Contacts
Pam Thiel,
USFWS, 608-783-8434
Henry Drewes,
MN DNR, 218-755-3959
The U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service, in cooperation with the Minnesota Department of Natural
Resources, invites the public to review and comment on a draft Environmental
Assessment (EA) for Fish Passage in the Red River of the North Basin.
The draft
EA evaluates the re-establishment of fish passage at 13 existing barrier
areas on the Red River and its Minnesota tributaries that will reconnect
extensive reaches of the Red River and its tributary systems.
The EA evaluates
several alternatives, including the proposed alternative, which is to modify
or remove existing barriers at 13 high priority barriers to fish passage
and maintain the stability of the reach of stream channel. Under this alternative,
some barriers would be left in place while fish passage was still provided
through creation of rock riffles.
Although the
draft EA evaluates 13 sites, only the Heiberg Dam is slated for construction
of a fish passage project this summer. Partners on this project are the Fish
and Wildlife Service, Wild Rice Watershed District, Minnesota DNR, Federal
Emergency Management Agency, and the White Earth Band of Chippewa. Planning
for other barrier sites would be completed as funds and opportunities become
available.
Removing fish
barriers and restoring unimpeded flow would improve the quality of water
and habitat for fish and other aquatic species, and will complement on-going
resource conservation efforts in the Red River watershed.
The two other
alternatives considered in the draft EA are the "No Action" alternative,
which would leave the existing barriers in place in their present condition,
and an alternative that would completely remove barriers at all locations
through demolition and debris removal.
The Fish and
Wildlife Service’s National Fish Passage Program addresses structures
built on rivers and their effects on fish and other aquatic species. Service
employees work with local communities and partner agencies to restore natural
flows and fish migration by removing or bypassing barriers. Fish passage
is important to allow fish access to spawning, nursery, and rearing habitat.
Partnerships with federal, state and local governments and conservation groups
are important to conducting on-the-ground habitat protection, enhancement and
restoration projects. Projects allow fish passage for lake sturgeon, brook
trout and other aquatic species.
Nationwide,
since its inception in 1999, the Fish Passage Program has supported 76 fish
passage projects with more than 141 different partners, restored access to
more than 3,443 miles of river habitat and 65,088 acres of wetlands for fish
spawning and growth, and leveraged partner contributions totaling $6.2 million.
In the Fish
and Wildlife Service’s eight-state Midwest Region, the Fish Passage
Program has completed more than 30 fish passage projects which have provided
uninhibited fish access to more than 200 miles of river and 900 acres of
wetland habitat. Partners have provided nearly $700,000 toward these projects
to leverage the Service’s investment of nearly $400,000.
The draft EA is available on the Service's Regional Internet site at: http://www.fws.gov/midwest/NEPA.
Copies of
the draft EA are available for review at the following U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service offices:
Detroit
Lakes Wetland Management District,
26624 North Tower Rd., Detroit Lakes, MN (218-847-4431)
Hamden Slough
National Wildlife Refuge (NWR),
21212 210th Street, Audubon, MN 56511 (218-439-6319)
Rydell NWR,
17788 349th Street, Erskine, MN 56535 (218-687-2229)
Tamarac
NWR,
35704 County Road 26, Rochert, MN 56578 (218-847-2641)
The draft
EA is available at these Minnesota DNR Area Fisheries Offices:
204 Main
Street East, Baudette, MN 56623 (218-634-2522)
2114 Bemidji
Avenue, Bemidji, MN 56601 (218-755-2974)
1458 Co.
Hwy. 19, Detroit Lakes, MN 56501 (218-847-1579)
1509 1st
Avenue North, Fergus Falls, MN 56537 (218-739-7576)
The draft
EA is also available at the White Earth DNR, 41044 South Ice Cracking Road,
Ponsford, MN 56575 (218-573-3007).
Copies of
the draft EA are available for review at the following public libraries:
205 East
Hampden Avenue, Fergus Falls, MN 56537 (218-739-9387)
102 3 Street
North, Fargo, ND 58102 (701-241-1491).
Copies of
the draft EA are available for review at the following city offices:
City of
Argyle Offices,
701 Pacific Avenue, Argyle, MN 56713 (218-437-6621)
City of
Breckenridge Offices,
420 Nebraska Avenue, Breckenridge, MN 56520 (218-643-1431)
Crookston
City Hall,
124 North Broadway, Crookston, MN 56716 (218-281-1232)
City of
Drayton,
122 S. Main St., Drayton, ND 58225 (701-454-3590)
City of
Stephen Offices,
424 5th Street, Stephen, MN 56757 (218-478-3614)
Copies are
also available for review at the Sandhill Watershed District, 219 North Mill
Street, Fertile, MN 56540 (218-945-3204) and Wildrice Watershed District,
11 East 5th Avenue, Ada, MN 56510 (218-784-4085).
Comments on
the draft EA are welcome and should be submitted in writing. Written comments
should be sent to Pam Thiel, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 555 Lester Avenue,
Onalaska, WI 54601; via email to pam_thiel@fws.gov;
or via fax to 608-783-8450. Comments should be received not later than July
19, 2005.
The draft
EA was prepared in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) which applies to the actions of all federal agencies. The proposed
project is also being reviewed under Section 106 of the National Historic
Preservation Act and Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act. The areas of
potential effect for this undertaking are the thirteen barriers proposed
for modification or removal as described in the EA and the surrounding area.
Most of the barriers have no cultural resources that are known to be located
on any of these properties although some are still under investigation. The
public is requested to inform the Service at the above address about archeological
sites, buildings and structures, historic places, cemeteries, and traditional
uses of the area that could influence decisions about the project.
Three dams
proposed for removal are located on the main stem of the Red River of the
North in Minnesota and North Dakota: Drayton Dam in Kittson County, MN, and
Pembina County, ND; and the Chrisitine and Hickson dams, on the border of
Clay County, MN, and Cass County, ND.
There are ten other barriers locations in Minnesota: The Argyle and Stephen
dams in Marshall County; the old Otter Tail Power dam and several Sand Hill
River barriers in Polk County; Heiberg Dam in Norman County; road culvert barriers
on Marsh Creek in Norman County; the South Branch Dams of the Buffalo River
in Clay County; the Elizabeth and Phelps Mill dams in Otter Tail County; and
the Lake Breckenridge dam in Wilkin County.
The U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service is the principal federal agency responsible for conserving,
protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for
the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 95-million-acre
National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses 545 national wildlife
refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas.
It also operates 69 national fish hatcheries, 63 Fish and Wildlife Management
offices and 81 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces federal
wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory
bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and
restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments
with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Assistance
program, which distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes
on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.
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