Tree Planting on Smith Conley Creek with SWTU, Nohr, & DNR

SWTU and Nohr Chapter Workday – May 16, 2026

Tree Planting - Smith Conley Creek

2800 County Rd H, Iowa County

If you are interested in carpooling to the workday, contact Dyan Lesnik (dmlgriffin@gmail.com) and she will try to find a contact for you.

Time:  9am to 12 noon.

What: This will be a joint workday with the Nohr Chapter, assisting Justin Haglund, DNR Fish Biologist, and Lloyd Meng, Fisheries Technician, with planting 70 oaks (25 bur and 45 swamp white) along the Bennett easement and some on the Rosenthal easement just upstream. SWTU and Nohr have had several joint workdays here removing box elders and other invasive woodies and the DNR has made some significant improvements to the stream, and now it is time to plant some oaks. The holes for the trees will be pre-drilled by the DNR and they will be providing tubes and fencing.

This will be a great opportunity to check out this newly restored section of Smith Conley Creek and hear from DNR staff on what was done and what equipment was used. Might even be a good day to bring along a rod to do some fishing afterwards. Please bring a shovel as we will still need to fill in the holes and perhaps dig some new ones.  SWTU has buckets for watering the trees, but it never hurts to bring a bucket with a rope attached.

Where:  This site is located at 2800 County Rd H, Iowa County. Take Hwy 151 out of Madison to Barneveld, then take the exit to South County Rd K, go approximately 6 miles south to Cty Rd H, turn right (west) on Cty Rd H, and then go 1 mile west to 2800 Cty Rd H. NOTE: Cty Rd K used to intersect Hwy 151 just east of Barneveld, but they closed that intersection due to accidents.

Here is a Google Map Link to this location:  https://maps.app.goo.gl/rdnoYV8TP7tED8r36

Bring:  Bring a shovel with your name on it, work gloves, sturdy shoes, eye and ear protection. Also bring reusable water bottles that can be re-filled from our 5-gal water jug. And it never hurts to bring some rubber boots, just in case.

 Parking: Park along on the north side of the road, as there is more room to get off of the road on this side. We’ll be walking down from the road to the stream, but there will be an UTV available to shuttle equipment.

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Last Two Spring Workdays:

Saturday, May 30 – Big Spring Branch – clearing invasives, 5465 Big Spring Rd, Town of Highland

*Tuesday*, June 9 – Duerst Property – working with professional STIHL sawyers clearing large box elders, 7309 Riverside Rd. We will be assisting them with building the burn piles.

Note:  This is on a Tuesday, but will worth taking a day off to watch professional chain sawyers do their job.

Detailed information on the last two workdays will be provided later.

Visit Workdays – Southern Wisconsin Trout Unlimited for more workday information.