The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) proposes to issue a permit for the incidental taking of a rare frog and fish, which may result from the Tomah BL Mississippi River Civil Remediation Project in La Crosse County.  

Incidental take refers to the unintentional loss of individual endangered or threatened animals or plants that does not put the species’ overall population at risk.

Northern Natural Gas is proposing to remediate a shallow cover condition on their Tomah Branch Line crossing of the Mississippi River. Northern proposes to relocate an existing above- and below-ground valve and relocate it to a point approximately 25 feet northeast of its current location on the Tomah branch line.  At the new valve location, Northern will excavate over the pipe to expose the pipe and install the new valve. This valve is located on the banks of the river outside the water. The proposed remediation area will result in a permanent installation of six-inch granular bedding material over the pipeline, followed by the installation of geotextile fabric over the granular fill.  This will be overlain by heavy riprap. The remediation will result in approximately 0.01 acres of permanent fill within the wetland and approximately 0.04 acres of permanent fill below the ordinary high-water mark of the Mississippi river for a total of 0.05 acres of new permanent fill. 

The presence of the state endangered Blanchard’s cricket frog, endangered goldeye, endangered pallid shiner, and threatened shoal chub is confirmed in the vicinity of the project site. DNR staff determined that the proposed project may result in the incidental taking of some frogs and fish.

Conservation measures to minimize the adverse effect on the species will be incorporated into the proposed Incidental Take Permit and are detailed in the Jeopardy Assessment. They include enclosing the in-water project area with cofferdam and removing and relocating all fish and frogs found.  Frogs will also be relocated in the project area adjacent to the water.  All permanent habitat impacts will be mitigated for.

The DNR concludes that the proposed project is not likely to appreciably reduce the likelihood of the survival or recovery of the species within the state, the whole plant-animal community of which they are a part of or the habitat that is critical to their existence.

Copies of the Jeopardy Assessment and background information on the Blanchard’s cricket frog, goldeye, pallid shiner, and shoal chub are available by visiting the DNR Incidental Take Public Notices webpage or upon request from DNR Conservation Biologist Stacy Rowe at 608-228-9796 or Stacy.Rowe@wisconsin.gov.

The public is encouraged to submit written comments regarding project-related impacts to the Blanchard’s cricket frog, goldeye, pallid shiner, and shoal chub by August 21, 2026 to:

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
c/o Stacy Rowe, DNR Conservation Biologist
2514 Morse St.
Janesville, WI 53545
Stacy.Rowe@wisconsin.gov or 608-228-9796