CONSERVATION The SAGINAW BAY GREAT LAKES

The Great Lakes Ecosystem is defined by the watershed area that drains directly into the Great Lakes and hence affects the health of that ecosystem. Land use activities are dominated by agriculture and industrial development CONTACT INFORMATION which have contributed to the loss of 62 percent of the region’s original wetlands. The principal focus of the Great Lakes Ecosystem Initiative is to provide habitat for breeding waterfowl along with increasing migration and stopover habitat and improving water quality. BOB HOFFMAN Director EASTERN WISCONSIN [email protected] | 734.623.2000 PRIORITY AREAS SAGINAW BAY

Through science-based strategic planning, DAVE BRAKHAGE GLARO has defined landscape initiative areas Director of Conservation Programs, Great Lakes based on large-scale watersheds. This allows us [email protected] | 734.623.2000 to address waterfowl and wildlife habitat issues, as well as water quality concerns that are important to this region. Within initiatives, SOUTHEAST For more information on how you can LAKE we have defined priority areas in which to tar- support Ducks Unlimited, please contact: get our restoration activities. BRET PLASTERS Director of Development; IN, MI, OH [email protected] | 734.623.2000

The four ecosystem initiatives of the Great Lakes/Atlantic Regional Office include:

GREAT LAKES ECOSYSTEM INITIATIVE UPPER MISSISSIPPI RIVER ECOSYSTEM INITIATIVE GREAT LAKES/ATLANTIC REGIONAL OFFICE CHESAPEAKE BAY ECOSYSTEM INITIATIVE 1220 Eisenhower Place 734.623.2000 GREAT LAKES/ATLANTIC REGIONAL OFFICE ATLANTIC COAST ECOSYSTEM INITIATIVE Ann Arbor, MI 48108 www.ducks.org LEADER IN WETLANDS CONSERVATION IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY FOR THE SAGINAW BAY PRIORITY AREA SAGINAW BAY 4,456 acres per year (22,280 over a 5-year period) GLARO Estimated 5-year cost = $3,818,678 GREAT LAKES/ATLANTIC REGIONAL OFFICE

A unique habitat feature of the is CONSERVATION WORK The GREATLAKES/ATLANTICREGIONALOFFICE the coastal marshes and lake plain surrounding Saginaw CONSERVATION delivers conservation programs in 18 states Conservation work is focused on the protection and restoration of Great Bay. The 18,000 acres of coastal wetlands associated focused on breeding, migrating and wintering Lakes coastal marshes and their associated habitats, expansion of existing with the bay make up one of the largest remaining waterfowl. Challenges include continued wetland state and federal wildlife areas with the restoration of newly acquired lands freshwater coastal marsh systems in the nation. The 22- loss, declining waterfowl populations, increasing and restoration and enhancement of small wetlands and associated county watershed supports over 30 plant and animal uplands important for waterfowl production on private lands. Conserva- urban sprawl, population growth and declining species on the federal threatened and endangered list as tion activities in the Saginaw Bay priority area are concentrated primarily water and air quality. well as significant populations of breeding and migrat- on migration habitat, and secondarily on production habitat. ing waterfowl and hundreds of other fish and wildlife To be as efficient and effective as possible, the species. Saginaw Bay and its watershed are an important Migration habitat work has been focused on large complexes along the GLARO focuses its limited resources to areas that resource base for commercial fishing, tourism and coast and major river systems and primarily on public lands. Many proj- are most important to meeting the needs of water- recreation, as well as being a major agricultural and ects on public lands were completed over 40 years ago and are in need of fowl. Priority areas were determined by breeding industrial area. infrastructure repair and structural improvements in order to maintain and wintering/staging waterfowl use. These areas wetland values and management potential. Active management of natural The Saginaw Bay watershed historically contained are viewed as critical to supporting the annual life marsh of habitat will help to meet the needs of both spring and fall water- some of Michigan’s most extensive wetlands, however, cycle needs of waterfowl in this region. fowl using these areas. Acquisition of new lands will create additional settlement and intensive agricultural development have opportunities for wetland restoration in coastal and riverine systems. led to the loss of more than 50 percent of these wet- lands. Wetland losses in coastal counties exceed 90 per- cent. In addition, agriculture and other development have led to the drainage or degradation of most Great Lakes coastal marsh. WATERFOWL BENEFITS SAGINAW BAY GREAT LAKES ECOSYSTEM INITIATIVE The once extensive complex of wetland and upland More than 3 million waterfowl annually migrate though the Great Lakes habitats are today found only as disconnected rem- area. Several species of waterfowl and other priority species will benefit The Saginaw Bay watershed supports over 30 plant and animal nants. Habitat destruction in the Saginaw Bay water- from conservation activities within Saginaw Bay. Southern James Bay species on the federal threatened and endangered list. shed has reached a critical level. (SJB) Canada geese, northern pintail, American black ducks, mallards, canvasbacks, ring-necked ducks and both greater and lesser scaup are common migrants through the area and will benefit from restoration designed to increase food supply, especially during spring. Production RING-NECKED habitat projects will benefit primarily mallards and wood ducks, and DUCKS occasionally American black ducks and blue-winged teal.