From the field: Habitat director’s report
July is the heart of field season when it comes to carrying out stream restoration work across the state.
MNTU’s barrier removal projects also benefit aquatic invertebrates
Jennifer Biederman - MNTU Habitat Director on June 10, 20252026-05-13T22:05:01+00:00When most trout anglers think about culvert replacements, they rightly think of trout passage to critical habitat. But often overlooked is the fact that culvert replacements also help rebuild the larger aquatic food web.
By Jennifer Biederman - MNTU Habitat Director on June 10, 2025
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Trees for trout: An update on our riparian reforestation project
Jennifer Biederman - MNTU Habitat Director on June 10, 20252026-05-01T16:18:55+00:00If you’ve fished along a trout stream in northeast Minnesota lately, you’ve probably noticed the standing dead spruce and balsam fir, open gaps in the forest canopy, and more brush than you’d expect in what used to be shaded, coniferous woods. It’s not just about aesthetics - it’s a coldwater...
By Jennifer Biederman - MNTU Habitat Director on June 10, 2025
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Wade in and make a difference: Volunteers contribute to stream restoration
Jennifer Biederman - MNTU Habitat Director on May 12, 20252026-05-01T16:41:38+00:00Our assistant director, Kristen Poppleton, often says “teamwork makes the dream work.”As I reflect on my first two years with Minnesota Trout Unlimited, I have a new appreciation for the phrase. The culture of service and commitment to conservation through boots and shovels on the ground by MNTU volunteers and...
By Jennifer Biederman - MNTU Habitat Director on May 12, 2025
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Field season kicks off with riparian forest project on the Sucker River
Jennifer Biederman - MNTU Habitat Director on April 7, 20252026-05-01T16:55:41+00:00Minnesota Trout Unlimited is dedicated to preserving and improving the health of trout streams across the state. During these cold weeks of early spring, we’ve kicked off our first project of the year in the Sucker River watershed, a top-tier brook trout and steelhead stream east of Duluth. We're implementing...
By Jennifer Biederman - MNTU Habitat Director on April 7, 2025
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MNTU Trout Brook stream improvement project wins engineering award
Minnesota Trout Unlimited on March 10, 20252026-05-01T17:00:55+00:00On February 21, 2025 Minnesota Trout Unlimited's (MNTU) design engineers for its Trout Brook project, Emmons & Olivier Resources, Inc (EOR), received a Water Resources Excellence award from the American Council of Engineering Companies of Minnesota for our recent stream habitat restoration project in Miesville Ravine County Park Reserve. ...
By Minnesota Trout Unlimited on March 10, 2025
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The science of stream restoration: What is fluvial geomorphology and how does it influence what we do?
Jennifer Biederman - MNTU Habitat Director on February 9, 20252026-04-14T15:38:27+00:00Caption: SSL-SWCD staff doing pre-project geomorphological surveys at Amity Creek in Duluth. These data will be used to inform the design of the Amity Creek restoration project – a collaborative project involving SSL-SWCD and MNTU. (Photo: Tim Beaster, SSL-SWCD) By Dr. Jennifer Biederman, Habitat Director Stream restoration has come a long way...
By Jennifer Biederman - MNTU Habitat Director on February 9, 2025
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Winter habitat preferences of trout in the Driftless Area
Jennifer Biederman - MNTU Habitat Director on January 13, 20252026-05-01T17:16:14+00:00By Dr. Jennifer Biederman The Driftless Area, spanning parts of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Illinois, is renowned for its spring-fed streams, cold water, and limestone geology. These unique environmental factors create ideal year-round conditions for trout. In streams with the most groundwater influence, both flows and water temperatures remain fairly constant...
By Jennifer Biederman - MNTU Habitat Director on January 13, 2025
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Habitat spotlight: Why riffles matter so much
Jennifer Biederman - MNTU Habitat Director on November 11, 20242026-05-01T19:40:04+00:00If there is one thing that many degraded streams across Minnesota have in common, it’s a lack of key habitat types that support trout of all stages and ages.
By Jennifer Biederman - MNTU Habitat Director on November 11, 2024
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How do macroinvertebrates fare following stream improvement projects?
Jennifer Biederman - MNTU Habitat Director on October 7, 20242026-05-01T17:21:39+00:00By Dr. Jennifer Biederman The sight of an in-stream habitat improvement project in progress can be a bit eye-opening – heavy machinery, including large excavators are working along the banks and in the stream, often moving large amounts of soil to slope the banks while digging out silted in pools and...
By Jennifer Biederman - MNTU Habitat Director on October 7, 2024
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