Seeing the “big picture” for Wisconsin stream fisheries
Wisconsin is blessed with more than 88,000 miles of streams and rivers, ranging from tiny spring creeks to the mighty Mississippi River. But in any one year it’s hard to survey the fish in more than 500 of these miles, leaving more than 99 percent of the state without up-to-date information for fisheries management.
A new and powerful computerized forecasting tool, recently developed by DNR fish researchers in cooperation with the U.S. Geological Survey should help. This tool, called the stream model, determines where different fish should be found based on a variety of stream and watershed characteristics and also makes it possible to project what types and numbers of fish will occur in every single mile of Wisconsin's streams.
For example, the model estimates that 11,100 stream miles are currently suitable for brook trout. The model identifies new streams that could support trout fisheries if managed appropriately, but also indicates streams where efforts to establish trout, through stocking or habitat improvement, are probably not worthwhile. This allows fisheries managers and conservation groups to focus their efforts on those streams with the best potential to support good brook trout fisheries.
A particularly exciting application of the model will be to project future trends. The model is a kind of “crystal ball” that can help managers see 10 to 25 years into the future and predict how changes in land use (e.g., urban sprawl) or climate change (e.g., warmer summers) will influence Wisconsin stream fisheries.
RSS