Concrete dam put a damper on spawning activity of walleye and other fish
By Katherine Ranzenberger
The Saginaw News
FRANKENMUTH, Mich. (AP) - It's all about the bass in Frankenmuth. Well, actually the walleye and their spawning habits.
After nearly 13 years of preparation and planning, construction of a fish passage on the Cass River in town is finally underway. For the next six weeks, construction workers are using heavy machinery and rocks to build a tiered ramp up to the top of the dam in order for fish to swim and spawn up river, according to The Saginaw News.
"The dam was built at a time when the city was being built," said Sheila Stamiris, executive director of the Frankenmuth Downtown Development Authority. "It started for the lumbering and there was a need for the dam."
However, the concrete dam, next to the Lager Mill, put a damper on the spawning activity of walleye and other fish in the Cass River, Stamiris said.
"The fish we like to eat today prefer certain areas for spawning," Stamiris said. "Those areas became blocked by the dam. The fish population has gone down. The fish ladder will provide a permanent repair and keep the river profile as it is now."
The project costs an estimated $3.5 million. It is funded through the City of Frankenmuth, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality.
"It's an interesting hybrid of a project," Stamiris said. "They each wanted their say in this area. We came up with a good solution. We're really pleased they could all come together. There's a lot of blood, sweat and tears that have gone into the project."
Stamiris said Sandy Verry, the fish passage designer, has put in a lot of work. Verry retired from the U.S. Forest Service in 2004, and has helped design other similar fish passages.
Verry, a member of the Ellen River Partners group in Minnesota, was brought on in 2010 to do an initial survey of the river and surrounding land. From there, he and the Army Corps of Engineers developed a plan for the ramp.
"This is the sixth ramp that we've done," Verry said. "Rock ramps are an idea that started around 1990 and the first ones were in Australia. They've been used in Canada, too, and there's one fairly similar one in Germany."
Verry and Luther Aadland, his partner at Ellen River, have helped replace around 20 dams in Minnesota over the last two decades.
CTI and Associates is doing the actual constructing of the new ramp, Verry said. The group is using machinery that is safe for working in the water, including equipment that has vegetable oil that is more environmentally friendly.
"The first couple of couple of days were just getting used to it," Verry said. "We're in a good rhythm now. It's a relief to see it actually go somewhere after five years. Folks are doing a good job."
The ramp consists of 14 weirs, or arches, made of stones that are 3-feet by 4-feet by 5-feet, Verry said. The arches span the width of the Cass River and are placed so each weir is seven-tenths of a foot lower than the next, creating a 3 percent slope for fish like walleyes, perch and sturgeon to climb. Essentially, it creates a stretch of rapids to eliminate the barrier of the dam.
"The top weir will be set at the same height the dam is now," Verry said. "The fish will swim up the streams on the sides. Fish tend to stay at the side of the river when they want to spawn. We've already had some trout swim up to the dam and jump."
CTI is also working to dig a pool at the bottom of the ramp for fish to gather, Verry said. The sand and silt from that pool will be used to secure the top weir.
"We're on schedule, maybe even ahead a little," Verry said. "We'll probably be done around the third week of September."
Many Frankenmuth residents and visitors have stopped to watch the massive construction equipment in the Cass River. Norm Pepin, a Vassar resident, has come down with a lawn chair every day of the construction.
"I hope it don't mess up my fishing," Pepin said. "It'll be nice to look at, though. I'm hoping they plant salmon in here like they used to."
Pepin has been fishing near the Frankenmuth dam for nearly 60 years. He said it's a good area for catching walleye, carp, pike and bass.
"In the spring, we used to do a lot of suckers," he said. "I've been taking pictures of the progress every day for the scrap book. You wouldn't believe how many rocks are in there already."
The City of Frankenmuth has set up a live stream of the construction on its website for those who don't want to venture down to the actual dam.
Stamiris said she's happy to finally have the construction underway.
"When you see things come together, it's great," Stamiris said. "It's really exciting to see people in the field doing this project. Fifty years from now, when we have good water, plentiful fish and are off the concern list, we'll all be in a better place."
Published: Tue, Aug 18, 2015
