The Kinnickinnic consists of two distinctly different portions of river. The meandering upper river that flows gently through a broad agricultural valley and the fast flowing section running through a steep walled canyon below the City of River Falls. The river is classified as an outstanding resource water by the State of Wisconsin and is considered to be one of the finest Class 1 trout streams in the state.

Background, Upper River:

The Kinnickinnic River originates in southeastern St. Croix County and flows 25 miles to the southwest crossing into Pierce County where it empties into the St. Croix River. At the time of settlement, the upper Kinnickinnic River flowed through a tall grass prairie ecosystem with trees found only on the sides of the surrounding bluffs. Early accounts of the river described a prolific native brook trout fishery. Agricultural development soon followed and by the 1950s', the water quality and habitat of the Kinnickinnic declined to the point that Brown Trout had to be planted to maintain a viable trout fishery. Around this period, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources began an ambitious effort at obtaining easements along the river above River Falls. This was done to exclude grazing cattle from the stream bank, improve in-stream habitat and allow angler access. As the banks stabilized, water quality improved and in 1972 the DNR discontinued stocking of the Kinnickinnic. Today the Kinnickinnic River has one of the highest densities of Brown Trout in the State of Wisconsin. Trout densities in the upper river average 6000 trout per stream mile. While densities are high, average fish size is small. Without a systematic management plan, the easements became overgrown with woody vegetation, consisting mainly of tag and box alder that greatly shades the stream. Brushing Research by DNR trout researchers has shown that primary productivity of streams can be improved by removal of woody vegetation. Under the direction of the Area Fish Manager, the Kiap-TU-Wish Chapter conducts an annual brushing project along the Kinnickinnic each winter.

Within the City of River Falls , the river is impounded by two electrical dams operated by the River Falls Municipal Utility under license by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission . The facility is licensed to operate in a run-of-river mode but reports of rapid drops in stream flow have been reported to the Chapter by anglers fishing the lower river. These were reported to FERC officials who ordered an audit of the facility in the fall of 1995. It appears maintenance procedures are the cause of these fluctuations. The City has been told to submit alternative maintenance procedures to DNR and FERC officials. When fishing the lower river, please Report Any Flow Fluctuations to the chapter and proper government officials.

The City of River Falls, with a population of 10,600, is the largest city located on a class 1 trout stream in Wisconsin. The city is situated on the border between two of the fastest growing counties in the State of Wisconsin. Developmental pressures on the Kinnickinnic threatens the trout fishery and aquatic habitat through increases in urban nonpoint source pollution and by loss of spring flow. Along with increased flows and toxic pollutants, there is special concern over increases in the thermal regimes of the lower river resulting from summer storm water runoff. As a consequence, in 1990 the Kiap-TU-Wish Chapter installed a series of continuous temperature monitors throughout River Falls to gather baseline data on temperature and to document any thermal impacts from storm water. This was done in conjunction with the writing of a storm water management plan by the City of River Falls. Chapter monitoring has succeeded in documenting thermal impacts to the lower river but additional information is needed for decision making. The Kiap-TU-Wish Chapter is working with the DNR, City of River Falls, Kinnickinnic River Land Trust and the Army Corp of Engineers on a plan to model temperature impacts from storm water to the Kinnickinnic River. In 1995 the Chapter formed an education committee whose main goal was to educate city residents on the value of the river as a natural resource and to explain what steps are required to protect it.

Background: Lower River

Background, Lower River: Below the city of River Falls, the Kinnickinnic flows 6 miles through a narrow canyon on its way to the St.Croix River. By 1938, land use in the upper river, impoundments, electrical generation and wastewater discharge essentially eliminated trout from the lower river. In the 1960s the City of River Falls upgraded its wastewater treatment plant. This, combined with the elimination of "peaking " flows from the municipal hydro facility in 1975, led to a recovery of the lower river trout fishery. The canyon below town is narrow enough that few roads were ever built along its banks, thus severely limiting agricultural development. As a consequence, many rare and endangered plants were protected and can be found in the lower valley. The Kinnickinnic River Land Trust has identified and mapped these areas as part of their resource inventory. Trout densities of the lower river average approximately 3000 trout per stream mile. The fish in the lower river have responded well to special regulations and tend to be larger than those in the upper river.