During the droughty 1930s, dams and ditches were constructed to store water for firefighting and irrigation. Many of the ditches now contain some of the best populations of native brook trout found in the state. In the 1960s, center-pivot irrigation made possible the vast fields of potatoes and other vegetables we see there today. The flat, wet country with networks of drainage ditches also seems a natural area for expanding cranberry cultivation. The stage is set for a classic struggle over water use, quality and quantity.
Ditches adjoining cranberry bogs in Portage County contain excellent brook trout populations.
The goal of the Buena Vista Marsh project, according to Tod Planer, a county agricultural agent for UW-Extension in Wood County, is to protect the brook trout population and maintain water quality in the drainage district while providing for sustainable agriculture. The project seeks working solutions to environmental problems like silt buildup and low flow in the ditches that support brook trout. The groups coming to the table to talk include the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the Portage County Drainage District, area cranberry growers, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and sporting groups. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is a major landowner, managing 10,000 acres of prairie chicken habitat. Early discussions have focused on different interests needs, projects and future plans.