Members of the local chapter of Trout Unlimited take part in a trout stream improvement project

Decorah area members of the Driftless Chapter of Trout Unlimited have done their part to improve trout habitat on Waterloo Creek.

22 Trout Unlimited members from across Iowa and Minnesota worked under the guidance of Iowa DNR fisheries biologist Bill Kalishek and DNR natural resource technician Theresa Shay.

Prior to the filed work day, much work had been done with heavy machinery to work stream banks to a 4-to-1 slope.  This type of slope, instead of steep cut banks, has been shown to provide a much better habitat for trout and all the flora and fauna connected to a healthy trout stream.

The Trout Unlimited volunteers did hand seeding of native seed on sections of the banks that could not be done mechanically.  They also laid out and staked over 2,000 feet of straw matting to prevent further soil erosion. 

The Driftless Chapter of Trout Unlimited meets at 7:00 p.m. on the first Thursday of the month in the basement of T-Bocks.  For more information about the chapter and membership, visit www.iowadriftless.org.