Mini-LUNKERS
On August 23, 2008, SEWTU's "sister Chapter" in Illinois, the Gary Borger Chapter of Trout Unlimited, marked its "return to the arena" by hosting an incredible workday in the Southern District of the Kettle Moraine. Under the direction of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resoucres, Gary Borger ran a mini-lunker construction and stream restoration workday at the DNR's Eagle Field Station.
There, members from three TU chapters (Gary Borger TU, SEWTU, and the Blackhawk Chapter out of Janesville, WI) built over 55 mini-lunker structures in approximately 5 hours. These habitat structures will be installed in the Scuppernong River at a later workday, and will help deepend and narrow the stream, and provide overhead cover for coldwater inhabitants of the stream, including trout.
A second crew of volunteers also traveled off site, to the Scuppernong River, to remove invasive vegetations which was choking the stream. This work helped to clear the stream's channel, and should help mitigate against future braiding of the stream, in an effort to place the stream back into its historical channel.
The day was a complete success in that SEWTU mobilized a large number of dedicated volunteers, and provided stream work in a traditional, local, coldwater stream. Additionally, and perhaps more importantly, Gary Borger TU returned to the field of active, in-the-field restoration, which is certainly the most direct manner to truly embrace TU's mission of coldwater conservation and improvement. Hopefully, and after further work, Allenton Creek will shape into a great local fishing destination.
Following the workday, Gary Borger hosted a "Chicago saas-age" lunch, and Dan Asmus provided boiled, buttered corn, and members were given the chance to socialize, and head out fishing. A good time was had by all, and SEWTU looks forward to continuing to work to improve the Scuppernong River, one or our Chapter's home waters.
