A Chronology of the
Escanaba River Association
1961-2009
1961—Founded by 15 fishermen and property owners to monitor and to improve the quality of the Escanaba River fishery.
1970s—Met only annually yet began to pressure the MDNR to stock trout.
1984—Began habitat improvement work by placing 50 wooden pallets below Hunter’s Brook in cooperation with the MDNR.
1984—Opposed the construction of a bridge proposed to cross the river just below Boney Falls.
1988—Excavated a trench 125 feet long by 40 feet wide by 6 feet deep using explosives in cooperation with the MDNR and with the support of Wildlife Unlimited and the Mean Paper Corporation.
1989—Worked with the MDNR to excavate three additional deep pools.
1990-- Earned a “quality trout waters” designation for the section of the Escanaba River from below Boney Falls
to the mouth of Silver Creek with the support of the MDNR and Mead Paper.
1990-1993—Dredged the river below Boney Falls to improve trout babitat with the support of the MDNR and Mead Paper.
1994—Enhance trout habitat above Squaw Creek by creating several large rock piles.
1995—Worked with the MDNR to establish “artificial lures only” regulations for the Quality Trout Waters sections of the river.
1997—Entered into a contract to purchase the Robert Karas property on the Escanaba River and launched a capital campaign that successfully raised $85,000.
1998—Completed the purchase of the Karas property so that access to the river would remain open to the public in perpetuity.
1998—Placed 240 tons of rock, each weighing approximately two tons, in the river to form an inverted V to continue to improve river habitat.
2001—Continued the boulder project by placing 30 more two-ton rocks in small groups at strategic places in the river.
2003—Obtained a court restraining order to force the MDNR, the BEQ UPPCO and the Great Lakes Transmission Company to postpone the proposed August 1st drawdown of the Boney Falls impound- ment until October.
2011—Excavated the river near the gravel pit to enhance habitat.
2011—Worked with the Fred Waara Chapter of Trout Unlimited to study trout habitat and to stock trout on the upper river.
2011—Sponsored a salmon in the classroom with Escanaba Middle School.
