North fish creek is a tributary to chequamegon BAY of lake superior

Burke Center for Ecosystem Research Inc. received a $200,000 Cooperative Agreement from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) under the Coastal Program (CFDA 15.630), awarded on April 1, 2025, with an ultimate completion date of May 19, 2027. The organization will execute the Phase 3 Keystone Bluff Project, the fifth bluff stabilization and fish habitat enhancement initiative on public property along North Fish Creek, a cold-water tributary to Chequamegon Bay in Lake Superior. Project deliverables include stream channel re-routing approximately 150 feet from the existing bluff, installation of large wood and rock structures designed to replicate natural aquatic habitat formations, restoration and enhancement of 0.1 miles of stream channel and 0.1 acres of riverine wetland, and prevention of an estimated 2,800 annual tons of sediment from entering the waterway.

The project supports the USFWS Coastal Program's objective of restoring and protecting fish and wildlife habitats on public lands through voluntary, community-based conservation efforts. Upon completion, the initiative will enhance critical cold-water habitat for native brook trout and other aquatic species while benefiting recreational users of this Class 1 trout stream. The project contributes to a long-term effort to reduce current erosion and sedimentation rates by approximately 50 percent in the North Fish Creek watershed.

The stream has important cold-water habitat potential for native brook trout that is limited by excess sedimentation. The phase 3 keystone bluff project will be the fifth bluff stabilization and fish habitat enhancement project on public property along north fish creek since 2018 and is part of a long-term effort to reduce current rates of erosion and excess sedimentation by half. Coastal program funds will be used to support project construction and management. Construction activities include RE-routing the stream channel through the floodplain about 150 feet from the bluff. Large wood and rock structures will be installed to protect the new streambanks and bed. The wood structures will be designed to replicate natural wood formations that also provide critical aquatic habitat. When completed, the project will restore and enhance 0.1 miles of stream channel, restore and enhance 0.1 acres of riverine wetland, and prevent an estimated 2,800 annual tons of sediment from entering the stream. The project will benefit brook trout and other aquatic life in north fish creek and recreational users of this class 1 trout stream on public property.