SEA LAMPREY CONTROL IN THE GREAT LAKES 2017 ANNUAL REPORT TO THE GREAT LAKES FISHERY COMMISSION Paul Sullivan Fisheries and Oceans Canada Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario Canada Katherine Mullett U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Marquette, Michigan United States GLFC Annual Meeting Toronto, Ontario May 9-10, 2018 Cover: Steelhead with Sea Lamprey at the Old Mill Dam, Humber River, Toronto, ON. Photo: Anne De Haas. Construction crews working on the rehabilitation of Denny’s Dam, an important Sea Lamprey barrier on the Saugeen River, near Southampton, ON. The Great Lakes Fishery Commission is undertaking this project, which began during 2017, in collaboration with the Saugeen Ojibway Nation, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, and Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Photo: Chris Freiburger, GLFC. Table of Contents INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................................... 8 FISH-COMMUNITY OBJECTIVES ............................................................................................................ 8 Lake Superior .................................................................................................................................... 9 Lake Michigan .................................................................................................................................. 9 Lake Huron ..................................................................................................................................... 10 Lake Erie ......................................................................................................................................... 10 Lake Ontario ................................................................................................................................... 11 LAMPRICIDE CONTROL ......................................................................................................................... 12 Lake Superior .................................................................................................................................. 15 Lake Michigan ................................................................................................................................ 18 Lake Huron ..................................................................................................................................... 21 Lake Erie ......................................................................................................................................... 23 Lake Ontario ................................................................................................................................... 25 ALTERNATIVE CONTROL ...................................................................................................................... 27 Barriers .................................................................................................................................................. 27 Lake Superior .................................................................................................................................. 29 Lake Michigan ................................................................................................................................ 31 Lake Huron ..................................................................................................................................... 33 Lake Erie ......................................................................................................................................... 35 Lake Ontario ................................................................................................................................... 37 Juvenile Trapping .................................................................................................................................. 38 ASSESSMENT ............................................................................................................................................ 39 Larval Assessment ................................................................................................................................. 40 Lake Superior .................................................................................................................................. 40 Lake Michigan ................................................................................................................................ 49 Lake Huron ..................................................................................................................................... 55 Lake Erie ......................................................................................................................................... 62 Lake Ontario ................................................................................................................................... 64 Juvenile Assessment .............................................................................................................................. 68 Lake Superior .................................................................................................................................. 68 Lake Michigan ................................................................................................................................ 69 Lake Huron ..................................................................................................................................... 69 Lake Erie ......................................................................................................................................... 71 Lake Ontario ................................................................................................................................... 72 Adult Assessment .................................................................................................................................. 73 Lake Superior .................................................................................................................................. 73 Lake Michigan ................................................................................................................................ 76 Lake Huron ..................................................................................................................................... 77 Lake Erie ......................................................................................................................................... 80 Lake Ontario ................................................................................................................................... 82 TASK FORCE REPORTS ........................................................................................................................... 89 Lampricide Control Task Force ............................................................................................................. 89 Barrier Task Force ................................................................................................................................. 91 Larval Assessment Task Force .............................................................................................................. 93 Trapping Task Force.............................................................................................................................. 96 EDUCATION AND OUTREACH .............................................................................................................. 99 PERMANENT EMPLOYEES OF THE SEA LAMPREY CONTROL PROGRAM ............................... 100 1 Tables Table 1. Summary of lampricide applications in tributaries of the Great Lakes in 2017. ............ 12 Table 2. Details on the application of lampricides to tributaries and lentic areas of Lake Superior during 2017 (letter in parentheses corresponds to location of stream in Figure 2). ....................... 16 Table 3. Details on the application of lampricides to tributaries and lentic areas of Lake Michigan during 2017 (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 2017 (letter in parentheses corresponds to location of stream in Figure 2). ....................... 22 Table 5. Details on the application of lampricides to tributaries and lentic areas of Lake Erie during 2017 (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 2017 (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 during 2017. ........................................................................ 30 Table 8. Status of concurrence requests for barrier removals, replacements, or fish passage projects in Lake Michigan tributaries during 2017. ....................................................................... 32 Table 9. Status of concurrence requests for barrier removals, replacements, or fish passage projects in Lake Huron tributaries during 2017. ............................................................................ 34 Table 10. Status of concurrence requests for barrier removals, replacements,