The conservation of Spring Brook begins with the protection of its watershed.  There are several ways to accomplish watershed conservation on large scale.  Among these include education, land conservation and rehabilitation, fishing regulations.  The following sections will outline these approaches in detail and explain how they could contribute to effective management of Spring Brook.

Land Conservation Options
Conservation Reserve Program (Federal)

The Conservation Reserve Program, or CRP, is a land retirement program for erodible and environmentally sensitive lands.  The CRP provides technical and financial assistance to eligible farmers and ranchers to address soil, water, and related natural resource concerns on their lands in an environmentally beneficial and cost-effective manner.  This program guarantees acceptance if a 10-15 year contract is agreed upon.  The comprehensive goal of the program is to convert highly erodible cropland into vegetative cover.  Landowners participating in this program receive an annual rental payment for the term of the multi-year contract.

Wetland Reserve Program (WRP)

The wetland reserve program is a federal program that offers assistance in restoring wetlands.  It also helps to establish 30-year of permanent easements on the wetlands that are created.  The restoration of wetlands within the Spring Brook watershed would help to improve water quality as agricultural runoff is filtered through them.  Increased wetlands would also help to reduce flooding and high streamflows after rain events.  Before the watershed was significantly altered by agriculture, the upper portion of the Spring Brook watershed was primarily wetlands (see pre-settlement map on GIS page).  The restoration of some of these wetlands would certainly benefit the stream and the native brookies.

Reinvest in Minnesota (RIM)

This program offers permanent easements on wetlands and riparian areas.  Starting in 1986, it protects water quality, reduces soil erosion, and enhances fish and wildlife habitat by retiring private land from agricultural production, planting permanent native vegetation, and restoring previously drained wetlands (MN Board of Soil and Water Resources).  Landowners are paid a percentage of the assessed value of their land to voluntarily enroll it in a conservation easement.  After land is enrolled, it is managed under a conservation plan, which generally includes items like wetland restoration (for areas with drained wetlands), native grass plantings, and tree plantings (MN Board of Soil and Water Resources).

Environmental Quality Enhancement Program (EQIP)

The main objective of this program is to provide funding for erosion control structures and agricultural waste management.  Effective management of agricultural wastes will be important as more topsoil is displaced within the watershed and if feedlots expand.  When walking the stream, there are numerous erosion sites that could be improved using control structures.

Watershed Education
It is vital that more people understand and embrace the concept of a watershed.  Education programs that bring people from the Cannon Valley communities to Spring Brook could lead to increased awareness of the watershed concept and its importance in the conservation of the brook trout habitat of Spring Brook.  The Cannon River Watershed Partnership has led numerous field trips along Spring Brook to discuss conservation aspects and the environmental needs of the stream.  As more people become aware that they are all part of a watershed, hopefully their actions within it will be more directed towards conservation.

Fishing regulations
Trout fishing on Spring Brook can provide anglers of the Cannon Valley region a way to connect to the stream through recreation.  However, it is vital that fisherman understand their impacts on the biological system and fish with the interests of the stream in mind.  One way to reduce the impacts of fishing is to promote or require catch-and-release.  This concept means that every fish caught is returned to the stream.  The adoption of this fishing method will lead to higher fish numbers and trout or larger size. 

The catch-and-release methods requires anglers to:

• Release trout immediately.
• Play and land trout quickly. Tired, stressed fish don't survive well when released.
• Handle trout gently, keeping it in the water as much as possible. Unhooking the trout without lifting it from the water is best.
• Remove hooks with needle-nosed pliers or forceps. Using barbless hooks makes releasing trout much easier.
• If a trout is hooked deeply, cut the line and release the fish. The hook will eventually dissolve, leaving the trout unharmed.