A Minnesota city is taking steps to protect its local turtle population by constructing a new tunnel under a busy road.Bloomington, Minnesota, which is around 10 miles south of Minneapolis, has expanded a storm drain to create a turtle-friendly passage, allowing the reptiles to cross safely without the risk of being hit by vehicles.The area near the Richardson Nature Center was identified in a Minnesota Zoo study as a hotspot for turtle fatalities, with hundreds of turtles struck by cars each year.”With the wetlands on both sides, just having bodies of water nearby each other, that’s going to be the most common place for turtles to move back and forth,” Jack Distel, a water resource specialist, told WCCO.The new tunnel features expanded sizing and radial grates on top to allow sunlight in, making it more inviting for turtles.Distel explained that the tunnel will typically contain water, providing a more appealing environment for the turtles.The city seized the opportunity to implement this project while planning to resurface the road, aiming to save costs and protect the turtle population.”If we don’t have those primary egg layers, you start to get this kind of dip in the population, and that could get below a threshold of replacement value,” Distel said.While there’s no guarantee that turtles will use the tunnel, plans are in place to add barriers along the roadside to guide them toward the new passage.WCCO reports that experts will monitor turtle activity over the coming months as they prepare for hibernation to see if the tunnel is effective.See more in the video player above
A Minnesota city is taking steps to protect its local turtle population by constructing a new tunnel under a busy road.
Bloomington, Minnesota, which is around 10 miles south of Minneapolis, has expanded a storm drain to create a turtle-friendly passage, allowing the reptiles to cross safely without the risk of being hit by vehicles.
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The area near the Richardson Nature Center was identified in a Minnesota Zoo study as a hotspot for turtle fatalities, with hundreds of turtles struck by cars each year.
“With the wetlands on both sides, just having bodies of water nearby each other, that’s going to be the most common place for turtles to move back and forth,” Jack Distel, a water resource specialist, told WCCO.
The new tunnel features expanded sizing and radial grates on top to allow sunlight in, making it more inviting for turtles.
Distel explained that the tunnel will typically contain water, providing a more appealing environment for the turtles.
The city seized the opportunity to implement this project while planning to resurface the road, aiming to save costs and protect the turtle population.
“If we don’t have those primary egg layers, you start to get this kind of dip in the population, and that could get below a threshold of replacement value,” Distel said.
While there’s no guarantee that turtles will use the tunnel, plans are in place to add barriers along the roadside to guide them toward the new passage.
WCCO reports that experts will monitor turtle activity over the coming months as they prepare for hibernation to see if the tunnel is effective.
See more in the video player above
