Heartland Surveys Wisconsin's Driftless Area in Stabilization Efforts

The picturesque driftless area of Wisconsin, which remained unglaciated over the last ice age, is characterized by steep slopes punctuated with valleys and spring-fed creeks. European-American settlement of the region in the early to mid-1800s introduced drastic land use changes: hilltops with adequate soil were converted to agricultural cropping, while the steep valley slopes and soggy coulee (a French moniker for the valleys of the region) bottoms were utilized for cattle grazing.

These land use changes amplified the flashiness and erosive power of runoff within the valleys and had a drastic effect on some streams of the region. Formerly gently meandering streams in the valley bottoms were heavily incised by sediment-rich runoff. Farmers of the region recognized these impacts, and in the 1930s began to alter their land use practices to lessen these effects. These efforts have continued to the present with various government and conservation interests funding streambank restoration projects to stabilize incised streambanks, reduce sedimentation and nitrification, and promote trout habitat.

Heartland recently completed a wetland delineation along a two-mile stretch of one such driftless valley bottom stream that is being evaluated for streambank restoration work. Our wetland delineation will be used by project proponents and engineers to plan streambank restoration work, while adhering to state and federal wetland regulations, and reducing incidental wetland impacts to the greatest extent practicable.

Such linear wetland delineation projects are often labor-intensive. Furthermore, the wetland delineation was complicated by historic and ongoing erosion, ample groundwater seepage, small springs present adjacent to the stream channel, and the sheer number of wetlands located within the creek’s floodplain. Heartland’s state-assured wetland delineators have the expertise to recognize the vegetation, hydrology, and hydric soils that are used to make accurate wetland determinations in these conditions.

This project was an absolute pleasure for us to work on. Moderate sunny spring weather, a babbling spring creek, and the pastoral landscape with grazing cows abound made for a lovely outdoor office over the three-day delineation project.

By Scott Fuchs

Copyright ? 2023, Heartland Ecological Group, Inc. and Scott Fuchs. All rights reserved.

References:

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (2013). Regional and property analysis for the development of a master plan for Department of Natural Resources’ properties along trout and smallmouth bass streams in the driftless area. See: https://dnr.wi.gov/files/pdf/pubs/lf/lf0071_TOC.pdf