COORDINATING A MULTI-YEAR, MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR WATERSHED-WIDE FISH PASSAGE PROGRAM

Transcription

1 COORDINATING A MULTI-YEAR, MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR WATERSHED-WIDE FISH PASSAGE PROGRAM A Case Study of Major Dam Natural Fishways & Removal Coordinating Resources for Measurable Outcomes Andrew T. Struck, MS, Director Ozaukee County (WI) Planning & Parks Dept. Milwaukee River Watershed Fish Passage Program 2

2 Watershed-wide Conservation Approach ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT PROJECT Example PROGRAM Example Planning Opportunity Landowner / Impediment Research / Design Implementation / Program Delivery Monitoring / Evaluation Immediate Needs Objectives Demonstrate Success Permitting / Design & Engineering Criteria Construct Fish Passage / Remove Impediment Target Species Measurable Outcomes Long term / Watershed Scale Multiple Objectives to Achieve Goal Identify Next Steps Metrics - Socioeconomic / Biological Level of Effort / Priority Inventories / GIS modeling Dams and Other Barriers (Public Works / Cons. Corps) Beneficial Use Impairments 3

3 Program Location Milwaukee River Basin Map courtesy of lwaukee/resources/rivers.html 4

4 Fish Passage Program NOAA ARRA Summary $4.71 Million NOAA/ARRA Grant Awarded (2009): Restore Fish Passage in the Milwaukee River Watershed Additional $536,000 NOAA/ARRA Supplemental Grant Awarded (2010) 1 of 50 in nation, 1 of 3 in Great Lakes, only one in WI Milwaukee River Main Stem Mequon-Thiensville Dam Lime Kiln Dam Bridge Street Dam Nine Tributaries Distributed Evenly Reconnect Habitat Various Stream Types 5

5 Fish Passage Program USEPA GLRI Summary $1.48 Million USEPA GLRI Grant Awarded (2010): Enhancing Ecological Productivity - Restore Fish Passage in the Milwaukee River Watershed $491,000 USEPA GLRI Monitoring to Address 7 of 11 BUIs Assess Success of Fish Passage (2010) Develop GIS Model for Prioritizing Habitat and Restoration Activities Milwaukee River Main Stem Monitoring 7 of 11 BUIs Six Additional Tributaries Inventories, Remove Priority Impediments, Restore Habitat, Monitoring Fish Surveys, Sediment Sampling and Water Quality 6

6 Program Goals & Outcomes (Metrics) Removal of passage barriers for fish and aquatic life Reconnect 158 miles of streams (NOAA), 60 miles of streams (USEPA) Provide access to over 119,000 acres of habitat, 14,000 acres wetland Improve natural resources and recreational opportunities Increase migratory fish populations, sustainable native fisheries Benefit endangered species & species of concern Bolster sturgeon rearing/stocking & walleye restoration efforts Increase angling opportunities throughout County and beyond Support career development and job creation Work with Milwaukee Community Service Corps, a nonprofit education and job training conservation corps for disadvantaged youth Assist communities with failing infrastructure (e.g. culverts) Engage non-traditional stakeholders / Build on successes 7

7 Program Goals & Outcomes (Metrics) con t Develop a GIS model to prioritize connectivity, hydrology and the best fish and wildlife habitat (USEPA GLRI) GIS model based on Keystone species needs (e.g. northern pike spawning habitat, connectivity and hydrology) Restore significant wetland habitat per GIS fish and wildlife model prioritization (USEPA GLRI) Conduct comprehensive monitoring activities to demonstrate fish passage, habitat and measures to address 7 of the 11 Beneficial Use Impairments (BUIs) Fish Surveys Sediment Sampling Water Quality Monitoring Raise awareness and a sense of stewardship Education, Outreach, and Reporting 8

8 Making the Most of What s Left Desirable aquatic habitat has been lost or significantly altered Restored aquatic habitat is expensive to create and is commonly inferior to quality natural habitat Many pockets of quality natural aquatic habitat remain and are protected. However, many, if not most, are ecologically isolated Reconnecting isolated habitat restores its ecological function to the watershed and saves resources

9 Theme Making Connections Renewing Old Connections. Lake Michigan Milwaukee River Tributary Streams Milwaukee River Basin.and Forming New Connections (Non-traditional Stakeholders) through Ozaukee County Elected Officials Municipalities Businesses Schools NGOs Citizens / Landowners Volunteers Map courtesy of lwaukee/resources/rivers.html Collaborative Partnerships 10

10 Milwaukee River / Estuary Area of Concern Ozaukee County 11 of 14 Beneficial Use Impairments (BUI s) Listed Monitoring Program Addresses 7 of 11 BUI s, Implementation Program Addresses specifically 3 BUIs Degraded Fish/Wildlife Populations Degraded Aesthetics Lost Fish/Wildlife Habitat 11

11 Impediment Examples Major Dams Poorly designed/ installed culverts Excessive water velocities Pervious fill deposits Channel-constricting bridge abutments Debris jams and channel aggradation at crossings Certain Log Jams Sediment Deposits Invasive Species

12 Target Species Northern Pike Source: Walleye Source: Sturgeon Source: 13

13 Native Fish Swimming Performance Good for short distance bursts < 15 sec. Fair for sustained movements in velocities < 2 ft/s Poor for prolonged swimming Very Poor jumpers Require Low velocity (< 2-3 ft/s) Short jumps < 8 in. Frequent rest areas Migrating Steelhead leaping Kletzsch Dam, Milwaukee River

14 Species of Concern Striped Shiner Source: ornell.edu/nyfish/cyprinidae/striped_shiner.html&h=455&w=1000&sz=59&tbnid=qlz9v7- nhm31im:&tbnh=68&tbnw=149&prev=/images%3fq%3dstriped%2bshiner&hl=en&usg= NWtOWkCqwnHXbtPh17nBXNYTY2E=&ei=fO was 4L8nKlAeHkbnxCQ&sa=X Greater Redhorse Source: Ellipse Mussel Source: dnr.wi.gov/.../main_photos/ellipse.jpg Longear Sunfish Source: and%20images/largeimages/longear-sunfish-large-image.jpg 15

15 Ozaukee County Major Dams Existing and Removed Chair Factory Dam Removal 16

16 Bridge St. Dam, Village of Grafton Map courtesy of Bing Maps 17

17 Bridge St. Dam History and Current Located 32 miles upstream of River s confluence with Lake Michigan Fixed crest weir is 144 wide by 13 high and does not include a controlled overflow Creates a 33 acre impoundment Intended use of Dam terminated in millrace was filled Remains primarily for impoundment recreational use (aesthetics, limited boating, fishing) Dam perceived as complete barrier to fish passage

18 Bridge St. Dam Potential Removal/Public Input NOAA funds allowed option of removal or fishway construction Public involvement process and April 2010 referendum resident support for keeping the dam 19

19 Bridge St. Dam Fishway Concept Design requires close coordination with US Army Corps of Engineers, Wisconsin DNR, Ozaukee County, US Fish & Wildlife Service, Village of Grafton, Interfluve, Bonestroo, and local residents Design incorporates combination of buried box under dam at entrance and exposed naturalized channel daylighting upstream AIS, <2% slope, landowner preferences, upstream AND downstream considerations Budgeted Costs: $1.3 million 20

20 Bridge St. Dam Fishway Preliminary Design 21

21 Bridge St. Dam Fishway Preliminary Design Aluminum Stoplogs 22

22 Lime Kiln Dam, Village of Grafton Map courtesy of Bing Maps 23

23 Lime Kiln Dam Current Located 30 miles upstream of the River s confluence with Lake Michigan Fix crest weir is about 60 wide and 8 high Creates a small impoundment, portions adjacent to Village park Not a complete barrier to fish passage Village chose removal as most cost effective alternative to address safety and fish passage 24

24 Lime Kiln Dam Removal Permitting included direct sediment release and archeological / historical significance studies Fractured bedrock exposed, good sturgeon habitat Sediment studies also revealed rock crib dam Rock Crib Dam 25

25 Lime Kiln Dam Removal Continued Removal incorporated slow draw-down through historic raceway to minimize sediment transport Used blasting to fracture the dam structure three separate blasts Proceeding with temporary and long-term restoration strategies (e.g. seeding and tree planting) Budgeted Costs: $133,000 26

26 Lime Kiln Dam Removal and Restoration 27

27 Mequon Thiensville Dam, Village of Thiensville and City of Mequon 28

28 Mequon Thiensville Dam Location and History Located 20 river miles upstream of River s confluence with Lake Michigan Original dam constructed in 1842 for a local grist mill 210 wide spillway, hydraulic height of 6, and 700 acre impoundment Owned jointly between the City of Mequon and Village of Thiensville Not a complete barrier to fish passage 29

29 Mequon Thiensville Dam Fishway Construction Phased construction to reflect funding sources / times PH I funded by US Fish & Wildlife Service Grant construct majority of fishway in former millrace area Fishway incorporates a series of pools & riffles within meandering stream channel to make elevation change at less than 2% slope Entrance near face of the dam, exit through former millrace entrance 30

30 Mequon Thiensville Dam Fishway Construction 31

31 Mequon Thiensville Dam Construction Photo Credit: Korb Photography 32

32 Other Impediment Removal Public Works Impediments (43 sites - NOAA) Permitting: ongoing Construction: Road/Stream crossings and low head dams Ozaukee County Highway Dept. primary contractor Wisconsin DOT bid process on select projects 33

33 Culvert Replacements - Fish Friendly 34

34 Other Impediment Removal Conservation Service Corps Projects (100+ barriers - NOAA) Human Induced Landowner Contacts & Permitting: Winter 2009 / Spring 2010 Field Work: Summer Fall % of inventoried barriers removed, six additional streams 35

35 Program Success and Next Steps Monitoring Fish Surveys Creel Surveys (w/volunteer assistance) Fyke Netting Visual Surveys Larval Trapping Electro-Shocking Mark & Recapture 36

36 Program Success and Next Steps Monitoring Sediment Surveys Contaminated sediments (mainstem Milwaukee River below Cedar Creek PCBs) Laboratory testing Water Quality Testing our Waters Methodology Riveredge Nature Center & Milwaukee Riverkeeper (w/volunteer assistance) Macroinvertebrate sampling 37

37 Education & Outreach Awareness/Stewardship 38

38 Education & Outreach - Stewardship Formal Public Involvement Process Information Meetings, Public Hearings, Committee Meetings Landowner Contacts Permitting, Access Routes, Collecting Localized Information, Restoration 39

39 Education & Outreach Raise Awareness Public Education & Outreach Target Audiences, Meetings, Presentations, Events, Pamphlets, Displays, Mailings, Press Releases, Interactive Website, Newsletters, Training Volunteers, Working with Partners 40

40 Acknowledgements National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Great Lakes Program American Recovery and Reinvestment Act US Environmental Protection Agency Great Lakes Restoration Initiative US Fish and Wildlife Service Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Wisconsin Coastal Management Program Ozaukee County Landowners and Elected Officials Non-profit Partners 41

41 Making Connections Across Our Watershed QUESTIONS? 42