The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources will receive more than $3.9 million from the Biden Administration’s “Investing in America” agenda for a project that will benefit lake sturgeon populations by reconnecting 20 miles of spawning habitat in the Upper Otter Tail River in the Red River Basin, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Tuesday, April 23.
The funding is part of a package of more than $70 million that will help fund 43 projects in 29 states to improve fishing passage around outdated or obsolete dams, culverts, levees and other barriers fragmenting the nation’s rivers and streams.
Projects in the Midwest will receive $26 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the FWS said in a news release. In addition to Minnesota, the funds will be distributed between projects across Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri and Ohio.
According to the FWS, projects receiving funding showcase a diverse portfolio of aquatic conservation opportunities and are transformational in improving climate resilience, increasing recreational opportunities, and strengthening local economies.
“This year’s $70 million investment from the president’s Investing in America agenda will have tremendous impacts, not only in restoring fragmented aquatic habitats but in revitalizing communities across the nation,” Martha Williams, director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said in a statement. “For every $1 million invested in 2022 and 2023 through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and partner funding for fish passage projects, an average of 13 jobs were supported and $1.5 million was contributed to the project area’s local economy through construction and implementation.”
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According to a synopsis on the FWS website, the project on the Upper Otter Tail River will include culvert replacement and channel restoration.
“This project will reconnect a recovering native lake sturgeon population to 20 miles of critical spawning habitat, while furthering efforts to reconnect upstream Tribal restoration areas to the broader Red River Basin population recovery effort,” according to the FWS synopsis. “This will be accomplished by replacing two undersized culverts with two span bridges where the U.S. Highway 10 divided expressway crosses the Otter Tail River. The present culverts create high velocities impassible to fish during the critical spring spawning period. The restored channel will restore fish passage, improve sustainability of culturally significant fish populations for local Tribes and contribute to regional transportation improvements.”
In addition to the Midwest states, other states receiving project funding were Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Montana, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and West Virginia.
Additional project details are available on the Service’s website at FWS.gov.
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