Calumet County’s Only Cold Water Stream Being Restored

Stony Brook is a clear, hard water stream located in Calumet County and lies within the upper reaches of the Manitowoc River watershed before flowing out into Lake Michigan. The Stony Brook stream was once home to thriving populations of brook & brown trout species, along with various native species such as beavers and herons. Sadly, years of land use impacts and human practices have degraded the health and habitat of Stony Brook, preventing the migration and reproduction of local trout species and impacting the overall ecosystem of Calumet County’s only cold-water stream.

In 2016, a local teacher at the Chilton High School introduced an exciting initiative through Trout Unlimited called ‘Trout in the Classroom’ (TIC). This hands-on program provides students the opportunity to raise brown and brook trout in classroom aquariums while studying the Stony Brook’s stream habitat. TIC has continued to grow over the years and led to the formation of the Friends of Stony Brook (FOSB), a local group with the goal of connecting the community to conserve, protect, and restore the Stony Brook Watershed.

Through the efforts of FOSB, volunteers support students in the ‘Trout in the Classroom’ project with an annual TIC Release Day each spring and fall. Over the past nine years, more than 1400 students have released the trout they’ve raised into the stream! FOSB also raises public awareness and education about this important ecological stream, while working with local landowners to perform habitat improvement and restoration projects along the Stony Brook corridor. Our mission is clear: to revitalize Stony Brook into a thriving cold-water stream and fishery while improving the environment along Stony Brook!

“The TIC program helped me learn about ecosystems in my area. I was able to spend 1:1 time learning many things including fly casting. There are many memories from my experience but at the top of the list was the people; hanging out with people and hearing stories from the leaders.” – Former 2021 TIC Student

The Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance has been partnering with the Friends of Stony Brook on the Trout in the Classroom release days since 2017! We are thrilled to be a part of this restoration and education effort! To learn more about the Friends of Stony Brook, check out their website here.

Photo Credit: Friends of Stony Brook

Questions? Comments? Contact Chris Acy, the AIS Coordinator covering Brown, Outagamie, Fond du Lac, Calumet, and Winnebago Counties at (920) 460-3674 or chris@fwwa.org!

Follow the Fox Wolf Watershed Alliance on our Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance Facebook page or @fox_wolf_watershed_alliance on Instagram! You can also sign-up for email updates at fwwa.org.

The Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance is an independent nonprofit organization that identifies and advocates effective policies and actions that protect, restore, and sustain water resources in the Fox-Wolf River Basin.

Reporting invasive species is a first step in containing their spread. Maintaining and restoring our waters and landscapes can reduce the impacts even when we don’t have other management options to an invasive species.