Kletzsch Dam is the largest remaining barrier to the passage of native fish in the lower 30 miles of the Milwaukee River. Located just 5 miles upstream from Lake Michigan, it limits reproduction of many fish by preventing them from reaching critical spawning and juvenile rearing habitat in the watershed.

More than a decade ago, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and other aquatic ecology professionals in the region identified fish passage past Kletzsch Dam as a regional priority to protect and enhance existing populations of native fish as well as to allow for the re-establishment of Lake Sturgeon reproduction in the Milwaukee River.

The Kletzsch Dam Fish Passage project, led by the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) in partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, and Milwaukee County Parks, was intended to address required dam repairs and to provide fish passage for native species within the Milwaukee Estuary Area of Concern (AOC).

This innovative cooperative partnership brought together the resources, expertise, and authorities necessary to achieve success. MMSD took the lead on implementing fish passage design and construction, along with the east abutment dam repairs. MMSD was brought on as a project partner because of their flood management responsibilities, technical expertise on this type of project, and the potential to assist in overcoming real estate challenges on the east bank. Wisconsin DNR provided technical assistance, oversight and funding for the fish passage design and implementation through funds they received from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, as well as matching funds for the dam repair through the Municipal Dam grant program. As the owner of the dam and fish passage, Milwaukee County Parks (MCP) continued to coordinate with MMSD on the project, providing final approval on design and long-term structure maintenance.

Construction of the project began in June 2023 and concluded in November 2023. Fish monitoring equipment was installed to detect tagged fish that move through the fishway. The data collected is not only used to monitor performance of the fishway but also to develop a better understanding of native fish migration behavior and swimming capabilities in the Milwaukee River, which will benefit other ecological restoration efforts in the Great Lakes region.

In recognition of the program’s success, NACWA awarded the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District a 2024 National Environmental Achievement Award in the Operations & Environmental Performance category. Congratulations to everyone involved!