Cribs to provide fish habitat

Kaleb Santy’s ag maintenance class at Oconto Falls High School constructed 11 fish cribs as a habitat improvement project for the Oconto River fish population above the dam. Four fish cribs were perched on the ice just off the new Lions handicap accessible dock near the East Side Beach in Oconto Falls. The others were placed in clusters at two other locations. The project used pallets, Christmas trees and cement blocks to create structures for spawning that will protect the fish hatch from predators. The students worked in partnership with the Oconto Falls Lions and a number of other volunteers who donated materials, equipment or labor. Gillett Cement provided cement blocks. Matt Steffens and Roger Blazer provided pallets. Bear Magnin and Jason Kardoskee positioned the pallets on the ice. McDermid Transportation and Bill Bublitz provided banding supplies. Last year, 14 slightly smaller cribs were built, set on the ice and eventually dropped into the river. The Lions had a permit to drop 50 cribs. The permit expires this spring, but efforts are under way to reapply to build and drop more cribs.