Perched and undersized road culverts act as barriers to aquatic organism passage at multiple locations along lindstrom creek

The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) Fish and Wildlife Service Region 3 awarded a $200,000 Cooperative Agreement to the County of Lake, acting through its Lake County Soil & Water Conservation District, under the National Fish Passage Program (CFDA 15.685). The project aims to restore full fish passage through the Lax Lake Road culvert on Lindstrom Creek, a high-quality cold water tributary to the Baptism River in Minnesota. This will benefit native brook trout populations that rely on the spawning, rearing, and refuge habitat in Lindstrom Creek. Key activities include culvert replacement, engineering, permitting, and monitoring to maximize the biological uplift potential of this critical aquatic habitat. The project period is from March 2024 to September 2026.

Which is a high quality cold water tributary to the baptism river near the town of finland in lake county minnesota. Native brook trout populations are sustained through natural reproduction throughout the length of lindstrom creek. This waterbody provides important spawning rearing and refuge habitat for cold water fish in this portion of the baptism river watershed. Restoring full fish passage through the LAX lake road culvert is a critical step towards maximizing the biological uplift potential of lindstrom creek. Existing monitoring data clearly show the importance of the habitat segments immediately above and below this barrier culvert. Water temperatures recorded near the proposed project area are consistently colder than downstream near cooper road. From a larger riverscape perspective upper lindstrom creek water temperatures are some of the coldest recorded in the entire baptism river watershed. In addition historic and recent measures of brook trout abundance and reproduction are highest near the LAX lake RD crossing. Removal of the barrier to fish movement at LAX lake RD will restore full function to this critical refuge and spawning area within the lindstrom creek drainage.