Project Profile: Beaver Basin Wilderness Lowney Creek Restoration

Downstream view of low-head dam on Lowney Creek in the Beaver Basin Wilderness.

Photo by Leah Kainulainen

Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
Federal Lands Contracts | FY23 $250,000

The National Park Service will restore the Lowney Creek System in the designated Beaver Basin Wilderness by breaching and/or removing man-made dams that were installed prior to the Picture Rocks National Lakeshore’s establishment in 1966. The park will restore 1500 acres of riparian and wetland areas in the Beaver Basin Wilderness and restore nearly eight miles of aquatic connectivity for native fish, such as brook trout for recreational fishing.

Why? Prior to the park’s establishment, several low-head (man-made) dams were constructed in the Lowney Creek system to create fishing ponds. Recent data collection and analysis indicates the dams negatively impact temperature and stream discharge. Water near the dams is warmer than in the rest of the system, which impacts fish habitat.

What Else? The dams installed in the park exacerbate effects already happening due to climate change. Restoration of this site will support ecosystem’s ability to adapt.

Bipartisan Infrastructure Law – Ecosystem Restoration

This project was made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law – Ecosystem Restoration, signed on November 15, 2021. It is a historic investment in the restoration and protection of the environment.