The Round Lake Dam on our Pike Lake Chain is a barrier to upstream movement of fish.  The DNR fisheries biologist and the US Forest Service fisheries biologist are interested in investigating the potential for a fish passage at the dam.  This is in the very early planning stages and would be a very big project if undertaken and could take upwards of two years or more to complete.  There is a chance that the project could start in 2018 but a more realistic timeline would be 2019.

The US Forest Service (USFS) staff are monitoring both water levels and flows above and below the dam.  They will continue to do so through the spring of 2017.  This information is needed in order to establish minimum flows needed to maintain good fish habitat year-round.  The DNR electrofished the South Fork of the Flambeau at several sites below the dam to update fish community information.  They didn’t find any invasive fish species.

2018 Update
The US Forest Service is continuing its work to investigate installing a fish passage on the South Fork of the Flambeau and into Round Lake of the Pike Lake Chain.

• Water level monitors have been in place continuous since 2016, and that data will be analyzed and used to prepare a preliminary design for the fishway.

2019 Update
The consultant has come up with a conceptual design, but it hasn’t been analyzed or developed into a proposal yet.  

• This design will be used by the FS for a proposed action in their NEPA process. Public comments would be asked for at that point.  
• The comments would then be used to develop alternatives if necessary.  
• A FS team of resource specialists would determine effects of the proposed action and any alternatives for the Environmental Assessment.  
• Public comments would then be asked on the Environmental Assessment before a final decision is made.