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Pelican Rapids Dam Environmental Issues and Restoration Options Luther Aadland, Ph.D

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Pelican Rapids Dam Environmental Issues and Restoration Options Luther Aadland, Ph.D Pelican Rapids Dam Environmental Issues and Restoration Options Luther Aadland, Ph.D. River Ecology Unit Department of Natural Resources Related river functions and ecosystem health Dam related issues, problems, and implications Solutions and case examples Possibilities at Pelican Rapids Components of Watershed Health Connectivity Biology/Biodiversity Hydrology Geomorphology (habitat) Water Quality Rivers- Arteries of Life Minnesota would be fishless if it weren’t for river connections 15,000 yr. B.P. 12,100 yr. B.P. 10,600 yr. B.P. 12,000 yr. B.P. Large Migrations Up Tributaries Juvenile Habitat “They have made a barrier here in the Panbian River, “Desmarais…often takes small ones of the rough and daily kill plenty of sturgeon” – April 13,1804 scaley sort called Sturgeon Millers” “In the course of twenty four hours we caught one - December 1, 1802 hundred and twenty sturgeon weighing from 60 to 180 lbs each.” – May 10th, 1808 “Sturgeon continue to jump day and night” - September 22,1800 Spawning Habitat Winter Habitat “The river is …very rapideous near the “The water appears very deep at the confluence of the entrance where there is famous Sturgeon two rivers and my guide tells me a great number of fishing in the spring season, and indeed it sturgeon pass the winter here. Indeed we saw several may be said to last all the summer unless jump” when the water is very low” - November 9,1800 - October 28, 1800 Spawning Habitat “The Red River becomes shallow and rapid with frequent reefs of stone that cross the river. There is however no Fall or Cascade but one continual rapid for some distance.” November 10,1800 Observations by Alexander Henry of lake sturgeon in the Red River of the North Basin Otter Tail River Watershed 1909 mi2 (493 mi2 in Pelican Watershed) 21% lake and wetland (27% lake and wetland in Pelican watershed) 32% forest, shrub-land or prairie, 41% cultivated 75 native fish species; 54 native fish species in Pelican (3 listed) 13 nativeNorth mussel species (3 listed) Height of Land Detroit of Pelican River Toad Lizzie Lida Dead Otter The Otter Tail River Kakaweuapa (the “River of the Falls”) Dakota Nequiquano (“Otter Tail”) to Grand Forks - Ojibwa Red – Nicollet 1836 map, also in 1923 plat book from Alfred C. Seltz, J. 1999 “The Red River becomes shallow and rapid with frequent reefs of stone that cross the river.” Alexander Henry November 10, 1800 “We unexpectedly came upon turbulent rapids, the water foaming among a multitude of boulders.” Major David Owen 1848 Fishes that spawn in falls, rapids, glides, and riffles Walleye and sauger 85% of harvested walleyes are naturally reproduced Most sucker species All sturgeon species Many darter spp. Most salmon and trout species Many minnow species Dead Man’s Rapids on Little Fork River Tagged sturgeon traveled 135 miles from Lake of the Woods to these rapids Documented Migration Distances of Minnesota Fish Species Walleye Channel catfish 164 miles 454 miles miles Lake sturgeon 682 miles White bass 800 miles Sauger 217 miles Bigmouth Buffalo 318 miles Paddlefish American Eel 1900 miles 3440 miles Blue Sucker 108 miles 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) Why do fish need to migrate? Spawning walleye 85% of harvested walleyes are from natural reproduction Reproduction Spawning migrations can be hundreds or even Spawning thousands of miles Spawning Coho salmon lake sturgeon Seasonal changes in habitat needs. Winter often initiates downstream migration to deep, low velocity habitat while spring initiates upstream migrations. Video courtesy of Chris Domeier. Overwintering Flathead catfish Changing forage and habitat needs. As fish grow larger they optimize feeding by migrating to habitats with abundant suitable forage Channel catfish fry Channel catfish adult Invertivores piscivore Re-colonization Drought, low dissolved oxygen, winter stress, chemical spills, and catastrophic events can cause complete or extensive mortality. Many rivers Drought, Minnesota Fish Kill, Indian periodically stop flowing during drought. River, Minnesota River, Florida 2012 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 Otter Tail River) Otter Tail Watershed Mussel Species Mapleleaf Channel catfish White Heelsplitter Bowfin Black Sandshell X (Special Concern) Mooneye Creek Heelsplitter X (Special Concern) Fluted shell Northern hogsucker (Threatened) X X White bass Giant Floater Threeridge Sauger X X Creeper X Wabash Pigtoe Black crappie X X X Spotfin shiner Plain Pocketbook Cylindrical papershell X X Freshwater drum X Live in Pelican upstream of Elizabeth X Dead in Pelican upstream of Elizabeth Fat Mucket Pink Papershell X Live downstream of Elizabeth Dam 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 diatons (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) Number built per decade Number built per decade 200 250 20000 100 25000 150 10000 15000 50 5000 0 0 1640 1650 1640 1 1660 1650 2 1670 1660 0 1680 1670 1 1690 1680 2 1700 1690 3 Construction Years Minnesota Dams of Existing Years Construction 1 1710 1700 only dams Existing Construction Years of Existing U.S. Dams U.S. of Existing Years Construction 1720 1710 0 1730 1720 1 1740 1730 1 2 1750 1740 4 1760 1750 1760 1 1770 61078 > 6 1770 – 1780 out washed and were builtmore many 1780 3 87,359 6 > 87,359 1790 8 ft 1790 1800 through 2012 (roughly 2000 (roughly through 2012 2000 total) 709 Decade 1800 1810 1810 25 1820 ft 1820 60 through 2012 through 1830 112 Most rivers blocked rivers Most 1830 1840 ( were 1893 surveys fish Earliest Woolman 1840 167 5 1850 1850 266 5 1860 1860 201 8 1870 1870 338 ) to 1920 to ) ( 1880 14 1880 482 1890 3 1890 565 1900 29 1900 2032 1910 36 1870 Surber 1910 1920 31 1920 2149 1930 127 1930 3829 1940 47 ) 1940 3993 1950 76 1950 11475 1960 175 1960 19768 1970 229 1970 13372 1980 88 1980 5138 1990 57 1990 4261 2000 55 2000 3027 2010 20 2010 220 Aging Dams The average age of the 90,580 dams in the U.S. is 56 years. At least 2170 of the 15,500 high hazard dams in the U.S. are deficient and repairing them would cost nearly $45 billion (ASCE 2017). The American Society of Civil Engineers gave the U.S. a “D” grade for dams. There are roughly 40 dam failures per year in the U.S (NRCS 2000). Dams can fail even when well maintained. Silver Lake Dam Failure 2003 (shortly after PMF upgrade) Pelican Rapids is a high $102 million damages hazard dam in poor condition 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 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) Appleton Dam Failure – 1997 Lake Shady Dam Failure – 2010 S. Mound Creek Dam Failure - 2014 Zumbro River 7 inch rain, No major dam deficiencies Pomme de Terre River 500-yr Flood 500-yr Flood, no major dam deficiencies Fergus Falls during the failure of the City Light Dam in September, 1909. The resulting flood surge washed out 5 additional dams including the Kirk Dam, Woolen Mill Dam, and Central Dam (September, 1909). The Otter Tail River was not flooding prior to the failure, flowing at 580 cfs (USGS gage data). Over 300 pelicans killed by hydraulic undertow at Marsh Lake Dam Grade Effects of Dams Progressive Sedimentation of Reservoir Progressive Degradation of River Downstream Sedimentation Rate in U.S. Reservoirs (From Bernard and Iivari 2000) Shift to row-crops, 0.7 intensive drainage 0.6 0.5 0.4 / year) 2 /mi 0.3 af ( Large dam 0.2 construction Sedimentation Sedimentation 0.1 0 Pre-1930 1930-1950 1950-1970 1970-1985 1939 Reservoir 60 feet deep Rapidan Dam 1950 Built in 1910 1991 2015 Sediment 60 feet deep 12 million yards of sediment in 1991. Over $105 million if dredged plus $2 million/ yr maintenance Loss of Biodiversity Considered the most severe environmental decline facing humanity (Rockstrom et al.
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