LAKE BENTON — A Lincoln County highway construction project will be delayed this summer by an endangered species.

The spawning needs of the Topeka Shiner led the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to require that construction on Lincoln County Road 1 in Verdi Township not take place until August. A culvert replacement under the road would have disturbed the fish habitat.

Lincoln County Highway Engineer Joe Wilson said the requirement meant a adjustment for the project’s contractor.

“It’s a little inconvenient,” Wilson said. “They’d planned to do the work early in the summer. Instead they’ll need to come back in August.”

The same contractor has another project in Lincoln County on County Road 5. The original plan was to handle both projects at the same time.

Wilson said the contractor was able to work with the schedule change. As a result, there was no need to go back and take another set of bids on County Road 1.

The project has an Aug. 31 completion date, which means there should still be enough time to finish ahead of the deadline if weather conditions are favorable.

The Topeka Shiner is a minnow that only grows to a length of several inches. It is easily identified by its stripes. It inhabits much of the Missouri River Watershed from its headwaters in Minnesota and South Dakota down to its lower areas in Missouri.

Verdi Township, west of Lake Benton, drains to the Missouri Basin. Most of Lincoln County on the opposite side of the Buffalo Ridge drains toward the Minnesota River.

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Assistant Area Fisheries Supervisor Nate Hodgins said the Topeka Shiner needs clear, cold water to maintain a healthy population. It’s strongly affected by changes in water quality, which can result from road projects or other types of construction.

“They like backwater habitat,” Hodgins said. “Construction in those locations negatively affects them, so they have to be protected.”

Topeka Shiner populations have declined by an estimated 70 percent in the Missouri River Basin over the past 50 years, according to results of an Internet search.

Hodgins said both Pipestone and Rock counties occasionally have Topeka Shiner habitat needs that affect construction projects. Delays for spawning are often the best solution.

“Usually we don’t have to choose between the Topeka Shiner and construction needs,” he said. “A delay for the spawning season makes a difference. At that point the fish are more able to withstand man-made changes.”