Stream Restoration

[Quillback]

I can't remember the details, but there was quite a bit of damage. There was a habitat restoration project in 2009/2010.

[moguy1973]

Didn't they do something similar to Taney last year? Maybe not so much with the U shaped boulder formations, but using big boulders to create deeper holes to make for better trout habitat?

[mic]

Yea. Lilley posted a video somewhere.

[middletonflyfisher]

I really like the idea of instream habitat work and have seen how much good it can do on smaller streams but agree that flooding is definitely an issue. I've seen habitat structures blown out or filled in with gravel on small streams in southwest WI after only one major flood just a few years after their installation, and it takes quite a bit of time and money to install them.

MDC is open to such projects if they are feasible (can withstand flooding) and do not do more damage to the riparian corridor when accessing the stream than good, but I doubt they go at it alone. For example, bank stabilization might have to rely on bringing in materials rather than using trees from the existing corridor, but how to access the stream without doing damage to the corridor is challenging.

A fisheries biologist from the MDC gave a nice presentation at the Gateway TU meeting highlighting the many challenges to sustaining the Meramec red ribbon trout area and providing possible explanations for the lowest brown trout population since they started surveying (11/mile). One theory is that years where on-average larger trout were stocked that those classes had better survival. Recent years saw fewer trout and smaller trout stocked due to production issues, but hopefully that is sorted out and we are trending up and not dealing with some other unaccounted for variable that has limited the fishery. Of course, high summer water temperatures and major flooding events are always factors but these are things that have occurred almost yearly since the inception of the fishery.