annually undertakes a stream habitat improvement project as an essential part of its mission to conserve, protect, and enhance the cold water streams of Southwestern Wisconsin. The efforts to enhance a segment of Blue River started in the early fall of 2003 with the project committee's proposal of a consecutive three-year commitment to a project on Blue River. Later that fall with board approval of the proposed project, design work was started for the 2004 project. The first project was successfully completed in late August of 2004.
Planning began for the 2005 segment soon thereafter. The stream design was completed by Roger Widner in the late fall of 2004. With board approval for the proposed 2005 project, fund raising and the permitting process began.
The Nohr Chapter's role in this project is to serve as the project sponsor or project leader. Because the chapter does not have the physical or financial resources to effectively undertake project activities it is necessary to reach out to other organizations for volunteer labor and financial assistance; that is a partnership is required to achieve desired quality outcomes. Exemplary technical and ecological project outcomes are of top priority. Exemplary outcomes are the chapter's motivational push and they provide the cohesiveness that binds our partnership efforts. The partners for the Blue River 2005 project are:
The Milo Zoha Family
The Blackhawk Chapter TU
The Elliott Donnelley Chapter TU
The Oak Brook Chapter TU
The Lee Wulff Chapter TU
The Southern Chapter TU
The Gary Borger Chapter TU
National TU Embrace-A-Stream
Wisconsin State Council TU
Wisconsin DNR
Madison Fishing Expo
Badger Fly Fishers
Iowa County Land Conservation Department
Iowa County Natural Resources Conservation Service
Joe Fitzsimmons
Alliant Energy
Our partnership with the DNR has significantly eased the permitting process.
Stream restoration work is labor intense and expensive. The partners listed above provided over 270 hours of volunteer labor and/or financial support for contracted machine work and required materials, and moral support necessary to move the project to completion.
The stream segment in the 2005 project did not require any tree or brush removal, as the entire length of stream is intensively grazed pasture. What was needed were 60 lunker structures. The necessary materials were purchased and two workdays were scheduled because of the large number of structures needed. But with a large turnout of almost 50 volunteers from seven different TU chapters and several individuals unaffiliated with any TU chapter we were able to construct all the structures needed in one 4-hour workday. Building lunkers is hard and heavy work. The generators and power tools the Nohr Chapter previously purchased helped speed the process as did the skilled help and equipment of the Blackhawk Chapter.
The foremost objective of the Nohr Chapter is to complete projects that reflect and exceed the best known practices in stream improvement work. We endeavor to produce outcomes that reflect the highest standards of technical expertise and aesthetic quality. The techniques used to achieve these outcomes may vary on different stream segments.
The targeted stream segment of this project begins where the 2004 project concluded (at the border of the Zoha and Wolenec properties) and continues up- stream ½ -mile to the Blue River Road bridge and ends approximately ¼-mile east of the Blue River Road bridge. The Wisconsin DNR holds a public fishing easement on this segment. According to the Wisconsin DNR fisheries biologist, Gene Van Dyck, the point at where the project was completed is believed to be the beginning of sustainable trout habitat on the Blue River. Temperature information collected by volunteers from the Nohr Chapter tends to support this belief. For the past two years we have collected temperature data from a series of temperature loggers installed along many miles of Blue River, including immediately above and below the conclusion of this year's project. This information is available on our website at www.nohrtu.org .
One of the goals of this year's project was to lessen the detrimental impact that cattle can have on a stream when they have unrestricted access to the stream. This is the case in this entire stream segment. The biggest problem is bank degradation. Cattle can cause large erosion problems where they cross and have access to stream banks. High water events then further erode the damaged areas.
To lessen the negative impact of cattle on the stream we installed numerous cattle crossings and two equipment crossings; five below the bridge and six above. Incised banks and other areas subject to erosion were armored to the toe with riprap. Many of these areas were back-filled with additional rock that was then covered with soil, seeded, and mulched.
Eroded areas of the stream that had become wide and shallow had the banks tapered and were pinched in to increase channel depth and speed. Lunker structures were incorporated into many of these sights. Diverters and vortex weirs were created to inhibit siltation in these areas. Following the small channel that attempted to flow through this thick vegetation narrowed several wide flat areas that were choked with macrophytes. This brought forth the natural meander pattern that existed in these wide macrophyte filled sections. They now run faster and deeper exposing cobble and riffles that we hope will become better spawning habitat. Vortex weirs were also created above existing holes to help scour and deepen them. The lunkers and deep holes will provide overhead cover, restore the riffle-pool-run sequence, and enhance the opportunity for natural reproduction. The riprapping, strategically redirecting the flow and bank tapering will reduce soil erosion to a minimum.
Conclusion
The Blue is one of the most significant and appealing streams of Southwest Wisconsin. The scenery is spectacular and the stream itself is large enough to attract and accommodate a considerable number of anglers. It is one of those streams that fisherman will travel a couple hundred miles to fish. This project and future projects will enhance the fishery and increase its appeal. The Nohr Chapter is proud to have sponsored this project, and is deeply indebted to our partners who have donated volunteer services and funds to that effort. We could not have done it without that help.
