antecedentes del proyecto
Localización del proyecto:El alcance del proyecto se extiende a lo largo del rÃo Raisin desde la presa Nooney, en la desembocadura del lago Vineyard, hasta inmediatamente aguas abajo del puente Mill Street en Village of Brooklyn. El área de este proyecto está ubicada en su totalidad dentro del municipio de Columbia, condado de Jackson, Michigan.
Descripción del problema:La Presa de Brooklyn (BD) está regulada por el Departamento de Medio Ambiente, Grandes Lagos y EnergÃa (EGLE) debido a la altura y el tamaño del embalse asociado. EGLE clasifica la BD como una represa de alto potencial de peligro ya que se esperan pérdidas de vidas y se esperan impactos severos si ocurriera una falla en la represa. BD, como se ve en gran medida hoy en dÃa, se construyó en 1939 y se utilizó para suministrar energÃa hidroeléctrica a la planta de fabricación adyacente. La represa ya no se usa para suministrar energÃa hidroeléctrica, pero estuvo en funcionamiento en 2006. La represa es una estructura de tierra con un aliviadero de concreto de 32 pies de ancho con un terraplén de tierra que se extiende 300 pies a cada lado del aliviadero. La altura máxima del terraplén es de 22,5 pies y el aliviadero es de 18 pies de altura (EGLE Dam Safety Report 2016). La evaluación del rÃo Raisin del Departamento de Recursos Naturales de Michigan (DNR) destaca la importancia de este tramo de alto gradiente del rÃo Raisin, cerca de Brooklyn, para su salud y la vida acuática asociada. Los peces y otros animales acuáticos suelen ser más diversos y productivos en hábitats de alto gradiente. El informe establece que la longitud total del rÃo Raisin es de 149 millas y solo el 5% tiene un hábitat de alto gradiente que se encuentra solo en las cabeceras y se localiza en Brooklyn y tramos pequeños en Manchester y Tecumseh. Gran parte del hábitat de alto gradiente ha sido inundado por represas y sus embalses, eliminando este hábitat único y productivo y fragmentando el rÃo, por lo que no permite que los peces se muevan libremente a través del rÃo.
Proyecto propuesto:Eliminación de la BD de alto potencial de peligro, restauración de aproximadamente 2,600 pies del rÃo Raisin utilizando el diseño de canal natural (NCD) a través del embalse anterior, reemplazo del puente Mill Street y construcción de rápidos de roca natural sobre la presa Nooney.
Socios y colaboración:River Raisin Watershed Council, Jackson County Drain Office, Village of Brooklyn, DNR, Michigan Department of Transportation, EGLE, US Fish & Wildlife Service, Niswander Environmental, Green Watershed Restoration y Five Smooth Stones son socios clave.
Beneficios del proyecto:La eliminación de la BD de alto potencial de peligro, la restauración de un cauce fluvial estable que funcione utilizando NCD, el reemplazo del puente de Mill Street y la construcción de rápidos de roca natural sobre la presa Nooney eliminarán de forma permanente el riesgo y las responsabilidades asociadas con la presa, mejorarán la seguridad pública, restaurarán el hábitat y Resiliencia en el rÃo. Las actividades del proyecto proporcionarán hasta 44 millas de conectividad a los tramos de cabecera del rÃo Raisin, lo que permitirá el movimiento diario, estacional y anual de los peces para acceder al hábitat necesario para vivir sus vidas.
Estado del proyecto:Los esfuerzos de los socios hasta la fecha incluyen el desarrollo de subvenciones para obtener los fondos necesarios para la ejecución del proyecto. El trabajo de factibilidad realizado incluye evaluación geomórfica, estudios de mejillones y peces, análisis de sedimentos y análisis de alternativas de diseño. Los próximos esfuerzos de trabajo para 2023 incluyen estudios topográficos adicionales, evaluación de humedales, investigación de servicios públicos, estudios hidráulicos e hidrológicos. La información recopilada durante el estudio de factibilidad se utilizará para desarrollar el diseño final y permitir el desarrollo.
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Punto de contacto:
Meija Knafl
rrwc@lenawee.mi.us
517-264-4754
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Hitos del proyecto:
Finalización del estudio de factibilidad:junio 2023
Reducción del embalse de Brooklyn:julio 2023-julio 2024
Pasaje de peces de la presa Nooney:julio 2023-julio 2024
Plano de Diseño Definitivo:octubre de 2023
Presentación del Permiso EGLE:diciembre 2023
Eliminación de presas de Brooklyn/restauración de arroyos:julio 2024
Reemplazo del puente de Mill Street:Por determinar
Top Ten Questions About the Brooklyn Dam Connectivity Project
Below are the top ten common inquiries we've received about the Brooklyn Connectivity Project. We hope these will help shed some light on the project. If you have a question that you don't see answered here feel, free to email us at admin@riverraisin.org.
1.
Is Brooklyn Dam publicly or privately owned?
Brooklyn Dam is a privately owned dam. As a privately owned dam, the dam owner is responsible for ongoing monitoring and maintenance as long as the dam remains in place.
2.
Will other dams be required to be removed as a result of the modification of the Brooklyn Dam?
No other dams will be required to be removed as a result of the Brooklyn Dam Connectivity Project. The determination to remove or modify a dam is solely the decision of the dam owner.
3.
Will modification of the Brooklyn Dam as a part of the Connectivity Project result in downstream flooding?
Modification of the Brooklyn Dam will not result in downstream flooding. The Brooklyn Dam is operated as a run of river facility which means that the amount of water that enters the pond is equal to the amount of water leaving at the dam. The Brooklyn Dam was built to provide for hydroelectric power, not for flood storage, therefore does not have adequate storage or operational capability to provide for significant flood control.
4.
Will Vineyard Lake see lower water levels with the modification of Brooklyn Dam?
Vineyard Lake has a legally established lake level that has been established by court action. Water levels in Vineyard Lake are controlled by the Nooney Lake Dam, at the outlet of Vineyard Lake, which is owned and managed by the Jackson County Drain Office. Since the Brooklyn Dam is located downstream of Nooney Dam, the modification of the Brooklyn Dam will not reduce water surface elevations or lower lake levels at Vineyard Lake.
5.
Will the River Raisin dry up upstream of Brooklyn Dam?
Modification of the Brooklyn Dam as part of the Connectivity Project will not result in the River Raisin drying up and disappearing upstream of the dam. Flows will continue to be received from the River Raisin through Vineyard Lake and Kedron Drain, as well as groundwater recharge, which will contribute to flow just like all other naturally occurring rivers in Michigan.
6.
Will Brooklyn Pond look different?
The Brooklyn Pond will look differently than it does today once the dam is modified. The River Raisin through the former pond will be restored and once again be a functioning river which will be narrower and shallower than it appears today. To help conceptualize the size of the river, one can look to Swain Memorial Park as the river will be similar in size.
7.
Will the former Brooklyn Pond be a big mudflat?
The pond draw-down will occur slowly over nearly a month of time. One of the concerns that many people have with any dam modification is that the former pond, that is covered in water, will remain unvegetated and remain an unsightly mudflat. On the contrary, what we have learned from other dam removals is that there is a very rich seedbed in the nutrient rich pond sediments and once the water is drawn down, lush vegetation typically emerges within just a couple of weeks. In addition, just to ensure there is good vegetative coverage the exposed sediments will be seeded with a rapidly emerging and fast-growing grass to reduce erosion.
8.
Who will own the property under the former impoundment?
Most often in Michigan riparian land owners own to the center “thread” of the channel or to the water’s edge although this can vary based on individual deeds. In some cases, the dam owner owns the “flooded” property covered by the impoundment. This may remain the same when the dam is removed. Ownership of the former pond area can best be answered by riparian owners consulting their individual property deeds.
9.
Is fishing expected to improve?
Yes, fishing is expected to improve. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) has identified the River Raisin in Brooklyn as a Priority Habitat Conservation Project with target species being smallmouth bass and northern pike. Modification of the Brooklyn Dam is expected to increase public safety, recreational benefit for anglers/kayakers/canoeist and reconnection of high-quality critical habitat. Re-connection of this system addresses habitat limiting factors and allows for the potential access of 44 upstream miles of aquatic organism passage. The MDNR, identified that the Brooklyn Dam has eliminated and fragmented the most productive fish habitat in the River Raisin. MDNR states that, the total length of the River Raisin is 149 miles with 92 miles or 62% being low gradient at less than 3 feet per mile. The highest average gradient can be found from the headwaters to Tecumseh at 5.7 feet per mile. Fish and other aquatic animals are typically most diverse and productive in river gradients between 10 and 70 feet per mile. This highly desirable gradient class is found only in 7.5 miles or 5% of the main stem in the headwaters a portion of which is localized in Brooklyn. River fisheries are expected to improve as a result of dam modification and associated stream restoration.
10.
When is the Connectivity Project anticipated to begin?
The drawdown of the former impoundment (mill pond) is now complete. EGLE permit conditions required a drawdown rate of no more than 0.5 ft. per day, however, to reduce organism stranding, sediment mobilization and flow to downstream receiving waters the rate of drawdown was conducted over a 39-day period from August 8 through September 18, 2023, for an average drawdown rate of 0.17 ft. per day.
SCUBA mussel survey was conducted in the impoundment on June 6, 2023, prior to the drawdown, to locate any mussels in the impoundment to then be relocated. No mussels or mussel habitat was identified during the SCUBA survey. Daily inspections of the drawdown area were conducted during the entire drawdown period. Daily stranded aquatic organism surveys were initiated on August 8 and concluded on September 18. However, additional surveys were conducted after conclusion of the drawdown through October 13, 2023. Stranded aquatic organisms were identified to species, measured (total length, mm) and representative photos taken. Organisms were placed into appropriate travel equipment for relocation. A staff member relocated the organisms to the relocation reach for immediate release.
Drawdown Schedule
The permit for the impoundment drawdown is anticipated to be issued during the first week of August 2023.
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Daily Stranded Aquatic Organism Monitoring
Mussel Survey Report 2023
Seed List
Click photo to download the Exponent article.