WRM 2000 Issue identification

Fish, wildlife, and environmental issues

Whether you decide to repair or remove, the dam in your community will have far reaching impacts on the environment in and around the impounded river. These consequences can include impacts on the type of fish and other wildlife habitat and species, the location and extent of wetlands, water quality and temperature, and groundwater flow system and water-table height.

Fish/wildlife communities

Checklist questions

What are the types, the diversity, and life histories of species that would be affected by the decision to repair/remove the dam?
What is the quality of habitat in the pond? Upstream? Downstream?
What critical life stages for fish and wildlife would need to be taken into account in timing and planning the dam’s repair or removal?
What are some methods for excluding fish and wildlife from the dam site during critical repair or removal periods (for example, use of explosives)?

Toolbox

Hilsenhoff Biotic Index (HBI), which assigns a number indicating the degree of a stream's organic pollution. It is based on the insect species that can survive in the stream. Numbers range from 0-10, with zero indicating the highest water quality, when insects that are very intolerant of organic pollution are present in the stream. Contact: Eugene Lange, telephone: 608/221-6339, fax: 608/221-6353; email: langee@dnr.state.wi.us. Two publications to consult about the HBI are Lyons, John. 1992. Using the Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) to Measure Environmental Quality in Warmwater Streams of Wisconsin. North Central Forest Experiment Station, Forest Service - U.S. Department of Agriculture. St. Paul, MN.

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Division of Resources Management, Bureau of Fisheries Management and Habitat Protection Headquarters in Madison (608/267-7498), has biological and resource surveys of rivers and streams; this often includes substantial information on birds and terrestrial animals. They also employ staff who are experts in their fields: coldwater fisheries ecologist, Great Lakes fisheries coordinator, fish health specialist, warm-water lakes fisheries biologist, fish contaminant specialist, aquatic toxicologist, waterway regulation, warm-water rivers management biologist, and limnologist (lake biologist). Your regional Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources office also employs fish biologists, who may be more familiar with the fish and water resources in your area, than the headquarters staff.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 3; their web site (http://midwest.fws.gov/) has information on the following topics: birds, contaminants, endangered species, ecosystems, fisheries, and wetlands. Great Lakes-Big River Region, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1 Federal Drive, BHW Federal Building, Fort Snelling, Minnesota 55111.
The Nature Conservancy, Wisconsin Field Office, 633 West Main Street, Madison, Wisconsin 53703; 608/251-8140, Cate Harrington, Communications; main web site http://www.tnc.org/.
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Midwest/Mississippi River Valley. Region, 1120 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 900, Washington, DC 20036; 202/857-0166, fax 202/857-0162, Director: Moira McDonald; web site http://www.nfwf.org/.
Trout Unlimited Midwest Office, 211 S. Paterson St., #270, Madison, Wisconsin 53703; 608/250-2757; fax 608/255-1326; main web site: http://www.tu.org/.
River Alliance of Wisconsin, 306 East Wilson Street, #2W, Madison, Wisconsin 53703; 608/257-2424; fax 608/260-9799; email: wisrivers@wisconsinrivers.org; web site: http://www.wisconsinrivers.org.
University of Wisconsin-Extension Office, main web site: http://www.uwex.edu.

Effects on fish and other aquatic wildlife habitat

Checklist questions

What are the amount and type of lake or pond habitat that would be lost through dam removal? How many acres of warm water fishery or waterfowl habitat would be lost?
What is the amount and type of reconnected river habitat that would be gained through dam removal?
Does the dam prevent spawning migrations of fish, either upstream or downstream? Are fish-passage facilities present or planned if the dam is repaired?
Does the dam prevent exotic or undesirable species (such as sea lamprey, zebra mussels, diseased fish) from invading upstream reaches where aquatic species that are endangered, threatened, or otherwise rare or vulnerable could be affected? Would dam removal allow exotic or undesirable species to move into the restored waters? Will fish barriers be constructed if the dam is removed and exotic species invasion is a concern?
Does the dam prevent or preclude the establishment or expansion of species of concern (for example, mussel communities, threatened or endangered species)?
What habitat(s) downstream could be impacted by a release of sediment related to dam removal?
If the dam were repaired, would regular dredging be required to maintain fish habitat and keep the pond from filling in?
If the dam were repaired, would dredging adversely affect fish/wildlife habitat?

Toolbox

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Fish Management
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Surface Water Standards and Monitoring Department
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; web site http://www.fws.gov/
The Nature Conservancy; web site http://www.tnc.org/
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation; web site http://www.nfwf.org/
Trout Unlimited; web site http://www.tu.org/
River Alliance of Wisconsin; web site http://www.wisconsinrivers.org/
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (permits may be needed)

Effect on wetlands

Checklist questions

What were the type, location, and extent of historic wetlands before the dam was built?
What type, location, and extent of existing wetlands created by the dam would be lost by dam removal?
What type, location, and extent of wetlands could be gained if the dam is removed?
How are wetlands affected by sediment accumulation behind the dam?
How are wetlands affected by the sediment releases after the dam is removed?

Toolbox

Refer to the following for information about Wisconsin wetlands:

A User's Guide to the Wisconsin Wetland Inventory Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Publ. WZ022-92.
Wisconsin Wetland Inventory Classification Guide Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Publ. WZ023-92.
Wisconsin Wetland Inventory Map Order Form Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Publ. WZ024-92.
Novitzki, R.P., 1982. Hydrology of Wisconsin Wetlands. Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey, Information Circular 40.

Your county conservation department staff may be able to tell you more specifics about how dam removal/repair will affect wetlands in the surrounding area.
Ducks Unlimited, Inc., 331 Metty Drive, #4, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48103; 734/623-2000; web site: http://www.ducommunity.org/servlet/sites_ProcServ/DBPAGE=cge&GID=01002011500938801845002693
Old survey records ca. 1800s for information on the type, location, and extent of historic wetlands before the dam was built.

Species of concern

Checklist questions

What species would benefit or be harmed by dam repair or removal (for example, birds, fish, mussels, amphibians, reptiles, aquatic invertebrates)?
Are there federal or state species of concern -- endangered, threatened, or otherwise rare or vulnerable species -- that would potentially be affected by dam repair or removal?
Would removal of the dam destroy any existing habitat or restore connections between refugee and potential habitat upstream for species of concern?

Toolbox

Public opinion surveys (See Appendix C of this module.)
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Bureau of Fisheries Management and Habitat Protection Program.
The Division of Resources Management, Bureau of Endangered Resources. maintains a database on status of plants and animals and their habitats, and is responsible for endangered and threatened species.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Surface Water Standards and Monitoring Section-Surface water Monitoring, does general sediment sampling and assessment, contaminated sediment site monitoring, management and treatment.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; http://www.fws.gov/
The Nature Conservancy; web site http://www.tnc.org/
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation; web site http://www.nfwf.org/
Trout Unlimited; web site http://www.tu.org/

Watershed, water quality, and groundwater

Checklist questions

What impact will the repair/removal decision have on the watershed?
Will surface water quality improve/worsen as a result of the decision to repair/remove?
What will happen to the groundwater levels and quality?

Toolbox

Your county conservation department staff may be able to tell you what the regional impact of the dam is on the stream, and where the stream channel would be located within the currently impounded area if the dam were removed. Look for the county department of "Land Conservation" or "Soil and Water Resources Conservation" in the government section of the phone book.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Regional Policy and Planning Section is responsible for area wide water-quality-management planning (CWA §208 plans) and identifying surface-water and groundwater quality and quantity problems.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Surface Water Standards and Monitoring Section--Surface water monitoring, general sediment sampling and assessment, contaminated sediment site monitoring, management and treatment.
The following agencies have groundwater information and may be able to answer your questions about the impact of the dam on groundwater, and the potential effects of dam removal.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (wetlands expertise and for permits that may be required).
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service--contact your county's district conservationist.
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Water Resources Division District Offices (Southwest Field Office, Middleton, Wisconsin; Northeast Field Office Merrill, Wisconsin; Northwest Field Office, Rice Lake, Wisconsin. The USGS has streamflow data available on line. Data available include historical streamflow daily values, map of region surrounding station, and peak flow records. Check to see if they have data for your stream at http://wi.water.usgs.gov/rt-cgi/gen_tbl_pg; Historical streamflow data are available at http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis-w/WI; USGS also provides recent and historical topographic maps and aerial photographs.
County and Municipal Governments: Land Conservation Departments, Environmental Health Department, Planning and Zoning, Public Works Extension Offices.
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources: Water Supply, Groundwater Management and Water Resources Programs.
UW-Extension, Central Wisconsin Groundwater Center (for communities in the Central Sand Plains) web site: http://www.uwsp.edu/cnr/gndwater/.
UW-Extension, Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey, 3817 Mineral Point Road, Madison, Wisconsin 53705-5100; 608/262-1705; fax 608/262-8086; web site: http://www.uwex.edu/wgnhs/.

Next section: Summary

URL: http://www.ies.wisc.edu/research/wrm00/issuewild.htm