The Hiawatha Chapter of Trout Unlimited has been active in the restoration and conservation of southeast Minnesota’s coldwater resource for over three decades. Based out of Rochester, Minnesota, the Hiawatha Chapter has focused its efforts in the Driftless Area of southeast Minnesota. The Chapter’s membership is over 350 people and growing.

Since the late 1970’s, Hiawatha has focused its conservation efforts on improving and restoring area trout streams. The Chapter has completed eight miles of trout habitat improvement work—33 projects in 31 years— including extensive work on the middle branch of the Whitewater, Trout Run, and Snake Creek. The Hiawatha Chapter has also helped to direct or assist projects on a handful of other streams in southeast Minnesota including Hay Creek, Mill Creek, and Wisel Creek. Looking ahead, Hiawatha will be completing even more stream work in southeast Minnesota.

The Chapter understands that without the next generation of conservationists and anglers, there is no future for our resource. Hiawatha Trout Unlimited has been sponsoring a kids and seniors fishing day in Lanesboro for years. It has conducted the Duke Hust Trout Fishing Rendezvous at Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center and will do so again in the future. It is also active in a youth education program modeled after the “First Cast” program from Trout Unlimited.

Additionally, the Chapter is actively defending its local water resource, without which there would not be a thriving trout population. Hiawatha works to ensure that agencies like the Minnesota PCA responsibly evaluate environmental impacts of industries, such as ethanol plants, that could potentially damage or destroy the local coldwater resource.

Hiawatha TU will continue to work toward healthy watersheds and trout populations as it looks ahead. Please join Hiawatha TU and contribute today!