By Topf Wells
TUDARE is a regional stream restoration program in the Driftless Area (W WI, SE MN, NE IA) operated by national TU. It has functioned for a couple of decades.
At least as of 2014, TUDARE stream restorations in WI had to have permanent public access. An advisory council of TU representatives from chapters in the Driftless Area provided some guidance to the program.
Last year TUDARE and national TU announced a major restoration on Fancy Creek, an excellent trout stream in Richland County a few miles north of Richland Center. The restoration covers 1000s of feet of stream and will also involve the restoration of a big part of the Fancy Creek Marsh, drained in the 1950s. It does NOT have a provision for public, permanent fishing access.
This has created a significant controversy in WI TU. Most of the TU members I’ve talked to about this project were surprised, shocked and unhappy that the project lacked access. TUDARE officials have defended and publicized the project as having great conservation value.
While some of the discussion centers in Fancy Creek, much concerns the underlying TUDARE policy of not requiring permanent public access on its WI projects. A discussion of both issues will occur at the State Council meeting in February in Oshkosh.
Some questions seem worth asking, regardless of one’s opinion of current policy:
When and why did the TUDARE policy change?
When and why was the Advisory Council disbanded?
What is the role of national TU staff in TUDARE?
Proponents of the current policy note that because TUDARE is a national program it does not have to abide by the State Council policy that neither State Council nor WI TU chapters funds or volunteers can be used on stream restoration projects without permanent public access. Such funds are not being used for Fancy Creek. More importantly, they note that stream restoration projects can improve water quality, habitat, and trout populations in other parts of the stream or watershed. Opponents question why TUDARE should not observe the WI TU principle of public access on WI projects. They believe that projects such as Fancy Creek will make it more difficult to persuade landowners to agree to public access as part of a stream restoration. They are concerned that a stream restoration without cost to a landowner or public access is too great a private benefit to that landowner.
The SWTU Board discussed this matter at some length at our January Board Meeting. Topf Wells, SWTU President, and MIchael Williamson, SWTU Representative to State Council, will attend the Oshkosh meeting. Among the ideas and resolutions to be discussed is one that would create a task force to study this issue thoroughly and fairly and present recommendations to State Council in the relatively near future. The sense of the SWTU Board is that this is probably the best option at this point.
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Posted: February 2, 2026 by Drew Kasel
TUDARE: A Brief History and Summary of Discussions About Stream Access
By Topf Wells
TUDARE is a regional stream restoration program in the Driftless Area (W WI, SE MN, NE IA) operated by national TU. It has functioned for a couple of decades.
At least as of 2014, TUDARE stream restorations in WI had to have permanent public access. An advisory council of TU representatives from chapters in the Driftless Area provided some guidance to the program.
Last year TUDARE and national TU announced a major restoration on Fancy Creek, an excellent trout stream in Richland County a few miles north of Richland Center. The restoration covers 1000s of feet of stream and will also involve the restoration of a big part of the Fancy Creek Marsh, drained in the 1950s. It does NOT have a provision for public, permanent fishing access.
This has created a significant controversy in WI TU. Most of the TU members I’ve talked to about this project were surprised, shocked and unhappy that the project lacked access. TUDARE officials have defended and publicized the project as having great conservation value.
While some of the discussion centers in Fancy Creek, much concerns the underlying TUDARE policy of not requiring permanent public access on its WI projects. A discussion of both issues will occur at the State Council meeting in February in Oshkosh.
Some questions seem worth asking, regardless of one’s opinion of current policy:
When and why did the TUDARE policy change?
When and why was the Advisory Council disbanded?
What is the role of national TU staff in TUDARE?
Proponents of the current policy note that because TUDARE is a national program it does not have to abide by the State Council policy that neither State Council nor WI TU chapters funds or volunteers can be used on stream restoration projects without permanent public access. Such funds are not being used for Fancy Creek. More importantly, they note that stream restoration projects can improve water quality, habitat, and trout populations in other parts of the stream or watershed. Opponents question why TUDARE should not observe the WI TU principle of public access on WI projects. They believe that projects such as Fancy Creek will make it more difficult to persuade landowners to agree to public access as part of a stream restoration. They are concerned that a stream restoration without cost to a landowner or public access is too great a private benefit to that landowner.
The SWTU Board discussed this matter at some length at our January Board Meeting. Topf Wells, SWTU President, and MIchael Williamson, SWTU Representative to State Council, will attend the Oshkosh meeting. Among the ideas and resolutions to be discussed is one that would create a task force to study this issue thoroughly and fairly and present recommendations to State Council in the relatively near future. The sense of the SWTU Board is that this is probably the best option at this point.
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