When Duke Welter drove the 225 miles from his home in Eau Claire, Wis., to Galena, Ill., in 2004 to attend a Trout Unlimited (TU) meeting, he crossed and traveled along scores of streams and rivers, many of which, he noted, bore the scars of a neglected past.
"I could see a uniform pattern of streams that had to fight their way through these eroding flood channels, with vertical banks of rich, dark soil that were just waiting for the next flood to come along," said Welter, an attorney, diehard fly fisherman and member of TU's National Board of Trustees.
"You could just see that a tremendous amount of erosion had taken place, and will continue to take place if something's not done to stop it."
When Welter, formerly of Burnsville, left the meeting 36 hours later, the gathering of 40 TU representatives from the Midwest had roughed out an ambitious plan to restore the watersheds of the so-called Driftless Area.
Bypassed by the last major glacial advance more than 12,000 years ago, which flattened much of the Midwest but left behind large deposits of rock and soil -- or drift -- the Driftless Area encompasses parts of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and Illinois. The scenic region takes in about 24,000 square miles and has more than 600 spring creeks covering 3,600 stream miles in six major watersheds. Fed by deep aquifers, the streams eventually flow into the Mississippi River.
Considered by many as a trout fishing Mecca, the Driftless Area is defined by its hulking limestone bluffs, forested valleys, steep-sided ridges and deep caves.
In spring 2005, the Trout Unlimited Driftless Area Restoration Effort, the organization's largest geographical recovery effort in its history, was formally unveiled, and momentum for what some believe could be a model for collaborative stewardship nationwide has been building ever since.
Last month, the governors of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and Illinois, along with U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns, signed a resolution endorsing a unified approach to land and water restoration in the Driftless Area.
While the joint resolution was short on specifics and didn't provide project funding, TU officials and others say it was more than a symbolic gesture of cooperation. "I think it underlines the importance of working together as a region, and it adds recognition from the USDA that the Driftless is an important conservation area," Welter said. "It's a unique pledge of cooperation for a unique area."
Said Jeff Hastings, a Trout Unlimited coordinator from southwest Wisconsin: "The Driftless is a national treasure that deserves attention."
The Driftless Area has been plagued by poor land-use practices, causing wide-scale erosion, flooding and the altering of its streams and rivers. As a result, poor water quality has hurt trout populations, particularly native brook trout.
"By 1930 it had become clear to all except the ecologically blind that southwestern Wisconsin's topsoil was slipping seaward," wrote legendary conservationist Aldo Leopold in "The Sand County Almanac."
While watershed improvements have been made throughout the years, thanks to federal incentives for more ecologically friendly farming practices, many environmental problems exist today that threaten Driftless Area streams.
Erosion-causing corn and soybean production is on the rise while grassland-dependent dairy operations are being phased out. Conservation Reserve Program acres, which reduce erosion, are being lost as contracts expire. Development in watersheds is rising.
To counter past and present encroachments, Hastings said TU will rely on the expertise of federal, state, local and private natural-resource professionals to improve the health of Driftless Area watersheds. It will build on stream-improvement projects by local TU chapters, rod and gun clubs and other groups.
"The key is getting landowners to participate in watershed restoration projects," Hastings said. "You can't address land-use practices in watershed upland areas without them. This has to be a collaborative effort."
Jason Moeckel, southeast trout program supervisor for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, said the effort can succeed if it is properly funded. "I'm very encouraged," he said.
To date, about $1 million has been raised from various sources. Also, TU has made the federal farm bill its top legislative priority, and will try to tap its menu of conservation programs for Driftless Area land and water restoration.
While TU officials are determining the best watersheds for restoration, Welter said that in 2007, work on five streams in four states will begin -- one of which will likely be Trout Run in southeast Minnesota.
"We have a golden opportunity to improve the health of the Driftless Area and spur an economic revival in rural communities through increased eco-tourism," Welter said. "Good environmental policy is good economic policy."Minneapolis Star Tribune
