# Soo Power House Tail Race Closure



## Luv2hunteup (Mar 22, 2003)

The new lock is not without casualties.









Popular fishing spot impacted by new Soo Lock


CHIPPEWA COUNTY, Mich. (WPBN/WGTU) -- The U. S. Army Corps of Engineers is fishing for feedback from anglers regarding a popular fishing spot. The Detroit District will need to close the Soo Locks Hydro Plant tail race, which is a channel that carries water away from a hydroelectric plant. The...




upnorthlive.com


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## ajhallfr (Jan 1, 2014)

Thank you for posting, I had not heard about this. I don't get up there much anymore, but I know some people this will greatly affect. I'll pass on the info.


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## Zorba (Jan 24, 2007)

I think that if you care about fishing Atlantic Salmon in the St. Mary’s you should attend this meeting or make a comment to the corps about this. This is something that the Corps has been wanting to do for awhile. They just don’t want anyone back there for security reasons. They tried to discourage fishermen from being back there several years ago by having the coast guard asking you to leave and take your picture but since the area was not posted very well the coast guard just stopped their enforcement. 
There may be some truth to the safety reasons while the locks are under construction but, they don’t intend to disrupt anyone else in the same vicinity.
The truth is there isn’t anymore of a safety hazard back there than any other place that you would fish Atlantic Salmon in the St Mary’s. “Do you think the rapids are safer?” 
About 10 years ago the Corps gave permission to Cloverland to put those monster sand bags on the west side of the Edison making that area so unstable that it’s not safest place to fish. This closure will limit access even further.
Please voice your opinion on this at the meeting.


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## Gordon Casey (Jun 13, 2017)

Zorba said:


> I think that if you care about fishing Atlantic Salmon in the St. Mary’s you should attend this meeting or make a comment to the corps about this. This is something that the Corps has been wanting to do for awhile. They just don’t want anyone back there for security reasons. They tried to discourage fishermen from being back there several years ago by having the coast guard asking you to leave and take your picture but since the area was not posted very well the coast guard just stopped their enforcement.
> There may be some truth to the safety reasons while the locks are under construction but, they don’t intend to disrupt anyone else in the same vicinity.
> The truth is there isn’t anymore of a safety hazard back there than any other place that you would fish Atlantic Salmon in the St Mary’s. “Do you think the rapids are safer?”
> About 10 years ago the Corps gave permission to Cloverland to put those monster sand bags on the west side of the Edison making that area so unstable that it’s not safest place to fish. This closure will limit access even further.
> Please voice your opinion on this at the meeting.


If it's the government powerplant they are talking about, it is quite a distance from the Sabin lock. Maybe the powerplant they are talking about is, what I call, the emergency powerplant which is adjacent from the lock. The discharge used to hold a lot of salmon and we were fishing it a few days after 911. A guard was patrolling with an AR and politely told us to remove ourselves. With the expansion of the Sabin, I can see where that discharge could be affected by the lock rebuild and could also be a safety/security concern. The Government powerplant can hold a lot of fish. Good trolling along the clay banks. It would be bad if that area was off limits. It would be nice if whoever
attends the meeting would report back.


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## Luv2hunteup (Mar 22, 2003)

Gordon Casey said:


> If it's the government powerplant they are talking about, it is quite a distance from the Sabin lock. Maybe the powerplant they are talking about is, what I call, the emergency powerplant which is adjacent from the lock. The discharge used to hold a lot of salmon and we were fishing it a few days after 911. A guard was patrolling with an AR and politely told us to remove ourselves. With the expansion of the Sabin, I can see where that discharge could be affected by the lock rebuild and could also be a safety/security concern. The Government powerplant can hold a lot of fish. Good trolling along the clay banks. It would be bad if that area was off limits. It would be nice if whoever
> attends the meeting would report back.


It would have to be the US hydro powerhouse not the Edison plant. You can watch the meeting live if you can’t attend.


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## Stillkickin (Jan 7, 2018)

I’ll be driving over weds to attend, hope to meet a few of you there.


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## Gordon Casey (Jun 13, 2017)

Stillkickin said:


> I’ll be driving over weds to attend, hope to meet a few of you there.


Please report back. Interested! Closing off that part of the river would be bad for us fishers.

I looked at the brief video and the powerplant was the government plant. Not good news for us fishers if that area around the discharge is going to be restricted.


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## Stillkickin (Jan 7, 2018)

Gordon Casey said:


> Please report back. Interested! Closing off that part of the river would be bad for us fishers.
> 
> I looked at the brief video and the powerplant was the government plant. Not good news for us fishers if that area around the discharge is going to be restricted.


Will do Gordon!


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## Gordon Casey (Jun 13, 2017)

Stillkickin said:


> Will do Gordon!


Thanks


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## someone11 (Mar 15, 2009)

Any update on last night?


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## rbarta (Aug 20, 2011)

From what I gathered, when they start construction it will be closed 24/7 while work is being done, which seemed to range from 2-3 years based on the estimates given by the Army Corps. With possibility of a permanent boundary from the base of the plant out 150 ft downstream after construction of the new lock is complete. They were recording the presentation that shows the area outlined to be off limits for entering but have not been able to find the recording yet. Will post if I can find that.
The picture shows a rough border of what they will be closing for reference.









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## Gordon Casey (Jun 13, 2017)

rbarta said:


> From what I gathered, when they start construction it will be closed 24/7 while work is being done, which seemed to range from 2-3 years based on the estimates given by the Army Corps. With possibility of a permanent boundary from the base of the plant out 150 ft downstream after construction of the new lock is complete. They were recording the presentation that shoes the area outlined to be off limits for entering but have not been able to find the posted recording yet. Will post if I can find that.
> The picture shows a rough border of what they will be closing for reference.
> View attachment 827945
> 
> ...


Not good! That makes the clay banks off limits. Good everything fishing in that area.


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## Stillkickin (Jan 7, 2018)

Sorry I couldn’t join in earlier, attended the meeting but went to friends cabin but had no cell service til I got back home. There was a bout 30 at the meeting and not sure how many virtually attended. As Rbarta reported closure will start soon as construction begins, they did say if there is a shutdown or delay they may open for those periods as well as when the construction season ends they may open the area.

It sounded like they will definitely shut down the 150 feet down stream from the power house permanently after construction as that is corps policy and it will just have signage and not a buoy line.

The enforcement of that line will be problematic and it was pretty clear that repeated offenses will likely cause the whole area to be shut down.

Time will tell the tail and if I hear any more I’ll be sure to post it here.


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## Gordon Casey (Jun 13, 2017)

Stillkickin said:


> Sorry I couldn’t join in earlier, attended the meeting but went to friends cabin but had no cell service til I got back home. There was a bout 30 at the meeting and not sure how many virtually attended. As Rbarta reported closure will start soon as construction begins, they did say if there is a shutdown or delay they may open for those periods as well as when the construction season ends they may open the area.
> 
> It sounded like they will definitely shut down the 150 feet down stream from the power house permanently after construction as that is corps policy and it will just have signage and not a buoy line.
> 
> ...


Kickin
I'm sure you have google earth on your computer. I'm trying to understand where the 150 feet is measured.
Looking at the aerial view of the government plant you will see an earthen berm. One extends from the plant on the north side and a longer one extends from the south side. I'm hoping that 150 feet measured from the discharge opening of the plant to the end of the north berm and then draw a north/south line to the south berm. If thats the case the south berm, the longer one would still have a fishable wall . 
If the no enter zone is measured from the tip of the north berm to the tip of the south berm, a diagonal line. The entire clay berm area would be off limits. Not good!!!
The honor system, signage will never work. You need a buoy and chain to keep the hard core fishers out of there. 
Thanks for the report.


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## Stillkickin (Jan 7, 2018)

Here’s a picture I took at the meeting, kind of hard to see but the line is shown in red and you can get an idea of where it will be:


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## Stillkickin (Jan 7, 2018)

sorry, this is the correct slide


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## Gordon Casey (Jun 13, 2017)

Stillkickin said:


> View attachment 828125
> 
> 
> sorry, this is the correct slide


Heck that's not a big deal. All they are trying to do is keep the boaters away from the discharge opening. The clay banks area is still open to trolling and jigging.


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