Similar to the current 6th Street Dam the AHS will likely stack up fish and a lot of fishing recreation is anticipated downstream of it. Because of its flexibility, it is expected to increase fish passage as well. The AHS also helps control the water…
Archives: Sea Lamprey & Barrier Archives - Page 2 of 2 - Grand Rapids Whitewater
When barriers are involved in a river, the Great Lakes Fishery Commission completes an investigation of the entire watershed to determine any sea lamprey spread. The size and complexity of the Grand River and its tributaries present significant challenges and costs associated with conducting Sea…
Sea lampreys enter the Grand River from Lake Michigan and inhabit the river downstream of the 6th Street Dam. That stretch of the river contains poor sea lamprey habitat and the stretch is not productive enough to warrant treatments in the Grand itself. Crockery and…
The AHS is expected to cost $15 million. The cost of treating the Grand River and its tributaries with lampricide would be $1.9 million per year, in perpetuity. Thus, the AHS will pay for itself in less than a decade and will last at least…
The AHS is expected to be tall enough to block the movement of Asian carp should Asian carp become established in the Great Lakes.
The Michigan DNR depends on sea lamprey control for the success of its fishery management program. Without sea lamprey control, the state could not achieve its fishery objectives. A sea lamprey infestation of the Grand River and its tributaries would harm the entire Lake Michigan…
Based on our initial research and actual visits to other adjustable hydraulic structures around the country we have learned the structures can be manipulated in a way that manages ice and woody debris. The structure can be outfitted with abutment heaters to minimize ice buildup…
Will the AHS improve water management and help in flood control? Will it help to alleviate flooding?
The AHS does not alleviate flooding. Any properties that currently flood will continue to flood and those properties that are required to carry flood insurance will continue to have this requirement. Sea lamprey barrier management was designed and evaluated to be effective when the flood…
How can you say you are restoring river connectivity when the plan calls for a new barrier upstream?
The historic rapids once found in Grand Rapids are regionally rare and two thirds of them are submerged under water upstream of the Sixth Street Dam. Our intent is to open the historic waters known to the Grand River Bands of Ottawa Indians as Gitchi…