Loss and alteration of aquatic habitats are principal factors in the decline of native fish and other aquatic resources, and the loss of biodiversity. Seventy percent of the Nation’s rivers have altered flows, and 50 percent of waterways fail to meet minimum biological criteria.  Half of the region’s wetlands have also been drained or filled.  

Objectives:

• Work non-Federal and Federal partners to develop, prioritize and monitor habitat improvement projects through the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program, Great Lakes Coastal Program, National Fish Habitat Initiative, Fish Passage Program, Circle of Flight Initiative, EPA Binational Program, and Superior Coastal Initiative under the North American Wetlands Conservation Act to strategically restore, enhance and manage fish and wildlife habitats to achieve results on a landscape scale.

• Facilitate management of habitats by working with States, Tribes, partners and other stakeholders.

• Develop and expand the use of Fishery Programs expertise to assist in avoiding, minimizing, or mitigating impacts of habitat alteration, and monitor and evaluate completed projects. 

• Identify and implement opportunities for increasing the quantity and improving the quality of aquatic habitats on National Wildlife Refuges for priority species.

Region 3 Coastal Program Completes Strategic Plan
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (Service) Region 3 Coastal Program – Great Lakes (CPGL) recently completed its initial 5 year strategic plan.  The Service’s East Lansing Ecological Services Field Office and the Ashland National Fish & Wildlife Conservation Office jointly administer the CPGL, and staff from both offices worked together to produce the final document.  Creating the CPGL Strategic Plan was a three year effort starting with the visioning process and ending with the plan. 

The CPGL is committed to maintain the strategic plan as a living document.  As we improve our ability to address trust resource issues in the Great Lakes, our guidance documents and approaches will change.  Specifically, the CPGL addresses each of the five Coastal Program goals established in the Vision Document by describing objectives, specific five-year performance measures, and key strategic activities.  As the CPGL pursues its goals, our biologists will work under the backdrop of adaptive management, always seeking to reassess and improve our capability and expertise, and ultimately, our conservation product.
At the onset of the strategic planning process, stakeholders across the Great Lakes provided insight into what internal and external factors were impacting the Coastal Program’s current performance or could impact future endeavors.  That input provided valuable direction for the design and content of the document.  Prevailing themes of Coastal Program strengths expressed by stakeholders included on-the-ground accomplishments, flexibility, technical expertise, and responsiveness to the needs and values of property owners and local communities.  As implementation of the CPGL Strategic Plan proceeds over the next five years, stakeholders will continue to provide valuable input as we all seek a common Great Lakes conservation product.
The challenges and resulting opportunities are great.  Comprising less than 25% of America’s land area, coastal counties are home to more than 50% of our total population—a share projected to swell to 75% by 2010.  Only 50% of the Nation’s wetlands remain; more than 70% of the Nation’s riparian habitats are lost or significantly degraded; and, coral reefs and submerged coastal vegetation continue to decline.  Further, less than 2% of the Nation’s rivers remain free flowing.  Consequences of habitat loss include decreases in fish and wildlife populations and many other natural, social, and economic impacts that have the potential to decrease quality of life. 

At the heart of the Service’s mission are the conservation and management of federal trust resource species:  migratory birds, threatened and endangered species, inter-jurisdictional fish, certain marine mammals, and species of international concern.  With a focus on voluntary, cooperative conservation, the Coastal Program works under the premise that fish and wildlife conservation represents a shared responsibility across all lines of interest and society.  To that end, the CPGL engages willing partners to conserve and protect valuable fish and wildlife habitat.  We provide funding, technical assistance, and planning tools needed to make on-the-ground conservation affordable, feasible, and effective in order to benefit Great Lakes trust species. 

 

Kabasa Wetland Restoration Project
The Kabasa wetland restoration project was recently completed and consisted of 4 wetland restoration sites totaling 5 acres.  Also included in the project was the enhancement of 10 acres of upland grass waterfowl nesting cover through a deferred haying/grazing agreement.  The restoration took place on former agricultural land in Bayfield County Wisconsin.  A Habitat Development Agreement was signed to protect the restored area for a period of 10 years.
Species benefiting from the habitat restoration and protection project include migratory waterfowl such as wood ducks, mallards and American black ducks, as well as migratory songbirds such as sedge wrens and song sparrows.  The landowner has been actively managing his entire 114 acre farm for wildlife and the restored wetlands and protected uplands will help enhance the entire property for federal trust wildlife species.  Partners on the project included the landowner, Bayfield County Land Conservation Department, Ducks Unlimited and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Ashland National Fish & Wildlife Conservation Office.  Funding from the Service was provided through the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program. 

 

Ashland FWCO Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program 2007 Accomplishments
The Ashland National Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office – Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program (PFWP) had one of its best years ever in 2007.  It completed 14 high quality wetland, upland, instream and fish passage fish and wildlife habitat restoration projects.  The projects focused on U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service trust resources such as migratory waterfowl and native brook trout.  The office worked with many partners to accomplish these projects.  Building strong partnerships locally as well as across the Great Lakes basin has long been the key to the success of the office’s habitat programs.  The majority of the credit for our habitat accomplishments belongs to the great landowners, conservation organizations such as Ducks Unlimited and Trout Unlimited, Native American Tribes, and the many government agencies which we work with on daily basis.

Total wetland and upland acres restored and protected through the PFWP in 2007 totaled 87.  These consisted mainly of wetland restorations as well as upland nesting cover to benefit migratory waterfowl and songbirds.  Projects which are pieces to watershed scale restoration of riparian forest cover were also completed.  In recent years our PFWP work has been focusing on brook trout habitat and this is evident by the huge increase in brook trout related restoration projects, and miles of stream restored and enhanced.  Twenty-one miles of stream were restored or enhanced for brook trout as well as other native and sport fish.  Seven fish passage projects were completed, opening 41 miles of habitat upstream of man-made barriers.  With many fish habitat barrier’s and restoration challenges to be met in 2008, the Ashland FWCO – PFWP looks forward to another great year in 2008. 

 

18 Mile Creek, it was a large undertaking and now it is completed!

Ashland FWCO has completed the largest fish passage project the office has undertaken to date.

18 Mile Creek is well known for its naturalized brown trout and brook trout fishery. Located near the town of Grandview, the creek meanders through central Bayfield County before joining the Long Lake Branch of the White River in the Bibon Swamp, a designated state natural area. 

The culvert at the crossing on North Sweden Road was perched at approximately 12” and was also a velocity barrier for most life stages of fish in 18 Mile Creek.   Over 16 miles of additional spawning and rearing habitat were blocked by this perched culvert.  Additionally, the 12’ x 65’ culvert was failing structurally, was not long enough to allow adequate slope coverage on the ends of the culvert, and was causing erosion to occur on the road edges.

Ashland FWCO met with town officials, Bayfield County Land Conservation Department (BCLCD) and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) Fishery Biologist Scott Toshner to discuss the replacement of the culvert.  After completing the pre-construction survey for the hydraulics of the system, the BCLCD, along with assistance from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) designed the engineering plan.  It was decided to replace the old pipe with a 12’ x 80’ culvert, thus allowing for a slope gradient of 2:1 for the road bed. 

The Town of Grandview contracted with K & D Excavating of Ashland, WI for assistance with the replacement of the culvert.  Construction started on September 10th and was completed on September 12th.  Approximately 6’ of road-fill needed to be removed to uncover the old culvert.  Along with the road bed covering the culvert K & D dug a by-pass channel to divert the creek through, as the flow is too large to be handled by diversion pumps.  It took two large excavators to remove the old culvert, along with a D-8 bulldozer.  Once the old culvert was removed, ground elevations were taken to set the new culvert at the needed elevation.  This is where the crew ran into a problem, as the old culvert was set on an old cement bridge foundation that no one knew was there. 

Ittook an afternoon to break this old abutment up and remove these concrete chunks.  After the proper elevation was obtained, it then took the three pieces of equipment to lower the two 12’ x 40’ sections into place.  The two culvert sections were then banded together and the process of filling and compacting around the culvert was begun.  Once the culvert had approximately a foot of fill over it the diversion channel was slowly opened, allowing water to flow into the new culvert.  The stream bed immediately began filling the bottom of the culvert and within 24 hours had head cut upstream approximately 75 meters and deposited 12 – 14” of fill in the culvert.  Both ends of the culvert were armored with large boulders and rock to prevent erosion and the area was seeded and mulched.

To assess whether this project would be successful in terms of allowing fish passage, the Ashland FWCO conducted a pre- and post- construction fishery survey.  In discussions with the WDNR it was suggested to survey the area above the culvert and mark all fish caught upstream.  All trout caught above 150 mm (6”) were fin clipped and moved down below the existing perched culvert.  It was felt that these fish wouldn’t be able to pass through the old structure and would only be able to migrate upstream once the culvert was replaced.  A crew went out on August 30th and a total of 172 trout were caught by electrofishing.  Of these 172 trout, 168 were brown trout and the other 4 were brook trout.   Out of these 172 fish, 57 were large enough to move below the culvert. 

On October 11th, after a good rain event finally occurred in the area, the Ashland FWCO, along with assistance from the Fishery Management class from Northland College, Ashland, WI, conducted the recapture run.  This run netted 113 trout, 8 brook trout and 105 brown trout.  No brook trout were recaptured, but a total of 26 brown trout were recaptured (upriver of the new culvert), for a 35% recapture rate.  Everyone involved were very happy with the construction aspects of the project and the successful up-river movement of these fish.  The Ashland FWCO is currently creating a video showing all aspects of the culvert replacement and fishery survey.  This video will be available to all interested parties by contacting the Ashland FWCO and requesting a copy. 

 

Final Barrier on Trout Brook is Removed
The final barrier, a large perched culvert on Silver Brook Road in the Town of Ashland, was replaced on September 18 & 19, 2007.  This perched culvert was blocking the last 5 miles of spawning/rearing habitat on Trout Brook Creek. With this culvert replacement, and work previous done to raise the plunge pool level and installing baffles in the concrete culvert at the Hwy 13 crossing, the entire 42 miles of the watershed for Trout Brook and its tributaries are now accessible for native and anadromous fish.  

Funding for the culvert, a 10’ x 48’ structure, was obtained by the Ashland FWCO through the Region 3 Fish Passage Program.  The pre-construction survey was conducted by the Ashland FWCO and Ashland Land Conservation Department (ALCD) and the hydraulic design for the culvert was engineered by ALCD in conjunction with Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).  The Town of Ashland provided man power and financing to hire the Ashland County Highway Department (ACHD) for the construction phase of the culvert replacement.

The replacement of this culvert was challenging as the old culvert was in very poor shape, with large segments partially rusted out.  Also, the culvert was in one piece, a 12’ x 40’ section, so it required two large excavators to raise the culvert.  Once the old culvert was out, the ACHD re-shaped the slopes on Silver Brook Road to accommodate the new culvert.  The finishing touches on the culvert were completed on the afternoon of the 19th, with the ACHD spreading a mulch covering over the disturbed areas.  This culvert replacement has made this stretch of Silver Brook Road safer for vehicle passage and fish friendly once again. 

 

Fiorio 07 Wetland Restoration Project
A Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program (PFWP) wildlife habitat restoration project was completed on the Fiorio Brothers Farm in November of 2007.  This area of agricultural land south of the city of Ashland, Wisconsin, is a focus for local restoration efforts to restore watershed health in the Chequamegon Bay area.  The project also falls within the Lake Superior Watershed focus area for Region 3’s PFWP.  The project consisted of 2 wetland restoration sites totaling 4 acres.  Also included was the enhancement of 36 acres of upland grass waterfowl nesting cover through a deferred haying/grazing agreement.  A PFWP Habitat Development Agreement was signed to protect the restored area for a period of 10 years.

The restoration took place on former agricultural land in Bayfield County Wisconsin. This newly restored and protected wetland and grassland complex will provide ideal resting and nesting conditions for many species of migratory songbirds and waterfowl.  Species benefiting from the habitat restoration and protection project include migratory waterfowl such as wood duck and American black duck, as well as migratory songbirds such as sedge wren and Le Conte’s sparrow. 

 

Five Price County Wisconsin PFWP Habitat Restoration Projects Completed in 2007
Five Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program Projects were completed in partnership with the Price County Land Conservation Department in 2007.  Working in conjunction with private land owners and the Price County Land Conservation Department, projects were completed on the Bennet, Gegenbach, Novak, Shreck and Stebnitz properties.  These projects are within the Upper Mississippi River watershed in Price County, Wisconsin.  Wetland habitat restored on the projects totaled 35 acres.  Upland migratory bird nesting cover around the projects totaling 11 acres was also enhanced and protected through management plans.  A PFWP Habitat Development Agreement was signed to protect the restored area of each project for a period of 10 years.  These wildlife habitat projects will benefit a host of species including mallards, wood ducks, blue-winged teal, northern harriers and Le Conte’s sparrows.  Partners on the projects included the Landowners and the Price County Land Conservation Department. 

 

Wildcat Creek Culvert Replacement Completed, Another System Restored in the Marengo River
With funding from the Region 3 Fish Passage Program, the Ashland National Fish & Wildlife Conservation Office (Ashland FWCO) and its partners completed a culvert replacement on Wildcat Creek.  Wildcat Creek crosses Ashland-Bayfield County Line Road in the Town of Lincoln, Ashland County, WI, and flows into the Marengo River. This watershed is part of the Bad River Watershed which is the largest on the southern shoreline of Lake Superior.  Native fish species, such as brook trout, sculpin and redhorse species inhabit Wildcat Creek, along with naturalized brown and rainbow trout, and provide spawning and nursery habitat for introduced coho salmon.  A flood in the area in the late 80’s had the town replacing the culvert and unfortunately it was not properly placed.  The upstream side was lower than the slope needed, causing pooling above and sub sequential rain events ended up creating a perched culvert on the lower end. 

The Ashland FWCO purchased the new 6’ x 60’ culvert, and the Town of Lincoln supplied manpower and funding to hire the Ashland County Highway Department to supply a large excavator for the construction work.  A pre-construction survey for the correct placement of the culvert was conducted by Ashland FWCO and the Ashland County Land Conservation Department (ACLCD).  Plans for the culvert replacement were engineered by the ACLCD with assistance from the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

 
A pre- and post- construction fish survey was also conducted by the Ashland FWCO to assess the culvert replacement.  The pre-construction survey was conducted on August 17, 2007, with assistance from interns Abby Purdy and Ryan Huber, UW Stevens Point students, working at the Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility, Red Cliff, WI.. A segment of creek below the culvert was surveyed with a backpack electrofishing unit and all trout species were collected. 

In this stretch 176 trout were captured, 86 brown trout, 50 brook trout and 40 rainbow trout.  All fish received a lower caudal clip, measured and released.  A segment above the culvert was also shocked, with a total of 64 trout captured, 37 browns and 27 brook trout. These fish received an upper caudal clip, were measured and released.  The recapture run was conducted on October11, 2007.  Assistance was provided by Dr. Derek Ogle’s Fisheries Science and Management Class, Northland College, Ashland, WI.   The same segments below and above the culvert were electrofished and all trout species were collected.  Below the culvert a total of 68 fish were captured, 47 brown trout, with 5 of these having the lower caudal clip (LC), 5 rainbow trout, with no recaptures and 16 brook trout, with 2 LC recaptures.  Above the culvert a total of 5 trout, 3 browns and 2 rainbows were caught.  Two of the brown trout were clipped, one with a lower caudal clip and the other an upper caudal clip.  It appears that the culvert is allowing fish passage and the inhabitants are now able to assess the upper reaches (5.1 miles) of Wildcat Creek. 

 

Gin Creek Is Running Clear Again
Gin Creek, a small but popular brook trout stream found in the Town of Ashland, Ashland County, WI, is now flowing clear again, at least for fish passage.  The Ashland FWCO has completed a culvert replacement on the Silver Brook Road crossing.  This improvement has opened approximately 3.7 miles to spawning/rearing habitat.  Two small, perched culverts were blocking upstream migration, and flow velocities in the culvert were also a problem for smaller fish.  Gin Creek is a tributary to Trout Brook, and joins just below the culvert that was replaced earlier in the year on Trout Brook.

 
Funds from the Region Fish Passage Program were used to purchase a new 6’ x 60’ culvert and the Town of Ashland supplied manpower and equipment along with funds to contract with the Ashland County Highway Department to do the excavation at the site.  Ashland County Land Conservation Department, along with Ashland FWCO conducted the preconstruction survey for the engineering plans and the ACLCD did the engineering plans for the site.  Construction started on August 8 and was finished on August 9, 2007.  The plans called for a 1% percent slope at this site, with the culvert being set with 25% of the culvert embedded.  Unfortunately this site had other plans, as the crew soon ran into bed rock below the old culvert.  With the excavator working on breaking up a channel in the bedrock we were able to set the culvert at a 1.5% slope, and embedded at around 18%.  It was decided to also set up a small series of step pools on the downstream side of the culvert and it increased the volume of water so that close to 25% of the culvert was filled with substrate and water.   

Even with the drought conditions experienced by Northern Wisconsin this year, Gin Creek is mainly spring fed so a decent flow was still flowing through the culvert.  Pre- and post- construction fish surveys were conducted by the Ashland FWCO.  The pre-construction survey was conducted on August 7, the day before construction started. A total of 14 brook trout and numerous creek chubs were found in the survey.  The brook trout ranged in size from 55mm to 190 mm.  Brook trout found below the culvert were given a lower caudal clip and the upper stretch was given an upper caudal fin clip.  The post construction survey was conducted on September 5.  It appeared that the fish hadn’t moved much, as there were no significant rain events before this survey.  A follow up survey is planned in the spring of 2008. 

 

Whittlesey Creek NWR Waterfowl Survey – 2007 Results
In order to assess waterfowl populations on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Whittlesey Creek National Wildlife Refuge, a waterfowl survey was initiated in 2005. Counts of waterfowl numbers and species use at the refuge and on Chequamegon Bay near the creek’s estuary are being conducted during the spring and fall migrations.  The survey aids Whittlesey Creek National Wildlife Refuge managers in planning habitat activities which will benefit fish and wildlife populations that utilize the area.
Survey runs conducted once a week during the 2007 spring and fall migrations, counted 5,993 ducks, geese and swans.  The numbers counted offer a weekly snap-shot of waterfowl populations in this small portion of the Chequamegon Bay area on a given day.  This gives Whittlesey Creek National Wildlife Refuge managers an overall sense of the individual species and numbers of migrating waterfowl.  Scaup were the most numerous species observed with 1,317 counted.  In the diving duck category they were followed by unidentified divers (875), common goldeneyes (780) and buffleheads (218).  Other species of divers and mergansers included ring-necked duck, redhead, canvasback, surf scoter, white-winged scoter and common, hooded, and red-breasted mergansers.  The most common dabbling ducks observed were mallards (830).  They were followed by unidentified dabblers (135), American black ducks (77), and American widgeon (40).  Other species of dabbling ducks included American green-winged teal, wood duck, and blue-winged teal.  A total of 19 species of waterfowl were observed, 11 species of divers and mergansers, 6 species of dabbling ducks, Canada geese and tundra swans.
Historically, Chequamegon Bay and it’s wetland estuaries hosted spectacular numbers of migrating waterfowl, but according to local accounts, numbers are now a mere shadow of what they were prior to the Second World War.  Three species common at the refuge, scaup, American black duck and wood duck are all regional and national conservation priority species for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.  While wood duck numbers are increasing nationally, scaup and American black duck numbers have been decreasing for decades.  The Chequamegon Bay area is an important migratory stop for a large number of scaup.  This survey and other work in the area will be important for the conservation of this declining species.  Habitat restoration and protection efforts at the refuge, federal, state, tribal and other lands in the area will hopefully help to boost populations of these and other waterfowl species which inhabit northern Wisconsin.

The survey is lead by the Habitat and Wildlife Branch of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Ashland National Fish & Wildlife Conservation Office in cooperation with Whittlesey Creek National Wildlife Refuge.  Volunteer help was received from Northland College student and local birding expert Eric Bruhnke as well as former U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Refuge Manager John Lindell.  Their many hours of dedicated volunteer service were essential in completing this year’s work. 

 

Woodcock Singing-Ground Surveys – Ashland FWCO 2008
The American woodcock is a popular migratory game bird throughout eastern North America.  The management objective of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is to increase populations of woodcock to levels consistent with the demands of hunters and non-consumptive users.  Therefore, reliable annual population estimates are essential for woodcock management. As part of the North American Woodcock Singing Ground Survey, Ted Koehler and Gary Czypinski surveyed singing ground routes in Ashland and Bayfield counties in northern Wisconsin.  The annual survey provides an index to the relative size of the woodcock breeding population and is the most important source of data used to guide the United States and Canadian woodcock programs.  Male woodcock give vocal calls described as “peents” and perform aerial displays called “flight songs” shortly after sunset as part of their courtship behavior.  The number of peenting males were recorded and the results entered into the national database. 

 

Ashland FWCO Assists with Western Great Lakes Region Owl Monitoring
Increasing concern about the distribution, population status, and habitat loss for nocturnal raptors have prompted partners of the Wisconsin and Minnesota Bird Conservation Initiative to begin monitoring owl populations.  Birds of prey occupy the top of the food chain and may be susceptible to environmental toxins and contaminants, making them important to monitor as indicators of environmental health. Due to their nocturnal behavior and time of breeding, owls often go undetected using traditional methods to monitor bird populations such as Breeding Bird Survey routes.  In 2005, a large scale, long-term survey to monitor owl populations was implemented in the Western Great Lakes region (Wisconsin and Minnesota).  Volunteers have been solicited to run one or two standard routes after dark and count the number and species of owls they hear. Pam Dryer of the Ashland FWCO and citizen volunteer Ellie Williams conducted a survey in early April as part of this effort.  The ten mile route followed along less traveled roads in and near Hayward, Wisconsin.  Volunteer efforts to monitor easily recognizable species are often cornerstones of bird monitoring in our nation.  Pam and Ellie hope to continue their route each year. 

 

Whittlesey Creek Cozy Corner Project
Whittlesey Creek has been a symbol of hope for watershed restoration for many years.  Its cold, constant flow has helped spawn and nurse trout and salmon.  Its landowners have taken on restoration and management practices to improve stream health and the Barksdale Town Board has restored fish passage and reduced sediment inputs at road crossings.  One such project, replacement of the Cozy Corner Road culvert, will restore fish passage to the entire Whittlesey Creek system this summer. A bottomless arch culvert will replace the 150 foot long damaged culvert that prohibits fish movement up or down the North Fork of Whittlesey Creek.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and its partners were successful in obtaining numerous grants this spring to keep the project alive.  The project is large, especially for a town road, so assistance from many partners was needed.  The most recent funding commitments made to the project are the $40,000 from FWS’s Great Lakes Coastal Program, $30,000 from the Wisconsin DNR’s Great Lakes Protection Fund, and $40,000 from the FWS’s Fish Passage program. With these commitments, Bayfield County Land Conservation Department can finalize the project design and bid the project for summer construction.  The Town of Barksdale is also making significant in-kind and material contributions to make it happen.

Fish passage barriers, in general, fragment aquatic habitat for many native fish species and for several naturalized salmon species.  In an intact watershed that is free of fish passage problems, fish are free to use the entire stream system as habitat. After a road interrupts stream continuity, fragmented populations are forced to survive independently. Over a short time, smaller populations are more likely to die of chance events, but over the long-term, genetic homogeneity and natural disturbances are likely to extirpate larger populations.  That is why this project could have major implications on the genetic integrity of the restoration of trout and salmon, including coaster brook trout, in Whittlesey Creek. 

Bay City Creek Estuary Enhancement Project
The Bay City Creek Estuary Enhancement Project was funded through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Coastal Program – Great Lakes and consisted of a community-based restoration project for Bay City Creek in Ashland, Wisconsin, between US Highway 2 and its confluence with Lake Superior. A key element to successful ecological restoration is timing and opportunity and the need existed to assist the City of Ashland as they faced the challenges presented with implementing their Waterfront Development Plan and Comprehensive Plan in this area.  The City has successfully implemented a Lakefront Trail through the area and is actively seeking to add additional public open space in the area as well. This project provided critical leadership to a restoration process that involved diverse partners and the community at large. Little was known about the current status of the area and the cumulative impacts of decades of misuse. Northland College’s Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute led the way on this project by engaging in an assessment of the area to determine status and trends including invasive species, water quality and ecological health. The dominant species in the riparian zone is black willow trees planted for stabilization purposes after flood events of the 1940’s creating an even-aged, single species overstory under which only invasive species will thrive. An integrated management approach was utilized to determine how to transition to more natural balanced condition and removal of hot spots of invasive plant species has taken place.  Additional monitoring and other work will also continue in the future.

Permanent reference sites were established for long term physical, chemical and biological monitoring. SOEI coordinated activities with the Ashland School District, Ashland Tree Management Advisory Board, Park Board, Waterfront Committee, and Beautification Council. This and previous efforts for Bay City Creek have demonstrated the strong historical and cultural ties residents of Ashland have with this resource. It has strengthened the community support system that recognizes the value of Bay City Creek and it’s estuary. The values of this feeder stream to the Chequamegon Bay ecosystem were quantified for use in future resource planning and promoted to establish long term stewardship by citizens.  Thus, the benefits of this Coastal Program project will be shared for many years to come. 

Nyra Wildlife Habitat and Whittlesey Creek Watershed Restoration
Nine acres of a hay field on private land within the boundaries of Whittlesey Creek National Wildlife Refuge were restored to native forest in the spring of 2008.  This project was a joint effort between the landowner and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (Service) Whittlesey Creek National Wildlife Refuge and Ashland National Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office.  Funding was provided by the Service’s Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program with in-kind labor and equipment contributed by the landowner.  Approximately 1000 trees were planted and the native species consisted of red pine, white pine and white spruce. 

This project comprises part of an overall restoration approach for the Whittlesey Creek watershed and will benefit migratory fish and birds.  The creek supports native brook trout and large runs of migratory fish from Lake Superior.  Studies have shown that deforestation in the area has contributed to the degradation of habitat in Whittlesey Creek and other streams.  In the past, the shading effect of the forest allowed for a gradual spring runoff period and lower peak flows.  Now with snowmelt occurring much faster in a more open landscape, the spring melt occurs very quickly, eroding banks and sending large amounts of sediment into critical fish spawning areas.  The restoration project will also benefit migratory birds such as the Canada warbler, olive sided flycatcher and American woodcock.  As outlined in Best Management Practices developed for the area, reforestation is critical to restoring the health of Wisconsin’s Lake Superior tributaries, and this project adds another piece to the Whittlesey Creek restoration puzzle. 

 

Butcher Knife Habitat Restoration Project
The Butcher Knife Stream and wetland complex cuts across the remote southwest corner of the Red Lake Indian Reservation in northwest Minnesota, and outlets into a channelized portion of the Clearwater River, which forms the southwest boundary of the Reservation.  The lower 4 to 5 miles of Butcher Knife Creek includes 4 shallow lakes 15 to 100 acres in size, which are referred to as the Butcher Knife Chain.  Historical accounts suggest that habitats associated with this drainage attracted large numbers of migrating and breeding waterfowl, due to abundant stands of wild rice and adjacent upland grassland nesting cover.  Channelization of the Clearwater River in the 1960's, extensive beaver activity, and lack of fire and other natural disturbance have altered the hydrology of this portion of the drainage and allowed upland sites to become over-mature.  These factors reduced the capacity of the drainage to support natural stands of wild rice, as well as the overall utility and attractiveness of the site to waterfowl and other wildlife.

This project restored the natural hydrology in the lower reaches of the creek and associated wetlands, and restored local habitats in an effort to increase use by waterfowl. Restoration efforts were undertaken in the stream channel along the lower 2.5 miles of the drainage, restoring a more natural water regime to approximately 200 acres of riverine/wetland habitat.   Natural strain of wild rice was seeded into select sites, and 50 waterfowl nesting structures were built and will be monitored.  Approximately 25 acres of upland were cleared and restored to an appropriate grassland mixture, and public access to select areas was improved. Working in partnership with the Red Lake Tribe and the Bureau of Indian Affairs – Circle of Flight Program, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Ashland Fish & Wildlife Conservation Office was involved in the project through the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program.  The restoration and enhancement efforts undertaken by this project have improved a large amount of habitat for the benefit of Service trust resources such as migratory waterfowl and songbirds. 

 

Oronto Creek Fish Habitat and Watershed Protection Project
The Oronto Creek project was completed early this summer with the help of many Lake Superior watershed partners.  The large and complex project stabilized 650 feet of catastrophically failing bank on Oronto Creek in Iron County, Wisconsin.  Oronto Creek is a Lake Superior tributary and hosts a population of native brook as well as other important recreational fishing species such as brown and rainbow trout.  The project took place approximately 1/3 of a mile from Oronto Creek’s confluence with Lake Superior and had the added benefit of protecting many acres of mature riparian forest habitat important to migratory birds.

Past land use practices had destabilized the project area, so the landowner, Iron County Land and Water Conservation Department, Iron County, Wisconsin Department of Agriculture – Trade and Consumer Protection, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) partnered to fix the problem.  The Service’s Ashland National Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office worked through the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program to provide coordination, funding and technical assistance.  Working together, the banks were stabilized to prevent siltation of instream and Lake Superior habitat.  To further benefit fish and the Lake Superior watershed, stream barbs were incorporated into the stabilization to provide fish habitat and bank protection.  Local contractor, Ross Peterson Construction of Hurley, Wisconsin, was hired to complete the project and a Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program Habitat Development Agreement was signed with the landowner to protect the project for a period of 10 years. 

 

Whittlesey Creek Farm Wetland Project Completed
Construction has finished on the Whittlesey Creek Farm Wetland Project.  This Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program (PFWP) project consists of one wetland restoration site with a total of ¼ of an acre.  The site is strategically located in the Whittlesey Creek priority watershed and will hopefully open the door to working with the landowner on further fish and wildlife habitat projects in the future.  The project will provide habitat for species such as mallards, wood ducks and blue-winged teal.  A PFWP Wetland Development Agreement was signed to protect the project site for a period of 10 years.  After the design was completed, the construction contract was awarded to Ashland Construction of Ashland, Wisconsin.  The landowner contributed to the success of this project through assisting with equipment operation and seeding.