Incidental Take Notice For Jefferson County

MADISON, Wis. –  The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) proposes to issue an authorization for the incidental taking of rare fish, which may result from the Cole Memorial Bridge project along State Highway 19 in Jefferson County.  

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 to replace the existing Cole Memorial Bridge over the Rock River along State Highway 19 with a new, single-span, concrete girder bridge. Approximately 100 feet of roadway approaches will be reconstructed to improve Main Street, for an overall project length of approximately 395 feet. 

Waterway impacts will consist of:

• Demolition of the existing bridge which will take place from the roadway. As much as practicable, large pieces of concrete and bridge debris will be removed from the work area and not persist in the river to cause issues with aquatic organism habitat, natural scenic beauty, public recreation or navigation.
• Construction of cofferdams (consisting of metal sheet piling) will be installed to isolate the waterway and provide a dry working area for the demolition and replacement of the existing bridge abutments.
• Upon placement of the bridge girders, a drawdown of the Rock River is needed to install the historically significant arches on both sides of the bridge. Federal Energy and Regulatory Commission and DNR Chapter 31 permits will be required prior to the drawdown, which is anticipated to take place after the cofferdams have been removed. The Federal Energy and Regulatory Commission and Chapter 31 permit applications each include a Stranded Organism Plan.

The presence of the state threatened redfin shiner and state threatened river redhorse 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 will minimize the impacts to the species by adhering to conservation measures; is not likely to jeopardize the continued existence and recovery of the state population of the species or the whole plant-animal community of which they are a part; and has benefit to the public health, safety or welfare that justifies the action.

Conservation measures to minimize the adverse effect on the threatened species will be incorporated into the proposed Incidental Take Authorization. Copies of the jeopardy assessment and background information on the redfin shiner and river redhorse 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 redfin shiner and river redhorse by March 17, 2024 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