Frank Pratt (NRP)-Presenter, John Lyons (WDNR)-Modeler

Donovan Dums-Photo

Watershed Moment is NOW!

1100 sq. miles including Totogatic !!

Cold water habitat since Wisconsin glacier left us, 10-11,000 yrs. ago

Man’s impact has been VERY recent Worst impacts post 1890s Brown trout introduced and took advantage

of degraded habitat. Prior to 1890s- exclusively, wild, native

brook trout- most everywhere in the drainage.

Management success. One of the best wild, inland fisheries for big

brown trout. Trends in numbers, size, have all been up. Very recently, reproduction has been getting

more reliable. Probably the less severe winters.

Wild, self-staining but “Naturalized” Controversial Genetic potential

Not going to get Colder Climate Change- Even Warmer Brown trout are presently thriving in water

temperatures which supposedly sub-optimal? Brook trout- a minor recovery near the mouth of

Cap Creek. Doing fine in the colder tributaries like Big and Mosquito Brooks. Most of river-very sub-optimal, except during winter months. (They move!)

SAVE THE GAGE!!!

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

LS July 2010 Brook Brown

T75

Max T

Min T

T25

85% 35%

NOT Brook Trout habitat/ ok for typical Brown Trout

50% of Temp.

Brook Optimal

Brown Optimal

Trumps A.I.S. Wi. → Mo.-La., next 50-100 years NOT “Trout-Friendly” Mega-Management Mode

Pretty bleak for brook trout- emphasize tributaries. Brown trout in mainstream. Namekagon brown trout may be genetically

special? Models do not account for genetic adaptation in

brown trout. Do account for changes in precipitation patterns*

Model-Year Brown -River Brook-River Brown-Tribs Brook-Tribs

USGS 2063

Still Present Gone Still present, all

Still present, most

WICCI 2100 Best Case

Still Present Gone Still present, most

Still present-headwaters. most

WICCI 2100 Worst Case

Maybe Gone Maybe some Maybe-headwaters of some

Behavioral- They move to colder places (cold refuges) in stream or tributaries. Especially brook trout.

Brook trout pack up and leave for the tribs at about 19 C

There is a growing body of evidence that Namekagon brown trout have/are adapting genetically.

Gets warm enough. Long enough - both die out and are gone (26.5 C)

Night cooling-Brown trout nocturnal

Forest and Trees Buffered/Pervious Soils Into, Instead of Over Soil type/Slope Vs Run-off/Erosion

Cold = Trout-Friendly Warm =Trout-Deadly

+ Forest/Buffers + Undeveloped + Free-flowing Tribs. + Pervious-Infiltration + Public Ownership + Private Conservancy + Rural/Wild +Climate-Counter

- Open/Un-buffered - Private Development - Impounded Tribs. - Impervious - Groundwater Mining - Urban/Residential - Climate Synergistic -Beaver

52 degrees F/ every 1500 gpm cools -1 F Slow, steady, infiltration circuit of the water

cycle Cold, stable, steady stream vs. Warm, with extreme fluctuations in flow Vegetative cover and impervious surfaces in

watershed Shading and stream channel integrity of

tributaries

Above T Above Q Cap T Cap Q Below T Below Q

81 F 40 cfs 53 F 10 cfs 75 F 50 cfs

75 F 40 cfs 53 F 10 cfs 69 F 50 cfs

72 F 40 cfs 53 F 10 cfs 66 F 50 cfs

81 F 90 cfs 53 F 10 cfs 78 F 100 cfs

75 F 90 cfs 53 F 10 cfs 72 F 100 cfs

72 F 90 cfs 53 F 10 cfs 69 F 100 cfs

Width of the stream Overhang Height of Trees Angle and intensity sunlight Width of the stream More important tributaries- Buffer zone and

Beaver Control. Up to -4 degrees F per mile* Tributaries Main River- Not at present (300 years!)

River

Rain Water Cycle

More summer episodes Potential for more run-off Potential for more flooding, less base-flow,

less ground-water WATERSHED MANAGEMENT AND PROTECTION 98% of the watershed is “back-watershed”!

(tributaries and the land that feeds those tributaries)

Forest and Vegetative buffers, ground-water conservancy, infiltration and run-off mgt.

Measure (Units) Quantity and Units

Volume (cubic feet) 82 Trillion cubic feet

Volume (gallons) 3.6 Quadrillion gallons

Raindrops (total number) RIDICULOUS!!

WATERSHED : One drop at a time – But there are so many Of them bombing us!

1,400,000,000,000,000,000,000

HEXillion??

~ 13,000 residents in watershed 1700 QUADrillion(?) drops per capita

“Let it Raayaaaaayaaaaaane…..”

“Frightened for our children …that sunshine we’ve been waiting for, will turn to RAIN!”

“RAINDROPS keep falling on my head……”

Giant opportunity to “Team Up”! NRP + CWRLT Private Conservation easements Watershed Conservancy Ground-water Protection Namekagon Watershed SAVE THE GAGE!

John Lyons, WDNR/ USGS- Model 1 WICCI- Model 2 Namekagon River Partnership Couderay Waters Regional Land Trust Senator Gaylord Nelson et. al. (Wild River Act ,1968)

BJ Thomas/Burt Bachrach (“Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head”)

Eric Clapton (“Let it Rain”) Moody Blues (“Story in Your Eyes”) April Pulley-Sayre (“Trout are Made of Trees”) Suzuki +Ellis (“Salmon Forest”)