Trout Unlimited North Bear Chapter
Don't miss out on the 2024 Flyfishing Film Tour taking place Saturday, March 9, from 10am to 2 pm at the Varsity Cinema in Des Moines.
You will see 2 hours of flyfishing from all over the world in a great cinematic experience.
Click the link to get your tickets now!!! Buy Tickets
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2015 Project AWARE
Mike and Nancy Schrader volunteered their help on Project Aware July 11-16, 2015 on the Wapsipinicon River. The weather was good and didn’t get too hot during their time. They enjoyed several educational programs that were part of the event. In the thirteen years of Project AWARE, the trash from this year’s event represents the 7th largest trash total; the 3rd largest number of tires; and the 4th highest percent of trash recycled. Click here for stats.
Japanese knotweed
Japanese knotweed is a plant with a killer instinct growing to 6.5 feet tall and 65 feet wide due to its tireless and unstoppable army of unseen roots. Knotweed spreads underground and forces its way up through every crack imaginable, across and in streams, on bank steams. Eradication can take up to five years. Its spread is dictated by how far it can spread its roots.
During 2014, Chapter president, Bob Bernard represented the chapter in an eradication day effort. These pictures give an onsite view of the thickness and spreading of this invasive plant.
This plant is in and near paint creek. It results in loss of beneficial habitat for insect diversity and the soil erosion taking place in the stands adds tons of unwanted sediment to Coldwater streams while entirely eliminating other plants.
Bob Bernard working to remove the invasive plant.
Rapid growth allows Japanese knotweed to choke out native plants.
Bob Bernard works to cut down Japanese knotweed growth.
Bob Bernard working to remove the invasive plant.
Seed Savers Exchange
This project involved the removal of an artificial pond on the property of the Seed Savers Exchange (SSE), a non-profit agricultural operation in Winnisheik County, Iowa. The pond sits at the headwaters of South Canoe Creek, between the spring source and the main channel of the stream. South Canoe is one of several creeks being used to expand the population of the threatened South Pine Brook Trout, the last remnants of native brook trout in Iowa.
Restoration was conducted on the full length of the stream and the land was placed in a long-term protective public easement. Temperature monitoring conducted post-restoration has determined that the pond was raising the stream temperature in the main channel of the stream. TU North Bear applied for and received an Embrace a Stream grant to assist with removal costs.
TUNB Projects
Seed Savers Rendezvous Update
All three Iowa TU chapters along with Hawkeye Fly Fishing Assocation continued conservation efforts to help the landscape at Seed Savers Exchange, located near Decorah.
This year we removed trash on the ground and around the stream. Many items we removed were a result of being brought onto the property because of a severe rain storm that dumped 5.5 inches in a very short period in the spring of 2015.
Participants talked about possible conservation efforts in other locations as-well-as hosting fly rod casting clinic
Seed Savers is a non-profit organization dedicated to saving and sharing heirloom seeds: www.seedsavers.org
Trash removed from the property and stream area that had been deposited by heavy rains in 2015.
Fly casting after trash removal.
Group participation after trash removal.
Trash removed from the property and stream area that had been deposited by heavy rains in 2015.