1990s Habitat Projects

July - August 1999 - Spring Lake Outlet

Brook trout spawning gravel addition.  Sixty yards of brook trout-sized gravel were deposited on the east shore of the river immediately downstream of Spring Lake.  Terry Kohler’s property was used for transfer and loading of gravel.  Roger Anderson loaded wheel barrows and gravel was dumped into sport yaks off Kohler’s dock.

Click for Spring Lake photos. To see a video of this work, click on Spring Lake.

August 1998 - Upstream from Hwy B (Winneboujou) Bridge

Added 30 yards of ½ to 1 ½ inches gravel upstream of Hwy B bridge.  Four more humps were created adjacent to 1997 project.  Gravel was loaded into sport yaks from the canoe landing and transported downstream.

Click for Hwy B Bridge photos.

August 1998 - Big Lake Brook Trout Spawning Habitat Improvement

Removed larger rock to open up potential spawning sites near 3 points along the east shoreline and then added brook trout size gravel.

Click for Big Lake photos.

August 1997 - Upstream from Hwy B (Winneboujou) Bridge

15 yards of ½ to 1 ½ inch gravel were added just upstream of Winneboujou Hwy B bridge.  Three larges gravel humps were created.  Gravel was loaded into sport yaks from the canoe landing and transported downstream.

Click for Hwy B Bridge photos.

August 1997 - Downstream from Stone's Bridge

Maintained the 3 spawning sites downstream of Stone’s bridge and rebuilt a fourth wing deflector site further downstream for future gravel addition.

Click for Stone's Bridge photos.

August 1996 - West Fork of the Brule River

Club built 2 additional brook trout spawning structures on West Fork at Hwy P downstream of the original one built in 1994.  One was 83’ long and the other 60’.  More than 10 yards of rip rap was added to narrow stream and 30-40 yards of brook trout-sized gravel was placed in the stream.  All materials were hauled by wheelbarrow down a planked path from a roadside location across Highway P.

Click for West Fork of the Brule photos.

July and August 1995 - Downstream from Stone's Bridge

Improved 3 existing wing deflector sites built in the 1940’s downstream of Stone’s bridge with existing rock from the river.  River was narrowed to increase velocities, and gravel was added to create trout spawning riffles.

Click for Stone's Bridge photos.

August and September 1995 - Build Mott's Ravine Wings and support Air National Guard Helicopter Spawning Gravel Drops

August - Club members built rock wing deflectors to prepare Mott's Ravine Bend site for later spawning gravel delivery by Air National Guard.  Rock near the site was used to narrow the 75' section of river to 16’.

September - Club members provided support for 3 local National Guard ground units (Ashland, Hayward, and Superior) and the Madison Air National Guard helicopter unit to deliver spawning gravel to 8 very remote locations on the Upper Brule to create spawning habitat.  Sites and amount of gravel delivered:

Three sites downstream of Hwy P on the West Fork for brook and brown trout, 14 yards
Forks of West and East branch for brown trout, 10 yards
Three sites upstream of Swamp Angel on mainstem for brown trout, 15 yards
Swamp Angel Creek for brook trout, 2 yards
Little Swamp Angel Creek for brook trout, 2 yards
Mott’s Ravine, 40 yards

Click for Gravel Drop photos.

August 1994 - West Fork of the Brule

Project is located adjacent to the Highway P parking lot on the West Fork of the Brule.  All materials were stockpiled in the roadside lot and hand-carried in plastic buckets to the habitat site.  Spawning habitat project (55” long) placed 15 yards of rip rap to narrow stream and then added 8 yards of brook trout gravel (¼ to ½ inch).

Click for West Fork of the Brule photos.