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This will be the 9th year for the Driftless Flyathlon. It's a unique trail race that involves running along a trout stream in Yellow River State Forest. The goal is to catch a trout, quickly photograph and release with one of our provided fish rulers, and finish the race. Each inch of fish deducts two minutes from your overall time. The event is part of a series of races that started in Colorado through the non-profit Running Rivers. The race, however, is a fundraiser for water conservation projects in the state of Iowa.
Over the past 8 years, we have fundraised over $121,000 and helped to fund significant projects at Yellow River State Forest and Northeast Iowa. That money, combined with grants has equated to over $220,000.
We're proud to announce our latest project we're sponsoring is the Spring Branch Creek Project, a 192-acre property in Delaware County adjacent to the Manchester Fish Hatchery. The Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation is poised to take full ownership by July 2026. More than 4000 feet of Spring Branch Creek runs through the property and provides premier fishing opportunities for wild and stocked trout. This project area buffers the “Middle” and “Lower” spring sources that supply about 1000 gallons per minute of fresh water to the hatchery where trout are produced for stocking across Iowa. Iowa DNR Fisheries Biologists have found that Spring Branch has one of the best populations of wild Brown Trout in Iowa with exceptional numbers of large trout. The stream also has native Brook Trout and Slimy Sculpin, a Species of Greatest Conservation Need. Protection of this upland and floodplain will help improve the quality of water flowing through the hatchery and maintain existing fishing access on the 3/4 mile stretch that flows through the property. The Driftless Flyathlon donated $25,000 toward this project in late May of 2026.
We have donated $21,000 to similar restoration efforts on Paint Creek, a project that was completed in August 2024. We have also recently pledged another $21,000 to a second phase on the Paint Creek.
We’re looking at the 2026 Driftless Flyathlon to be the best event yet, scheduled to be held October 3rd. See photos here from the 2024 event!