TRAVERSE CITY, MI -- Construction began this week on a project to restore the ecosystem - positively impacting at least 30 species - of a Northern Michigan river and upgrade a public park.
The most significant part of Traverse City’s Union Dam FishPass Project is an “adaptive fish sorting channel” that will allow desirable fish to move up- and downstream while holding invasive species at bay, according to a news release from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Officials say the project will positively impact at least 30 key species important to the Boardman/Ottaway River and Grand Traverse Bay ecology.
The project, which is four years in the making, will reconnect the Boardman River to Lake Michigan and is the final piece of the river ecosystem restoration project. It is expected to be completed in spring 2023.
This “could have regional, national, and global implications” as the innovative technology used could be applied to reconnect lakes and rivers around the world, thereby restoring ecosystems.
However, the project isn’t just for the fish. The Union Street Dam Park will be upgraded with new green spaces, a foot bridge overlooking the river, docks, a kayak launch, an amphitheater and steps to the water.
Spence Brothers Construction began site preparation this week, including installing fencing and removing trees. In October 2020, the company won the $19.3 million U.S. Army Corps of Engineers contract to construct the selective fish passage facility on the Boardman River at the Union Street Dam site. The new facility will include a “fixed crest labyrinth weir and an adaptive fish sorting channel.”
The project will leverage the knowledge of fish biologists from around the world. They will evaluate different fish sorting technologies to combat invasive species, such as the sea lamprey, from moving upstream while allowing native species to pass.
This final phase of the river restoration initiative is primarily funded through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and led by the Great Lakes Fishery Commission in partnership with Traverse City, Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
“This milestone represents years of hard work from many dedicated partners,” said Traverse City Manager Marty Colburn. “We ask the community to be patient with our construction partners as this exciting project advances. Soon, there will be dedicated viewing sites set up for the public to watch FishPass take shape.”
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