Coon Creek Community Watershed Council, Inc

05/02/2026

04/30/2026

Wondering when that habitat work was done in the C**n Creek watershed? Here is a map of the time frame of those habitat projects - dating back to the 1950's. Kirk Olson, Senior Fisheries Biologist, shares that the "oldest work was on upper Rullands and upper Bohemian Valley. Both projects were done in the 50s. One by Palmer Olson (Rullands Coulee) and the other by DNR (upper Bohemian Valley)."

This map shows the most recent projects. In some places, newer projects replaced older ones - particularly after the 2018 floods.

04/30/2026

We've got three amazing bands lined up for the 2026 C**n Creek Confluence, bringing you music by the creek all day. Here's the schedule⬇️

11-2pm: Tapestry is back with tunes from Timber Coulee. It wouldn't be a watershed event without them!

2-3pm: We're introducing the Creeky Trio, featuring Julia Buskirk, Eva Lee, and more. Fall in love with their beautiful harmonies and fresh takes on old time fiddle tunes.

3-6pm: Ryan Howe and his Atmospheric Trio are returning to the watershed to close out the afternoon with their unique blend of soul, rock, and funk.

We're so lucky to be surrounded by so many talented artists here in C**n Creek! Soak in all the sounds of the watershed, and enjoy our donation based pulled pork sandwiches, baked potatoes topped with all your favorites from Westby Coop Creamery, baked beans, coleslaw, seasonal ferments from Fizzeology Foods, and more. Plus, sparkling teas from gist, milk from Organic Valley, and beer!

See you this Saturday in Chaseburg!

04/29/2026

What a great morning putting together 150 flood preparedness kits with the Vernon County Health Department, WI this morning! We can’t wait to pass these out ✨for free✨to guests at the 2026 C**n Creek Confluence, happening 11-5 this Saturday in Chaseburg. Come early--these kits will go fast!

Kits include
💧Well water test kits, for folks with private wells
💧Go Macro Bars, bottled water plus indie about emergency food reserves and food safety
💧Work gloves and cleaning supplies
💧Matches, flashlights, a rain poncho
💧Emergecy blankets and hand warmers
💧Much more!

Fostering community resilience to flooding is central to the mission of our Watershed Council and the Public Health Department, whether that is through promoting land use practices that reduce flooding in the first place, or by connecting residents with the resources they need to safely recover when floods happen.

We couldn’t have done this without incredible support from our local businesses partners, and a major volunteer assist from the Vernon Women's Alliance!

Items in the bucket were contributed by Vernon County Health Department, WI, us at the CCCWC, Vernon County Emergency Management, Kwik Trip, Edward Jones, GoMacro, Westby Area School District, Emplify Health by Gundersen, The Great American Pancake Company, American Red Cross of Wisconsin, Xcel Energy, and Green for Life.

04/27/2026

The C**n Creek Confluence returns for its fourth season on May 2 in Chaseburg, celebrating watershed conservation with live music, a donation-based cookout, fishing pole giveaways, and over 30 local farmers, artists, and conservation partners engaging the community in sustainable practices.

04/23/2026

04/21/2026

For anyone in the Westby area who experienced hail damage last week: River 2 Ridge Disaster Resilience has updated their website to include an application for requesting recovery assistance.

If you request assistance, make sure you are reporting damages to your insurance, county and/or 211 for first helpers. R2RDR cannot promise to fulfill requests until first helpers have done their part and R2RDR resources have been assessed too.

Learn more on their website, and speak R2RDR in person at the 2026 C**n Creek Confluence, happening 11-5, May 2nd, at the Chaseburg Ball Park.

https://cooncreekwatershed.org/confluence/for-guests/

https://www.r2rdr.org/

Plan your Confluence visit, learn about our watershed partners, and access our event schedule

04/20/2026

Thanks to everyone who came out to the C**n Valley Conservation Club yesterday to pick up some prescribed burn basics and put good fire on the ground. And an especially big thank you to the Conservation Club for trusting us with their prairies, and to the Wisconsin Prescribed Fire Council for leading such a thoughtful and thorough introduction to this critical landscape process.

Our 17 person crew included seven first time burners and four excellent leaders from the Wisconsin Prescribed Fire Council. For us first timers, it was a steep and windy (and snowy!) introduction to fire.

Together, we burnt over 3 acres at the Conservation Club, helping the club reach their goals of supporting flourishing prairie, promoting soil health and water retention, and protecting wildlife habitat. Along the way, we got familiar with fire behavior, tried our hands at different ignition techniques, and had plenty of practice with fire suppression. But maybe the most rewarding part of the day was getting to know and work alongside our C**n Creek neighbors, and build connections around fire that we’ll take beyond this training and on to the lands where we live and work.

The CCCWC hopes Sunday’s training will also ignite future efforts to establish a Prescribed Burn Association in our watershed and the surrounding area, and we look forward to the role our watershed council might play in connecting neighbors with each other and resources to safely bring more fire to more places in the Driftless.

Prescribed Burn Associations are community networks that facilitate the learning, equipment sharing, and volunteer coordination necessary to make prescribed fire an accessible option for average private land owners. Associations are becoming more common in the Western and Southeastern U.S., but despite the long ecologic and cultural history of fire in the Midwest, burn associations are less prevalent here. The Wisconsin Prescribed Fire Council is working to address that gap through trainings like yesterday’s, which give communities the experience they need to participate in and organize their own burns.

Learn more about the Wisconsin Prescribed Fire Council at the 2026 C**n Creek Confluence, happening 11-5 Saturday May 2nd, at the Chaseburg Ball Park. And stay tuned for more future burn trainings this summer!

Trainings like this one are made possible through generous support from the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP)'s Producer-led Watershed Protection Grant Program and the Rural Climate Partnership. Learn how you can support producer-led, community driven watershed conservation here: https://cooncreekwatershed.org/donate/

04/17/2026

It's almost May which meant the 2026 C**n Creek Confluence almost here, AND that its the perfect time to be seeding your root vegetables, like radishes, parsnip, onion, beets, carrots, and turnips.

What ever your plans, Cashton-based Firefly Farm & Mercantile has you absolutely covered. Browse their collection of herb, vegetable, and flower seeds at the Confluence in Chaseburg, 11-5, May 2nd.

See you there!

04/16/2026

Calling all friends of family farms!

Stop by the C**n Creek Confluence in Chaseburg, 11-5 Sat., May 2nd to meet your neighborhood Chaseburg Local Chapter of the Wisconsin Farmers Union

From advocating for safe water to fighting for health care reforms for farming communities, Farmers Union is committed to enhancing quality of life for family farmers, rural communities, and all people through educational opportunities, cooperative endeavors, and civic engagement.

To learn more about their work, watch this 2025 video featuring a few familiar faces from around the Driftless

All of America, Am I is a short documentary exploring how industrial markets and corporate consolidation shape the daily realities of farmers, rural business...