Glendale Kletzsch Park fish passage aimed at growing native species

Big changes are coming to the Milwaukee River in Glendale's Kletzsch Park. A passage is being built to help native fish move upstream.

GLENDALE, Wis. - Big changes are coming to the Milwaukee River in Glendale's Kletzsch Park. A passage is being built to help native fish move upstream.

This fish passage will help the native fish get around the dam and grow their population.

Tucked behind the trees along Milwaukee River Parkway, there's a respite from the city.

"You see deer," said Danny Ryan. "You see heron. You see eagles sometimes, kingfishers. You forget where you are, and it's a really nice getaway."

Ryan has been coming to Kletzsch Park since he was a kid, and it's the fish there that have hooked him.

Glendale Kletzsch Park fish passage

"This park is special," said Ryan. "There's not a lot of places in the United States or even the world where you can catch so many different species of fish."

He's hoping to see that population grow amid a new project by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District.

"The fishway is designed for our native species," said Stacy Hron, DNR.

The new passage will allow native fish to get around the dam that has been blocking them for years.

"They can obviously make it up here if they don't have enough habitat," said Hron. "They can't reproduce."

Glendale Kletzsch Park fish passage

The 500-foot passage is being built along the east side of the river to make the trip upstream easier for the fish.

"To reproduce, to find food and return to a more natural state," said Beth Wentzel, MMSD.

There will be some temporary disruption while the project is being tackled, but for Ryan, it's worth it.

Glendale Kletzsch Park fish passage

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"Reconnecting native species to their natural spawning grounds is really important, and I'm just so excited to see it's happening here in Wisconsin," said Ryan.

The fish passage will go on property owned by Milwaukee County Parks, MMSD and Glendale. The construction of the dam is expected to be complete by fall 2023.