Fish passage improvement planned for northern Michigan creek

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — A project getting underway this month will connect 14 miles of upstream fish habitat on Milligan Creek, a tributary of the Upper Black River in Michigan's northern Lower Peninsula.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources says the water is home to several fish species, particularly those looking for colder water.

Two undersized culverts will be replaced with a new 35-foot-wide (10.7-meter-wide) plate arch.

The project is led by Huron Pines and supported by the DNR's Aquatic Habitat Grant Program, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Walters Family Foundation and the Cheboygan County Road Commission.

DNR fisheries biologist Tim Cwalinski says the improvement should make it easier for fish to move upstream and downstream while helping prevent flooding, sediment buildup and pollution.

It's scheduled for completion in August.