Elysian Lake 2B Barrier

Project description

Elysian Lake, near Janesville, Minnesota, is home to Walleye, Black Bullhead, Bluegill, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, and Yellow Perch. Mayhew Creek is the outlet channel of Elysian Lake, and flows southwest to the Le Sueur River, which flows into the Blue Earth and Minnesota Rivers. These rivers are currently populated with Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio) and are open to invasion by Silver Carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) and Bighead Carp (H. nobilis) of Mississippi River origin.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, interested in preventing the upstream migration of carp species into Elysian Lake, contracted Smith-Root to design an open channel electrical barrier for Mayhew Creek. The barrier is immediately upstream of the County Line Road bridge in Waseca County. Smith-Root’s team of electrical engineers and technicians, civil and structural engineers, and fish biologists designed a trapezoidal-section open channel electrical barrier in the main channel.

A prefabricated fiberglass control building, built by Shelter Works, was installed adjacent to the culvert and houses eight (8) BP-1.5 POW pulse generators and a Fish Barrier Telemetry & Control System.

Construction of the Elysian Lake electrical barrier began concurrently with the Madison Lake 1A electrical barrier in the summer of 2018.  Smith-Root also conducted construction inspections, and in December 2018 conducted system commissioning and training of the Waterville Area DNR staff that currently operate the deterrence system.

The Elysian Lake 2B barrier and Madison Lake 1A barrier are Smith-Root’s 17th and 18th barrier installations in Minnesota.

• https://www.mankatofreepress.com/news/local_news/no-carp-wanted-dnr-constructing-invasive-fish-barriers/article_b299974c-b855-11e8-90a8-d364ad60cce2.html
• https://shelterworks.com/prefabricated-shelters-protecting-against-fish-invasion/