Great Lakes Fishery Commission

FishPass Updates

Updated October, 2024

Dear partners and stakeholders:

On behalf of the FishPass team, I am pleased to provide an update from September 2024.

NOTE: A time-lapse camera has now been installed to capture FishPass construction progress. Check it out here.

Construction:

  • The sheet pile contractor continued installation of the sheet pile cofferdam upstream of the Union Street Dam. The cofferdam will allow a portion of the south side of the river to be drained, such that work on the new dam can be safely completed in a dry working environment. Vibration and settlement monitors were closely observed during sheet pile installation and no thresholds have been exceeded. The upstream portion of the sheet pile cofferdam is nearly complete (Figure 1). The sheet pile wall will be tied into the existing sheet pile wall in front of River’s Edge Condos, on the south side of the river, and dewatering of the space between the sheet pile wall and auxiliary spillway will begin shortly so the new spillway can be installed. Work has also begun on a temporary crane platform below the Union Street Dam to begin work on the downstream portion of the sheet pile cofferdam.
Aerial view of the Union Street Dam FishPass construction site, taken on September 30, 2024, at 12:03 PM. The image shows construction equipment, including excavators and cranes, on-site near the river. A yellow containment boom is deployed in the water, and part of the river is sectioned off with sheet piling. In the background, the city skyline with various buildings and a view of the bay can be seen under a clear blue sky.

Figure 1. Image capture from the FishPass time-lapse camera: September 30, 2024 – 3:00 PM showing the sheet pile cofferdam upstream of the dam (right side of image).

Research:

  • 07 September - The Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians (GTB) Natural Resource Department held a ceremony in Hannah Park to celebrate the first annual release of Nmé or lake sturgeon (Acipenser fluvescens) in the Boardman/Ottaway River. The juvenile Nmé were raised in a GTB stream-side rearing facility further upstream in the Boardman/Ottaway River. Stream-side rearing is believed to improve the ability for young Nmé to imprint on the river water and thus increase their probability of return to the Boardman/ Ottaway River. These fish should return in 15-25 years (males 15+, females 20+) and through FishPass, which will provide access to the reconnected upper reaches of the river for spawning allowing them to complete their life cycle. Additional releases of sturgeon occurred throughout the month in collaboration with local schools. In total, approximately 860 juvenile Nmé were released. The GTB plans to continue their stocking program for the next 20 years.

Outreach:

  • 15-19 September - Several researchers presented on FishPass related research at the 2024 Annual Meeting of the American Fisheries Society.
  • 23 September - Representatives of FishPass and the US Army Corps of Engineers provided a construction update during the Annual Meeting for the Co-owners at Rivers Edge West Condominium Association.

Upcoming:

  • 01 October – Dan Zielinski (Great Lakes Fishery Commission [GLFC]) will present on FishPass to the Board of the Conservation Resource Alliance.
  • 03 October – Dan Zielinski (GLFC) will provide an overview of progress on FishPass during Leadership Grand Traverse - Natural Resources Day.
  • FishPass staff and project partners will host several on-site tours of FishPass construction throughout the month for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Detroit District leadership, Senator Damoose, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Department of the Interior regional leadership.
  • The FishPass Advisory Board will meet in Traverse City to discuss construction progress, research coordination, commissioning research plans, and progress updates from ongoing research and assessment activities.

In the News:

Previous Updates