South Bog Stream Named National 'Water to Watch'

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South Bog Stream in Maine has been named one of the “10 Waters to Watch” by the National Fish Habitat Board, a group of the nation’s leading authorities on aquatic conservation.

South Bog Stream is featured on the list with nine others to demonstrate the collaborative conservation efforts of the National Fish Habitat Action Plan, a bold new initiative to reverse persistent declines in the quality of our nation’s aquatic habitat.

“After all the hard work of national, state and local partners, it’s great to see all of South Bog stream restored,” said Maureen Gallagher, Fish and Wildlife Biologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “Together, all of the projects under the National Fish Habitat Action Plan mark the beginning of an unprecedented effort to reverse the decline of aquatic habitats for fish and wildlife.”

South Bog Stream was chosen as one of the 10 to watch due to its work to engage many partners to help restore 2.1 miles of in-stream habitat, completing restoration of the entire 6.3 miles of South Bog Stream. This restoration aids the eastern brook trout, as well as many other important species.. “Historically, South Bog was the primary spawning and nursery stream for Rangely Lake. Habitat degradation led to reduced brook trout populations in the lake. Completion of this project will move efforts of local citizens and government to restore this important angling resource for the state of Maine”, said Gallagher.

The waters highlighted on the list range from Maine to Alaska and from Idaho to Mississippi.
The nine other ‘waters to watch’ are as follows:

Moose Creek, Alaska: The Moose Creek project will include 1,500 feet of creek restoration and 9 miles of improved fish passage for salmon and many other important species. Contact Jessica Dryden for more information at 907/745-0737.

Bear Wallow Creek, Arizona: This project will remove fish barriers and restore 1.8 miles instream habitat for Apache trout and many other important species. For more information, please contact Jeremy Voletz at 928/338-4288.

Badger Creek, Idaho: This project will restore 6.5 miles of fish access for bull trout and many other important species. For more information, please contact Kim Goodman at 208/552-0891.
Upper Iowa River, Iowa: This project will restore diverse riparian and instream habitats in

South Pine and West Branch French creeks. This will aid the Eastern brook trout and
many other important species. For more information, please contact Louise Mauldin at 608/783-8407.

Pascagoula River, Mississippi: Through restoration of 6 acres of tidal marsh habitat in the Bennett Bayou Marsh, which had been impacted by Hurricane Katrina and urban development, this project will benefit multiple Gulf species, including red drum, brown and white shrimp, Gulf sturgeon, speckled trout and Atlantic croaker, among others. For more information, please contact Scott Robinson at 770/361-5639.

Upper Duck River, Tennessee: This joint project will restore more than 3 miles of riparian habitat along Big Rock Creek within the Duck River Basin for a variety of native fish and mussel species. For more information contact Leslie Colley 931/840-8881

Smith Creek, Virginia: This project will focus on restoring the creek’s headwaters and includes restoration of 1.7 miles of stream , 31acres of riparian forest and 65 acres upland forest. Habitat improvements in this stretch will cool water temperatures to allow brook trout to return to nearly eight miles of stream. The project will also benefit American eel and several species of mussels that are in decline. For more information, please contact Mark Hudy at 540-568-2704.

Upper Browns River, Vermont: This project will focus on riparian restoration, including 2 miles of stream frontage for the Eastern brook trout and other species. For more information, please contact Chris Smith at 802/872-0629.

LaBarge Creek, Wyoming: The many partners working on the LaBarge Creek project are removing non-native species and helping to protect 58 miles of instream habitat for the recovery of native Colorado cutthroat trout populations. For more information, please contact Dirk Miller at 307/777-4559.

These 10 waters are bringing together community groups, non-profit organizations, local watershed groups, Native American tribes and state and federal agencies to plant stream-side vegetation, remove structures blocking fish from accessing habitat and protect rivers from the effects of agriculture and livestock. The idea is to provide clean water and robust, healthy habitats for the many fish and wildlife species and people who call these areas home.

The National Fish Habitat Action Plan currently supports 40 local, grassroots-driven projects, like those on the Waters to Watch list, as well as national efforts to identify the root causes of
aquatic habitat declines, identify and implement corrective actions, and measure and
communicate its progress. To date, the hundreds of partners signed on in support of the Action
Plan to include a range of organizations interested in the health of the nation’s fisheries, including fishing clubs, international conservation organizations, federal agencies, angling industries and academia.

Projects in the 10 Waters to Watch are being coordinated through five “National Fish Habitat Partnerships” and organized as regional-scale efforts to implement the Action Plan. These regional Partnerships are currently “pilots” that include the Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership, Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture, the Western Native Trout Initiative, the Midwest Driftless Area Restoration Effort, and the Matanuska-Susitna Basin Salmon Conservation Partnership. The National Fish Habitat Action Plan calls for the creation of twelve or more Fish Habitat Partnerships by 2010.

The National Fish Habitat Action Plan was released to the public last spring alongside the “More Fish” campaign administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. The More Fish campaign is taking the lead in raising funds for these and other projects that complement and support the Action Plan. Information about the campaign can be found at National Fish and Wildlife Foundation | More Fish Campaign.

Fore more information about, and a complete look at the National Fish Habitat Action Plan, visit National Fish Habitat Initiative (NFHI).

The National Fish Habitat Action Plan is an investment strategy to conserve our waterways and make conservation dollars go farther. This science-based plan will leverage federal and privately raised funds to build regional partnerships aimed at fixing the nation’s biggest fisheries problems. This is the most comprehensive effort ever attempted to treat the causes of fish habitat decline, not just the symptoms.

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