Paradise Springs Pond
On Saturday, December 01, SEWTU returned to Paradise Springs near Eagle, WI for a workday with the Dept. of Natural Resources. About 30 volunteers pitched in to clear brush (mostly buckthorn) in and around the pond. After the invasive species were cut, DNR crews sprayed the stumps with a chemical mixture designed to kill the plants root systems. Volunteers also cleared large swaths of buckthorn that were growing alongside Paradise Springs Creek, which runs from the spring pond into the Scuppernong River.
After the work was complete, DNR Fisheries Biologist Ben Heussner took folks on a tour of a recently restored section of the Scuppernong River (where it crosses Cty. Rd. N). This section had been ditched for agricultural purposes. Recently, Ben and his crew went back in and re-introduced the original meanders of the River. The crew used old aerial photographs and GPS coordinates to locate the streambed and now the River is back where it belongs!
Afterwards, volunteers were treated to SEWTU’s signature Brat Fry lunch. Thanks to Scott Criqui and Jen Kuhr for providing the food. The pond at Paradise Springs is stocked with trout and opens for catch and release fishing on January 1. If “cabin fever” starts setting in, take a trip out to Paradise and see if the trout will bite.
