With Union Street Dam Out, FishPass On Schedule For 2027 Completion

The ambitious FishPass project remains on schedule as crews continue work on a structure that will completely transform a downtown stretch of the Boardman River. 

FishPass, which replaces the Union Street Dam, will consist of an experimental barrier that allows desirable fish to pass while blocking invasive species like sea lamprey. Construction of this first-of-its-kind structure began in May of 2024, with all in-river work set for completion in 2026. Associated dry land components like an amphitheater and education building will follow in 2027.

Crews have now removed the last of the dam and built a spillway that’s part of the new structure. Construction to this point has been largely unremarkable, officials say, and that’s a good thing.

“Work has been steadily progressing from the start, and we’re pretty much right where we expected to be at this point,” U.S. Army Corps of Engineers program manager Carl Platz tells The Ticker. “We’ve been really blessed with good weather overall, which allowed our construction contractor to work through the winter, and things remained on schedule throughout the summer.”

The project is estimated to cost at least $25 million, with funding from a variety of sources. 

Crews have discovered all sorts of natural and man-made items as they’ve carried out this work, including a (presumably) 19th-century wagon wheel, a 1912-dated license plate, a remarkable variety of fish and more, spokeswoman Leah McCallum says.

“Some of the tree stumps that have been under water for well over a century are massive,” McCallum tells The Ticker. “They remind me of family trips to the redwoods.”

FishPass is a joint project of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, City of Traverse City and others. Those involved are glad to see the project well underway, especially after a legal challenge that delayed work for several years. 

“We initially awarded the FishPass (construction) contract in 2020, and we wound up having to delay the construction due to those legal issues until 2024,” Platz says.

Seeing FishPass finally take physical shape is also generating considerable buzz among the public, McCallum says.

“Part of the work I do is giving tours, both to the general public and neighbors of the project, and everyone is excited,” McCallum says. “And to hear (them) be so enthusiastic about it gets us excited too.”

The project is touted as the capstone of a 20-year effort to restore and rehabilitate the degraded river. Earlier major projects included the removal of three upstream dams (Brown Bridge in 2012, Boardman in 2017 and Sabin in 2018).

“It’s really been a long and satisfying journey to see it all become a reality,” Platz says.

The work has been remarkable not only for what it accomplished, Platz says, but how well so many diverse stakeholders worked together to get it done.

“In my mind, this has been a case study in successful partnerships. Someone could write a book about this,” Platz says. “It’s truly made it one of the highlights of my career, and I couldn’t be more thankful to be a part of it.”

This partnership is perhaps at is highest level for FishPass, Platz says.  

“A lot of people representing many different entities and agencies really poured their heart and soul into ensuring this project became a reality,” Platz says. “Witnessing it taking shape and seeing the continual progress is really a testimony to all the deliberate planning, the detailed design and all the comprehensive coordination efforts that all the project partners were engaged with over the last decade.”

More information about FishPass, including a detailed FAQ, can be found on the project website.

Photo credit: John Russell, taken Sept. 30