Incidental Take Notice For Columbia County

MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) proposes to reissue an authorization for the incidental taking of a rare fish, which may result from the Interstate 39/90/94 Wisconsin River Bridge Project. This permit was previously issued on Oct. 10, 2024; however, there has been a change in project activities resulting in a larger footprint and different minimization and mitigation measures, so the DNR has determined that a new public notice is warranted.

Incidental take refers to the unintentional loss of individual endangered or threatened animals or plants that does not put the species’ overall population at risk.

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation is proposing the following changes to their Interstate 39/90/94 Wisconsin River Bridge Project:

• Extension of the causeway in the southernmost backchannel
• Completion of geotechnical borings through the causeway
• Excavation of sediments within the cofferdam footprint for Pier 12
• Anticipated timeline for work to be completed
• Changes to impacts due to the expansion of the causeway and construction of the causeway and cofferdam outside of the fish barrier
• Additional minimization and mitigation measures to be implemented based on the construction timeline

The presence of the state endangered starhead topminnow is confirmed in the vicinity of the project site. DNR staff determined that the proposed project may result in the incidental taking of some fish.

The DNR concludes that the proposed project is not likely to appreciably reduce the likelihood of the survival or recovery of the species within the state, the whole plant-animal community of which it is a part of or the habitat that is critical to its existence.

Conservation measures to minimize the adverse effect on the endangered species will be incorporated into the proposed Incidental Take Authorization. Copies of the jeopardy assessment and background information on the starhead topminnow are available by visiting the DNR Incidental Take Public Notices webpage or upon request from DNR conservation biologist Stacy Rowe at Stacy.Rowe@wisconsin.gov or 608-228-9796.

The public is encouraged to submit written comments regarding project-related impacts to the starhead topminnow by April 7, 2025 to:

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
c/o Stacy Rowe, DNR Conservation Biologist
2514 Morse St.
Janesville, WI 53545
Stacy.Rowe@wisconsin.gov or 608-228-9796

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.