| Spring
Brook Trout Stream |
| Introduction Why Protect Spring Brook? History Watershed Brook Trout Habitat Conservation GIS Maps Threats Sense of Place Conclusions Methodology Literature Review Works Cited |
The purpose of my project is to inform the Cannon River Valley communities about Spring Brook and educate them of the stream's biological, historical, and regional importance. As a trout fisherman myself, I was very excited to discover that there was a native brook trout stream so close to Northfield. Amazingly, it took me until my senior year to realize that this unique stream existed, which made me wonder how well the stream is known by those living in the Cannon River watershed. The goal of the following pages is to promote the importance of Spring Brook as an irreplaceable natural feature of the Cannon River watershed. Spring Brook is a spring-fed stream that supports a naturally reproducing brook trout population. It is the only designated trout stream in Rice County, and one of a handful in the state that contains native brook trout. In the past decade, controversy has surrounded this tiny trout stream, as proposed developments and damaging land-use practices have been debated upon by concerned citizens and landowners, environmental interest groups, and city governments. The future existence of brook trout in this stream depends on the willingness of these groups to cooperate and arrive at decisions that support a healthy Spring Brook watershed.  photo:
Spring
Brook flowing under Decker Avenue bridge (Jeff Jasperson)
What sort of benefits does a trout stream bring to a community? How do trout streams contribute to finding a "sense of place?" These are just two of many questions about Spring Brook that this web site will address. Through persistent activism, the citizens of Northfield and Dundas have shown that this trout stream is of great importance to them. They have shown great concern over proposed developments and land-use practices that could disturb the watershed of Spring Brook, and threaten the native brook trout population. Despite their successful conservation efforts, there are still many looming threats within the watershed that could jeopardize the health of the stream and its trout population. The following pages touch on some of these threats and how they can be avoided with proper management of the watershed. To reiterate, the purpose of this web site is to educate people living in the Cannon River region about this unique trout stream, and the need to protect it. |