A Wonderful year for Stony Brook and Trout in the Classroom
At the October 15th fall trout plant in Stony Brook, the WDNR fish biologist Angelo Cazzola demonstrated electro shocking for the TIC students at Chilton schools. Angelo stated that trout measured and recorded have survived 4 years and are naturally reproducing in Stony Book. The Students enjoyed this news and the day, while receiving fly-casting instructions by Dennis Johnson, and demos of WAV Stream Monitoring procedures by WAV monitors who are members of the Friends of Stony Brook and Central Wisconsin TU’s “Riverkeepers”.
The students were also told the water temperatures and Dissolved Oxygen were monitored weekly at 7 locations along the length of Stony Brook from May thru October. Despite this exceptionally warm and dry summer, both attributes were within acceptable standards for trout survival. Angelo also indicated he electo-shocked a mile upstream and ½ mile downstream and the largest and most concentration of trout were in the area of our stream improvements.
To date, over 3,000 brown and brook trout have been raised and planted by over 1000 students. These students have experienced an education only Trout In the Classroom can provide. I call Stony Brook, “The Students Laboratory in the Field”. Thier view of Stony Brook Improvements has added to their appreciation of what a collaborated effort can do to restore our environment.
With an extension of time given by the WDNR a total of 1000 feet of Stony Brook has been restored to a healthy trout steam. In the total length of this section a relatively straight steam, it now has a continuous meander with luncker structures or deflector logs at each bend with intermediate runs and riffles. Midway of this stretch of Stony Brook, a field crossing of 2-36” culverts were replaced with a 12’6” bottomless culvert. 12’6” Bottomless culverts were also replaced at an upstream driveway and Long Road in 2022 and 2021.
Next May the Friends of Stony Brook will be starting and completing another 1000 feet of stream restoration of Stony Brook. This work is converting Stony Brook from a” highway ditch” to a meandering stream. This improvement has been designed, permit approved and completely funded by the Fund For Lake Michigan, the WDNR, NRCS and the landowners Tony and Teresa Hahn.
I would like to remind the reader that Trout in the Classroom was responsible for exposing 1000 students to the rearing of trout, the negative impact man has had on the environment and the methods available of how to restore it, all the while the students were exposed to the mission of Trout Unlimited and Trout Fishing. I am sure some of the students and their parents will become members of Trout Unlimited and add support to our endeavors.
If you are interested in becoming a member of the Friends of Stony Brook, please contact Joe Bach at 820 570 2632 or joebach1g@gmail.com
Article written by Joe Bach, Past President Fox Valley Trout Unlimited