“This deeper water will be more attractive to trout and easier to fish,” MacFarland said. “The bundles will also provide a home for trout where they are able to hide from predators, darting in and out of their hiding places to feed. Kids will have an easier time fishing from the shore or from one of the several piers.”
Just downstream of the Wabeno Elementary School, crews are removing the remnants of an old mill dam. The dam was one of three that were partially removed in the early 1950s at the urging of the Nicolet Sportsman’s Club in an effort to improve brook trout fishing on the river by eliminating the mill ponds that warmed the water and degraded water quality.
Although breached, the three relic dams still negatively influence instream habitat due to their remaining sill and dike components. The remainder of these structures, including the rock abutments in the floodplain are being removed.
These activities are part of a much larger effort to restore over 2.6 miles of the river from National Forest land upstream to the Hwy C road crossing.
Earlier this summer, Trout Unlimited volunteers assisted the U.S. Forest Service in restoring more than a quarter-mile of habitat off North Branch Road.
Several other projects are slated for 2019, including the removal of mill dam remnants upstream of Cavour Street and the replacement of the Hwy C culvert.
Cumulatively, these projects will help to provide better habitat for trout and reduce water temperatures.
“Ultimately, the goal is to increase the number of naturally reproducing brook trout throughout the project area to provide Wabeno residents and visitors a thriving, sustainable fishery,” says MacFarland.
Learn more about TU’s efforts throughout the region at https://www.facebook.com/TUGreatLakes/.