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 TailRiver Watershed 13 nativemussel species listed)(3 75 nativefishspecies; 54 nativefish species inPelican listed)(3 32% forest,shrub 21% lake andwetland (27% lake andwetland inPelican watershed) 1909 mi 2 of North (493 mi 2 - in Pelican Watershed) land or prairie,orland 41% cultivated Otter Pelican Lizzie Lida Detroit Dead Height Land o f
Toad River 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 of Existing Minnesota Dams 1 1710 1700 Existing dams only Construction Years of Existing U.S. Dams 1720 1710 0 1730 1720 1 1740 1730 1 2 1750 1740 4 1760 1750 1760 1 1770 > 1078 6 6 1770 –
1780 many morebuilt wereand washed out 1780 3 87,359> 6 1790 8 ft 1790 1800 through 2012 (roughly 2000total) 2012through (roughly 709 Decade 1800 1810 1810 25
1820 ft 1820 60 through through 2012 1830 112
Most Most rivers blocked 1830
1840 ( Earliest fish surveys were1893 Woolman 1840 167 5 1850 1850 266 5 1860 1860 201 8 1870 1870 338 ) to 1920 ( ) to 1920 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. 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 definitive cause of extirpation and extinction of freshwater species High Island Creek Carp Dam Upstream of 2 Present in Failed Dam 241 mi Watershed 86% of watershed is upstream of dam Species Watershed Upstream of Dam (as of 2017) Tolerance Common carp 1 1 1 tolerant Brassy minnow 1 1 1 tolerant Creek chub 1 1 1 tolerant White sucker 1 1 1 tolerant Black bullhead 1 1 1 tolerant Brook stickleback 1 1 1 tolerant Green sunfish 1 1 1 tolerant Pumpkinseed 1 1 1 stocked 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 High Island Carp Dam at High Flow Yellow perch 1 1 1 stocked Walleye 1 1 1 stocked Shortnose gar 1 1 Bowfin 1 Gizzard shad 1 1 Central stoneroller 1 tolerant Spotfin shiner 1 1 Common shiner 1 1 High Island Carp Dam at Low Flow Hornyhead chub 1 1 intolerant Emerald shiner 1 1 Bigmouth shiner 1 1 tolerant Sand shiner 1 1 tolerant Mimic shiner 1 intolerant Northern redbelly dace 1 Bullhead minnow 1 1 Bluntnose minnow 1 1 Fathead minnow 1 1 tolerant Blacknose dace 1 1 tolerant Quillback 1 Northern hogsucker 1 intolerant High Island Carp Dam failure in 2014 Smallmouth buffalo 1 Bigmouth buffalo 1 Silver redhorse 1 Golden redhorse 1 Shorthead redhorse 1 Yellow bullhead 1 1 Channel catfish 1 intolerant Stonecat 1 1 Tadpole madtom 1 Northern pike 1 stocked Central mudminnow 1 tolerant Iowa darter 1 Johnny darter 1 1 Log perch 1 1 Dam was removed in 2015 Blackside darter 1 1 Slenderhead darter 1 1 intolerant Freshwater drum 1 Total 49 18 34 From Lore 2011 and Percent absent 65% 30% other sources Where are the Rapids and Falls??
Little Falls St. Croix Falls Fergus Falls Mississippi River St. Croix River Otter Tail River Dammed in 1913 Dammed in 1890, 1907 Dammed in 1871
Granite Falls Minnesota River Dammed in 1913 Minnesota Falls International Falls Minnesota River Dammed in 1871, 1904 Rainy River Dammed in 1909 St. Louis Falls St. Louis River Dammed in 1924 Coon Rapids, Rapidan Mississippi River Blue Earth River Dammed in 1913 Dammed in 1910 Pelican Rapids Pelican River Dammed in 1870 Upper St. Anthony Falls, Grand Rapids Mississippi River Mississippi River Dammed in 1848 Dammed in 1902
The Gorge Keokuk Rapids Mississippi River Mississippi River Dammed in 1917 Dammed in 1913 Otter Tail River Profile and Dams
Impassable dam Seasonally passable dam Dam with fishway Removed dam 1900
1800
1700
1600
Elbow Many Little Point Bemidji Round Height
) 1500 Chippewa of Land ft Hubble 335 1400 Frazee Little Big Lyons Rush Otter Tail Phelps Pine Pine Lake Lake Mill Frieberg Elevation ( Elevation 1300 Diversion Steam Plant 1200 Central Pisgah Dayton Hollow 1100 Orwell
1000 Breckenridge Water Plant
900 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 What is the Effect of Barriers on Native Species? Hallock Roseau 1938 1930s Stephen 1975 Methods Old Mill 1886 Used FISHMAPPER and additional geo-referenced fish Thief River Falls 1946 surveys from DNR-Fisheries, DNR-EWR, PCA, the Bell museum, university collections, and other reliable Sandhill Check Dam sources. 1940 Heiberg 1875 Evaluated species diversity above and below 32
Buffalo State Park downstream-most barriers on tributaries of the Pre-1893 Minnesota, Red, Mississippi, Rock, Big Sioux, and St. Croix Fond du Lac Rivers, and mainstem barriers at St. Anthony Falls, Taylors 1924 Falls, and Minnesota Falls. Breckenridge 1937 Sandstone 1908 Mustinka Grindstone Only species absent from entire upstream watershed 1940 Knife Lake1955 1983 were considered “absent” Pine City 1938 Kost 2 1885 River watersheds ranged from to 17 to 19,100 mi Appleton Taylor’s Falls 1872 1890
St. Anthony Falls Included only species documented from the tributary DawsonGranite Falls Natural Barrier 1913 1913 being evaluated. Didn’t include species in the downstream river mainstem for tributary barriers. Redwood Falls Welch Natural barrier High Island Carp 1958 1900 Mazeppa Flandreau 1922 Assessment included 150 species of fish; 134 native Split Rock Creek 1937 1937 Zumbro Lake Rapidan 1919 1910 Stewartville LOTS OF HELP FROM AREA FISHERIES STAFF!!! S. Mound Creek 1857 1936 Lanesboro 1868 Some of the species often extirpated by dams (Percent of evaluated barriers above which they are absent) On average over 40% of fish species native to a watershed are absent upstream of barrier dams
Emerald Shiner Carmine shiner 55% 62% Mooneye Silver chub 100% 93%
Sauger Paddlefish 100% 100% Flathead catfish 100%
Spotfin shiner White bass 46% 100% channel catfish 63% Gravel chub 100% Lake sturgeon 79%
Shovelnose sturgeon Blue Sucker 100% 100% Species Pollution Tolerance and Sensitivity to Fragmentation 18 17 17 Pollution Tolerant Species Pollution Sensitive Species 16 100% 15 14 14 100% 13 100% 12 11 11 54% 11 100%
10 80%
9 6% 50% 91% 8 33% 3% 7 6 59% 100%
6 6% 47% Number of species of Number 5 6% 71% 100% 4 33% 23% 3 91% 55% 2 1 1 1 0% 33% 0 0-24% 25-49% 50-74% 75-100% Least vulnerable Most Vulnerable Vulnerability to Barrier-Caused Extirpation Percent absence upstream of barriers
Based on EPA designations Dams Inundating or Blocking Access to Spawning Habitat
Crookston Roller Mill Dam Red Lake River Red Lake Falls built 1883
Heiberg Dam Wild Rice River built 1875 Wild Rice Rapids
Wright Dam, Fergus Falls Otter Tail River built 1871 Fergus Falls 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 Roseau River, October, 1903 176 pound lake sturgeon from White Earth Lake, Wild Rice Watershed May, 1926
The last lake sturgeon (102 lbs.) recorded from the 105 pound lake sturgeon from Detroit Lake (Otter Tail Watershed), Red River of the North Basin was caught in 1947 in October, 1890 Lake Lida, Otter Tail (Pelican) Watershed Photo courtesy of the Pelican Rapids Press 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 Maintenance costs Fish & Wildlife Passage * Canoe passage, recreational boating * Geomorphic and ecological processes (sedimentation, incision, nutrient processes, etc.)
*Size dependent Minnesota Falls Dam – Minnesota River Built in 1871 & 1905, Hydropower retired in 1958 17 feet high Upstream limit of 32 species of fish 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 Minnesota Falls Native species that have returned since dam removal
American Eel Special Concern Sauger Over 6000 km from Sargasso Sea Paddlefish - Threatened
Flathead Catfish
Lake Sturgeon – Special Concern
River Carpsucker
Gizzard Shad Shovenose Sturgeon Highfin Carpsucker
Mooneye
Blue Sucker – Special Concern Shortnose Gar SILVER LAMPREY
Black Buffalo - Threatened Longnose Gar Healthier River = New Recreational Opportunities
City of Granite Falls is assessing: Further development of paddling opportunities Options for fish passage through the Granite Falls Dam Removal of the Appleton Milldam Pomme De Terre River $117,000 for dam removal $250,000 for river restoration
Lake Christina Photo circa 1910 Dam built in 1872
1997 Reservoir sediments up to 15 feet deep
Morris Dam
Dam failed in 1997, 1998 removed in 1998 River cutting through sediments
Dams
Appleton Milldam Photo taken in 2016 2015 (Removed) River restoration 1999 - 2001 Restored Pomme De Terre River Channel 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 being 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 to Morris Dam 77% (10/13) returned after removal 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 Northern hogsucker * NI Largemouth bass LT * Species absent upstream of dam Silver redhorse**? Smallmouth bass LT ** Species returned after removal Greater redhorse**? White crappie NI, LT NI Natural infestation Green sunfish LT LT Laboratory transformation 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 Knutson Dam at Cass Lake on the Mississippi River Owned by the U.S. Forest Service
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
Breckenridge Dam, Otter Tail River built in 1936 Sedimentation of Breckenridge Reservoir Otter Tail River Built in 1936
1951 1939
1991 2003
2015 Breckenridge Dam Fishway Built in 1996 for $20,000 BRECKENRIDGE FISHWAY 2004
Bigmouth Buffalo Black bullhead Black Crappie Bluegill Bluntnose minnow Blackside darter Carp Channel catfish Chestnut lamprey Emerald shiner Freshwater drum Golden redhorse Goldeye Greater Redhorse Mooneye Northern pike Pumkinseed Quillback Redhorse Rock bass Sand shiner Spotfin shiner Shorthead Redhorse Silver Redhorse Smallmouth bass Spotfin shiner Walleye White bass White sucker
1800
1600
1400
1200
1000
800 Fish per Day per Fish 600
400
200
0 6 15 22 28 5 12 19 26 8 15 25 29 9 16 20 30 11 April May June July August Breckenridge Dam Failures Repaired with Federal Disaster Declaration Funds
1997 2001
2006 2007 Breckenridge Dam 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 14 additional native species that
Goldeye had not been caught in the reach returned Stonecat between Breckenridge and Orwell returned dams prior to the removal were caught in that reach after fishway Longnose Gar Returned, rare construction. Silver Lamprey Lake Shady Dam No major structural problems Reservoir largely filled with sediment County considered removal Lake Shady Dam Dam failed in 2010 flood
Restoration of the Zumbro River Barrier Removal Effects on Species Richness Species absent upstream of dam Species that returned after dam removal 70 64 60
On average, 66% of species absent upstream 50 of the dams returned following removal
40
30 24 22 21 21 18 19 20 17 16 14 14 15 13 12 13 9 9 10 88% 8 8 5 81% 23% 53% 89% 55% 72% 74% 67% 62%
0
Welch
Heiberg*
Dawson*
Flandreau
Appleton*
Sandstone
StatePark*
LakeFlorence
DrywoodCarp
Breckenridge* Number & (%) of Missing Species returning after dam removal dam after returning Species Missing of (%) & Number
*river restoration following removal including rock arch rapids grade control. Removed barrier Barrier dam Sturgeon Reintroduction Starting in 1998
Eggs purchased from Rainy River First Nation Fry hatched at the Detroit Lakes Hatchery Fingerlings raised by USFWS at La Crosse, WI Sturgeon in Dunton Locks Rapids Sturgeon in Diversion Fishway Lake Oneida lake sturgeon grow faster than anywhere in North America; zebra mussels are the dominant forage for fish over 35 inches Leeches Fish Zooplankton 1.2% 0.3% 0.3%
Aquatic Zebra Insects mussels 17.9% 31.7%
Snails 20.8%
Amphipods and isopods 27.8%
Data from Cornell research station Zebra mussels taken from the stomachs of sturgeon speared in Lake Winnebago
We have videos of sturgeon swimming over rocks carpeted with zebra mussels; and a few seconds later the rocks are clean,” Michigan fisheries biologist Dr. Ed Baker Pelican Rapids Dam Built in 1870 14 feet high
11 fish species found in the Pelican river are absent from surveys upstream of Pelican Rapids and Elizabeth Dams. 35 fish species found in the Otter Tail watershed are absent upstream of Pelican Rapids Dam. The Pelican River upstream of Elizabeth got failing IBI scores in PCA surveys The highest IBI score in the Red River Basin was downstream of Orwell Dam
Channel Catfish Lake Sturgeon (Reintroduced in Detroit Lake but not yet reproducing) Spotfin Shiner
Blacknose Dace
Northern Hogsucker Silver Redhorse Golden Redhorse Greater Redhorse Blackside Darter
Sand Shiner Bigmouth Shiner
Creek chub Rainbow Darter Longnose Dace
Central Stoneroller 1470
Pelican River Profile 1420
1370 Locks
Dunton
Bucks Mill (historic rapids)
Fish Lake Fish
LakeLizzie PrairieLake
1320 Pelican Rapids
Elevation 1270 Elizabeth
1220
1170
1120 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Distance from Confluence with Otter Tail River Original Land Survey 1870 (pre-dam)
Current Pelican Rapids Dam
Drone image by Houston Engineering
Bathymetry by Jamison Wendel, DNR “Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect.” ~ Chief Seattle
Photo courtesy of the Pelican Rapids Press