The overall goal of the project is to develop a water trail along the east river in the green BAY WI watershed from hoffman road upstream to ledgeview park along with improving the instream fishery by…

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, through the Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration (NRDAR) Program (CFDA 15.658), awarded a $1,105,000 Project Grant to Brown County, Wisconsin on April 1, 2024. The grant aims to develop a water trail along the East River and enhance the instream fishery by removing impediments and creating aquatic habitats. Key project goals include:

1. Increasing public access by creating two new ADA-compliant launch sites for canoes, kayaks, and paddleboards along a 3.28 mile stretch of the river. One launch will be on public property maintained by the municipality, and the other on Izaak Walton League property with public access.

2. Improving the fishery population by removing navigation impediments while retaining woody debris that serves as fish habitat. This will also allow for improved instream fishing from canoes and kayaks.

3. Protecting and restoring aquatic, near-shore, and riparian habitats through activities such as invasive species removal, riparian buffers, streambank stabilization, pollinator plantings, and wetland creation.

The overall goal of the project is to develop a water trail along the east river in the green BAY WI watershed from hoffman road upstream to ledgeview park along with improving the instream fishery by removing impediments and creating aquatic habitats.goal 1: increased public access to the fisherythis portion of the project will create an additional 2 access points for canoes, kayaks, andpaddleboards along a 3.28 mile (17,322 linear feet) stretch of the east river project area. These sites will be ADA compliant and offer fishing opportunities from adjacent piers. Onelaunch will be constructed on public property and will be maintained by the municipality inwhich IT is located while the second launch will be located on izaak walton league propertywhich has public access and will be maintained by them.due to the flashiness of the east river and potential safety issues, IT is felt that launchesstrategically located along the 3.28 miles would provide enough access points for launch users, emergency vehicles, and those with physical limitations to safely access the river. The locationsof these launches will provide a range of opportunities for the novice paddler up to the moreexperienced. Two additional launches were identified within the corridor but are not beingfunded at this time unless additional funds are raised through local efforts.goal 2: fishery population enhancementduring the initial project assessment, 9 sites were identified as impairments to navigability(snags) and are the most severely eroded streambank sites. The project would remove theseinstream impediments only to the extent that IT improves navigability while leaving woodydebris that serves as habitat while creating habitat that is both conducive to fish migration andseasonal spawning. Removal of these impediments will also allow for instream fishing fromcanoes and kayaks. The department will work extensively with DNR, USFWS, etc. To evaluate the sites and identifythe woody debris to be removed.goal 3: aquatic, near-shore, and riparian habitat protection or restorationin conjunction with the in-stream habitat work, near shore and upland areas will be improvedto create areas adjacent to the east river for wildlife species such as wetland and streamassociated furbearers (e.g., mink, muskrat), small wetland and stream associated water birds, migratory songbirds, mussels, bats, and insect pollinators. Projects will include invasive speciesremoval, riparian buffers, streambank stabilization, pollinator planting, and savanna plantings.wetland scrapes and spawning wetlands will be created through this project.