By Eric Moshier – Certified Heater Mason, Third-Generation Mason, MHA Technical Committee Member, ASTM E1602 Masonry Heater Group Member
Solid Rock Masonry LLC is a proud supporter of Trout Unlimited.
Solid Rock Masonry LLC in Duluth, Minnesota is a proud supporter of Trout Unlimited, the nation’s leading coldwater conservation organization. Owner Eric Moshier is a Certified Heater Mason and ASTM E1602 committee member with more than 25 years of experience building custom masonry heaters, and clean, cold water is one of the core values of his business. Trout Unlimited was founded by a group of Michigan anglers in 1959 and has grown to more than 300,000 members and supporters, 400 local chapters, and over 350 staff working to conserve, protect, restore, and sustain North America’s coldwater fisheries and their watersheds. When Eric is not building masonry heaters, he is out on the water, chasing trout somewhere in the world or fly fishing for saltwater species. Protecting the rivers and streams that hold wild trout is personal, and it is why Solid Rock Masonry stands behind the work Trout Unlimited does for cold, clean water.
What is Trout Unlimited?
Trout Unlimited, often shortened to TU, is a national nonprofit dedicated to caring for and recovering the rivers and streams that hold trout and salmon. Its mission is to conserve, protect, restore, and sustain coldwater fisheries and their watersheds. TU brings together anglers, scientists, and volunteers to make water cleaner and colder and to keep local communities healthier.
The organization was started in 1959 by a band of Michigan anglers who wanted to protect the wild trout streams they loved. Today TU works through more than 400 chapters across the country, driven by science and focused on protecting, reconnecting, and restoring more than 200 Priority Waters nationwide.
>> Learn more about Trout Unlimited at tu.org/about
What does Trout Unlimited do?
Trout Unlimited’s conservation work is hands-on and science-driven. Chapters and staff protect the best remaining habitat, reconnect streams by removing barriers that block fish movement, and restore damaged waters so trout and salmon can thrive again. That same work provides healthy water for communities and agriculture and helps landscapes recover from flooding and wildfire.
The heart of TU is its volunteers. Each year, members contribute more than 650,000 volunteer hours working together to make local streams cleaner, colder, and healthier. Their day-to-day work includes:
- Restoring stream channels and planting trees to shade and cool the water
- Removing dams, undersized culverts, and other barriers to reopen miles of habitat
- Protecting high-quality trout water through conservation easements
- Monitoring water quality and temperature with sound science
- Teaching the next generation of anglers and conservationists
What does Trout Unlimited do in Minnesota?
Minnesota Trout Unlimited coordinates its work through five local chapters, including the Gitche Gumee Chapter here in the Duluth area, along with the Headwaters, Hiawatha, Twin Cities, and Win-Cres chapters. Together they have restored well over 100 miles of Minnesota trout streams.
Close to home, Minnesota TU has removed key barriers to brook trout movement on the Baptism, Manitou, and Two Island Rivers, as well as Tischer Creek right in Duluth, reopening roughly 16 miles of colder, healthier stream. The group has also launched habitat work in the Sucker River watershed, a top brook trout and steelhead stream east of Duluth, and it protects native brook trout water through stream easements in the Duluth area.
Farther south, TU is a leading force in the Driftless Area, an unglaciated region that holds more than 600 spring-fed limestone creeks and a world-class trout fishery. Protecting these streams from agricultural runoff keeps the water cold and clean for wild trout and for everyone downstream.
>> See Trout Unlimited’s Minnesota Priority Waters
>> Visit Minnesota Trout Unlimited at mntu.org
Why does clean, cold water matter to a masonry business?
It is a fair question. Solid Rock Masonry builds custom masonry heaters, wood-fired bake ovens, and stone fireplaces. Water conservation might seem like a different world, but the two are closely connected in how we think about our impact on the land.
A masonry heater is a radiant heat storage appliance. It burns a hot, fast fire that heats a large masonry mass, and that mass then radiates gentle warmth over 12 to 24 hours. Because the fire burns clean and complete, a well-built masonry heater produces very low particulate emissions compared with an ordinary wood stove. Cleaner combustion means cleaner air, and cleaner air and cleaner water go hand in hand. Choosing a low-emission, wood-fired heater is one small way a home can tread more lightly on the landscape that feeds our trout streams.
>> Read about masonry heater particulate emissions testing
>> Learn what a masonry heater is and how it works
Why Solid Rock Masonry supports Trout Unlimited
For Eric, this is not a marketing exercise. When he is not laying brick or firing a new heater, he is standing in moving water. Trout fishing and saltwater fly fishing are lifelong passions, and they have taken him to rivers and coastlines far beyond Minnesota. Time on the water is where the value of a healthy stream stops being an abstraction and becomes something you can see, feel, and lose.
Every trout stream needs people willing to look after it. Trout Unlimited gives anglers and businesses a way to do exactly that, whether through volunteer restoration days, easements that protect the best water, or simply supporting the mission. Solid Rock Masonry is glad to stand with TU and to help make sure the cold, clean water we fish today is still here for the next generation.
>> See our custom masonry heater work
>> Browse the Solid Rock Masonry project gallery
How can you get involved with Trout Unlimited?
You do not have to be an expert angler to help protect coldwater streams. Joining a local chapter, volunteering for a restoration day, or making a donation all make a real difference. If you fish the waters around Duluth and the North Shore, the Gitche Gumee Chapter of Minnesota Trout Unlimited is a great place to start.
- Join Trout Unlimited or renew your membership at tu.org
- Connect with your local Minnesota chapter at mntu.org
- Volunteer for a habitat or stream cleanup day near you
- Support the coldwater mission with a donation
>> Join or support Trout Unlimited
Frequently Asked Questions About Trout Unlimited
When was Trout Unlimited founded?
Trout Unlimited was founded in 1959 by a group of anglers in Michigan who wanted to protect wild trout and the coldwater streams they depend on.
What is Trout Unlimited’s mission?
Trout Unlimited’s mission is to conserve, protect, restore, and sustain North America’s coldwater fisheries and their watersheds so that trout, salmon, and people all benefit from cleaner, colder water.
How many members does Trout Unlimited have?
Trout Unlimited has more than 300,000 members and supporters and over 400 local chapters across the United States, backed by a staff of more than 350.
Does Trout Unlimited work in Minnesota?
Yes. Minnesota Trout Unlimited works through five chapters, including the Gitche Gumee Chapter in the Duluth area, and has restored more than 100 miles of Minnesota trout streams, including barrier removals on Tischer Creek in Duluth and the Baptism, Manitou, and Two Island Rivers.
How is a masonry heater connected to water conservation?
A masonry heater burns wood cleanly and completely, producing very low particulate emissions and radiating stored heat over 12 to 24 hours. Cleaner combustion means cleaner air, which supports the same healthy landscapes and watersheds that keep trout streams cold and clean.
Why does Solid Rock Masonry support Trout Unlimited?
Clean, cold water is a core value of Solid Rock Masonry, and owner Eric Moshier is a lifelong trout and saltwater fly angler. Supporting Trout Unlimited is a natural way for the business to help protect the rivers and streams it cares about.
Talk to a Certified Heater Mason
If you are planning a custom masonry heater, wood-fired bake oven, or stone fireplace, or you just want to talk trout and clean water, reach out.
Solid Rock Masonry LLC
5347 Howard Gnesen Road, Duluth, MN 55803
218-343-2978
eric@solidrockmasonry.com
www.solidrockmasonry.com