Lowery Creek Watershed Initiative
A community-powered conservation effort in Wisconsin’s Driftless Area
At 8,600 acres, the Lowery Creek watershed is small by most standards, but is packed with intriguing beauty, culture, and history. Even the trout in Lowery Creek are special, being one of only three “heritage breed” brook trout populations that exist in Wisconsin.
Like all Driftless Area trout streams, Lowery Creek begins in the springs that dot the surrounding hills. It starts near Pleasant Ridge, six miles as the crow flies from where it spills into the Wisconsin River just south of Spring Green. Along the way, three main tributaries wind through hill-sided valleys before filling the pond at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin estate and then finding the river.
This area holds all the classic Driftless features: limestone outcrops, oak-dominated woods and savannas, pine relicts, riparian wetlands, and steep prairies. Add to this a variety of small farms; the enduring influence of Frank Lloyd Wright and Taliesin (a World Heritage Site); the Lower Wisconsin State Riverway (a Wetland of International Importance); great biking, hiking, and fishing; and fascinating history – and you have a very special place.
We are working toward a watershed that, fifty or more years from now, will be even more beautiful and bountiful than it is today. It will be known for its aesthetics, progressive agriculture, rich biodiversity, cultural tourism, and engaged community. It will inspire others like others have inspired us.
Our Story and Vision
In 2014, neighbors concerned about a possible threat to the valley’s aesthetic beauty started conversations about how to proactively preserve and improve their area over time. As the conversation grew and their goals expanded, they asked Driftless Area Land Conservancy to help structure and coordinate their efforts.
Their mission was, and is, to protect and enhance their water quality, viewsheds, working lands, natural resources, and quality of life going forward. Local residents had already pushed for this in the Town of Wyoming’s comprehensive plan, so this effort was turning that plan into action.
Thus began the Lowery Creek Watershed Initiative. It is led by a very engaged team of area residents and partner organizations.
Our Goals
- Grow community around conservation through effective outreach.
- Help diverse agriculture thrive in this landscape.
- Manage our natural resources sustainably.
- Use science to guide us.
Community Partners
- Canopy Farm Management
- Cates Family Farm
- Talliesin Preservation
- Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation
- Friends of the Lower Wisconsin Riverway
- Iowa County Land Conservation Department
- Savanna Institute
- Stapleton Family
- Talliesin Preservation
- Town of Wyoming
- Twin Crix
And other individuals who contribute a wealth of experience.
Our Team
Katie Abbott – Iowa County Land Conservation Dept.
Barb Barzen – Driftless Area Land Conservancy
Emily Butler – Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation
Dick Cates – Cates Family Farm
Mike Degen – Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation
Jen Filipiak – Driftless Area Land Conservancy
John Hess – Community Resident
Maria Kopecky – Taliesin Preservation
Erin Crooks Lynch – Savanna Institute
Randy Manning – Historian and Conservationist
Patrick Michaels – Twin Crix, Canopy Farm Management
Joe Stapleton – Stapleton Family Farm
Jean Unmuth- Friends of the Lower Wisconsin Riverway – Science Team
Financial and In-Kind Supporters
Thank you for our inkind and financial sponosrs. We are grateful for the generosity of passionate individual donors and support in recent years from:
- Bradshaw-Knight Foundation
- Alliant Energy Foundation
- Southwestern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission
Water sampling occurs the second Tuesday of the month, from May-October. It is easy, fun, and a great way to learn. To join us or learn more, contact Mike Degen at mdegen@franklloydwright.org or 608-588-5346.
Achieving Our Goals
Water Monitoring
To assess water quality in Lowery Creek and monitor it long-term, our partnership participates in the statewide Water Action Volunteers (WAV) citizen science program. WAV provides training in water sampling methods along with equipment, data sheets, and an online database for entering results.
Stream monitoring parameters include streamflow, dissolved oxygen, temperature, water transparency, aquatic animals, insects, and fish habitat. Phosphorus is also monitored at select sites.
Teams of volunteers do monthly sampling of eight sites on the two main branches of Lowery Creek. Site locations provide information that help us understand connections between land use and water quality. That information and analyses help guide land management decisions.
Achieving Our Goals
Mapping
To understand what is happening on the land in the Lowery Creek watershed today, we have developed a multi-layered map that incorporates information that is available through state and county Geographic Information Systems (GIS) sources AND information collected from conversing with landowners and walking the land.
Layers include topography, land use, vegetation type, soil type, frog breeding sites, actively managed or restored uplands, actively managed stream, cultural sites, water monitoring sites, concentrations of invasive plants, and more. We will continually update map layers, and will include notes on cropping history, cultural history, and other aspects of land use.
You can access this interactive map by turning layers on and off, adjust the transparency of layers to your liking, study various relationships, and use the information to guide land management and other activities. Our team will use it to observe and think about land and water conservation at the watershed level.
Join us for Evenings Afield and Workshops
One evening per month, from May through October, we set aside time for learning in the field from experts and one another and see the results of management methods on different properties. All are welcome to attend. 2025 topics included wetland and prairie restoration, cultural history, bats, soils, monitoring invasive species, citizen science projects, and starry skies!
Once or twice a year, we offer more in-depth field experience workshops that offer how-to learning for people
managing land and water resources. Examples include managing beavers in trout streams, planting
buffer strips, and improving streambanks.