HTU March Meeting Summary
DON’T FORGET FLY FISHING FILM FESTIVAL MARCH 19 at Pop’s Theater. Sponsored by Hiawatha TU
Meeting Notes
We were fortunate to have Jennie Biederman, MNTU’s Habitat Program director, fill us in on what’s happening on the South Branch Root River habitat project and also a bit about trying to get MNTU more invested in the Izaak Walton Save Our Streams program to monitor stream health.
The South Branch project would start just below the Lanesboro Dam and continue 3,200 feet downriver. It’s different from many other TU habitat projects because it won’t have a lot to do with in-stream work but will be more to reconnect the river with its floodplain and improve the banks. Money comes from the Legacy state funding.
It really began in 2021-22 when Steve Sobieniak, who started the Root River Rod Co., began pushing for more ways to see the river. TU got a grant in November, 2023 but it takes time to actually get the money. Also, MNDOT is pushing back its road reconstruction project on Minn. 250 until 2027 so Lanesboro won’t have two big projects at one time. The city Council gave its approval Feb. 2 and MNTU is working on permitting. Work should begin in July; it’s all on city land so there is no state aquatic management area. It will take three to four weeks to complete.
It’s unusual because it goes through a city instead of through a rural area and that adds constraints because there’s a lot of concrete and rock already along it as well as steep banks. “It will be cleaned up” and some concrete top-dressed. Some boulders will be put into the river and some trees along the banks.
There’s not much for spawning habitat and there are also smallmouth bass in the waters, she said. “It’s a very complex, unique fishery,” she said, and has a very deep pool, maybe 60 feet deep, toward the bottom of the project. Also, a lot of tubers and driftboats use that stretch. As part of the project, people will have more access to see the river, or fish it.
They will use toe-wood underwater but they have found that because of no oxygen, it lasts a very long time. Some worry that a toe-wood project near Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center portends big problems because it was damaged in a flood. But that project was done in winter and there wasn’t time to get vegetation in place when a severe flood blew through and damaged it. “I don’t think we see very much risk for that,” she said.
A total of 257 trees, 98 percent invasives such as box elder and buckthorn, will be removed. Unless they are removed, they will keep coming back. The project will plant better trees.
Once done, the contractor will take care of maintenance for three years. After that, maybe TU chapters could help.
Besides Lanesboro, MNTU will also do a project on 5,000 feet of Garvin.
She added that “permitting is taking longer and longer and longer. They once got all the money but now, get design and permit money and have to come back for construction funds.
Also, the DNR doesn’t have money to take care of invasives; chapters might have to step in to help.
SOS: The state has 69,000 miles of streams but only 30 percent of national streams are monitored; of those assessed, 55 percent are impaired for chemicals or biological problems. SOS requires people not only check chemistry but also do kick nets to get bugs that are counted. To take part, you must be trained and pass a test.
Bill Brant filled us in on the Mazeppa tire/tree planting project April 11. We will haul out about 60 old tires next to the stream and also plant some trees using dormant tree stakes. We will cut the stakes before jabbing them into the ground. Some Driftless Area Restoration Effort people might be there too to see what we’re doing.
Finally, the US 52 highway clean-up will be May 11. We pick up litter a mile before and a mile after the wayside rest along the Root River. More details later but we’ll meet at 6 p.m. AND MNDOT is requiring those volunteering need to watch a short video. I (John Weiss) have seen it and it’s worthwhile. More details later.
Upcoming Events
May – TBD
Annual US52 Trash Pickup.
Summer – TBD
Streamside Meeting / Cookout