Our 2019 stream restoration and conservation project schedule consists of the following activities.  Since our Wisconsin and Michigan projects are three-plus hours’ drive time from Chicago, we try to facilitate carpooling for interested members.

Saturday, May 2, 2020
“Adopt-a-Stream” DuPage River Clean-Up Project
Pioneer Park, Naperville

Volunteer for the Oak Brook TU spring 2020 DuPage River Cleanup Day-9 a.m. to 12 noon!  Bring your river shoes or waders and join us for a morning of removing debris and litter along the West Branch of the DuPage River from Gartner Road to 75th Street in Naperville. This event is part of the DuPage County “Adopt-A-Stream” program to help keep local water resources clean.

Volunteers will meet at 9 a.m. at Pioneer Park which is located at 1212 S. Washington Street in Naperville. Lunch will follow at a downtown Naperville restaurant TBD for interested members.
Gloves, trash pokers, garbage bags, water and technical support will be provided. For more information and/or to sign up please contact:
Chris [email protected]; 630-470-8183
Dave Carlson- [email protected]; 312-953-6759

 

 

Saturday, May 16, 2020
Coldwater River Watershed Spring Macroinvertebrate Study, Freeport, Michigan

Michigan’s Coldwater River Watershed Council will continue to receive both Oak Brook TU volunteer and financial support in the form of two macroinvertebrate study work days May 16 and  October 10.  The May 16 study will take place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. with the meeting location in Freeport, Michigan.  Our chapter provides the basic field data that goes into the science of conserving the watershed as a coldwater resource.  Our work has increased in importance following the disaster in 2015 when an excavation contractor did extensive damage to a long section of the river by removing mature trees and vegetation from the river bank.  The effect of the changes in the stream will be measured, in part, by our work.  OBTU is represented on the Coldwater River Watershed Council by Marvin Strauch.  Contact Marv Strauch to volunteer or for more information.

Volunteers only need to bring a pair of waders for the study and their fishing gear if they choose to take advantage of some excellent Michigan area fishing opportunities. Volunteers are encouraged to plan some local fishing in the area or on the nearby Muskegon and Pere Marquette Rivers.

Read more about the Coldwater River Watershed macroinvertebrate study through an interview with Aaron Snell, Restoration Biologist responsible for the study’s structure.

June 2020 (Date TBD)
Stream Restoration Work Day–Building LUNKER Structures, Driftless Area, Wisconsin

We will be building LUNKER structures in Sparta, WI for installation in a local stream in June  from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Volunteers are encouraged to plan some local fishing in the Driftless Area.  To volunteer or for more information on this work day, contact Dave Carlson.

Saturday, October 10, 2020
Coldwater River Watershed Fall Macroinvertebrate Study, Freeport, Michigan

Oak Brook TU members will return to the Coldwater River near Alto, Michigan on Saturday, October 10 to continue the four-year macroinvertebrate survey as part of a Michigan Clean Water Corps grant which commenced in 2014.  The October study will take place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. with the meeting location in Freeport, Michigan.

 

As with the past spring and fall surveys, audit teams will be formed, and each team will visit one of five sites along the Coldwater River or its major tributaries.  Each site will be observed for any physical changes since the June audit.  Then samples will be taken by volunteers using D-nets from the various habitat types within each site.  Samples will be collected into large pails before each team returns to our base at Tyler Creek Country Club where we will identify and count everything collected. The Saturday morning activity is usually followed by a cookout and the opportunity to do some local fishing.  Drive time from Chicago to the Tyler Creek Country Club is about 3.5 hours.

To volunteer for the October 13 Coldwater Study, please contact Marv Strauch at your earliest opportunity if you plan to be attend.  ([email protected]; 708-638-1318).