Platteville Area Stream Stewardship Network

The Platteville Area Stream Stewardship Network project ran from March 2003 through June 2004. The Project targeted the McPherson Branch, Rountree Branch and Snowden Branch watersheds in Grant County and the upper portion of the Galena (Fever) River watershed in Lafayette County. While these streams are in different watersheds in southwest Wisconsin's Driftless Area, they exhibit similar physical and cultural characteristics (i.e., drainage area, slope, steep topography, land use, and water quality). All of the streams are in watersheds that are intensively farmed. All the streams targeted in this project have been identified as needing upland and in-stream work to improve the fisheries.

While anglers, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, government agencies, and local group have shown much interest in these watersheds, the streams have not received the attention needed to sustain watershed improvement efforts. The Platteville Area Stream Stewardship Project aimed to engage landowners in watershed protection and stream improvement efforts. This project was made possible by funding from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) River Protection grant program.