South Pine and West Branch French creeks in northeastern Iowa were named among the “10 Waters to Watch” by the National Fish Habitat Board, a group of the nation’s leading authorities on aquatic conservation.
South Pine and West Branch French creeks are featured on the list as they demonstrate the collaborative conservation efforts of the National Fish Habitat Action Plan, a bold new initiative to reverse persistent declines in the quality of our nation’s aquatic habitat.
South Pine and West Branch French Creek are among only four Iowa streams with consistent natural reproduction of wild brook trout. Both are quality trout streams nestled in the Upper Iowa River watershed. The work completed on these two priority streams will reduce sediment, improve substrate and water quality and enhance habitat for trout and other coldwater species.
“ Together, all of these projects under the National Fish Habitat Action Plan mark the beginning of an unprecedented effort to reverse the decline of aquatic habitats for fish and wildlife,” said Louise Mauldin coordinator for South Pine and West Branch and fishery biologist at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services La Crosse, Wis., Fishery Resources Office.
South Pine and West Branch French creeks were chosen among the 10 to watch due to work to engage many partners. In August 2006, 25 volunteers gathered at South Pine Creek to install bankhides and plant native vegetation along two sections of streambank. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources and volunteers from the Hawkeye Fly Fishing Association, Trout Unlimited Driftless Area Chapter, FWS, and Friends of the Upper Mississippi River Fishery Services were involved in this on-the-ground effort to help stop eroding banks, a problem along portions of this 3-mile stream. Recently planted native vegetation will help stabilize the banks, improve overhead cover for brook trout and reduce sediment inputs to the stream.
The waters highlighted on the list range from Maine to Alaska and from Idaho to Mississippi. The “10 Waters to Watch” are the following:
Moose Creek, Alaska: The Moose Creek project will include 1,500 feet of creek restoration and 9 miles of improved fish passage fish passage
Fish passage is the ability of fish or other aquatic species to move freely throughout their life to find food, reproduce, and complete their natural migration cycles. Millions of barriers to fish passage across the country are fragmenting habitat and leading to species declines. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Fish Passage Program is working to reconnect watersheds to benefit both wildlife and people.
Learn more about fish passage for salmon and many other important species. Contact Jessica Dryden for more information at 907/745-0737.
Bear Wallow Creek, Arizona: This project will remove fish barriers and restore 1.8 miles instream habitat for Apache trout and many other important species. For more information, please contact Jeremy Voletz at 928/338-4288.
Badger Creek, Idaho: This project will restore5 miles of fish access for bull trout and many other important species. For more information, please contact Kim Goodman at 208/552-0891.
South Pine and West Branch French creeks: This project will reduce sediment inputs to two streams in the Upper Iowa River watershed by restoring 1,000 feet of riparian riparian
Definition of riparian habitat or riparian areas.
Learn more about riparian corridor and in-stream habitat for brook trout, slimy and mottled sculpin and the associated coldwater community. For more information, please contact Louise Mauldin at 608/783-8407.
South Bog Stream, Maine: This project will restore 2.1 miles of instream habitat, completing restoration of the entire 3 miles of Sough Bog Stream. This restoration aids the Eastern brook trout, as well as many other important species. For more information, please contact Maureen Gallagher 276/376-4597.
Pascagoula River, Mississippi: Through restoration of 1 acre of tidal marsh habitat in the Bennett Bayou Marsh, which had been impacted by Hurricane Katrina and urban development, this project will benefit multiple Gulf species, including red drum, brown and white shrimp, Gulf sturgeon, speckled trout and Atlantic croaker, among others. For more information, please contact Judy Steckler at 228/436-9191.
Upper Duck River, Tennessee: This joint project will restore more than 3 miles of riparian habitat along Big Rock Creek within the Duck River Basin for a variety of native fish and mussel species. For more information contact Leslie Colley 931/840-8881
Smith Creek, Virginia: This project will focus on restoring the creek’s headwaters and includes restoration of 8 miles of new fish access, 3.5 miles of riparian habitat, 1.7 miles of instream habitat and 65 acres upland habitat for the Eastern brook trout and many other important species. For more information, please contact Maureen Gallagher at 276/376-4597.
Upper Browns River, Vermont: This project will focus on riparian restoration, including 2 miles of stream frontage for the Eastern brook trout and other species. For more information, please contact Chris Smith at 802/872-0629.
LaBarge Creek, Wyoming: The many partners working on the LaBarge Creek project are removing non-native species and helping to protect 58 miles of instream habitat for the recovery of native Colorado cutthroat trout populations. For more information, please contact Dirk Miller at 307/777-4559.
These 10 waters are bringing together community groups, non-profit organizations, local watershed groups, Native American tribes and state and federal agencies to plant stream-side vegetation, remove structures blocking fish from accessing habitat and protect rivers from agriculture runoff. The idea is to provide clean water and robust, healthy habitats for the many fish and wildlife species and people who call these areas home.
The National Fish Habitat Action Plan currently supports 40 local, grassroots-driven projects, like those on the Waters to Watch list, as well as national efforts to identify the root causes of aquatic habitat declines, identify and implement corrective actions, and measure and communicate its progress. To date, the hundreds of partners signed on in support of the Action Plan to include a range of organizations interested in the health of the nation’s fisheries, including fishing clubs, international conservation organizations, federal agencies, angling industries and academia.
Projects in the 10 Waters to Watch are being coordinated through five “National Fish Habitat Partnerships” and organized as regional-scale efforts to implement the Action Plan. These regional Partnerships are currently “pilots” that include the Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership, Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture, the Western Native Trout Initiative, the Midwest Driftless Area Restoration Effort, and the Matanuska-Susitna Basin Salmon Conservation Partnership. The National Fish Habitat Action Plan calls for the creation of twelve or more Fish Habitat Partnerships by 2010.
The National Fish Habitat Action Plan was released to the public last spring alongside the “More Fish” campaign administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. The More Fish campaign is taking the lead in raising funds for these and other projects that complement and support the Action Plan. Information about the campaign can be found at http://www.morefish.org.
Fore more information about, and a complete look at the National Fish Habitat Action Plan, visit http://www.fishhabitat.org.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 96-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses 545 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resources offices and 81 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign and Native American tribal governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Assistance program, which distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.
