Reconnecting Rivers Luther Aadland, Ph.D. Components of River System Health

Connectivity Biology

Hydrology Geomorphology (habitat) Water Quality River Changes and Problems Fragmentation 2000 dams in MN, >90,000 in US Biological Change

Blocked Inundation of critical habitat, Alabama Sturgeon (likely extinct) Migrations altered nutrient & sediment regimes.

Extinction & Extirpation Loss of Biodiversity

Climate and Land Dominant Introduced Use Changes Tolerant Species

Extreme Flooding Accentuated Drought

Ditching & Channelization Degraded Water Quality 41,628 (80,000?) of 84,785 (120,000?) miles of stream in Minnesota have been ditched Roseau River sedimentation following dredging of Hay Creek Elevated Nutrients, Sediment & Toxins

Channelized Wild Rice River Arteries of Life Minnesota would be largely fishless if it weren’t for river connections

15,000 yr. B.P. 10,600 yr. B.P. 1600 A.D. Fish Migrations Spawning walleye 85% of harvested walleyes are from natural reproduction Reproduction Spawning migrations can be hundreds or even Spawning Spawning Coho thousands of miles lake sturgeon salmon

Seasonal changes in habitat needs. Winter often initiates downstream migration to deep, low velocity habitat while spring initiates upstream migrations. Video courtesy of Chris Channel catfish fry Channel catfish adult Domeier. Invertivores piscivore

Changing forage and habitat needs. As fish grow larger they optimize feeding by Overwintering Flathead catfish migrating to habitats with abundant suitable forage

Re-colonization and dispersal Drought, low dissolved oxygen, winter stress, chemical spills, and catastrophic events can cause complete or extensive mortality. Many rivers

Drought, Minnesota Low water fish kill, Pelican periodically stop flowing during drought. River, Minnesota River, MN near Orr Documented River Migration Distances of Fish Species (one way)

Chinook salmon Anadromous American Shad 1900 miles Anadromous Channel catfish 640 miles Potomodromous 454 miles miles

Walleye Potomodromous Lake sturgeon 164 miles Potomodromous 682 miles Sauger Potomodromous 217 miles White bass Potomodromous Bigmouth Buffalo Blue Sucker 800 miles 318 miles Potomodromous 108 miles

Chinese Sturgeon Anadromous 2000 miles Paddlefish Potomodromous American Eel Dorado Catfish 1900 miles Catadromous Potadromous 2550 miles 3600 miles, 7200 miles total

References: Stancille et al. 2002, Mosindy and Rusak 1991, Bellgraph 2006, Ron Bruch, news release, Mike Larson, personal communications, Jaeger 2004, Nick Schloesser, personal communication, Altena 2003, Neely et al. 2009, Finke 1966, Aur 1996, and others Skipjack herring

Ebony shell

Elephant ear

Lock and Dam 19 1913 Native Mussel Life History Some mussel species been aged at over 280 years

Host fish migrates, juvenile mussels Glocidia attached drop off and start new mussel bed to gills

Glocidia

Juvenile mussels

Host fish is attracted to display and larval mussels (glocidia) attach to gills Pocket book mussel Hosts: sauger, white crappie (Found in Red River Watershed) Native Mussel Species of the Otter Tail River

Mapleleaf Channel catfish White Heelsplitter

Bowfin Black Sandshell (Special Concern) Mooneye Creek Heelsplitter (Special Concern)

Fluted shell Northern hogsucker (Threatened)

White bass Giant Floater

Threeridge Sauger

Creeper

Wabash Pigtoe Black crappie

Plain Pocketbook Cylindrical papershell Spotfin shiner

Fat Mucket Pink Papershell Freshwater drum Important Functions of Mussels (Some mussels can live to over 200 years) Filter Water Mussels of the Upper Mississippi River filter 53.1 million m3 of water per day or 76 times the Minneapolis-St. Paul Metropolitan Wastewater Treatment Plant, one of the largest in the USA (Newton et al. 2011).

Stabilize Stream Beds Increased steam bed shear strength by 24% (Zimmerman and Szalay 2007).

Increase Benthic Invertebrate Abundance and Diversity. Mussels increase the biodiversity and abundance of benthic invertebrates by increasing interstitial space in the stream bed, creating attachment surfaces, and deposition of pseudofaeces (Spooner and Vaughn 2006; Vaughn and Hakenkamp 2001; Gutierrez et al. 2003).

Reduce prevalence of cyanobacteria Regulate N:P ratios and alleviate N limitation shifting phytoplankton from cyanobacteria to diatoms (Atkinson et al. 2013).

Remove CECs (Contaminants of Emerging Concern) Removed 80% of some CECs within 72 hours (Ismail et. al. 2014).

Remove harmful bacteria Removed 98% of E-coli within 24 hours regardless of e-coli densities (Ismail et. al.2015) U.S. Dams built per decade 20000 25000 10000 15000 5000 0

1640 1 1650 2 1660 0 1670 1 Fort Ransom Dam Ransom Fort 2 Originally Built in 1881 1680 River Sheyenne Pembina Pembina River Walhalla dam Walhalla Photo 1910circa

1690 3 River Sheyenne Lisbon Dam Lisbon 1700 1 Built1890 1710 0

1720 1 Construction Years of Existing U.S. Dams 1730 1 1740 2 1750 4 1760 1 1770 6 Crookston Roller Mill Dam Dam Mill Roller Crookston 3

1780 87,359> 6 Otter Tail Tail River Otter Red Lake River Lake Red Wright Dam Wright 1790 8 U.S. Built 1871 built 1883 built

709 River Wild Rice 1800 Dam Heiberg built 1875 built 1810 25 ft through through 2012

1820 60 Minnesota 1830 112 Most rivers blocked 1840 167 1850 266 1860 201 ( Woolman 1870 338 1880 482 Earliest fish surveys 1890 565 1893; 1900 2032 1910 1870 Surber 1920 2149 1920) 1930 3829 1940 3993 1950 11475 1960 19768 1970 13372 1980 5138 1990 4261 2000 3027 2010 220 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000

Minnesota Dams built per decade Ditching and Damming Rivers

Construction of Dayton Hollow Dam, 1909

Construction of Friberg Dam at Taplin Gorge and dredging of the Otter Tail River, 1925. The river was dredged 6 feet deeper below Friberg and 10 feet deeper below Central Dam.

A river dredge

“The dredger roared along down the river throwing heaps of gravel up either side until the river was not nearly as wide as before, but was much deeper and swifter.” Myrtle Kenyon Granger and Kelly 2011 Fishes that spawn in falls, rapids, and riffles

Many darter spp.

Walleye and sauger An estimated 85% of walleyes harvested in MN are naturally reproduced (Jacobson 2004) All sturgeon species

Most salmon and trout species Many minnow species

Most sucker species Historic Rapids and Falls St. Croix Falls Rapidan Fergus Falls Little Falls St. Croix River, Dammed in 1890, 1907 Blue Earth River, Dammed in 1910 Otter Tail River, Dammed in 1871 Mississippi River, Dammed in 1913

Granite Falls Minnesota Falls Pelican Rapids Minnesota River, Dammed in 1913 St. Louis Falls Minnesota River, Dammed in 1871, 1904 Pelican River, Dammed in 1870 St. Louis River, Dammed in 1924

International Falls Rainy River, Dammed in 1909 Grand Rapids Mississippi River, Dammed in 1902 Keokuk Rapids Thief River Falls Mississippi River, Dammed in 1913 Red Lake River, Dammed in 1890

Coon Rapids, Mississippi River, Dammed in 1913 The Gorge Upper St. Anthony Falls, Cannon Falls Mississippi River, Dammed in 1917 Mississippi River, Dammed in 1848 Cannon River, Dammed in 1890 Loss of Biodiversity

Considered the most severe environmental decline facing humanity (Rockstrom et al. 2009)

Freshwater extinction rates are about 5 times that of terrestrial rates and comparable to loss of tropical rainforest. (Ricciardi and Rasmussen 1999)

Threatened with extinction (IUCN& other sources) 85% of global sturgeon species 72% of North American mussels listed 48% of U.S. & Canadian crayfishes 36% of global freshwater fish species 30% of global amphibians 21% global mammals 12% global birds 10% global marine fishes

Dam construction is the most demonstrable cause of extirpation and extinction of freshwater species Hallock Roseau 1938 Stephen 1930s 1975Old Mill 1886 Thief River Falls 1946 Barrier Effects on Fish Species Richness Sandhill Check Dam 140 1940Heiberg 1875 130 Buffalo State Park Pre-1893 Fond du Lac 1924 120 Breckenridge Watershed Upstream of Dam 1937 Sandstone Mustinka Knife LakeGrindstone1908 1940 110 1983Pine1955 City Kost1938 Appleton 1885Taylor’s Falls 100 1872 1890 St. Anthony Falls DawsonGranite Falls Natural Barrier 1913 1913 Redwood Falls 90 High Island Carp Welch Natural barrier Flandreau 1958 Mazeppa1900 Split Rock Creek 1937 Zumbro1922 Lake Rapidan 80 1937 1919 Stewartville S. Mound Creek 1910 Lanesboro 1857 1936 70 1868 32 initial barriers assessed 60 150 fish species (134 native) 50

Number of Species 40 30 20 10

0

Kost

Welch

Roseau

Hallock

Hinkley

Old Old Mill

Heiberg

Sandhill

Dawson

Rapidan

Stephen

Mazeppa

Mustinka

Appleton

Redwood

Flandreau

SplitRock

StatePark

KnifeLake

Lanesboro

Sandstone

CrossLake

Fonddu Lac

Taylor'sFalls

LakeZumbro

MoundCreek…

Breckenridge

LakeFlorence

MinnesotaFalls

StAnthony Falls

HighIsland Carp ThiefRiver Falls

Complete barriers Near-complete barriers Barriers up to 2-y flood -43% average -38% average -21% average 150 species (134 native) were evaluated for the percent of barriers above which they were absent

 Rare, imperiled and pollution sensitive species were most likely to be extirpated by barrier dams

Spotfin shiner Gravel chub Western sand darter Gilt darter Carmine shiner Emerald Shiner Silver chub Sensitive 46% Threatened Special Concern Topeka shiner Mississippi Silvery Minnow Sensitive 55% 93% 100% Special concern 100% 71% Endangered 62% 100% 100% Blue Sucker Mooneye Special Concern Goldeye 100% Sensitive Spotted Sucker Sauger Sensitive 100% 92% Sensitive 100% White bass Shovelnose sturgeon Black redhorse 100% 71% 100% Special concern Smallmouth buffalo 80% 90% Black buffalo Threatened Paddlefish Lake sturgeon 90% Threatened Special concern 100% Flathead catfish 79% Channel catfish 100% 63%  Pollution tolerant species were least likely to be extirpated by barrier dams

Fathead Minnow White Sucker Black bullhead Pollution tolerant bait species Creek chub Pollution Tolerant Pollution tolerant bait species Pollution tolerant bait species 0% Common carp 7% 6% 6% Pollution Tolerant AIS 19% High Island Creek Carp Dam Upstream after Dam Species Present in Watershed Upstream of Dam Failed Tolerance Common carp 1 1 1 Tolerant 241 mi2 Watershed Brassy minnow 1 1 1 Tolerant 86% of watershed is Creek chub 1 1 1 Tolerant White sucker 1 1 1 Tolerant upstream of dam Black bullhead 1 1 1 Tolerant Brook stickleback 1 1 1 Tolerant Green sunfish 1 1 1 Tolerant Pumpkinseed 1 1 1 Stocked High Island Carp Dam at Low Flow Orangespotted sunfish 1 1 1 Tolerant Bluegill 1 1 1 Tolerant Largemouth bass 1 1 1 Stocked White crappie 1 1 1 Stocked Black crappie 1 1 1 Stocked Yellow perch 1 1 1 Stocked Walleye 1 1 1 Stocked Central mudminnow 1 1 Tolerant Fathead minnow 1 1 1 Tolerant Bigmouth shiner 1 1 1 Tolerant Golden shiner 1 1 High Island Carp Dam after failure 2014 Bowfin 1 Yellow Bullhead 1 1 Gizzard shad 1 1 Central stoneroller 1 Tolerant Spotfin shiner 1 1 Common shiner 1 1 Hornyhead chub 1 1 Sensitive Emerald shiner 1 1 Sand shiner 1 1 Tolerant Mimic shiner 1 Sensitive Silver chub 1 1 Northern redbelly dace 1 Bullhead minnow 1 1 Bluntnose minnow 1 1 Blacknose dace 1 1 Tolerant Quillback 1 1 Northern hogsucker 1 Sensitive Smallmouth buffalo 1 High Island Carp Dam after dam removal Bigmouth buffalo 1 1 and site restoration 2015 Silver redhorse 1 1 Golden redhorse 1 Shorthead redhorse 1 1 Channel catfish 1 1 Stonecat 1 1 Sensitive Tadpole madtom 1 Northern pike 1 Stocked Iowa darter 1 Johnny darter 1 1 Log perch 1 1 Blackside darter 1 1 Slenderhead darter 1 1 Sensitive Freshwater drum 1 Shortnose gar 1 1 Total native species 51 18 39 Percent absent 65% 24% Some Recent Dam Failures in Minnesota Breckenridge Dam Failure - 1997 Willow River Dam Failure - 2016 Otter Tail River Willow River 200-y flood , also failed in 1989, 2001, 2006, and 2007 5 to 8 inch Rain event, dam in “good condition”

Thomson Forebay Failure -2012 St. Louis River Heiberg Dam Failure – 2002 High Island Carp Dam Failure - 2014 No major deficiencies Wild Rice River High Island Creek 500-y flood (50,000 cfs) No major dam deficiencies 25-yr flood, no major dam deficiencies $90 million (forebay) + $21.3 million (hwy 210) + ?? 500-y Flood (June 9) 2000-y flood (June 24)

S. Mound Creek Dam Failure - 2014 Appleton Dam Failure – 1997 Lake Shady Dam Failure – 2010 7 inch rain, No major dam deficiencies Pomme de Terre River Zumbro River 500-yr Flood 500-yr Flood, no major dam deficiencies At least 19 drowning deaths due to hydraulic undertow at Midtown Dam

Over 300 pelicans killed by hydraulic undertow at Marsh Lake Dam Sedimentation of Rapidan Reservoir Blue Earth River Built in 1910 Over 12 million yards of sediment accumulation by the 1990s

1939

1949

1991 2003 2017 Restoration:

Restore: “To bring back to an original state” - Webster’s Dictionary

Process-based Restoration: “The act of relaxing human constraints on the development of natural patterns of diversity, where restoration measures should not focus on directly recreating natural structures or states but on identifying and reestablishing the conditions under which natural states create themselves” (Ebersole et al. 1997, and Frissell et al. 1997 Frissell and Ralph 1998). Elizabeth Dam and Fish Ladder Built in 1927 Strategies for Reconnecting Rivers

Dam Removal Nature-like Fish Passage Rock Arch Rapids By-pass Fishway

Problem Corrected/Restored Dam Removal Rock Arch Rapids By-pass Fishway Stream Habitat * Safety – Dam Failure Risk Safety – hydraulic undertows Fish & Wildlife Passage * Canoe passage, recreational boating * Geomorphic and ecological processes (sedimentation, incision, nutrient processes, etc.)

*Size dependent Rock Arch Rapids Concept

≤3% slope Dam Dam

≥ 20 ft

Glide Pool ≤ 0.7 ft Glide Pool Glide Pool Glide

Dam Dam Sub-base

Luther Aadland Midtown Dam  Water supply dam for Fargo, ND  Barrier to fish migrations  19-25 drowning deaths 1960-1998, ≥1 every 2 years  Designated as a “low hazard dam” Midtown Dam at bankfull river flows (around 3800 cfs, 1.5-year flood)

Frequency of Inundation based on River Flow 100 Days Years 90

80 Lake Sturgeon 70 60 Sauger 50

40 Northern Pike Channel Catfish 30 20 10

Percent Passable Percent 0

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC

Month Midtown Rapids Red River of the North

 Converted to rapids in 1998-1999  Fish passage restored  No dam related deaths since construction (1998) Bigstone Lake first built prior to 1893, rebuilt 1937

Highway 75 Dam, built 1974

Marsh Lake, built 1941

Lac Qui Parle, built 1939

Granite Falls Dam, built 1911

Minnesota Falls First built in 1871, rebuilt in 1904-05, Removed 2013 Minnesota Falls Dam – Minnesota River Owned by Excel Energy  Built in 1871 & 1905, Hydropower retired in 1958  18 feet high  Upstream limit of 32 native fish species  Inundated Minnesota Falls  Worker drowned in 2011 during maintenance  High hazard dam with significant structural deficiencies  Repairs estimated at 5 to 7 Million dollars

Dam Dam Removed in January, 2013 for $942,000 Restored Minnesota Falls

Species That Returned After Dam Removal

Sauger Spawn in riffles and rapids

Longnose Gar Paddlefish – Threatened Spawn in rapids

Flathead Catfish

American Eel Lake Sturgeon – Special Concern Special Concern Shortnose Gar Spawn in rapids Spawn in the Sargasso Sea

River Carpsucker Shovenose Sturgeon Spawn in rapids Gizzard Shad

Highfin Carpsucker Mooneye Blue Sucker – Special Concern Spawn in rapids Silver Lamprey

Black Buffalo - Threatened Healthier River, New Recreational Opportunities Flandreau Dam Built in 1937, Originally 28 feet high Failed in 1947, 1965, and 1969, Removed in 1995 Upstream Limit of 24 native fish species

Flandreau Dam

Boulder rapids

Cottonwood River Watershed 99.8% of watershed upstream of dam Roughly 2000 stream miles upstream Cottonwood River Fish Species Absent Upstream of Flandreau Dam 88% (21 of 24) of these have been collected upstream of the dam site since its removal

White Bass Sauger Channel Catfish Returned Returned Mimic Shiner Returned Returned

Carmine Shiner Returned Mississippi Silvery Minnow Silver Chub Returned Iowa Darter Returned River Carpsucker Returned Returned

Yellow Bullhead Golden Shiner Brown Bullhead Returned Freshwater Drum Returned Mooneye Log Perch Returned Returned Returned

Highfin Carpsucker Shortnose gar Returned Quillback Speckled Chub Returned Returned

Flathead Catfish Shovenose Sturgeon River Shiner Lower reaches unsampled post-removal Returned Returned

Longnose Gar

Gizzard Shad Black Buffalo Returned Gamefish in Cottonwood River and Tributaries 30 Upstream of Flandreau Dam After Flandreau Dam Removal

25 25 25 22.1

20 17.6

15

10.3 9.7 9.2 Percent Percent Occurrence 10

5.9 4.8 4.8 5 5 3.2

0 0 0 Walleye Northern Pike Smallmouth Rock bass channel largemouth sauger Bass catfish bass

Incised stream with disconnected floodplain following dam removal due to fine sediment deposition in former reservoir

Accumulated cohesive Accumulated cohesive fine sediment fine sediment Bankfull Stage

Fine substrates Dam Dam built in 1872 by the railroad, later Appleton Milldam used to power a mill. Photo circa 1910  Pomme de Terre River  Built by railroad in 1872.  Originally 16 feet tall

The dam deteriorated and repairs 1997. Reservoir sediments up to 15 feet deep would be costly

1989

 January, 1997. The City Council voted to remove the dam. Repairing the dam would have been very costly.

 April, 1997. The dam failed in 500 year flood.

1997 Removal of the Appleton Milldam; Restoration of the Pomme De Terre River Measuring geometry of the Natural Channel

Surveys and data collection 1997 - 1998 River Pattern

Restoration Design Dam Removal 1998 1997 - 1999

Construction 1999 - 2001

2015 Photo taken in 2016 Restored Pomme De Terre River Channel River restoration 1999 - 2001 Sediments stabilized in place Silver Redhorse Quillback Returned Greater Redhorse Returned Returned

Channel Catfish Freshwater Drum Returned Banded Darter Returned Returned Lake Sturgeon (blocked by downstream dams but reintroduced to Bigstone Lake)

Northern Hogsucker Smallmouth Buffalo (blocked by downstream dams) Emerald Shiner Returned White Bass Carmine Shiner Returned Central Stoneroller Returned Pomme de Terre River Species absent Upstream of Appleton Dam 77% (10/13) returned after removal Mussels that Returned after the Appleton Milldam Removal Mussels found only as dead shells prior to removal (1990 survey) that recolonized upstream to the Morris Dam following removal (2007 survey). Video courtesy of Bernard Sietman

Elktoe Mussel Pocketbook Mussel Deertoe Mussel Alasmidonta marginata Lampsilis cardium Truncilla truncata

Hosts: Hosts: Host: Rock bass NI Walleye LT Freshwater drum** NI Shorthead redhorse NI Sauger* NI White sucker NI Bluegill LT * Species absent upstream of dam Northern hogsucker * NI Largemouth bass LT ** Species returned after removal Silver redhorse**? Smallmouth bass LT NI Natural infestation Greater redhorse**? White crappie NI, LT LT Laboratory transformation Green sunfish LT Tiger salamander LT

Four other extirpated mussel species (round pigtoe, creek heelsplitter, mucket, and black sandshell) have not yet been found upstream of the former dam site New Recreational Opportunities after Dam Removal and River Restoration Mud River Dam Red Lake Indian Reservation - Red Lake Band of Ojibwa

 15 feet high  Reservoir accumulated 9 feet of arsenic contaminated sediment (natural source)  Natural source arsenic contamination  Bridge over dam needed to be replaced

Lower Red Lake

Reservoir drawdown showing accumulated sediment Surveyed Geometry from Upstream Natural Reference Channel

1200 1199 BKF TH WS LBH Adj BKF 1198 1197 1196 1195 1194 1193 1192 1191 1190 1189 1188 1187 1186 1185 1184 1183 1182 1181 1180 1179 1178 1177 1176 1175 1174 1173 1172 1171 1170 0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500 4000 4500 5000 5500 6000

Rc

100 R 99 c 98 97 96 95 Rc 94 93 92 91 0 20 40 60 80 100 Re-meandered Toe-wood river channel Toe-wood

Rapids Toe-wood Toe-wood

Riffles Lake Shady Dam 20 feet tall, up to 18 feet of accumulated sediment

2009. Olmstad County considered dam removal Two branches of the Zumbro River enter the reservoir River prone to extreme floods

Rock arch rapids

South Branch Zumbro Middle Fork Zumbro

Anishinaabe fishing for lake sturgeon (name’ -Ojibwe, namay –Cree) in the Red River of the North circa 1841. Juvenile Habitat “Desmarais…often takes small ones of the rough scaley sort called Sturgeon Millers”- December 1, 1802

Large Migrations Up Tributaries Spawning Habitat “They have made a barrier here in the Panbian River, and daily kill plenty of “The river is …very rapideous near the sturgeon” – April 13,1804 entrance where there is famous Sturgeon “In the course of twenty four hours we caught one hundred and twenty fishing in the spring season, and indeed it may sturgeon weighing from 60 to 180 lbs each.” – May 10th, 1808 be said to last all the summer unless when the water is very low”- October 28, 1800 “Sturgeon continue to jump day and night” - September 22,1800

Winter Habitat “The water appears very deep at the confluence of the two rivers and my guide tells me a great number of sturgeon pass the winter here. Indeed we saw several jump”- November 9,1800

Spawning Habitat “The Red (Otter Tail) River becomes shallow and rapid with frequent reefs of stone that cross the river.” November 10,1800

Observations by Alexander Henry of lake sturgeon in the Red River of the North Basin

The Last of the Sturgeon

Lake sturgeon caught in 1941 from Tamarac River (Red Lake River Watershed)

Lake sturgeon from Red Lake River (unknown size and date) 405 pound lake sturgeon from the 176 pound lake sturgeon from White Earth Roseau River, October, 1903 Lake, Wild Rice Watershed May, 1926

The last lake sturgeon (102 lbs.) from the Red River of the North Basin was caught in 1947 in Lake Lida, Otter Tail Watershed

105 pound lake sturgeon from Detroit Lake (Otter Tail Watershed), October, 128 pound lake sturgeon caught in 1874 in 1890 the Otter Tail River, Fergus Falls Breckenridge Fishway Built in 1996 2% average slope Dam hydraulic height = 13 feet Dam maximum head loss = 7 feet

Project engineer: Tom Rickles, Wilkin County

Average Daily Passage Breckenridge Fishway (1998, 2000, 2004, 2006, 2007) Bigmouth Buffalo Black bullhead Black Crappie Bluegill Bluntnose minnow Blackside darter Brown Bullhead Carp Channel catfish Chestnut lamprey Emerald shiner Freshwater drum Golden redhorse Goldeye Greater Redhorse Mooneye Musky Northern pike Pumkinseed Quillback Rock bass Sand shiner Sauger Spotfin shiner Shorthead Redhorse Silver Redhorse Smallmouth bass Stonecat Walleye White bass White sucker 400 Rock Bass Bluegill

Bluntnose minnow Bigmouth Buffalo White bass Smallmouth Bass Goldeye 300 Quillback Spotfin Mooneye shiner

Musky Sauger Emerald

Passed Per Day Per Passed 200 Freshwater shiner Drum

Northern pike Walleye Sand Shiner Greater redhorse White sucker Shorthead 100 Silver redhorse Channel

redhorse Catfish Average Fish Average Black crappie Carp Golden 0 redhorse Late Early Late Early Late Early Late Early Late July Early March April April May May June June July August Breckenridge Dam Failures Repaired with Federal Disaster Declaration Funds

1997 2001

2006 2007 Breckenridge Dam Removal Removed in 2007 for $100,000 Rapids built for grade control County Park established, bike trails connect site to the city Record 2009 flood caused no damages at site Native fish species absent from the Otter Tail Watershed upstream of Breckenridge Dam that returned after fish passage and dam removal

Lake sturgeon Extirpated from Red River Basin, reintroduced

Sauger returned

Mooneye White Bass returned returned

Goldeye returned Stonecat returned Orangespotted sunfish Not yet documented Longnose Gar Returned, rare Silver Lamprey returned Dunton Locks, Pelican River Maintained water level for Muskrat and Big Detroit Lake Historic Dam built in 1889

1911 2000 Dam removed and replaced with rock arch rapids

Fish Lake Rapids Completed Spring 2018

Fish Lake Dam Pelican River Red Lake Watershed Blocked at mouth prior to 2003; now connected 128 miles to Thief River Falls Dam

Point Dam Point Dam Rock Arch Rapids Crookston Dam Crookston Dam #2 Removal 2003 2006 Crookston Dam #2

Crookston Dam Removal 2005

Upper Red Lake

Clearwater River Lower Red Lake

Mud River Dam Removal 2012

Sturgeon spawning habitat Mud River Dam Sturgeon winter habitat Lake sturgeon Red Lake River DNR Fisheries Surveys Reintroduced Historic wintering and spawning habitat reconnected Upstream of the Crookston Rock Arch Rapids 16 Channel Catfish Freshwater Drum Walleye 14.17 CPUE 12.8 times pre-dam removal 14 Walleye Golden Redhorse Smallmouth Bass Sauger Smallmouth bass 12

CPUE 6.5 times pre-dam removal 10.65

day -

10

net -

Spotfin shiner 8 returned 6 Sauger returned Catch Catch per trap 4

2 1.78 Channel catfish 0.85 0.32 0.3 0.5 0.28 0.33 CPUE 275 times pre-dam removal 0.04 0 0 0.08 0.04 0 0.05 0 0.16 0 0 0.2 0 0.17 0.06

0 replacedDamis with RockArchRapids 1994 2000 2005 2011

A juvenile mapleleaf mussel (channel catfish host) was sampled 50 miles upstream of previous upstream limit. Buffalo River Mainstem now connected 142 miles to headwaters

Buffalo State Park Dam Blocked river 60 miles upstream of confluence with Red Buffalo State Park Dam Built in 1937 (1890s) Removed in 2002

Missing and Returning Species Upstream of Dam

Sauger Returned

Freshwater Drum Quillback Smallmouth bass Returned Returned Colonized

Carmine Shiner Sand Shiner Returned Returned Mooneye N. Redbelly dace Channel catfish Returned Returned Goldeye Silver chub returned Silver Redhorse Orangespotted sunfish Returned Green sunfish returned Silver lamprey Spotfin Shiner Returned Blacknose dace Returned Burbot Roseau 2001 Old Mill 2001 Argyle 2007 Point Dam 2003

Redby 2012

Riverside 2001 Crookston 2005

Sandhill #4 Sandhill #1 Sandhill #2 Sandhill #3 Fargo North 2002 2017 West Mill 2017 2017 2017 2006 Heiberg 2002 White Earth Many Point 2003 2008 Midtown 1998 Buffalo State Park Fargo South 2003 2002 Round Lake Diversion Fishway Frazee 2011 2002 Dunton 1999 2001 Lions Park 2002

Steam Plant 1994 Hickson 2012

Christine 2012 Water Plant 2000 Breckenridge 1996 Kidder 2000

Cannon Watershed 82 native fish species 16 (18) native mussel species (2 possibly extirpated)

Welch (damWelch removed in 1994)

Byllesby

Gorman Lake

Morristown Fairbault Woolen Mill Sakatah Lake Northfield

King’s Mill Morehouse

Morehouse (by-pass fishway in 2006) Cannon Falls Dam Failure 1890 Welch Dam – Cannon River  At least 5 drowning deaths  Upstream limit of 19 native fish species in watershed  Only 24 native fish species documented between Welch and Byllseby dams; 59 after Welch Dam removal  Cannon River watershed has 82 native fish and 18 native mussel species (2 mussels extirpated)

Paddlefish returned Mooneye Returned Speckled Chub Highfin Carpsucker Returned Returned Silver Redhorse River Darter Returned Mimic Shiner Brook Trout Returned Sauger Returned River Redhorse Lake sturgeon Returned Returned returned Gizzard Shad River Carpsucker Flathead Catfish Returned Silver Chub RiverReturned Carpsucker Returned Returned Smallmouth buffalo Returned

Muskellunge Silver Lamprey Returned Blue Sucker Barrier Removal Effects on Species Richness Species absent upstream of dam Species that returned after dam removal 70 64 60 On average, 69% of species absent from the watershed upstream of the dams returned following removal 50

40 33 30 24 24 22 21 21 18 19 20 17 16 15 14 15 13 12 13 12 9 10 9 8 9 8 10 8 88% 5 23% 81% 55% 72% 67% 73% 53% 89% 79% 62% 75% 80%

0

Welch

Roseau

Heiberg*

Dawson*

Number & (%) of Missing Species returning after dam removal dam after returning Species Missing of (%) & Number

Flandreau

Appleton*

Sandstone

Lake Florence Lake

Drywood Carp Drywood

Breckenridge*

S.Blue Mounds S.Blue High Island Carp Island High

Buffalo State Park* State Buffalo Includes only removals with adequate data *Barrier removal utilized rock arch rapids. Northfield Dam – Cannon River  12.5 feet high, 164.8 feet wide  Reservoir about 200 feet wide and 0.5 to 2 feet deep  Natural river width is 100 to 140 feet  929 mi2 drainage area  Dam first built at site in 1855; at least 3 dam failures  Existing dam built in 1918