The undersized culvert in this Branch River field road crossing severely restricted water flow and fish passage during high water flow events.

The existing undersized culvert on this Branch River field road crossing was removed and replaced with this much larger structure, greatly improving fish migration and the ablility of recreational paddlers to navigate the stream.

The removal of a secondary field crossing at the site will further improve the ability of paddlers, fish and other aquatic life to migrate up and down the Branch River.

 Wisconsin's Branch River is a 37-mile long tributary to the Manitowoc River and Lake Michigan.  In 1996, the watershed was designated a priority watershed by Wisconsin’s DNR to address groundwater and surface water issues related to non-point source pollution. From the river’s mouth in Manitowoc County, to the Brown County line, the river is considered a “Great Lakes Aquatic Community.”  The river is well-known by fishing enthusiasts for its seasonal runs of steelhead and other Lake Michigan salmonids.  Lake sturgeon, once native to the river, are being released back into the Branch and Manitowoc Rivers as part of a Service-sponsored long-term reintroduction effort. The river also provides habitat for northern pike, smallmouth bass, and the greater redhorse, a state-threatened species.

Water flow and the seasonal movement of fish into the upper sections of the Great Lakes Aquatic Community part of the river had been restricted by two existing agricultural crossings.  In 2005, the Friends of the Branch River group facilitated an effort involving the Service, the Manitowoc County Soil and Water Conservation Department, and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to remove or replace these obstructions with more fish- and river-friendly crossings.  The two crossing were located a within a single farm property and used to access agricultural fields across the river from the farm.  The south crossing consisted of a cement slab with a number of small culverts and one larger, but still inadequate culvert.  The north crossing consisted of a high-banked road with a single 5-foot culvert, making it function as a dam during periods of moderate to high flow.  It was determined that the south culvert was no longer needed and could be removed completely.  The north crossing was still needed to move farm implements across the river, therefore the existing 5-foot diameter culvert was replaced with an arched culvert that is 23.5 feet wide and 8.5 feet high.  The removal of these barriers will allow fish unrestricted access to 15 miles of upstream aquatic habitat.

In addition to the stream-crossing improvement, 52 acres of land surrounding the river are now protected under a permanent conservation easement.  The easement, purchased by the State of Wisconsin, will also allow public access to the site and greatly increase the recreational opportunities available in the area.  The majority of the cost for the crossing project was paid for with Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources priority watershed funding.  Additional funding and technical assistance was provided by the Service through the Partners for Fish and Wildlife program.  Overall project coordination and technical assistance was provided by the Manitowoc County Soil and Water Conservation Department, with engineering assistance from the Natural Resource Conservation Service.  Friends of the Branch River were instrumental in the initiation of the project and the securing of funds.