SEA LAMPREY CONTROL IN THE GREAT LAKES 2016 ANNUAL REPORT TO THE GREAT LAKES FISHERY COMMISSION Katherine Mullett U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Marquette, Michigan United States Paul Sullivan Fisheries and Oceans Canada Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario Canada GLFC Annual Meeting Duluth, Minnesota June 7-8, 2017 Cover: Larval Sea Lampreys being captured by USFWS Larval Assessment personnel with the use of backpack electroshocking units to determine population densities, age structure and larval distribution. (Photo USFWS) Patrick Wick (Physical Science Technician, USFWS) preparing a TFM application site on Stony Creek, a tributary to the East Branch Ontonagon River, during the Ontonagon River lampricide treatment in October 2016 (Photo by Chris Gagnon, USFWS). Table of Contents INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................................... 7 FISH-COMMUNITY OBJECTIVES ............................................................................................................ 8 Lake Superior .................................................................................................................................... 8 Lake Michigan .................................................................................................................................. 8 Lake Huron ....................................................................................................................................... 9 Lake Erie ........................................................................................................................................... 9 Lake Ontario ................................................................................................................................... 10 LAMPRICIDE CONTROL ......................................................................................................................... 11 Lake Superior .................................................................................................................................. 14 Lake Michigan ................................................................................................................................ 18 Lake Huron ..................................................................................................................................... 20 Lake Erie ......................................................................................................................................... 23 Lake Ontario ................................................................................................................................... 25 ALTERNATIVE CONTROL ...................................................................................................................... 27 Sterile Male Release Technique ............................................................................................................ 38 Juvenile Trapping .................................................................................................................................. 38 Barriers .................................................................................................................................................. 27 Lake Superior .................................................................................................................................. 29 Lake Michigan ................................................................................................................................ 30 Lake Huron ..................................................................................................................................... 33 Lake Erie ......................................................................................................................................... 35 Lake Ontario ................................................................................................................................... 37 ASSESSMENT ............................................................................................................................................ 39 Larval Assessment ................................................................................................................................. 39 Lake Superior .................................................................................................................................. 39 Lake Michigan ................................................................................................................................ 49 Lake Huron ..................................................................................................................................... 56 Lake Erie ......................................................................................................................................... 63 Lake Ontario ................................................................................................................................... 66 Juvenile Assessment .............................................................................................................................. 70 Lake Superior .................................................................................................................................. 70 Lake Michigan ................................................................................................................................ 71 Lake Huron ..................................................................................................................................... 71 Lake Erie ......................................................................................................................................... 73 Lake Ontario ................................................................................................................................... 74 Adult Assessment .................................................................................................................................. 76 Lake Superior .................................................................................................................................. 76 Lake Michigan ................................................................................................................................ 78 Lake Huron ..................................................................................................................................... 80 Lake Erie ......................................................................................................................................... 82 Lake Ontario ................................................................................................................................... 84 RISK MANAGEMENT ............................................................................................................................... 88 TASK FORCE REPORTS ........................................................................................................................... 92 Lampricide Control Task Force ............................................................................................................. 92 Barrier Task Force ................................................................................................................................. 95 Larval Assessment Task Force .............................................................................................................. 98 Trapping Task Force............................................................................................................................ 101 OUTREACH .............................................................................................................................................. 105 PERMANENT EMPLOYEES OF THE SEA LAMPREY CONTROL PROGRAM ............................... 106 1 Tables Table 1. Summary of lampricide applications in tributaries of the Great Lakes in 2016. .............. 11 Table 2. Details on the application of lampricides to tributaries and lentic areas of Lake Superior during 2016 (letter in parentheses corresponds to location of stream in Figure 2).................. 15 Table 3. Details on the application of lampricides to tributaries and lentic areas of Lake Michigan during 2016 (letter in parentheses corresponds to location of stream in Figure 2).................. 19 Table 4. Details on the application of lampricides to tributaries and lentic areas of Lake Huron during 2016 (letter in parentheses corresponds to location of stream in Figure 2).................. 21 Table 5. Details on the application of lampricides to tributaries and lentic areas of Lake Erie during 2016 (letter in parentheses corresponds to location of stream in Figure 2).................. 24 Table 6. Details on the application of lampricides to tributaries of Lake Ontario during 2016 (letter in parentheses corresponds to location of stream in Figure 2). ..................................... 26 Table 7. Status of concurrence requests for barrier removals, replacements, or fish passage projects in Lake Superior tributaries. ...................................................................................... 30 Table 8. Status of concurrence requests for barrier removals, replacements, or fish passage projects in Lake Michigan tributaries. ..................................................................................... 32 Table 9. Status of concurrence requests