Dam Removal: Freeing Dam Removal: Freeing Water to Restore Riparian - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Dam Removal: Freeing Dam Removal: Freeing Water to Restore Riparian Water to Restore Riparian Corridors Corridors

5,000 miles of streams & tributaries 15 watersheds 13 counties 4 million acres Key CRA Funders - USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service - Michigan Coastal Management Program - US Fish & Wildlife Service - National Fish and Wildlife Foundation - Sustain Our Great Lakes Program - Private Donations

Watershed Approach Watershed Approach

Focus on Riparian Corridors Focus on Riparian Corridors All wetland Maple River Watershed soil types Emmet County with a 300ft. buffer. Hub, Corridor, Matrix Prime areas for water quality, biodiversity, and habitat connectivity

Corridors based on a Black Bear “ “Umbrella Umbrella” ” Corridors based on a Black Bear If bear habitat is secure a broad range of other species should also be secure. Implies that corridors are still functioning. If developed and/or improperly managed what will Map courtesy of the Michigan Dept. of Natural Resources Wildlife Division happen?

On- On -the the- -Ground Ground Projects: Projects: Private and Public Private and Public Land Land CRA has managed the removal of 5 dams since 2007. 16 dams are in the process of removal.

What is a dam? 6 ft tall with impoundment of 5 acres

Why have dams? • Hydropower • Irrigation • Recreation • Store water for consumption • Industry • Flood control • Wildlife Habitat • Navigation • Invasive species control • Others?

Where are the dams in our area? Oakland – 144 Alcona – 75 Marquette – 64 Washtenaw – 64 Huron – 5 Bay – 5 Keewenaw – 9 Source: Jim Pawloski MDNR Dam Safety Program

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Average Design Life Expectancy of a Dam is ~50 Years Source: Jim Pawloski and Byron Lane. MDNR Dam Safety Program

-------------------------------- Ohio: C Source: American Society of Wisconsin: D Civil Engineers. Michigan Indiana: D- Section Website. Illinois: C

National attention for removing aging dams American Express Commercial featuring Yvon Chouinard from Patagonia

Ecological Considerations of Dam Removal • Unnaturally warm/cool discharged water • Accumulate sediment and organic material, alter normal flow and water chemistry • Are contaminated sediments present? • Change open water habitat, river habitat, and wetlands • Change flooding cycles and channel location • Stop aquatic organism passage (fish, mussels, inverts, etc.) • May stop invasive species spread (sea lampreys, asian carp?) • Threat of catastrophic failure • What’s in the seedbank? • Effects on threatened/endangered species (sturgeon vs. loons?) • Immediate impacts of drawdown on fish, herps, and mussels • Others?

Wheeler Creek example

Song of the Morning Yoga Retreat and the Pigeon River • Summer 1984, operational error and gate malfunction kills fish on large stretch of the Pigeon River. • Summer 2008, dam gates opened again releasing warm water and silt, then closed nearly shutting off flow. • Sediment flush, increased temps, decreased oxygen, then shut off of flow killed fish (and other aquatic life) for an estimated 21 river miles. • Fish kill alone estimated at 475,000 individuals.

Social/Economic Considerations of Dam Removal • Loss of dam function (lake, electricity, irrigation, etc.) • Expense of maintenance, permitting, operations, repairs, dredging, and liability • Land ownership of re-exposed lands • Loss of property values • Historic value of the structure (rare) • Alters aesthetics of the area • Impact (+ or -) on specific types of recreation and tourism • Landowner “issues” (In MI, roughly 61% of dams are privately owned) • Neighbor issues. • Threat of catastrophic failure • Dam no longer serves original purpose • Loss/change of flood control at some sites • Permitting • Fundraising • Prioritization of dams to be removed/repaired • Public safety • Others?

Between 1985 and 1994 there were 400 dam failures in the United States. Graham. 1999. U.S. Dept. of Interior. Bureau of Reclamation Report.

Every dam (and dam project) is unique

Project Overview The dams slated for removal with heads ranging from 31’-41’ All dams are “top draw” which elevate water temps The Boardman River supports 2,000,000 recreational user days per day Removal of three upper dams will reconnect 160 miles of river (and tributary) channel and habitats Project Partners Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians US Fish and Wildlife Service City of Traverse City Traverse City Light and Power Department Grand Traverse County Michigan DNRE Grand Traverse Conservation District Conservation Resource Alliance Michigan Hydro Relicensing Coalition Rotary Camps and Services Watershed Center Grand Traverse Conservation Resource Alliance

Tank Creek Project Overview 7 project partners $30,000 budget Reconnected 1.75 miles of riparian corridor

Hydropower is Green Power? The 103 hydroelectric facilities in Michigan impact 49 river systems, including almost every major river system in the state. These facilities, at a minimum, prevent anadromous fish movement into 2,063 mainstem river miles, dewater 57 river miles, directly impound 623 river miles, and impact 733 river miles through their operation. The total reservoir area impacted by these facilities is approximately 123,000 acres. These facilities produce, in net, only 1.5% of the electricity in the State of Michigan (Patric and Kakela 1983). Quote taken from the MDNR Dam Safety Website

Thousand Megawatt State of Michigan Electricity Sources Hours Total Net Electricity Generation 9,434 Petroleum-Fired 17 Natural Gas-Fired 714 Coal-Fired 5,524 Nuclear 2,837 Hydroelectric 82 Other Renewables 216 Hydroelectric accounts for .87% of Net Electricity Generation in Michigan Data compiled September 2010. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration website, www.eia.gov

Isn’t Dam Removal Expensive? Yes. But maintaining, repairing, operating, insuring, and permitting existing structures can be more expensive. AND There is considerably more money to help with dam removal/river restoration than dam repair. Boardman River Example * Present value of gross revenue over the next 30 years: $9,690,000 * Present value of cost to relicense, operation, maintenance, and repairs over the next 30 years: $16,768,000 * Difference : $7,078,000 Wheeler Creek Dam Tank Creek Dam Green River Dam 20 ft tall, 4 acres impounded 12 ft. tall, 2 acres impounded 8 ft tall, 1 acre impounded Removed 2010 Removed 2010 Removed 2007 Removal cost - $299,000. Removal cost - $30,000 Removal cost - $190,000

#1. Who owns this land?

• Legal opinion of landowner and government attorneys: The City of Traverse City and Grand Traverse County own the bottomlands of the respective impoundments created by dams that they own. • However, the legal opinion indicated that some adjacent property owners may have riparian rights (access to river) but such a claim would not limit the dam owners as to what they could do with the dams or how the level of the impoundments are maintained. • Every dam, and dam project, is unique.

#2. Hello bottomlands, now what?

Our experience in Northern Michigan. Do your bank work, wait to see what comes up, map invasives if present, control invasives, then reseed with natives as needed.

April 2009

June 2009 → “Stinking mud flats”

June 2010

#3. Which statement was not made during a dam removal project? 1. “Stimulus project my ass, this sounds like a bunch of left wing tree hugger crap to me.” 2. “Wetlands, that are so precious to all of these folks, will dry up and become wild grass areas.” 3. “These people will not stop untill every dicent spot in Michigan is arranged to their liking.” 4. “These people do not care a lick what the people want they only care about what they can do and get away with.” 5. “ You spent over $300,00 to take that dam out and all I get is $20,000 to build my pond!” 6. “FUDEQ” (On a sign along the river)

#4. How long ago was this “impoundment's” dam removed? Thompsonville dam failed 20 years ago

Thank You for Attending! A copy of this Thank You for Attending! A copy of this presentation will be posted at www.rivercare.org www.rivercare.org presentation will be posted at Eric Ellis, Biologist Conservation Resource Alliance eric@rivercare.org, (231) 946-6817