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ConservationConservation Grant Funding AvailableThe Southern Council board of directors has allocated $1,500 of Conservation Grant funds for use within the council. The guidelines for Conservation Grants are as follows:
Deadline for submitting Conservation funding requests is June 1, 2013. Please complete the Southern Council application and send the request to Paul Goodwin, SOC VP of Conservation, p-goodwin@msn.com. Grant Applications available as MS Word Doc or Adobe Acrobat PDF Slough Creek Project
The Flatland Flyfishers of Wichita, Kansas was awarded a $1,500 IFFF Conservation Grant in 2012 to improve water control structures in five places along a one-half mile stretch of Slough Creek, which is located in Sedgwick County Park, Wichita, KS. The project was recently completed, then the wait for rains to recharge the creek began. The good news is that the structures are working great and the drought seems to have been (at least temporarily) broken. The improved structures will provide recreational fishing for bass, crappie, bluegill, carp and in the winter months, trout.
Mill Creek, Phelps County, Missouri Selected for State-of-the-Art Fisheries Improvement Work
In an exciting development, a group of national, regional and local conservation professionals from the U.S. Forest Service and Mark Twain National Forest have selected Mill Creek, just west of Rolla, for innovative landscape and aquatic habitat work that will significantly improve fishery. An engineering survey will guide this work and was made possible by a grant from the International Federation of Fly Fishers (IFFF). This effort was done in conjunction with the Ozark Fly Fishers, an affiliate IFFF club and also the Mill Creek Watershed Coalition. Funds were matched by the Mark Twain National Forest. The six mile long spring-fed Mill Creek is one of four Missouri streams to contain only wild trout. These naturally-reproducing rainbows were propagated from eggs harvested from trout in the McCloud River, California in the 1880s. Unfortunately, this fishery can also be threatened by low water conditions like those experienced during the droughts of 2011 and 2012. Previous attempts to create significant pools and holding water in Mill Creek have proven only temporary. At issue is that these improvements can be severely compromised or lost completely by the flash flooding that can occur on the creek. What is being proposed for Mill Creek is a series of best-practices pioneered in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest to restore streams and support the salmon fisheries. One example is the “engineered logjam.” This involves taking a series of 60’ long trees (including the root wad) and keying them deeply into the stream bank. These structures are permanently anchored. The end result is an engineered structure that protects the bank, creates pool habitat for diverse aquatic species and is self-sustaining. The survey, which is part of a long range total watershed improvement approach, will commence in the spring of 2013. Preliminary pilot work is projected to begin as early as year-end. A comprehensive approach is envisioned that will be ongoing for approximately 7-10 years. Mill Creek was designated a priority watershed by the Mark Twain National Forest in 2011. For additional information please contact Jim.Marstiller@MillCreekMo.org Conservation Projects Receive IFFF FundingThe Conservation Committee and the IFFF Executive Committee approved the following projects for funding in the fall round of the Conservation Small Grants Program. Each club or council will receive $1,500 for their respective project. Congratulations to all the recipients!
Grant applications for the 2013 funding cycle are due by June 1, 2013. You can find more information on this page http://www.fedflyfishers.org/Conservation.aspx. Larry Murphy Results of Recent Ozark EffortsSouthern Council conservation funding supported stream bank stabilization efforts on Ward Branch through a grant given to Southwest Missouri Fly Fishers. See the benefit these funds produced by revieiwing this Ozark Water Watch report called The Value of Protecting Ozark Streams. Paul Goodwin |
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Completed V dam
Mill Creek has been chosen for cutting-edge and comprehensive conservation work which has not previously been implemented in the Central United States.