City hears detailed proposal to replace Crissy Lake Dam with rock-arch rapids to improve fish passage and safety

Consultants described conceptual plans to modify Crissy Lake Dam on the Pompanoate River during the Morris City Council meeting Jan. 28, saying the preferred approach would convert the 86-year-old low-head dam into a series of rock-arch rapids that improve fish passage, remove a known hydraulic "roller" safety hazard and restore more river-like flow and habitat upstream.

The consultants noted the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has surveyed the site and is prepared to fund portions of the design and construction. They said the change would allow many fish and some mussel species that are currently blocked from upstream reaches to move past the barrier, and would reduce ongoing maintenance by limiting debris hang-ups that were problematic with the existing stop-log design. "Lake sturgeon would be one species targeted for upstream passage," one…