These recent habitat improvement projects on North Bear Creek and Patterson Creek would not have been possible without the support of landowners and the following public agencies and non-profit partners: the Trout Unlimited Driftless Area Restoration Effort (TUDARE), the IA DNR, USDA-NRCS, the Iowa Soybean Association, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the Winneshiek Soil and Water Conservation District, the North and South Bear Creek Endowment Fund, the Hawkeye Fly Fishing Association, and the following Trout Unlimited Chapters and Councils: Iowa Driftless, Gateway, Hiawatha, Iowa Spring Creeks, Mid-Mo, MoKan, Nebraska, North Bear, and Oak Brook.
This extensive stream habitat improvement work represents the ongoing efforts of public agencies and private non-profit groups to significantly reduce erosion of high, degraded stream banks by reshaping and connecting them with the historic natural floodplain of each stream. These projects also included numerous in-stream habitat enhancements that included root balls, rock weirs, boulder clusters, and bank hides.
The stream improvement work plans for North Bear Creek and Patterson Creek were developed under the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). EQIP is overseen by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) which provides major funding for these types of stream improvements. The non-profit groups noted above provided funding assistance to help cover the cost share for the landowners.
Each of these projects improved sections of the streams which flow through private property. The owners of these properties have all agreed to participate in the Iowa Angler Access Easement Program of Iowa, which is administered by the IA DNR. This easement program allows landowners to retain ownership of their land while also providing anglers with permanent access to an angling corridor along the stream.
The IA DNR continues to work closely with TUDARE and the NRCS and other non-profit organizations like ICC in a unique partnership with landowners who want to make these habitat improvements on the coldwater streams that flow through their property.
Thanks to these partnerships, coldwater streams like North Bear Creek and Patterson Creek will continue to offer great opportunities for visitors and landowners alike to fully experience these beautiful natural resources of northeast Iowa. The Iowa Coldwater Conservancy is proud to be an active and supportive member of these partnerships and the work they accomplish.
