By Topf Wells
With Jim Hess providing leadership and logistics, SWTU had another successful work day on Saturday, 11/2. About 15-20 of us planted oaks and cut willows for different reasons but one purpose, to improve the health of two trout streams.
One task was to plant 40-45 swamp white oaks on three permanent Dane County easements on Kittleson Creek from a bit upstream of the CTH H bridge downstream to the STH 78 bridge. About 10 years ago this stream had been fully restored. The starting point of that project was to clear hundreds of box elders from the stream corridor. The oaks provide a more stable, long-lived source of shade for the stream and are a tremendous source of invertebrate life. These oaks will also allow for the growth of stream bank -stabilizing and wildlife supporting native grasses and flowers. They will be gorgeous. The landowners of these properties were quite happy to have the oaks planted. I hope I love long enough to catch a few trout under their branches; I’d be willing to sacrifice a few flies to do so.
The second project was to cut and treat dense stands of young willow on Pleasant Valley Creek upstream of the second CTH H bridge. This is an extremely important headwater stream of Kittleson and supports an excellent population of trout. While cutting the willows improves the fishability of the stream the more important reason to control them is to remove a prime beaver attraction. As a great, now retired DNR fish biologist once told me, “Willows are beaver candy.” While beavers are very cool and industrious, their dams can be major problems on SW Wisconsin trout streams, leading to warming water, sedimentation, and obstacles to fish movement. Our SWTU volunteers cleared and treated all the problematic willows on a couple of hundred feet of stream.
This was a tough work day. Winter has arrived when a howling south wind is bitterly cold. Fields were wet. We had to divide into small work groups in order to finish all the work properly. To plant and protect the oaks properly, we had to carry in fence posts, fencing, and additional top soil as well as planting the trees. Since the trees were scattered across three easements that meant covering lots of ground several times. The willows were extremely dense and made for tough work.
Jim placed the oaks superbly. You’ll find them on bends and runs that could obviously use some more shade.
Lots of thanks for this project. Funds for the project came via a grant from the Friends of Dane County Parks (Jim wrote a great grant application). The trees are from the Dane County nursery– huge thanks to Adam Alves, the Dane County Forester. As always, thanks to Sara Riggelman for help with planning the project and granting the County’s permission. Curt Diehl of the Dane County Land and Water Resources Department was a stalwart worker all morning. We were joined by another great volunteer to whom the Chapter owes thanks on several counts: Mike Hasburgh, Pat’s father. He brush cut the area for many of the trees and planted a bunch and helped raise a wonderful son!
Will someone please invite Autumn to return for a few weeks?
Workday report 2: Snow in the air, oaks in the ground
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Last Updated: November 6, 2019 by Drew Kasel
By Topf Wells
With Jim Hess providing leadership and logistics, SWTU had another successful work day on Saturday, 11/2. About 15-20 of us planted oaks and cut willows for different reasons but one purpose, to improve the health of two trout streams.
One task was to plant 40-45 swamp white oaks on three permanent Dane County easements on Kittleson Creek from a bit upstream of the CTH H bridge downstream to the STH 78 bridge. About 10 years ago this stream had been fully restored. The starting point of that project was to clear hundreds of box elders from the stream corridor. The oaks provide a more stable, long-lived source of shade for the stream and are a tremendous source of invertebrate life. These oaks will also allow for the growth of stream bank -stabilizing and wildlife supporting native grasses and flowers. They will be gorgeous. The landowners of these properties were quite happy to have the oaks planted. I hope I love long enough to catch a few trout under their branches; I’d be willing to sacrifice a few flies to do so.
The second project was to cut and treat dense stands of young willow on Pleasant Valley Creek upstream of the second CTH H bridge. This is an extremely important headwater stream of Kittleson and supports an excellent population of trout. While cutting the willows improves the fishability of the stream the more important reason to control them is to remove a prime beaver attraction. As a great, now retired DNR fish biologist once told me, “Willows are beaver candy.” While beavers are very cool and industrious, their dams can be major problems on SW Wisconsin trout streams, leading to warming water, sedimentation, and obstacles to fish movement. Our SWTU volunteers cleared and treated all the problematic willows on a couple of hundred feet of stream.
This was a tough work day. Winter has arrived when a howling south wind is bitterly cold. Fields were wet. We had to divide into small work groups in order to finish all the work properly. To plant and protect the oaks properly, we had to carry in fence posts, fencing, and additional top soil as well as planting the trees. Since the trees were scattered across three easements that meant covering lots of ground several times. The willows were extremely dense and made for tough work.
Jim placed the oaks superbly. You’ll find them on bends and runs that could obviously use some more shade.
Lots of thanks for this project. Funds for the project came via a grant from the Friends of Dane County Parks (Jim wrote a great grant application). The trees are from the Dane County nursery– huge thanks to Adam Alves, the Dane County Forester. As always, thanks to Sara Riggelman for help with planning the project and granting the County’s permission. Curt Diehl of the Dane County Land and Water Resources Department was a stalwart worker all morning. We were joined by another great volunteer to whom the Chapter owes thanks on several counts: Mike Hasburgh, Pat’s father. He brush cut the area for many of the trees and planted a bunch and helped raise a wonderful son!
Will someone please invite Autumn to return for a few weeks?
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