Sept 18, 2024
LA CROSSE, Wis. – On Sept 3, 2024, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) finalized the paperwork to purchase a stream-bank easement from Mississippi Valley Conservancy to provide fishing access along a stretch of Plum Creek, a Class 1 trout stream in the Conservancy’s Plum Creek Conservation Area located just north of Wauzeka in Crawford County. This long-awaited public access for anglers was made possible by funding from the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund, which creates a 21-acre stream-bank easement along Plum Creek. By connecting to DNR land to the west and a stream-bank easement conveyed in 1968 to the east, anglers will now have 2.3 contiguous miles of fishable access along Plum Creek.
The 1611-acre Plum Creek Conservation Area (PCCA) property was purchased in 2022 by the Conservancy to implement conservation-minded agriculture practices in conjunction with creating a sanctuary for migrating birds, restoring native habitat, and improving stream quality along Plum Creek. The Conservancy is working with partners on a restoration design to re-connect the creek with the surrounding floodplain to better withstand future flooding events and to improve the health and diversity of the wetland, stream-bank, and floodplain. The DNR’s purchase of this stream-bank easement is just the beginning of a long-term partnership to mitigate flooding and restore a more diverse and healthier habitat through innovative restoration efforts along Plum Creek.
Restoration Ecologist Michael Reitz said, “The design details are still in the works, but our goal is to create more engagement with the wetlands. What began with three people talking at a meeting has now become a group of 11 or 12 people from a wide range of agencies, all working together to improve the hydrology along Plum Creek.”
According to Tracy Hames, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Wetlands Association, there is a lot of work to do. He said, “Other states have been working on strategies like this, but these methods have not been used much in SW Wisconsin so far. Our goal is to demonstrate that we can create a cost-effective, creative solution to reduce flash flooding and improve the hydrology of a stream so that this technique can be applied to other similar watersheds across the Driftless Area.”
Abbie Church, Conservation Director at the Conservancy, shared that the income from the sale of this stream-bank easement will help offset the expenses involved with the conservation activities at this property.
“As everyone knows, owning land is expensive. Mississippi Valley Conservancy paid over $9,000 in property taxes in 2023 for this site alone. Habitat management is also expensive, and as an organization supported by the donations of our members, having the added income provided by the purchase of this stream-bank easement gives us the confidence to know we have the funding necessary as we plan this floodplain restoration project,” Church said.
“We are better together, and we can’t do this alone. By bringing all of these talented individuals together who have a deeply ingrained passion for protecting the land, we are all learning and growing as we work together to develop a process that will eventually help everyone in the Driftless Area who has been affected by flash flooding.” said Carol Abrahamzon, Executive Director at the Conservancy.
Local landowners with a stream on their property may also be eligible for a stream-bank easement purchase with DNR. To learn more about qualifications, visit https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/Fishing/streambank. If qualifications are met, a member of the DNR Fisheries Department will come out to do a site visit and talk about goals for the property. If it is a good fit for both parties, they will come back with an offer to purchase a permanent stream-bank easement and potentially work to restore and enhance the stream-bank.
Kirk Olson, DNR Senior Fisheries Biologist, said, “The DNR has worked with a lot of farmers to purchase stream-bank easements, providing some supplemental income for the farmers while still allowing grazing practices to continue, improving the quality of the stream and decreasing the destructive properties of floods.”
Mississippi Valley Conservancy owns and manages over 5,000 acres in its nine-county service area. Additionally, the Conservancy has worked with landowners on over 20,000 acres for the legal protection of private lands through conservation easements.
To learn more about how to set up a conservation easement property, visit: https://www.mississippivalleyconservancy.org/land-protection/conservation-easements
For more information about the Plum Creek Conservation Area, please visit: MississippiValleyConservancy.org/protected-land, or contact Restoration Ecologist Michael Reitz at Michael@MississippiValleyConservancy.org.
ABOUT MISSISSIPPI VALLEY CONSERVANCY
Founded in 1997, Mississippi Valley Conservancy is a nationally accredited nonprofit regional land trust that has permanently protected over 25,900 acres of scenic lands in southwestern Wisconsin by working with private landowners, businesses, and local communities on voluntary conservation projects. The focus of the Conservancy is to conserve the bluffs, forests, prairies, wetlands, streams, and farms that enrich our communities for the health and well-being of current and future generations. www.mississippivalleyconservancy.org.
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