Downstream view of White Rapids Dam on the Menominee River.

Front view of the prototype fish entrance channel designed to attract lake sturgeon into what will eventually be an upstream fish passage channel or elevator. Photo by Nick Utrup, USFWS.

The Menominee River was once a wild and scenic river with breathtaking rapids and waterfalls. Many of the rapids in this scenic river once provided excellent spawning habitat for migratory fish. Historical accounts mention great runs of lake whitefish, herring, and lake sturgeon that served as an important food source for the Menominee Indian Tribe. Unfortunately, over the past 100 years logging and mining operations, in addition to the construction of hydroelectric dams along the river, have destroyed much of the historical spawning grounds that supported these great fish migrations. Today four different power companies operate five hydropower dams along the historical spawning reach of the lower Menominee River.

In the early 1990s, state and federal resource agencies (including U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Green Bay Field Office) worked together with private stakeholders to discuss rehabilitating the lake sturgeon population in the lower Menominee River. These agencies and stakeholders developed the Menominee River Fisheries Plan that established goals and objectives for future long term lake sturgeon (and other fish species) management of the lower Menominee River.  One of the solutions discussed was to re-establish river connectivity by creating fish passage around the dams. Following successful negotiations, the hydropower companies agreed to work with resource agencies to create fish passage, with the goal of improving the lake sturgeon population. As a result of this collaboration, new 30-year licenses issued by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) mandated that We-Energies develop upstream and downstream fish passage conceptual plans at the White Rapids and Chalk Hill Hydropower Projects.

Work is currently underway to develop plans for upstream fish passage at the White Rapids Dam, which is two miles downstream from the Chalk Hill Dam.  Fishway Engineers have already developed the schematics and are currently in the prototype phase. A prototype fish entrance channel was recently constructed as part of the first phase of testing. This fish entrance channel will be tested to determine whether lake sturgeon can be attracted to and enter a fish passage structure. This is a critical phase because the entrance channel is the first portion of the passage system that directs the lake sturgeon into the upstream passage channel or elevator. The use of a fish entrance channel by lake sturgeon is critical to any further development of fish passage. Testing of this entrance channel is scheduled to begin during spring of 2009 and continue through 2010. Field tests include the use of underwater video cameras and automatic tag readers to determine if fish are indeed moving up into the structure.

Although approval and construction of fish passage projects are years away, public and private stakeholders and hydropower companies are working hard to put plans into place. Once completed, lake sturgeon will have access to all available spawning areas on the lower Menominee River, downstream from the Sturgeon Falls Dam, for the first time in nearly 100 years! This is truly a testament to what can be accomplished through good collaboration among interest groups.