Project activities will be carried out on a tributary to chimney rock creek (creek 24-13) in the middle trempealeau river watershed in trempealeau county and danuser creek, a small tributary to…

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service awarded a $262,003 Project Grant under the National Fish Habitat Partnership program (CFDA 15.686) to the River Country Resource Conservation & Development Council Inc. for stream habitat restoration projects in Buffalo and Trempealeau Counties, Wisconsin. The grant will fund stabilization of 0.28 miles of streambank on Creek 24-13 and 0.57 miles of streambank on Danuser Creek. The projects aim to reduce bank erosion, sediment inputs, and phosphorus levels, as well as improve in-stream habitat for brook trout and other aquatic species. Proposed activities include installing log and rock vortex weirs, cross vanes, rootwads, and re-establishing native riparian vegetation to enhance water quality, stream flow, and habitat diversity. The award date is August 1, 2024, with a completion date of December 31, 2027. A broad group of partners, including non-profit organizations, state/local agencies, schools, and conservation clubs, are contributing to the implementation of these stream enhancement projects.

Project activities will be carried out on a tributary to chimney rock creek (creek 24-13) in the middle trempealeau river watershed in trempealeau county and danuser creek, a small tributary to waumandee creek in buffalo county, wisconsin. The adjacent land use in the project areas of both streams is in row crops with narrow riparian buffers. Lack of sufficient vegetated buffer width has contributed to severe bank erosion and the accumulation of sediment in the streambed. This has disconnected project area stream reaches from the natural floodplain, and sediment has covered the natural substrate, reduced natural stream flow, depth, and water temperature, degrading fish habitat. Objectives for projects on creek 24-13 and danuser creek are to reduce bank erosion, sediment inputs, and phosphorous levels and improve instream habitat for brook trout and other species in the streams. Proposed activities include stabilization of 0.28 miles of streambank on creek 24-13 and 0.57 miles of streambank on danuser creek. Native riparian vegetation will be RE-established on both project stream reaches to improve water and nutrient infiltration. Log and rock vortex weirs, cross vanes, rootwads, etc., will be installed in-stream in both project areas to improve stream flow, water, temperature, and provide habitat diversity for brook trout, invertebrates, and other aquatic species. Project area private landowners donated conservation easements, allowing access to the stream sections for recreational fishing. A broad group of partners contributed implementation of project activities. Project partners include the wisconsin clearwaters chapter of trout unlimited, trempealeau and buffalo county land management departments, trout unlimited, USDA-nrcs, independence public school teachers and students the associated conservation clubs of trempealeau county, and MAD swiss trucking, cochrane-fountain city FFA students, the buffalo county conservation alliance, river country RC d, and the ELK and waumandee rod and gun clubs. Completion of proposed projects on creek 24-13 and danuser creek builds upon habitat work previously completed on the streams and contributes to the cumulative effect of connected stream enhancement projects in the middle trempealeau and waumandee watersheds.