A joint effort involving the U.S. Forest Service,Trout Unlimited and the Wisconsin DNR has helped improve a stretch of river near Wabeno for trout habitat.
The section is the North Branch of the Oconto River not far from Wabeno in Forest county.
Trout Unlimited Great Lakes Stream Restoration Manager Laura MacFarland outlines how the habitat was restored...
"...We did that by narrowing the stream, by installing bundles of alder along the sides of the stream, by the banks and also by adding large wood structures on the edges of the river to provide some nooks and crannies for trout to hide from predators..."
U.S. Forest Service wildlife biologist Tom Moris said they looked at the watershed with an eye toward benefiting the local fisheries. Moris says this effort and a previous effort will improve a stretch of river not well known for large trout populations. He says increasing the speed of the river will create colder water which trout need.
He also says the added structures will help preserve fishable populations...
"...provide structure and hiding cover for brook trout. If a family of river otters comes through there, they are eating machines. If the trout don't have somewhere to hide and tuck into they're easily preyed on by otters, mink, kingfishers, Great Blue Herons and such..."
Moris says this region has many of the state's cold water resources. He says the waterways are still recovering from logging practices 100 years ago. Back then they floated logs down the rivers, and in so doing, removed the woody habitat from the rivers and sediment filled in the pools and gravel needed for fish spawning.
