Ozaukee Fish Passage Program: ARRA-Funded Fish Passage Success in the Milwaukee River Watershed

During 2009-2010, Ozaukee County (WI) received $5.25 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to develop and implement the "Milwaukee River Watershed Fish Passage Program" (Program). The Program reconnects existing, high quality habitat in Milwaukee River tributaries to Lake Michigan, the Milwaukee Estuary, and lower reaches of the mainstem Milwaukee River by inventorying and removing impediments to native fish and aquatic life passage.  Specific Program goals include the number of labor hours created, impediments remediated or removed, volunteers and volunteer hours, and stream miles and habitat/wetland acres made accessible. 

A diverse group of stakeholders materially contributed to the success of the project, including municipalities, consultants, non-governmental organizations (NGO), universities, and volunteers.  This large-scale project also improved municipal and county infrastructure, created and sustained jobs, spurred public input and interest in waterway management decisions, achieved landowner property management objectives, bolstered NGO habitat restoration goals, education, and outreach, satisfied volunteer interests, and fulfilled student and intern requirements. 

In 2010 and 2011 the Program constructed a nature-like fishway at the Mequon-Thiensville Dam, removed the Lime Kiln Dam, designed a fishway at the Bridge Street Dam, reconstructed 30 major road/stream crossings, removed over 120 small barriers, and implemented an environmental monitoring program.