Project Description
Lancaster Brook is a small stream in the northern portion of the Oneida Reservation that had become degraded due to residential development and agricultural activities in the watershed. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) classified Lancaster Brook as a Class 2 trout stream, meaning that the stream supports some natural reproduction, but not enough to make use of available food and space. The brook lacked natural woody materials (i.e., log jams and root wads) that provide feeding habitat and refugia for brook trout and other coldwater fish, and the substrate had become covered in fine sediments.
After the 17.2-acre Farah property was acquired and preserved in perpetuity, the Fox River/Green Bay Natural Resource Trustee Council provided funding for a restoration project to place engineered log jams into Lancaster Brook to increase the complexity of the aquatic habitat for brook trout and other aquatic species. Historically, Lancaster Brook contained high densities of logs, roots, and large tree limbs but over time, the amount of wood entering the stream had decreased. During the summer of 2022, logs were strategically placed in the stream and secured in place with cables. Rain and snowmelt eventually caused scouring around the log jams and created pools. The buried gravel and cobble substrates became exposed, further improving habitat conditions for brook trout.
Parties Implementing Restoration
Oneida Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin
DOI Project Representatives
Fish and Wildlife Service