Incidental Take Notice For Columbia County

MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) proposes to issue an authorization for the incidental taking of a rare fish, which may result from the Old 73 Bridge project.

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 (DOT) is proposing to replace the existing bridge structure on Old Highway 73 over the Crawfish River in Columbia County. The structure was determined eligible for the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) on Feb. 19, 2021.

The proposed structure is a 192’ 8.25”-long two-span 36W” prestressed concrete girder bridge on sill-type (A1) concrete abutments and solid-shaft concrete pile-encased pier with a 24’ clear roadway width. Approximately 469’ (179’ south and 290’ north of the proposed bridge) of roadway approaches would be reconstructed in order to improve Old Highway 73 and match into the new structure.

The vertical alignment would be raised approximately 3.5-feet at the bridge. The horizontal alignment would approximately match existing. Due to the grade raise, approximately 0.09 acres of permanent right-of-way would be purchased on the eastern side. The road would be closed during construction with no signed detour, though local traffic would likely use WIS 73 to the east or Fall River Columbus Road to the west.

Ground disturbing activities would include excavation for the bridge abutments and center pier, abutment riprap placement and grading of the roadway approaches. In addition, a temporary causeway will be placed in order to construct the new pier. 

The presence of the state threatened Redfin Shiner 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 they are a part of, or the habitat that is critical to their existence.

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

The public is encouraged to submit written comments regarding project-related impacts to the Redfin Shiner by March 5, 2023 to:

Department of Natural Resources
Attn: Stacy Rowe
2514 Morse St., Janesville, WI 53545
stacy.rowe@wisconsin.gov or 608-228-9796