Fish Creek Watershed Plan

Fish Creek is the namesake for the local community and it provides the backdrop for many rich memories and stories. The creek is appreciated by residents and visitors, with many having spent countless hours near and in Fish Creek, enjoying its cooling waters, wildlife, and natural beauty.

The Fish Creek Watershed project and corresponding plan and volunteer committee was initiated by the Fish Creek Watershed Study Volunteer Leaders and developed by the Town of Gibraltar Planning Commission and Town Board, with the intent of compiling and interpreting existing data to inform discussions about the protection and restoration of Fish Creek.

More details about the Fish Creek Watershed Plan can be viewed in the documents below:

Fish Creek Watershed Plan

Fish Creek Stream Monitoring Report 1999-2021

Fish Creek Restoration Project

The  Hwy 42 Fish Ladder 

The Plan Commission, in charge of implementing the Fish Creek Watershed Plan, chose to pursue Outcome 2.1:  The Hwy 42 Culvert Will Not be a Barrier to Fish Passage. A DNR River Management Grant was applied for and received.    In December of 2022, the grant money was used to install a fish ladder on the apron of the Hwy 42 culvert reducing the 18” height that fish had to jump between the creek bed and the apron. The fish ladder consists of 3 elongated steps cut into the concrete of the apron. Each step is just a 6” jump. The ladder allows pike, suckers, and other fish to easily enter the culvert and swim upstream into the wetlands to spawn.