Home Who We Are Mission and Goals What We Do > Conserving Fisheries new > Restore Native Species > Aquatic Invasive Species > Assist Treaty Fishery > Assist Refuge Fishery > Improve Aquatic Habitat Station Newsletter Station Reports Staff Education and Outreach Employment and Volunteering Site Map Contact Us __________ Phone: 989-356-5102 Fax: 989-356-4651 Address: 145 Water St, Room 204 Alpena, MI 49707

Fish Passage Projects

Completed Projects 2007 Black River - Gingell Road Stream Crossing 2006 Jordan River - Mt. Bliss Road Stream Crossing 2005 Little Ocqueoc River - Siver Ck Road Stream Crossing S. Branch of AuSable River - Pine Dr Road Stream Crossing 2004 Tomahawk Creek - Webb Road Stream Crossing Tannery Creek - Dam Removal 2003 Black River - Johnson's Crossing Thunder Bay River - Eichorn Bridge Road Stream Crossing Ottawa River - Miakonda Boy Scout Camp Dam Removal 2001 N. Branch of Manistee River - Sharon Road Stream Crossing

On-going Projects Knight Road Stream Crossing Kisser Road Stream Crossing Oxbow Creek Road Stream Crossing Buhl Road Stream Crossing McIntyre Road Stream Crossing Houghton Creek Road Stream Crossing Frankenmuth Dam Retrofit Euclid Creek Dam Removal

---

All Completed Fish Passage Projects

Black River - Gingell Road Stream Crossing (2007)

On June 4, 2007 the Otsego County Road Commission completed a culvert replacement at the Gingell Road crossing on Saunders Creek in Northern Lower Michigan. The project identified an undersized and perched culvert that negatively impacted native brook trout passage in the Black River Watershed. The culvert also contributed to ponding of water upstream causing water temperatures to warm. The project was completed by replacing the old inadequate culvert with a bottomless structure that allows for brook trout movement into the upper reaches of Saunders Creek, a headwater tributary to the Black River. Replacement of the culvert opened up approximately three miles of aquatic habitat for native brook trout. Brook trout swimming upstream through the new structure was witnessed by workers on site during and after installation of the new structure. Oversight for project construction was provided by Alpena FRO Biologist Wells. Funding for this project was provided by the Region 3 National Fish Passage Program, the Otsego County Road Commission, and Trout Unlimited. Additional partners included Huron Pines RC&D, the Upper Black River Restoration Committee, and Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

 

Jordan River - Mt. Bliss Road Stream Crossing (2006)

On April 20, 2006, the Antrim County Road Commission completed a culvert replacement at the Bliss Road crossing on Severance Creek in Northern Lower Michigan. The project identified two undersized and perched culverts that negatively impacted native brook trout passage in the Jordan River Watershed. The culvert also contributed to ponding of water upstream causing water temperatures to warm. The project was completed by replacing the perched culverts with a bottomless culvert. Replacement of the culvert opened up approximately 3 miles of aquatic habitat for native brook trout. Oversight for project construction was provided by Alpena FRO Biologists Wells and Enterline and Kim Balke from the Conservation Resources Alliance (CRA). Funding for this project was provided by the Region 3 Fish Passage Program, Partners for Fish and Wildlife Service, the Antrim County Road Commission, and in kind services from CRA.

 

Little Ocqueoc River - Silver Creek Road Stream Crossing (2005)

The Little Ocqueoc River is a tributary flowing into the Ocqueoc River in Northern Lower Michigan. This system maintains a resident brook trout population. After decades of increased development pressures, including inadequate road crossings, local and government agencies are coming together to restore brook trout habitat within the Ocqueoc River Watershed by focusing on removal of fish passage barriers. Silver Creek Road crossing on the Little Ocqueoc River has been identified as a fish passage problem by Huron Pines RC&D. The culverts were perched by one foot or greater depending upon water levels.

Replacement of these culverts opened 5 miles of brook trout habitat to resident fish. Methods for replacement of this culvert entailed the use of a bottomless culvert made from a recycled railroad tanker car. This will prevent fish passage blockages and decrease sloping of the banks to reduce the amount of sediment entering the Ocqueoc River Watershed. Partners for this project included the Huron Pines RC&D, Presque Isle County Road Commission and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR).

AuSable River - Pine Drive Road Stream Crossing (2005)

The AuSable River is a state designated Blue Ribbon Trout Stream. Pine Drive road crossing is located approximately 21 river miles from the main branch of the AuSable River where another fish passage project is proposed for funding. Restoration efforts have been conducted and supported by the AuSable River Restoration Committee. Partners involved with project include Huron Pines RC&D, Trout Unlimited, the Roscommon County Road Commission, and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR).

The Pine Drive project consisted of rebuilding the road stream crossing along the south branch of the AuSable River by utilizing a bottomless culvert for fish passage. In early 2004, the twin culverts used for the crossing failed. Road material collapsed in the system creating a complete blockage to fish passage in the river. Construction work for this project was conducted by the Roscommon County Road Commission. This project reconnected 10 river miles of brook trout habitat by eliminating the fish passage barrier created by the Pine Drive collapse.

Tannery Creek - Tannery Dam Removal (2004)

In October of 2004, a four foot by twenty foot low head dam on Tannery Creek in Emmet County was removed. The project is located in Petoskey Michigan on the property of the Petoskey Bay View Country Club. The dam removal project was funded by the Service Fish Passage and Coastal Programs to increase availability of native brook trout habitat. Tannery Creek is a cold water, high gradient stream with a resident brook trout population flowing into Lake Michigan. Removal of the dam has opened approximately 3 miles for native brook trout spawning and rearing habitat. Prior to removal a barrier to sea lamprey passage was added downstream of the dam. This barrier is a stop log structure that will be in place during the sea lamprey spawning season. This was required to prevent sea lamprey entering the system from Lake Michigan. The many partners and interagency cooperation was integral in completing this project. Partners involved in the project include the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council, Petoskey Bay View Country Club, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, East Lansing Field Office, Marquette Biological Station, and Alpena NFWCO's Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program.

Tomahawk Creek - Webb Road Stream Crossing (2004)

In November 2004, the Presque Isle County Road Commission and Alpena NFWCO completed a culvert replacement at a Tomahawk Creek road crossing located in the headwaters of the Black River in Northern Lower Michigan. The project identified two undersized and failing culverts that negatively impacted native brook trout passage. In addition to impeding fish movement, the aging and undersized culverts contributed to large amounts of sediment entering the system during high water events when the water was backed up by the small culverts and would flood the gravel road. The project was completed by replacing the failing culverts with a bottomless culvert constructed from a railroad tanker car. This design was utilized to reduce the cost of the structure while preserving the durability and allow for 5 miles of unimpeded fish access to habitat upstream. Replacement of the culvert with this design will decrease the sediment load entering the system.

Black River - Johnson's Road Stream Crossing (2003)

In October of 2003, The Otsego County Road Commission completed replacement of a culvert on Johnson’s Crossing Road located in Northern Lower Michigan in the headwaters of the Black River. The project identified two undersized failing culverts that negatively impacted fish passage where native brook trout spawn. The aging and perched culverts did not allow for the passage of fish and the inadequate size of the culverts contributed to large amounts of sediment entering the system. Sedimentation occurred during high water events when the water was backed up by the small culverts and would flood the gravel road. The project was completed by replacing the failing culverts with a bottomless culvert. This will allow for unimpeded fish access to habitat upstream and decrease the sediment load entering the system. Oversight for the project, during construction, was provided by Biologists Wells and Enterline. Funding for this project was provided for by the Fish Passage Program, Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program, Black River Restoration Committee, and numerous local non profit organizations.

Ottawa River - Miakonda Boy Scout Camp Dam Removal (2003)

The removal of a 5 by 40 foot low head dam on the Ottawa River was completed in February 2003. The dam was located on property of the Erie Shores Boy Scout Miakonda Camp in Toledo Ohio. It was built in the 1930’s for purposes unknown to the landowners and neighbors. Volunteers for the Boy Scouts approached Biologist Wells in spring of 2001 seeking assistance with habitat restoration at the Miakonda Camp. They were particularly interested in removal of the dam on the Ottawa River. The dam was adjacent to a degraded impoundment, Lake Sawyer, but was not involved in water retention. A plan for habitat improvement within the impoundment, restoring riparian wetlands, and restoration of the natural river flow with a boardwalk running through the habitat complex for educational and scout activities was drafted in 2000 by a private environmental organization.

In June 2001, Alpena NFWCO received a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to assist with removal of the Miakonda dam. Partners contributing funds and assistance on this project were the Erie Shores Boy Scout Council, Ottawa River Klean up Association (ORKA), the Ohio Division of Wildlife (ODOW), the USFWS Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program and private environmental firms. The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation grant and partner contributions allowed for the complete removal of the dam enabling the Boy Scout Council to concentrate on the rehabilitation of Lake Sawyer and restoration of riparian wetlands.

Thunder Bay River - Eichorn Bridge (2003)

The Eichorn Bridge on the Thunder Bay River, Michigan is a road/stream crossing comprised of a degraded series of 4 culverts that allows sediment run-off from the road to enter the river and prevents fish passage for 6 species. Brook trout, brown trout, and rainbow trout use upstream areas of the river during spring and early summer months for spawning and smallmouth bass, northern pike and yellow perch migrate in this stretch of the river year round. The objective of this project is to replace the four culverts with a single-span bridge that will restore the natural riverbed, allow the river to regain unimpeded natural flow, and allow fish and recreational passage. Replacement of the bridge will restore fish passage to 20 river-miles, eliminate an estimated 200 tons of sediment which enters the river annually, and increase the recreational value of the location by eliminating the need to portage boats and canoes at the crossing. Federal, State, and local partners are matching USFWS Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program funds to complete the estimated $350,000 project. The Thunder Bay River Watershed is listed in the State of Michigan's "Unified Watershed Assessment" as a "Watershed in Need of Restoration" and has completed an EPA 319 Watershed Planning grant.

Manistee River - Sharon Road Stream Crossing (2001)

Brook trout and rainbow trout on the north branch of the Manistee River now have upstream access to an additional 12 river-miles of habitat, much of it high quality spawning habitat. Located in Kalkaska County, Michigan, the Sharon Road/Manistee River road/stream crossing project began construction on November 9, 2001. A single culvert was removed and replaced with a timber bridge. The culvert was not large enough to pass water during precipitation events. Water collected on the upstream side of the culvert, warmed the water, and eroded the riverbanks. Due to lack of proper ditches and sediment basins, storm water ran down the road and directly into the river carrying with it sediments and other forms of habitat-altering contamination. Construction of the timber bridge and hardening of the road surface (blacktop) alleviated water quality issues at the crossing. The timber bridge has enough clearance to accommodate a 50-year flood event. Partners for this project include: Kalkaska County Road Commission, Huron Pines Resource Conservation & Development, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Alpena National Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office's Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program, U.S. Forest Service, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Trout Unlimited, Maple Log Homes of Michigan, Kalkaska County Conservation District, Conservation Resource Alliance, and the Upper Manistee River Restoration Committee.