Matuska's Creek Restoration

Matuska's Creek is a small designated trout stream in Southern Itasca County with a naturally reproducing brook trout population. There are few trout streams in Itasca County and even fewer with a naturally reproducing population. Although the stream and restoration site are on private property, Matuska's Creek is a tributary to Smith Creek, a larger trout stream with public angling opportunities. Smith Creek is regularly stocked with brook trout and flows through UPM Forestry owned lands that are open to public use through the Upper Mississippi UPM Forestry Legacy Project. In July 2012 southern Itasca County received more than 6 inches of rain which caused excessive erosion to Matuska's Creek. A small field road with a 2 ft diameter culvert crosses the stream allowing the landowner to access a hay field. During the rainstorm, stream velocities were so great that approximately 200 ft of the stream bed below the culvert eroded, washing away banks and causing the stream bed to drop approximately 2 ft. The culvert under the field road is undersized and during the heavy rain caused the outlet to become perched creating a barrier to fish movement. The purpose of this project is to restore the stream bed downstream of the culvert to a natural condition and install a larger diameter culvert to prevent future erosion and ensure fish passage. Allowing brook trout and other fish species to pass through the culvert will improve habitat conditions in Matuska's Creek and maintain angling opportunities in Smith Creek and other connected waters.