The restoration of Stony Brook, the 6-mile cold water stream near Kloten, expanded to Long Rd in the Town of Stockbridge in 2022. The culvert on Long Rd was scheduled for replacement last summer. The Friends of Stony Brook (FOSB), a partnership of local landowners, county residents, and stakeholder groups including Calumet County, worked with Town of Stockbridge to improve the stream crossing with a larger culvert.
The previous culvert was impacting the stream’s hydrology, which degraded the stream habitat as well as constricted flow during heavy rain events. The new culvert is wider and has an open bottom which allows the streams to move and shift during times of high flow. The open bottom culvert is similar to the replacement culverts installed downstream along Shady Lane.
These open bottom culverts provide better habitat and allow for more natural bottoms at the stream crossings. To date, Stony Brook has had approximately 70 feet of undersized culverts replaced with larger, open bottom culverts.
The larger culvert did cost more than what the Town of Stockbridge had to budget for the project. The FOSB were able to cover the additional costs with help from the Lakeshore Natural Resource Partnership, which received a grant from the Fund for Lake Michigan. The Town of Stockbridge performed in the installation.
The trout fishery continues to improve and thrive. Since 2016, students from the Chilton Area School District have been rearing brown trout and brook trout in the classroom and releasing them into the section of Stony Brook Creek. In 2020, a 500-foot section adjacent to the Sohrweide farm was restored. This past fall, the WDNR conducted several fish surveys to assess the stocking program, and to determine the fish assemblage at the restored section along with two other sections: west of Long Rd and the downstream of County F.
The WDNR survey documented that most of the fish captured were from the CSD stockings and located in the restored section. The surveys captured several brown trout greater than 15 inches, indicating the restored section can sustain large fish. In addition, natural reproduction was recorded in 2021 and 2022 surveys, further demonstrating the stream’s ability to sustain a healthy trout population (Angelo Cozzola, WDNR. Personal Communication).
For 2023, more projects and fish are planned. The CSD students will again release trout this spring. The FOSB are waiting on final funding approval to finish the 2nd phase at the Sohrweide Farm and a large-scale stream remeander project just south of County F. Both projects are earmarked for installation this summer. Upon completion, the FOSB will showcase the projects for the community and general public in fall.
To learn more about the project, follow the FOSB at www.facebook.com/friendsofstonybrook, or visit www.friendsofstonybrook.org. If you are interested in participating in future efforts, please contact Dani Santry at Danielle.santry@calumetcounty.org.
