Wisconsin Council of Trout Unlimited NONPROFIT ORG. 2515 Bigler Circle U.S. POSTAGE News and Views from Wisconsin Trout Unlimited Verona, WI 53593 PAID wicouncil.tu.org PERMIT NO. 1 MADISON, WI Wisconsin Trout Winter 2017 It’s WITU Banquet time! By Mike Kuhr, Council Vice-Chair encouraged. This event is open to and 2017 Banquet Committee Chair the public, so please consider bring- ing family, friends, co-workers and The 2017 Annual Meeting and neighbors. All are welcome. State Council Banquet on Saturday, Doors will open at 4:30 p.m. and February 4 is almost here. Please there will be plenty of time to so- save the date and plan to join us in cialize, visit the cash bar or simply Oshkosh. We will once again return peruse the bucket raffle and silent to the Best Western Waterfront Ho- auction prizes. Dinner seating will tel and Convention Center. begin at 6:30 p.m. After dinner we’ll This location has served us well hold a live auction for several differ- in past years and we’re looking for- ent fishing trips with some of the ward to coming back in February. A top guides and destinations in the limited block of rooms has been set state. We’ll also take time to recog- aside for both Friday and Saturday nize some of the best conservation- nights. Call the hotel at 855-230- ists around with a short awards 1900 to make your room reserva- program. The evening will finish Oberstadts The tions today. Tell them you’re in town with the announcement of our silent for the Trout Unlimited Banquet. auction and bucket raffle winners. AWARDS AWAITING WORTHY RECIPIENTS The banquet is our Council’s big- The Council would like to thank The most important part of the annual WITU banquet is the awards program, gest fundraiser of the year. The ban- all of the chapters and individuals which recognizes our most important volunteers and supporters. Seen here at quet’s success will allow the Council who donate prizes for the event. last year’s banquet are various awards, including the Clint Byrnes-created Gold to continue serving local chapters, Your generosity makes for a suc- Net Award...as well as many well-fed and happy attendees. fund programs like the Youth Camp cessful banquet and unforgettable and Stream Girls, and help adminis- evening for our guests. This year During the meeting the State ing at the hotel on Friday night. ter our Friends of Wisconsin TU we’ve assembled more than $10,000 Council is sponsoring a free Wom- Contact Heidi for details. and Watershed Access Fund grant worth of prizes, and we’re eager to en’s Fly Fishing Clinic for beginners An event of this scale simply programs. give them away! from 9:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. A lunch wouldn’t happen without the efforts Tickets are $35 each (See the ad Chapter leaders should plan on will be provided. Space is limited of Banquet Committee members in this issue of Wisconsin Trout). attending the State Council meeting and RSVP required. Contact Heidi Bill Heart, Heidi Oberstadt, Henry You may also purchase tickets on- earlier in the day to discuss Council Oberstadt at heidi.ober- Koltz, Jim Wierzba, Linn Beck, Paul line at http://witu.bpt.me. While we business. The meeting will start [email protected]. These types of Kruse and Todd Franklin. We’re fo- do plan for a few walk-ups every promptly at 9 a.m. and run until 2 programs are a great way to intro- cused on planning a fun, entertain- year, ordering tickets in advance or p.m. Please RSVP to Council Chair duce trout stream ecology and the ing and successful banquet. We making arrangements to pay at the Linn Beck if you plan on attending importance of TU’s conservation hope you’ll join us in Oshkosh on door by sending an RSVP to the meeting so we can prepare for work to a new audience. February 4 to celebrate cold, clean, [email protected] are highly lunch. There is also a women’s gather- fishable water in Wisconsin. Mudsnails found in second Wisconsin stream The invasive New Zealand mud- have volunteer stream monitors equipment, including waders, nets snail (Potamopyrgus antipodarum) across the state who collect data for and fishing gear; was recently discovered in Badger dissolved oxygen, pH, phosphorus, REMOVE any attached aquatic Mill Creek near Verona. macroinvertebrates (insects, snails plants or animals before launching, It was initially identified by a and mussels) and other water quali- after loading and before transport- Madison Metropolitan Sewerage ty indicators. There is a strong net- ing on a public highway; District monitor, provided quickly work of monitors in Dane and DRAIN all water from boats and to the Wisconsin Department of Green Counties, which includes the equipment; Natural Resources and verified by a Sugar River and streams that feed NEVER MOVE live fish away taxonomic expert. Black Earth into it. DNR anticipates working from a waterbody. Creek and Badger Mill Creek are with partners on continued moni- People who wade streams for any the only two inland streams in Wis- toring and outreach to inform those reason can also use a brush to scrub consin that are currently known to who visit streams regularly, includ- their boots and waders, then freeze have populations of the snail. ing anglers and the general public. their gear or place in water of at The New Zealand mudsnail es- Stream anglers, volunteer and least 120 degrees to further reduce tablishes large populations, outcom- professional water quality monitors the risk of transporting New Zea- petes native stream insects that and paddlers play an important role land mudsnails to other streams. serve as food for fish and changes in preventing the spread of the New By performing these preventive nutrient flows in streams. It is uncer- Zealand mudsnail. All water users actions, water users can protect our tain what impacts this invasive spe- are reminded to follow the Stop waters and stop the spread of this cies will have on streams in Aquatic Hitchhikers guidance of: and other invasive species. Wisconsin. INSPECT your boat, trailer, and —DNR sources The discovery was made during a routine biological sampling conduct- ed by the sewerage district on Bad- ger Creek at the Highway 69 bridge crossing. Badger Mill Creek, which In this issue... begins in the town of Middleton, re- Dan Gustafson, Dan Gustafson, USFWS ceives effluent from sewage outfall near Badger Prairie in Verona. Reg- “Trout economy” is signficant. p.6 CLOSED OPERCULUM ular monitoring helps the Madison NE crews completing miles of stream work . p. 10 New Zealand mudsnails can close sewerage district gauge the effects Wild Trout Symposium in Yellowstone . p. 20 their operculum and survive out of of its discharge on the creek. water, or inside a fish, for durations. In addition to monitoring by the Why TU is replacing culverts . p. 23 sewerage district and DNR stream Anglers, the most likely culprits in biologists in the Upper Sugar River Driftless Rambler column . p. 26 the spread of these snails, must play watershed that includes Badger Mill Banquet ticket information. p. 27 an increasing role in their control. Creek, Wisconsin is fortunate to PagePage 2 Wisconsin Trout WinterJuly 2017 2006 Wisconsin TU Chapters, Presidents, and Websites Aldo Leopold (#375): Scott Allen, E4835 N Stoney Ridge Road, Reedsburg, WI 53959; (608) 495-1482; [email protected]; aldoleopold.tu.org Antigo (#313): Scott Henricks, 213 Mary St., Antigo, WI 54409-2536 (715) 623-3867; [email protected] WILD RIVERS Blackhawk (#390): Terry Vaughn; 4710 E. Creek Road, Beloit, WI 53511; (608) 362-4295; [email protected]; Bayfield Douglas NORTHWOODS www.BlackhawkTU.org Central Wisconsin (#117): Michael San Dretto; 467 Hawthorne St., Iron Ashland Neenah 54956 (920) 722-8478; [email protected]; cwtu.org, Vilas Coulee Region (#278): Curt Rees; W5190 Birchwood Lane, La- Burnett Washburn Crosse, WI 54601; [email protected] Sawyer Price Florence www.CouleeRegionTU.org Oneida Forest Fox Valley (#193): Tom Lager, 1700 Spring Hill Ct., Neenah, WI MARINETTE Polk Rusk 54956 (920) 540-9194; [email protected]; Barron Marinette www.foxvalleytu.org ANTIGO GREEN BAY Lincoln Frank Hornberg (#624): Matt Salchert, 1800 Minnesota Ave., Ste- Taylor Langlade WOLF vens Point, WI 54481 (715) 321-1394; [email protected]; RIVER St. Croix Chippewa www.Hornberg-TU.org Dunn WISCONSIN Menominee RIVER VALLEY Oconto Green Bay (#083): Adrian Meseberg, 315 South Michigan Street, OCONTO WI CLEAR Marathon DePere, WI 54115 (920) 562-6129; [email protected]; green- Shawano RIVER Clark WATERS Door baytu.org Pierce Eau Claire SHAW-PACA Kewaunee Harry & Laura Nohr (#257): Tim Fraley, 2 Pagham Court, Madison, Pepin Wood Waupaca WI 53719; hm:(608) 271-1733; c:(608)220-0762; Portage Buffalo Outagamie Brown FOX [email protected]; www.NohrTU.org Jackson FRANK HORNBERG VALLEY Kiap-TU-Wish (#168): Tom Schnadt, 2174 Commonwealth Ave., St. Trempealeau Manitowoc Waushara Winnebago Paul, MN 55108; 651-245-5163; [email protected]; KIAP-TU-WISH Calumet LAKESHORE Adams CENTRAL www.kiaptuwish.org Monroe La Crosse Juneau WISCONSIN Marquette Lakeshore (#423): Gordy Martin, N7601 Royal and Ancient Dr., Sheboygan Green Elkhart Lake, WI 53020; [email protected]; Lake Fond du Lac www.WisconsinTU.org/Lakeshore Vernon ALDO LEOPOLD Marinette (#422): Dale Lange, N2095 CTH BB, Marinette, WI Dodge Ozaukee Columbia 54143; 715-582-1135; [email protected], marinettecoun- Richland Sauk Washington ty.tu.org. Crawford Northwoods (#256): Jay N. Joppa; 8570 Oak Park Circle, Minocqua, COULEE Dane SOUTHEASTERN Jefferson Waukesha Milwaukee WI 54548; (715) 499-1022; [email protected]; north- REGION Iowa WISCONSIN Grant SOUTHERN WISCONSIN woods.tu.org Oconto River (#385): Tom Klatt; 1677 Forest Glen Drive Green Bay, Rock Walworth Racine Lafayette Green WI 54304 (920) 621-9266; [email protected]; ocontorivertu.com HARRY & Kenosha Shaw-Paca (#381): Nate Sipple, 931 E.