With the Alcott Dam on Michigan’s Portage Creek now removed, fish can move up and down stream through an additional 1.5 miles of habitat that was previously unreachable. NOAA and partners expect more fish species and other organisms in the food web will reenter the area. The project also provides increased flood protection to surrounding communities.

The dam removal was part of a plan to restore areas of Portage Creek and the Kalamazoo River by reconnecting rivers, streams, wetlands, and upland habitat for fish and wildlife to move freely. The project will also enhance those habitats to be more diverse. Fish species important to local ecosystems and recreation economies, including brown trout, smallmouth bass, golden redhorse, and white suckers, call the Kalamazoo River watershed home.

The natural resource Trustees working on the larger Kalamazoo River hazardous waste site—NOAA, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and multiple agencies in the State of Michigan—provided $2 million for restoration. 

Why does the area need to be restored? Learn more in the recent NOAA Fisheries update.