In August of 2023, Iowa’s Coldwater Conservancy (ICC) contributed $500 to the IADNR to help fund the acquisition of two Angler Access Easements on Otter Creek in Fayette County. This well known, popular trout stream runs through Echo Valley State Park just east of West Union and flows more than nine miles to the town of Elgin. Otter Creek is a tributary to the Turkey River and has a well established population of wild brown trout. This stream also receives weekly stockings of rainbow trout by the IADNR in April, May, June, September and October.
During the summer of 2023, ICC partnered with other conservation non-profit groups and like minded individuals in response to a request from the IADNR Fisheries Staff to help fund the acquisition and enrollment of two new easements on privately owned sections of Otter Creek in the Water Quality and Angler Access Program (AAP).
These AAP easements make it possible for anglers to have access in perpetuity to these privately owned sections of Otter Creek. These two new AAP easements are strategically located above and below an already existing AAP easement on the Dummermuth property. With their enrollment in the Angler Access Program, these three private landowners are providing angler access easements to over three miles of Otter Creek. These angler access easements were made possible by willing landowners working together with the Iowa DNR and many partners like ICC who are working to expand opportunities for future generations to be able to experience and enjoy these beautiful natural resources.
The first new AAP easement is located on Medberry Farms property, and includes about 1.43 miles of Otter Creek. This public fishing easement is downstream of the existing Dummermuth AAP easement.
The second AAP easement is located on the Boyer Family Farm and provides public fishing access to about 1.14 miles of Otter Creek upstream of the existing Dummermuth APP easement.
There are signs identifying the boundaries of each of these easements on Otter Creek. Public parking areas for these easements are off Echo Valley Rd, which runs adjacent to the stream down to the town of Elgin. Photos courtesy of Caleb Schnitzler, DNR Fisheries Biologist at the Decorah Fish Hatchery,