The Newburg, Thiensville and Grafton Dams Dammed if You Do: Illinois and Wisconsin Case Studies and

a Guided Panel Discussion

9th Annual Clean Rivers, Clean Lake Conference Andrew T. Struck, Director Ozaukee County Planning and Parks Department
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Large Dams on the Milwaukee River

Newburg Dam Removal (2012)

Bridge Street Dam Passive Fishway (Designed 2009-2011)

Lime Kiln Dam Removal (2010)

Mequon-Thiensville Dam Passive Nature-like Fishway (2010)

Dam removed or modified by others

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Dam Evaluation Watershed Conservation Approach

ALTERNATIVE WATER QUALITY SEDIMENT TRANSPORT AQUATIC INVASIVES INFRASTRUCTURE/ COST RECREATION DO NOTHING
Low DO High Nutrient High Temps Very Limited Contaminants Present Very Limited (Maybe Flood Passage) Degraded habitat EvaluationMay not be barrier Purpose/ Function Liability Most Failing Ongoing Expense Flood Capacity Purpose/ Function Liability Ongoing Expense Flood Capacity Purpose/ Function Liability Ongoing Expense Flood Capacity Purpose/ Function Retain Impoundment Some ongoing expense Some Boating Some Fishing (tolerant species) Portage/Safety Issues Winter Sports Some Boating Some Fishing (tolerant species) Portage/Safety Issues Winter Sports Some Boating Some Fishing (tolerant species) Portage/Safety Issues Winter Sports Kayak/Canoe Some Fishing (tolerant species) Portage/Safety Issues Winter Sports

AQUATIC CONNECTIVITY/ HABITAT

DAM REPAIR

Low DO High Nutrient High Temps

Very Limited Contaminants Present

Very Limited (Maybe Flood Passage) Degraded habitat

EvaluationMay not be barrier

SPECIES PASSAGE: FISHWAY

Low DO High Nutrient High Temps

Limited Contaminants Present

Improved for most species (Nature-like Fishway) Degraded habitat

Potential Monitor / Ability to Close

SPECIES PASSAGE: ROCK RAMP

Low DO High Nutrient High Temps

Improved Potential Contaminant Release Significantly Improved Potential Contaminant Release

Improved Species Diversity & Habitat

Potential Monitor (depends on species) Potential Monitor (depends on species)

FULL DAM REMOVAL

Improved DO Low Nutrient Low Temps

Significantly Improved Species Diversity & Habitat

No Liability Kayak/Canoe No Maintenance Open Water Fishing One-time (all species) 3 Expense Making Connections Across Our Watersheds

Mequon-Thiensville Dam Village of Thiensville

Photo Credit: Stantec, Inc.

Nature-Like Fishway Construction & Dam Repair

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Mequon-Thiensville Fishway
Fishway design
Series of pools and riffles Meandering stream channel Less than 2% slope

Entrance near face of the dam, exit through former millrace entrance Underwater camera/PIT tag reader demonstrates passage success Streaming live video at www.ozaukeefishway.org

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Mequon-Thiensville Dam Repairs

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Mequon-Thiensville Dam Fishway Construction

Underwater Camera

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Mequon-Thiensville Dam & Fishway Summary

Water Quality: Low DO, High Nutrients, High Temps Sediment Transport Limited transport, contaminants found in impoundment Aquatic Connectivity/Habitat Improved passage for most species, impoundment habitat degraded Aquatic Invasives Dam not full impediment, can monitor & close fishway if necessary Infrastructure/Cost Total approximate costs: $1,047,566 Ongoing fishway and dam maintenance, liability Recreation Some boating, portage & safety issues, some fishing in impoundment
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Lime Kiln Dam Village of Grafton

Dam Removal and Restoration

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Lime Kiln Dam Removal and Restoration

Removal incorporated slow drawdown through historic raceway to minimize sediment transport Used blasting to fracture the dam structure three separate blasts Long-term restoration strategies (e.g. seeding and tree planting) Planned educational signage Construction of pedestrian bridge

Photo Credit: Jerry Kiesow

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Lime Kiln Dam Removal and Restoration

Water Quality: Improved DO, Low Nutrients, Low Temps Sediment Transport Improved, no contaminants found in impoundment Aquatic Connectivity/Habitat Improved passage & habitat for most species, including Lake Sturgeon Aquatic Invasives Dam was not a full impediment Infrastructure/Cost Total approximate costs: $208,756 No ongoing liability or maintenance costs Recreation Canoing/Kayaking, improved fishing for all species

Photo Credit: Sydney Struck

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Bridge Street Dam Village of Grafton

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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

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Bridge Street Dam Fishway Design

Design required close coordination with US Army Corps of Engineers, Wisconsin DNR, Ozaukee County, US Fish & Wildlife Service, Village of Grafton, consultants, and local residents Design incorporates combination of buried box through dam at entrance and exposed naturalized channel daylighting upstream AIS, <2% slope, landowner preferences, upstream AND downstream considerations Budgeted costs: $1.3 million Approximate expense to date: $320,000

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AIS Program Response Summary

Round goby Inconclusive ability to surpass existing downstream natural Milwaukee River gradient conditions or navigate fishway Predatory control increases as populations of various species improve Tiered Monitoring Approach and Plan Sea lamprey USFWS criteria incorporated into fishway design VHSv Bridge Street Dam not a full barrier to fish / VHSv passage Inconclusive evidence of VHSv prevalence in watershed Spread of VHSv by migrating fish far less likely than by human introduction
Given what we know to date, the most likely mechanism to infect new waters is through human actions that concentrate the virus in one location. Diffuse movement of the virus by fish movements does not seem to be moving the virus significantly."

Aluminum Stoplogs for AIS Control

"We also considered closing all of our fishways, but decided that the risk was much lower than human intervention vectors. - Michigan DNR Fisheries and USACOE staff

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Aquatic Invasive Species Conclusions

WDNR issued permit for active fishway, requiring:
Construction of trap and sort facility Only passage of lake sturgeon allowed Fishway closure if impoundment water levels rise within .25 of spilling over western open channel wall

Pike photo

V. Grafton (dam owner) rejected permit in 2011 Take Home Messages

Develop, publish and adopt objective, science-based criteria for defining Great Lakes boundary dams Recognize demonstrated value of passive fishway designs for sustainable aquatic connectivity Identify and involve regulatory decision-makers early in the process

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Bridge Street Dam Pending Dam Repairs

Water Quality: Low DO, High Nutrients, High Temps Sediment Transport Limited transport, potential for contaminants in impoundment Aquatic Connectivity/Habitat No passage for most native species, impoundment habitat degraded Aquatic Invasives Dam defined as barrier by WDNR, studies suggest select species passage under flood conditions Infrastructure/Cost Approximate total fishway design costs: Total estimated dam repair costs: $975,000 Ongoing dam maintenance costs & liability Recreation Limited boating, limited fishing in impoundment, portage and safety issues

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Newburg Dam Village of Newburg

Dam Removal and Restoration

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Newburg Dam Removal and Restoration

2009 WDNR dam safety inspection identified multiple structural issues with dam (abutment leakage, cracking, inoperable gates, etc.) Full Dam Removal, Fishway, and Rock Ramp options considered Village of Newburg Board voted unanimously for removal Project included dam removal, bank stabilization, native seeding and trees, dry hydrant construction, installation of multiple amenities Construction activities largely completed from August - November 2012
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Midtown Dam/Rock Ramp Replacement (Red River, ND/MN Border)

Original Midtown Dam

Rock Ramp at 405 cfs

Rock Ramp at 1,640 cfs

Rock Ramp at 2,560 cfs

http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/eco/streamhab/reconnecting_rivers.html

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Species Passage - Rock Ramp

Water Quality: Low DO, High Nutrients, High Temps Sediment Transport Improved, potential for contaminant release Aquatic Connectivity/Habitat Improved passage & habitat for most species Aquatic Invasives Poential for AIS movement Infrastructure/Cost Rock ramp replacement with similar dam height/widths from MN and ND approximately $1.25 million Some ongoing liability or maintenance costs Recreation Canoing/Kayaking, improved fishing for all species

http://conference.ifas.ufl.edu/ncer2011/Presentations/Friday/Watervi ew%20C-D/am/0940_Conyngham.pdf

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Newburg Dam Removal and Restoration

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Newburg Dam Removal

Water Quality: Improved DO, Low Nutrients, Low Temps Sediment Transport Improved, contaminants found & removed from impoundment Aquatic Connectivity/Habitat Improved passage & habitat for most species Aquatic Invasives Dam was not a full impediment Infrastructure/Cost Total approximate costs: $714,489 No ongoing liability or maintenance costs Recreation Canoing/Kayaking, improved fishing for all species

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Milwaukee River Mainstem Miles Reconnected

Lake Michigan to Mequon-Thiensville Fishway Mequon-Thiensville Fishway to Lime Kiln Dam Lime Kiln Dam to Bridge Street Dam 20 miles 10 miles 2 miles

32 miles
Bridge Street Dam to Newburg Dam Newburg Dam to Barton Dam (West Bend) 24.5 miles 13 miles

37.5 miles
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Major Program Successes

Newburg Dam Removal Lime Kiln Dam Removal M-T Dam Fishway Construction Bridge Street Fishway Engineering and Design 46 Road/Stream Crossing Reconstructions 133 Small-Scale Impediment Removals Reconnection of 100 Stream Miles Wetland and Floodplain Habitat Restoration 217+ Volunteers = 1,955 Volunteer Hours Over 58,000 Labor Hours Created Over $1.75 Million Invested in Ozaukee County Infrastructure Improvements Education and Outreach to 6,800 Attendees Agreements with 80 Private Landowners National Awards and Recognition Ongoing Social Media Outreach
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Fish Passage Program Partners

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration US Environmental Protection Agency Office of the Great Lakes WI Department of Natural Resources Milwaukee Community Service Corps US Geological Survey - Conte Anadromous Fish Laboratory US Fish and Wildlife Service Southeast Wisconsin Chapter of Trout Unlimited Ulao Creek Partnership Riveredge Nature Center Mequon Nature Preserve Concordia University Marquette University University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Field Station University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point University of Wisconsin Extension Service University of Notre Dame Milwaukee Area Technical College Wisconsin Lutheran College Great Lakes Sportfisherman Club Milwaukee Riverkeeper Ozaukee County Tourism Council Milwaukee Audubon Society Community High Schools River Revitalization Foundation Treasures of Oz Urban Ecology Center Ozaukee Washington Land Trust Ozaukee County Land Conservation Partnership Ozaukee County (multiple departments) Ozaukee County Volunteer Center Ozaukee County Master Gardeners City of Mequon Village of Thiensville Village of Newburg Village of Grafton Town of Grafton Town of Saukville Village of Fredonia Town of Fredonia Town of Cedarburg

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QUESTIONS?

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