Projects – 2020
With the generous support from the Brunswick Public Foundation, four conservation projects were funded in 2020.
Blue River Restoration Project
The Harry and Laura Nohr Chapter of Trout Unlimited will restore almost two miles of trout habitat along a stretch of Wisconsin’s Blue River, a class II trout stream. The project will provide natural in-stream cover and promote natural trout reproduction; reduce erosion and silt build-up; and pare back excessive overhead tree cover. During the winter months, they have been assembling additional matching funding from the Wisconsin DNR, other TU chapters and local environmental organizations while finalizing plans and permitting. As warmer weather approaches, they will commence work on the upper reaches of the Blue and on a stream that feeds into the Blue at the upstream end of this project area.
Lake Namakagon Fish Stick Project
The Namakagon Lake Association of Cable, Wisconsin, received funding for its “Lake Namakagon Fish Stick Project.” This grassroots effort will create woody complexes near Lake Namakagon’s shoreline which will improve walleye habitat as part of a larger walleye habitat restoration project. To date, they have completed eight out of the nine planned Fish Stick complexes.
San Juan Islands Marine Debris Removal
The Puget Soundkeeper Alliance, located in Seattle, Wash., will use its funds to remove marine debris from the shorelines of the San Juan Islands area of the Salish Sea as well as marine debris and garbage throughout the San Juan Islands waters. Staff, volunteers and partners will remove the debris brought in by the large winter storms. Over the winter, planning and coordinating has occurred to establish specific dates (based on the tides) for local partners (Washington Coast Savers and North Sound Baykeeper) to participate. Materials needed for the collection efforts such as data sheets, safety briefings, outreach material, etc. have been produced. In mid-late March, Puget Soundkeeper and Aquatics Research and Monitoring will venture out on their vessel for the first day around the San Juan Islands picking up marine pollution with additional dates to follow.
Florida Keys Sponge Restoration
The Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership, a subchapter of the National Fish Habitat program, will restore degraded, nearshore Florida Keys habitat with nursery-grown sponges which will encourage fisheries repopulation by grouper and snapper. In January 2020, sponge restoration sites were selected in the near-shore habitat along the north shore of Marathon, Florida and surveyed to estimate the sponge community present. Sponges that were created within three sponge nurseries were then transported to those sites. By mid-February approximately 4,000 sponges of six different species were placed on two sites. A similar number of sponges will be placed on the remaining two sites by the end of March, which will complete the initial stage of the restoration effort.
