Improving Water Quality and Fish Habitat in the Bad River in Northern Wisconsin -- the Work of the Bad River Watershed Association

The Bad River drainage basin in northern Wisconsin is one the largest watersheds in the in the Lake Superior basin and is a major source of sediment flowing into the lake. The watershed is underlain primarily by clay-rich till and lake deposits that cause flashy discharge and rapid erosion. Human activity in the watershed, specifically the installation of culverts at road/stream crossings, has caused disruption of stream flows and increased erosion. Many of the 1074 road/stream crossings have culverts that are undersized or are placed too high and thus restrict water flow and act as barriers to fish passage. During high runoff events the culverts can cause erosion of road embankments. The resulting increase in turbidity and sedimentation downstream and in Lake Superior has had a negative impact on fish habitat.

The Bad River Watershed Association (BRWA), a group of citizen volunteers working in association with many federal and local government agencies has undertaken an inventory and assessment of all road/stream crossings with the goal of decreasing the impact culverts have in the watershed. Citizen volunteers, students, and agency personnel have done extensive culvert assessment and water-quality monitoring. Based on these assessments, culverts have been ranked according to their impacts on stream flow, sediment supply, and fish passage. The BRWA has worked cooperatively with local highway departments and government agencies to begin replacing the worst of the culverts. Three high-priority culverts were replaced in 2007, and two more are to be completed in 2008. Detailed studies of the streams and their fish populations are being done to assess the effects of culvert replacement. Although there is much more work to be done, the cooperation of citizens and government agencies has set the foundation for continued improvement of the water quality in the Bad River watershed and Lake Superior.