Fisheries, Midwest Region Conserving America's Fisheries
First Stocking of Lake Sturgeon into the Maumee River Scheduled for October 2018
BY OREY ECKES, GENOA NFH
Genoa National Fish Hatchery (NFH) recently joined a multi-agency effort to reintroduce lake sturgeon to the Maumee River, Ohio a tributary of Lake Erie. The hatchery will provide intensively cultured lake sturgeon for the stocking effort. The partners include the Toledo Zoo, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Survey, Ohio Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Michigan DNR, University of Toledo and Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry.
Historically populations of lake sturgeon were abundant in the river; however they are no longer present. Research has shown that the Maumee River is a strong candidate for lake sturgeon reintroduction, providing suitable habitat for spawning adults and offspring. The Southern Lake Huron (Upper St. Clair River) population will be used as donor stock for this study. Recently lake sturgeon have been cultured in stream side rearing facilities in multiple locations along rivers that are Great Lakes tributaries to allow for sturgeon to imprint on natal Lake sturgeon being raised at Genoa NFH for stocking into the Maumee River, water, with the hope of increasing site fidelity as a OH. Credit: USFWS returning spawning adult. A sturgeon trailer was deployed near the Toledo Zoo to raise 1500 lake sturgeon on Maumee River water and Genoa NFH is raising 1500 lake sturgeon on hatchery water supply.
Once fish are eight to ten inches at both locations they will be tagged with a PIT (passive integrated transponder) tag to monitor future growth and survival. This project calls for paired releases of sturgeon from both locations for 25 years to reach a target self- sustaining population. Adult returns to the river from the stocked population will be monitored to see if sturgeon cultured in a streamside rearing facility exhibit higher stocking site fidelity rates vs. fish cultured at offsite locations (Genoa NFH).
In addition, researchers will assess post stocking survival rates between sturgeon cultured in a streamside facility and sturgeon reared in a traditional hatchery. Also, the streamside trailer located on the Maumee River (Toledo Zoo) property will serve as an exceptional place to engage the public in lake sturgeon restoration. The Toledo Zoo will be incorporating lake sturgeon restoration and the streamside trailer into one of the exhibits open Lake sturgeon being raised at Genoa NFH for stocking into the Maumee River, OH. Credit: USFWS to the public.
https://www.fws.gov/midwest/fisheries/fishlines/feature1.html Fisheries, Midwest Region Conserving America's Fisheries
Hunting for Hungerford's
BY LINDSEY ADAMS, ALPENA FWCO
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) staff from the Alpena Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office (FWCO) and the Michigan Ecological Services Field Office teamed up with Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council, Conservation Resource Alliance and Huron Pines team members for a workshop featuring the Endangered Hungerford’s Crawling Water Beetle (HCWB). Now retired biologist Bob Vande Kopple, one of the few HCWB experts in the world, taught the group about the life history, identification, and survey techniques for the rare beetle that is only found in a few watersheds in Northern Michigan and Canada. HCWB most often occur in moderate to fast flowing alkaline streams that have good aeration and inorganic substrates. They can be found in a variety of water depths ranging from only a few inches to a few feet. They are often found in plunge pools created from debris jams (beaver or natural), man- made dams or culverts, and well aerated natural riffles. Hungerford's Crawling Water Beetle. Credit: OMNR The group also conducted a field survey in the Maple River, Michigan (a priority area for the USFWS habitat program) where two individual HCWB were found along with several other closely related beetle species. This workshop provided opportunities for us and our partners to learn more about existing HCWB populations, locate new populations, and help the endangered beetle on a path to recovery.
The National Fish Passage Program has undertaken many projects throughout watersheds containing HCWB. Each project shows us how valuable installing properly sized culverts, removing dams, and replacing failing infrastructure can be in directly benefiting many target fish species and indirectly benefitting all Looking for individuals in a known population of HCWB. Credit: aquatic organisms. Lindsey Adams, USFWS Projects completed near known HCWB populations have proven that these little beetles are extremely resilient and respond very well post-construction, thus showing the need to continue doing these projects.
Workshop students getting a close look at sample materials, searching for HCWB. Credit: Lindsey Adams, USFWS
https://www.fws.gov/midwest/fisheries/fishlines/feature2.html Fisheries, Midwest Region Conserving America's Fisheries
Green Bay FWCO “New” Population of Red Swamp Crayfish
GREEN BAY FWCO, AIS PROGRAM
The red swamp crayfish is one of the most well- known invasive species in the world. This species is native to the southern United States and northeastern Mexico, but has been introduced to every continent except Antarctica and Oceania (i.e., Australia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia) – thus, they are considered the most cosmopolitan freshwater crayfish species in the world. Red swamp crayfish have a high commercial value in the food industry (especially live), representing hundreds of millions of dollars annually in Louisiana alone. They also are sold by biological supply companies for use in science classrooms and for research purposes.
The main vector of introduction is the transport, and subsequent release, of live individuals from the wild- capture fishery and aquaculture facilities, but red swamp crayfish also possess several characteristics that make them successful invaders. This species can colonize a wide variety of habitats (e.g., rivers, lakes, streams, canals, seasonally flooded swamps Red swamp crayfish. Credit USFWS and marshes) with varying environmental conditions (i.e., salinity, pH, oxygen, and temperature), and also exhibit rapid growth, short development time, and a flexible feeding strategy (i.e., omnivory). Red swamp crayfish can also quickly spread to adjacent habitats because they exhibit a “wandering” phase, dispersing up to 10 miles in four days. Once established, red swamp crayfish have the potential to cause ecological harm through competition with native crayfishes for food, erosion of shorelines through extensive burrowing habits, and up- rooting of native aquatic plants.
Currently, little information is known about the distribution of red swamp crayfish across the Great Lakes region. To the best of our knowledge, only a few documented populations exist in states surrounding Lake Michigan and targeted sampling for these species has been limited. The spread of these small populations appears limited so far, which has allowed agencies to attempt control and management efforts. For example, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has spent considerable effort trying to eradicate red swamp crayfish from a couple small retention ponds. Red swamp crayfish survived (likley in their burrows) a water drawdown and bleach treatment and separate treatment with a chemical that alters nerve function. Finally, they were eradicated by destroying their burrows by excavating the shoreline and then the ponds were completely filled in and capped with gravel.
Preparing to set baited minnow traps. Credit: USFWS In 2018, Green Bay Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office (FWCO) – Aquatic Invasive Species staff realized an opportunity to use their resources to initiate a collaborative, multi-state monitoring study to better understand red swamp crayfish distribution (presence or absence) in high-risk Lake Michigan waters and connected waterways in Illinois (IL) and Indiana. We partnered with researchers at Loyola University – Chicago who are currently studying red swamp crayfish in the Chicago River. Nine hundred minnow traps (baited with cereal dog food) were used to sample interconnected waters across approximately 45 miles of the greater Chicago area. One new population of red swamp crayfish was discovered in Jackson Lagoon near Chicago, IL which is directly connected to Lake Michigan and adjacent to Jackson Harbor. In total, 17 red swamp crayfish (seven females and ten males), representing multiple age classes were captured in Jackson Lagoon. Next year, we likely will expand monitoring to include high-risk areas in Wisconsin and Michigan. Once completed, this comprehensive distribution information will aid in management and control efforts for red swamp crayfish in Lake Michigan and adjacent waterways. For more information contact Brandon Harris [email protected] with Green Bay FWCO.
https://www.fws.gov/midwest/fisheries/fishlines/feature3.html Measuring carapace length of a Red swamp crayfish. Credit: Red swamp Crayfish captured from Jackson Lagoon in Chicago, IL. USFWS Credit: USFWS
https://www.fws.gov/midwest/fisheries/fishlines/feature3.html Fisheries, Midwest Region Conserving America's Fisheries
Taking Aim at Asian Carp
BY WYATT E. SNODGRASS, CARTERVILLE FWCO
The pre-tournament meeting underway. Credit: USFWS Early this summer, 2018 eighty-one registered bowfishing teams completed their final tasks and were disassembling from the Carp Madness II pre-tournament meeting. Anyone in the parking lot in Gilbertsville, at the Kentucky Dam Marina could sense the anticipation for the “green light” to hit the water. At 1900 hours, one by one numbers were called out and truck engines roared as teams from eleven different states including; Kentucky, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Mississippi, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee and Michigan embarked on a twelve-hour pursuit to help extract one of our nation’s most ecologically detrimental enemies from the aquatic ecosystems in which it thrives.
Bowfishing anglers were targeting any of the four species of Asian carp, which includes; silver, bighead, grass and black carp. Teams were separated by two divisions, either fishing on the Kentucky and Barkley Lakes or on the lower Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers. All with the same goal in mind, to harvest as many Team “Making Moves" weighing in. Credit: USFWS pounds of Asian carp as possible and get their name on the board for the winnings. Shortly after the tournament began, Mother Nature took a turn for the worst. Heavy rains and strong winds struck the area. A tornado warning issued for nearby Calvert City, in Marshall County Kentucky forced teams to cease fishing and seek safety. As the skies calmed, the tournament was underway once again. The view from Kentucky Lake of the tornado Twelve hours later as the sun rose over the marina, the boats were lined up and that touched down nearby during the ready to unload. The thirty-three teams fishing the lakes division brought in a total tournament. Credit: KYDFW weight of 8,370 pounds of Asian carp. Team “Making Moves” from Indiana weighed in with 1,104 pounds and took home the first place prize for the lakes division. Forty-Eight teams competed for the number one spot in the rivers division bringing in a total of 8,453 pounds. Team "Descalin" from Kentucky came out on top with 1,007 pounds. Tournament participants had the option to pay into the “Big Fish” competition, which reeled in a 34 pound carp taken by “AMS” from the lakes and a 48 pound carp harvested from the rivers by team “Grizz”. Overall, 16,823 pounds of Asian Carp were weighed in by both divisions and donated to Schafer’s Fisheries of Illinois and Fin Gourmet in Kentucky. The fish would be processed and used for fertilizer or fishmeal products, since fish that are shot are non-consumable. Additionally, an estimated 3,000-5,000 pounds of carp had “jumped in the boats” during the tournament, which were not counted in the weigh in. The tournament resulted in the removal of over 20,000 pounds of Asian carp in a single night.
This tournament was made possible through generous funding and support from The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife
https://www.fws.gov/midwest/fisheries/fishlines/feature4.html Resources, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Kentucky State Parks, and the Bowfishing Association of America.
Asian Carp are planktivores, and filter feed on tiny organisms at the bottom of the aquatic food chain. They compete with native fish species for resources, and large populations of Asian Carp have the potential for removing much of the aquatic biomass; disrupting the fragile aquatic ecosystem that all of our native fish depend on for survival. The purpose of Carp Madness II went beyond removing over twenty thousand pounds of Asian carp from the lakes and rivers in a single night, but also to continue building awareness of the invasive fish and to remind folks of the severity of this major environmental issue.
https://www.fws.gov/midwest/fisheries/fishlines/feature4.html Fisheries, Midwest Region Conserving America's Fisheries
Fishing for Fun in Wisconsin
BY HEIDI KEULER, MIDWEST FISHERIES CENTER – LA CROSSE, WISCONSIN
Each fall and spring, students from the Bangor Elementary 4th grade take a guided hike down to Dutch Creek in Bangor, Wisconsin to learn about native brook trout, streams and aquatic invertebrates with local Service biologists from the Midwest Fisheries Center and members of Friends of the Upper Mississippi and the Bangor Rod and Gun Club. Over the years, programs have included everything from fish identification and dissection, to aquatic invertebrate sampling and nature journaling. Fishing for Fun Program educators show the entire process of catching, cleaning and eating fish with the students, hoping that they get a better understanding of how to prepare fish and game as food. For some of the students, it is the first time they have ever eaten wild fish. Leaders of the program aim to instill a sense of place, wonder and awe of nature, and interest to keep youth participating in fishing.
One of the ways that students can keep participating
Natalie Kadrmas from Bangor Elementary School holds up just one of the many in fishing, even if they do not have the equipment, is brook trout she caught during the annual 4th Grade Fishing Day, hosted by the by checking out a “Fishing for Fun” backpack from Midwest Fisheries Center, Bangor Rod and Gun Club, and Bangor Elementary a local library. Backpacks were funded and School in Bangor, Wisconsin. Natalie’s angling skills came from her days fishing with her grandfather, a Bangor Rod & Gun Club member. Credit: USFWS assembled by our Friends of the Upper Mississippi members and are available at over 30 locations in Wisconsin and Minnesota. Backpacks have a telescopic fishing pole, tackle and maps of where to fish locally. We are excited to be a partner in this effort to educate youth and provide families with resources to get outside, go fishing and enjoy our public lands.
Fishing for Fun Backpack Includes:
Telescopic fishing pole Tackle box and tackle Fish Identification cards Maps for fishing spots Fishing guide Aquatic invertebrate nets Invertebrate collection tips Magnifying glasses Mussel shells Mussel identification book Russell the Mussel book Scavenger hunts Natural resources journal Plus more!
Fishing for Fun backpacks can help children connect with nature while increasing family time and healthy lifestyle habits. Kits are produced and provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Friends of the Upper Mississippi. Funding for the project is provided by grants from the Rotary Club of La Crosse, Wisconsin, La Crosse Public Education Foundation and Walmart.
Fishing for Fun backpacks. Credit: USFWS
https://www.fws.gov/midwest/fisheries/fishlines/fieldfocus.html Fisheries, Midwest Region Conserving America's Fisheries
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Publishes Collaborative Work on Potential Asian Carp Control Strategies
BY DAVID GLOVER, CARTERVILLE FWCO
A new population model for invasive carp has been accepted for publication in the journal Ecological Modelling. The model, an integral projection model (IPM), captures the growth of carp as a continuous function (as opposed to discrete length bins) and uses network-node theory to capture the full annual cycle and spatial complexity of invasive Asian carp populations. The paper demonstrates the use of the model on two theoretical systems exploring different control methods. The first system was a river system where combinations of deterrents to movement and harvest were explored. The results from this system suggest that harvesting the source populations, even if they are farther away from the invasion front, are more important than harvesting the populations near the invasion front for reducing the risk of spread. The second system was a lake with tributary system that had theoretical modified sterile males released. The results from this section suggest that modified sterile males may be a viable control tool under some situations.
The next steps for this model are to parameterize it using data collected by state, federal, and university partners and apply it to the Illinois River and possibly other sub-basins of the Mississippi River Basin (e.g., the Upper Mississippi River and Ohio River). This model will then be incorporated into the Spatially Explicit Asian carp Population model previously developed by David Glover (Carterville Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office – USFWS), Jahn Kallis (Columbia Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office - USFWS), and others.
Authors include Richard Erickson (Upper Midwest Environmental Science Center - USGS), Patrick Kocovsky (Great Lakes Science Center - USGS), David Glover, Jahn Kallis, Eric Eager (University of Wisconsin-La Crosse), and KR Long (Texas Tech University). For more information contact David Glover at [email protected].
Erickson RA, Eager EA, Kocovsky PM, Glover DC, Kallis JL, KR Long. In press. A spatially discrete, integral projection model and its application to invasive carp. Ecological Modelling
Alpena FWCO Attends 71st Annual Pointe Mouillee Waterfowl Festival
BY JESSE MCCARTER, ALPENA FWCO - DETROIT RIVER SUBSTATION
The Pointe Mouillee Waterfowl Festival, an annual tradition dating back to 1947, celebrated its 71st year during the weekend of September 15 and 16, 2018. This two-day event attracts people from all around Michigan, with an annual average attendance of 8,000 - 10,000. Festivities took place within the Pointe Mouillee State Game Area, managed by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for its waterfowl habitat. This publicly owned land is comprised of more than 5,000 acres of hemi- marsh, shallow open water, diked cropland, lake plain prairie and lowland hardwoods, making it an excellent area for a variety of outdoor activities including waterfowl hunting, fishing and bird watching. All funds generated from the Pointe Mouillee Waterfowl Festival go to the Pointe Mouillee Marsh Restoration Project, which is the largest marsh restoration project in North America. As in past years, a wide variety of activities and events were available for all attendees. Activities included competitions that showcased regional competitors in several categories such as waterfowl calling, trap shooting and dog jumping. This year’s event even offered an array of children’s activities including a BB gun shoot, archery shoot and slingshot contest. Those not partaking in the various competitions could browse dozens of vendors selling outdoor gear and artwork.
Among those attending the festival were staff from the Alpena Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office (FWCO) - Detroit River substation, who highlighted the work conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in the area. Three young lake sturgeon accompanied the staff, as well as several examples of sampling gear used in the field. Visitors, especially children, were enthralled by the young lake sturgeon and were curious about their current status in the region. Another table illustrated potential threats to the Great Lakes, displaying mounts of different Asian carp species, as well as past invaders such as zebra mussels, round goby and sea lamprey. The public asked many great questions about the potential ecological impacts of these new invaders and most importantly how USFWS is working to prevent new introductions. Overall, this event was a great opportunity to highlight the amazing work of the Alpena FWCO and promote public awareness of issues within the Great Lakes region.
https://www.fws.gov/midwest/fisheries/fishlines/fishtails.html Fisheries, Midwest Region Conserving America's Fisheries
When the Student Becomes the Teacher
BY LINDSEY ADAMS, ALPENA FWCO
On July 26, 2018, staff from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service-Alpena Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office, Michigan Sea Grant, and Northeast Michigan Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative (NEMIGLSI) teamed up for the GLSI Summer Teacher Institute. Fisheries Biologists demonstrated how local teachers can incorporate fisheries science into their classrooms and community with meaningful place-based education projects, while still meeting various curriculum standards. The teachers learned about several aspects of fisheries, fish adaptation and identification, and caught their own fish using a trap net and beach seine. Using those fish, the teachers worked together to look at the species diversity and richness, identify age classes, and look at the importance of these and other simple observations. Alpena FWCO employee Lindsey Adams Teachers working together to identify and works with teachers to retrieve a fyke measure fish samples. Credit: USFWS net and it's catch. Credit: Michigan Sea Grant After making some colorful graphs and running their numbers, teachers discussed how this could be translated to students of all ages and how those students could then present their finding to various groups such as local Department of Natural Resources or Lake Associations.
The teachers left feeling confident, optimistic, and excited to have some new tools and a diverse team of professionals in their pocket for getting their students involved in hands-on projects in their own “back yard”. They are also looking forward to the advancement of these assignments as their students come up with new questions and lead their own place-based projects.
Brandon Schroeder with Michigan Sea Grant educates teachers about specific adaptations a bluegill has to survive in it's environment. Credit: USFWS
https://www.fws.gov/midwest/fisheries/fishlines/feature5.html Fisheries, Midwest Region Conserving America's Fisheries
Midwest Region Fisheries Divisions National Fish Hatcheries The Region’s National Fish Hatcheries (NFH) focus on native species recovery and restoration. Primary species include: lake trout, endangered pallid sturgeon, and endangered, threatened, and native mussels. Other major programs include coaster brook trout and lake sturgeon restoration, fulfilling tribal trust responsibilities for native aquatic species, and cost reimbursed rainbow trout production for recreational fishing. Hatcheries also provide technical assistance to other agencies, provide fish and eggs for research, and develop and maintain brood stocks of various species and strains.
Fish and Wildlife Conservation Offices Fish and Wildlife Conservation Offices (FWCO) conduct assessments of fish populations to guide management decisions, play a key role in targeting and implementing native fish and habitat restoration programs; perform key monitoring and control activities related to aquatic invasive species; survey and evaluate aquatic habitats to identify restoration/rehabilitation opportunities; work with private land owners, states, local governments and watershed organizations to complete aquatic habitat restoration projects under the Service’s National Fish Passage Program, National Fish Habitat Partnerships, Partners for Fish and Wildlife and the Great Lakes Coastal Programs; provide coordination and technical assistance toward the management of interjurisdictional fisheries; maintain and operate several key interagency fisheries databases; provide technical expertise to other Service programs addressing contaminants, endangered species, federal project review and hydro-power operation and relicensing; evaluate and manage fisheries on Service lands; and, provide technical support to 38 Native American tribal governments and treaty authorities.
Sea Lamprey Biological Stations The Fish and Wildlife Service is the United States Agent for sea lamprey control, with two Biological Stations assessing and managing sea lamprey populations throughout the Great Lakes. The Great Lakes Fishery Commission administers the Sea Lamprey Management Program, with funding provided through the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Department of the Interior, and Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
Fish Health Center The Fish Health Center provides specialized fish health evaluation and diagnostic services to federal, state and tribal hatcheries in the region; conducts extensive monitoring and evaluation of wild fish health; examines and certifies the health of captive hatchery stocks; and, performs a wide range of special services helping to coordinate fishery program offices and partner organizations. The Whitney Genetics Lab serves as a leading edge genetics laboratory and conducts environmental DNA (eDNA) sample processing for early detection of invasive species.
Whitney Genetics Lab The Whitney Genetics lab provides environmental DNA (eDNA) surveillance for the early detection of invasive Silver and Bighead carp as part of the Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee’s plans to detect, monitor, and respond to the threat of invasive carp in the Great Lakes. The lab also provides analysis for determining the ploidy of wild-caught Black and Grass carp, two more invasive carp species.
https://www.fws.gov/midwest/fisheries/fishlines/feature6.html Fisheries, Midwest Region Conserving America's Fisheries
Midwest Region Fisheries Contacts Regional Office Alpena Fish & Wildlife 5600 American Blvd West Conservation Office Bloomington, MN 55437 480 W. Fletcher Street Todd Turner [email protected] Alpena, MI 49707 612-713-5111 Scott Koproski [email protected] 989-356-5102 Iron River National Fish Hatchery Area of Responsibility (MI, OH) 10325 Fairview Road Iron River, WI 54847 Ashland Fish & Wildlife Carey Edwards [email protected] Conservation Office 715-372-8510 2800 Lake Shore Drive East Ashland, WI 54806 Genoa National Fish Hatchery Mark Brouder [email protected] S 5689 State Road 35 715-682-6185 Genoa, WI 54632 Area of Responsibility (MI, MN, WI) Doug Aloisi [email protected] 608-689-2605 Carterville Fish & Wildlife Conservation Office Jordan River National Fish 9053 Route 148, Suite A Hatchery Marion, Illinois 62959 6623 Turner Road Acting Mark Brouder [email protected] Elmira, MI 49730 618-997-6869 Roger Gordon [email protected] Area of Responsibility (IL, IN, OH) 231-584-2461 Columbia Fish & Wildlife Neosho National Fish Hatchery Conservation Office 520 E Park Street 101 Park Deville Drive, Suite A Neosho, MO 64850 Columbia, MO 65203 [email protected] Roderick May Jason Goeckler [email protected] 417-451-0554 ext: 102 573-234-2132 Area of Responsibility (IA, MO) Pendills/Sullivan Creek National Fish Hatchery Green Bay Fish & Wildlife 21990 W. Trout Lane Conservation Office Brimley, MI 49715 2661 Scott Tower Road Acting Crystal LeGaultAnderson, New Franken, WI 54229 [email protected] Acting Ted Treska [email protected] 906-437-5231 920-866-1717 Area of Responsibility (IL, IN, MI, WI) Midwest Fisheries Center 555 Lester Avenue Ludington Biological Station Onalaska, WI 54650 200 River Street Teresa Lewis [email protected] Manistee, MI 49660 608-783-8420 Scott Grunder [email protected] 231-398-4222 LaCrosse FWCO Sam Finney [email protected] Marquette Biological Station 608-783-8434 3090 Wright Street LaCrosse Fish Health Center Marquette, MI 49855 Ken Phillips [email protected] Jessica Barber [email protected] 608-783-8447 906-226-6571 Whitney Genetics Lab Emy Monroe [email protected] 608-783-8402
https://www.fws.gov/midwest/fisheries/fishlines/feature7.html