Purpose of the project:
Trout Unlimited, Valley Stewardship Network (VSN), Vernon and Crawford County, Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), Mississippi Valley Conservancy, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WI DNR), Driftless Area Restoration Effort and Fishers & Farmers Partnership are working with farmers and the Tainter Creek Farmer-Led Watershed Council to implement best management practices to retain sediment and nutrients on the landscape while improving fish habitat for both brook and brown trout. This watershed currently has several projects including upland, riparian corridor, and instream work funded by the partners listed above. Projects include improving streambank stabilization, in-stream cover for trout, cover crops, prairie strips, conservation tillage, rotational grazing, strengthening the farmer-led council, outreach, monitoring, and enhancing angling accessibility. Both WI DNR and VSN annually monitor Tainter Creek. Four volunteers from VSN are members of the WI DNR Wisconsin Action Volunteers Program and monitor total phosphorus, dissolved oxygen, streamflow, transparency, temperature, macroinvertebrates, and pH.

Conservation Success:
In-stream and riparian miles enhanced 1.15
Riparian acres enhanced 16.7
In-stream/shoreline habitat assessed 1.2

Human Interest/Community Benefit:
Tainter Creek is an exceptional water resource for cold water anglers in the watershed and is part of a larger complex of improved waters in the Kickapoo Watershed. It is part of the NRCS Mississippi River Basin Initiative (MRBI) that federal, state, county and local non-government organizations are working on with farmers. Partners are working to reduce thousands of pounds of sediment and nutrients going to Tainter Creek, Kickapoo River and ultimately the Mississippi River.

This project is highly supported by the community and anglers that travel for many miles, some as far away as Illinois. Tainter Creek is promoted as one of Crawford County’s top hotspots for trout fishing. In 2016, Trout Unlimited commissioned a study of the economic impact of trout fishing and stream restoration activities in the Driftless Area. The direct spending by visiting anglers, government agencies and non- government organizations adds well over $413 million to the Driftless Area economy each year. The secondary and ripple effect of these spending results in an additional estimated amount of over $670 million added to the Driftless Area economy each year.

Tainter Creek Watershed Council has a Fishing event for families during the first week of June that includes instructions for kids on casting, fly-tying, and will have fish shocking demonstrations and a project tour.

Project will be promoted through Kickapoo Grazing Initiative, Valley Stewardship Network, Fishers & Farmers, DARE, Trout Unlimited Websites, VSN e-news campaign, TU annual bus tour, WI DNR public access fishing maps, local news articles, Farmer-Led Council meetings, Tainter Creek Watershed Council’s Fishing Day (June 1, 2019) and pre and post drone flights.

Project Timeline:
Streambank stabilization project is complete. (2018) Prairie STRIPS project completed. (2018-2019)

Fishers & Farmers and DARE FHP Promotion of project(s) 2019-2020

Partners:
Trout Unlimited, Valley Stewardship Network, Vernon and Crawford County, Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), Mississippi Valley Conservancy, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Kickapoo Grazing Initiative, Driftless Area Restoration Effort and Fishers & Farmers Partnership are working with farmers and the Tainter Creek Farmer-Led Watershed Council.