Partnerships & Outreach

 

Annual toy drive a success at Ashland FWCO
The Ashland FWCO, along with the National Park Service Great Lakes Network Office and USGS Lake Superior Biological Office teamed up and collected toys for the annual Ashland Firefighters Toys for Tots and Teens program.  This is the sixth year the offices have contributed to this worthy program.  Toys collected through this program are distributed throughout the surrounding Ashland – Bayfield - Iron counties area.  This toy drive is in its 25th year and the program gives presents to between 500 – 700 kids each year. 

 

Ashland FWCO participates in the planning for the 68th Midwest Fish and Wildlife Conference
The 68th Midwest Fish and Wildlife Conference was held December 9 – 12, 2007 at the Monona Terrace Convention Center in Madison, WI.  This conference is held annually with the 9 Midwest states, Wisconsin, Ohio, Illinois, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Indiana, Michigan and Nebraska, and Ontario, Canada, taking turns hosting the event.  2007 was Wisconsin’s turn and the planning committee with members from the Wisconsin chapters of the American Fisheries Society and The Wildlife Society along with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources as host did its part to make this conference a success. 

Fishery biologist Glenn Miller from the Ashland FWCO was part of the planning committee.  Glenn and John Noble, fishery biologist – Fort McCoy, US Army, were co-chairs for the Tradeshow and Exhibit Hall.  With twenty five commercial and non-commercial vendors the Tradeshow conference participants were able to view many items useful in their various fields of work.  USFWS Region 3 was a participant in the Tradeshow area, along with other government agencies such as the US Forest Service and the WDNR.  The Tradeshow area also hosted the poster session, breaks and the infamous Big Game Social Night and raffle. Committee members were quite happy with this years turn out, with over 1400 attendees from the Midwest, Canada and other parts of the country attending, along with attendance from 4 other nations. 

 

New Video now Available that Highlights the Restoration Efforts for Whittlesey Creek Coaster Brook Trout
Fishery biologist are trying to restore the once abundant, coaster brook trout in the few places where it has survived overfishing and loss of spawning areas dating from the 1980s. The Ashland FWCO has undertaken several efforts to better understand coaster brook trout population trends and to help reestablish this magnificent fish into their native range.  Ashland staff members, the Iron River National Fish Hatchery, Wisconsin DNR, along with volunteers from the local Wild Rivers Trout Unlimited Chapter have been providing their assistance to stock coaster brook trout eggs, fingerlings/adults in Whittlesey and North Fork Whittlesey Creek.   A short video (13 minutes) showing the primary stages of this project is now available on the Ashland FWCO web site:  http://www.fws.gov/midwest/ashland/. 

 

18 Mile Creek Video is now Available
18 Mile Creek is well known for its naturalized brown trout and brook trout fishery. Located near the town of Grandview, the creek meanders through central Bayfield County before joining a designated state natural area.  The culvert crossing on North Sweden Road was perched and was also a velocity barrier for most life stages of fish in 18 Mile Creek.   A culvert replacement project was started and an 80 foot long culvert was installed at the site to restore fish passage, making this the most extensive fish passage project undertaken to date by our staff. A short video (7minutes) showing the three primary stages of the project is now available on the Ashland FWCO web site:  http://www.fws.gov/midwest/ashland/.  If you would like to receive a copy of the full length video (19 minutes).

 

 

Annual Career Day for Northland College Students
This year the Annual Career Day for Northland College Students was held Feb. 14 in Ashland WI. The Career Day participants included more than 40 federal, state, tribal and community businesses.  Frank Stone, Katie Goodwin (Whittlesey Creek NWR) and Gary Czypinski provided students with general information regarding the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and also solicited resume applications for future positions at the Ashland FWCO and the Whittlesey Creek National Wildlife Refuge. The focus of the questions from students centered on future employment, and what can the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service do for them and our natural resources. The Career Day is a great opportunity for college students in the science and natural resource fields to network with professionals who are already employed in positions that they would like to explore. Through opportunities such as this, the Service is helping students prepare for their futures by offering critical links between their educational needs and final career paths. The Service benefits from these programs by having the capability to select students for employment who are motivated to start career's within the fish and wildlife field. 

 

New Video for the Bad River Watershed Association
At the request of the Bad River Watershed Association (BRWA), Frank Stone created a slide-show video highlighting the goals and accomplishments of the BRWA.  This 17 minute video, entitled Connecting People, Land & Water, is comprised of 250 digital images that are sequenced to music and narratives that help explain the fish passage (through culvert replacement) and water quality monitoring activities of the BRWA.  The mission of the BRWA is to promote a healthy relationship between the people and natural communities of the Bad River Watershed by involving all citizens in assessing, maintaining and improving, watershed integrity for future generations.  The video was first presented to the public (75 were in attendance) on March 29 during a fund raising banquet at the Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center. 

 

Aquaculture Field Day Workshop
Frank Stone attended a one day aquaculture field day and vendor fair sponsored by the Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility in Red Cliff Wisconsin.  The Ashland FWCO has the unique distinction of providing technical assistance for the development of numerous tribal fish hatchery operations.  One of the ways we contribute to these programs is by publishing a quarterly newsletter.  The Midwest Tribal Aquaculture Network (MTAN) is dedicated to assisting tribal hatcheries through the sharing of cool/cold water fish culture information.  Productivity in aquaculture can often be increased by incorporating techniques learned from others.  The information gained from this workshop will be featured in future issues of the MTAN.  The MTAN has been assisting tribal fish hatchery programs for the past seventeen years.  The rewards from this kind of technical assistance is in knowing we are providing information that enables hatchery programs to better utilize their resources and provide a healthier product for the fishery.  The MTAN has also helped to educate fish hatchery workers and direct them to other areas so they can better research their specific needs. 

 

 

Successful Kid’s Fishing Day at Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center, Ashland, WI
The Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center’s annual Kid’s Fishing Day was held on June 7, 2008 in Ashland, Wisconsin.  This educational event was well-attended (525 participants… 250 registered in the first hour of the event) and very well-organized and executed.   The event was supported by more than 30 volunteers and 23 sponsors.   Learning stations included knot tying, fly tying, practice casting, catch and release, fish habitat, fishing in the pond, water safety, invasive species/fish disease, Loon Watch, and fish painting (gyotaku).  All went smoothly and safely (there were a lot of hooks out there!!).  Feedback from the children, parents, and grandparents was overwhelmingly positive and supportive.  The weather was great and everyone had a good time.  This was a truly collaborative effort of the Center partners, non-profit organizations like Trout Unlimited, and many individual volunteers. 

 

Great Lakes Basin Partnership – Steering Committee Roundup
The Great Lakes Basin Partnership was recognized as a candidate partnership of the National Fish Habitat Action Plan in late 2007.  To kick-off the formation of a steering committee, Robyn Thorson, Regional Director, sent letters of invitation to eight states, 33 tribes, eight federal agencies and several basin-wide non-profit organizations.  To date, six states, five federal agencies and four non-profits are on-board to guide the direction of this partnership.  The Service is continuing to work with Tribal Treaty Authorities to encourage participation in this important partnership-building effort. Details are being finalized to hold the first steering committee meeting during the week of September 22.  The inaugural meeting will begin the process of developing a strategic plan, identifying priority projects, and creating a partnership structure. 

 

Northern Wisconsin Grassland Conference
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Ashland National Fish & Wildlife Conservation Office’s Habitat Section helped lead the recent Northern Wisconsin Grassland Conference held at the Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center in Ashland Wisconsin.  Partners in the conference included the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Wisconsin Bird Conservation Initiative, Pheasants Forever, U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 

The Ashland Conference was part of a set of five individual conferences held in different ecological regions throughout the state.  In Ashland the focus was on the native grasslands of the Pine Barrens as well as the concentrated post settlement grasslands of the far northern Wisconsin landscape.  These large contiguous areas of post settlement agriculture related grasslands have become important areas for grassland associated migratory birds and waterfowl.  Speakers focused on status and trends of grassland birds and waterfowl both locally and statewide, as well as importance and management of area grasslands.  An afternoon field trip was also included to tour grassland management and restoration in both the post settlement and native grasslands of the area.  The results of the conference will benefit migratory birds through communication and greater awareness of current restoration and management strategies.  Also, areas were identified where agencies and organizations can work in partnership through different program and initiatives to benefit migratory bird habitat. 

 

Schacte Creek Fish Relocation Conducted to Determine the Presence of Bacterial and Viral Pathogens
Frank Stone and Jessica Kavanagh (Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility), provided technical assistance to the staff of the Iron River National Fish Hatchery to remove (via back pack shocking) wild trout from the upper sections of Schacte Creek. This collection effort primarily targeted brook trout found within a ¾ mile section of the creek up river of the hatchery. As a result of this effort, 50 brook trout were placed in live traps.  These fish will be sampled by the LaCrosse Fish Health Office staff to determine the presence of bacterial and viral pathogens. Schacte Creek is the primary source of water for the hatchery, thus it’s imperative to maintain wild fish stocks to a minimum to reduce the potential for transferring pathogens to the hatchery’s production fish. 

 

Lakewide Mangement Plan for Lake Superior Released
The Lake Superior Lakewide Management Plan (LaMP) was developed to provide an assessment of the state of the Lake Superior ecosystem, including its ecological impairments, emerging issues and their causes, and gaps in knowledge which require further research and monitoring.  Through the Lake Superior Binational Program, biologists at the Ashland Fish & Wildlife Conservation Office and many other natural resource agencies, organizations, businesses, and academic institutions collaborate to implement the Management Plan and report on progress made to achieve identified goals and targets.    As U.S. co-chairs of the Aquatic Community and Habitat Committees, Henry Quinlan and Pam Dryer help lead development and prioritization of their respective committee work plans and coordinate progress updates.  Their efforts and those of many other individuals were recently released in the 2008 LaMP.  This document provides a 2-year progress report on how, collectively, we are doing to protect, maintain, and rehabilitate the natural resources of the Lake Superior basin to maintain and restore the “physical, chemical, and biological” integrity of the lake.  The Lake Superior LaMP can be accessed at http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/lamp/ls_2008/index.html

 

 

Habitat Projects Toured By Matt Rudig of Congressman Obey’s Office
Matt Rudig, Congressman Obey’s Northern Representative, toured several habitat restoration projects in northern Wisconsin with staff from the Ashland National Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office.  Ted Koehler and Pam Dryer, habitat branch staff, highlighted projects that meet strategic objectives of the Great Lakes Coastal Program, Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program, and Fish Passage Program.  Michele Wheeler, Executive Director of the Bad River Watershed Association, also participated in the tour.  The Association is a very active partner in many of our fish passage projects in the Bad River watershed.  They play a key role in coordinating with the numerous town road crews and town boards that replace culverts. The tour included a site where wetland restorations were under construction and one that had been restored for over six years.  Stream bank restoration was highlighted on a Marengo River project, which is a tributary to the Bad River and a primary producer of excess sediment into the system.  A new fish passage project on a town road demonstrated how culverts can be replaced by town crews in a fish-friendly way with technical and financial assistance from the Service and its partners.  Matt’s overall assessment of the day was, “I really learned a lot!” 

 

Great Lakes Basin Fish Habitat Partnership Held Inaugural Meeting
The Interim Steering Committee of the Great Lakes Basin Fish Habitat Partnership held its first meeting on Sept. 22-23, 2008 in Detroit Michigan.  States from across the basin, federal agencies involved in Great Lakes management, and basin-wide non-profits attended. Meeting participants agreed to move the partnership forward to gain national recognition as a partnership by the National Fish Habitat Action Plan Board. 

The Great Lakes are significant for many reasons to both the U.S. and Canada.  Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario form the largest surface freshwater system on the Earth.  The Basin is home to 10 percent of the population of the U.S., with over 30 million people relying on the world’s largest surface freshwater system.  It also supports a large fishery that provides important commercial and recreational fishing.  More than 300 species of fish and other aquatic organisms inhabit the rivers, streams, and coastal areas of the Basin and depend on these habitats during critical life-history stages. 

The Great Lakes’ significance and need for protection and restoration has resulted in several initiatives to restore the health of the Great Lakes by the U.S. and Canada, states and provinces.  Most of these initiatives, such as the Great Lakes Compact, the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration, and the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, have focused on water quality, but not specifically fish habitat.  The Great Lakes Fish Habitat Partnership’s reason for being is to work with these other initiatives, yet focus on the need to restore and protect fish habitat for faltering fish populations. The next steps for the Great Lakes Basin Fish Habitat Partnership are to draft an MOU and begin working on a strategic plan that will create the intellectual framework for advancing on-the-ground protection and restoration by complementing existing Great Lakes initiatives. The Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Geological Survey acted as staff for the effort, setting up the steering committee and making all arrangements for the meeting.  The meeting was facilitated by Mark Coscarelli of Public Sector Consultants. 

 

 

Aquatic Species Conservation

 

Assess Fish Community along Lakeshore Margins of the Apostle Islands
Frank Stone and Gary Czypinski (AFWCO) worked with USGS – Lake Superior Biological Station researchers to collect fish as part of a cooperative project examining the relationship between the inshore and nearshore aquatic communities around a portion of the Apostle Islands.  This portion of the project involved sampling fishery diversity along 8 shoreline areas (~ 16 km) to characterize night habitat use by fish species in the 0-3 m depth interval. Single-pass night-time electrofishing was used to collect the data.  Fish observed in the field were tallied as to species and relative abundance for each 0.50 km shoreline segment.  Vouchers of each fish species (by 0.50 km segments) were collected and placed on ice for later freezing.  These specimens will serve for positive identification and for a diet analysis to be conducted at a later time. Other aspects of the research effort involve: characterizing aquatic habitat of the inshore waters around the Apostle Islands; characterizing near and offshore habitat, 15 to 100+ m depth; and also sampling lower trophic level elements in near and offshore waters. 

 

St. Mary’s River Lake Sturgeon: Hearing Them Is Easy, but Catching Them Is Not
The abundance of Lake Sturgeon in the St. Mary’s River system, and the Great Lakes in general, is relatively unknown.  The Ashland FWCO along with Lake Superior State University’s (LSSU) Aquatic Research Laboratory have been assessing the St. Mary’s River population in an attempt to refine management plans to better conserve this species. During the week of July 7th, Katie Renschen (AFWCO) assisted Roger Greil from Lake Superior State University’s Aquatic Research Laboratory, and student employee Jessica Comben, in setting baited lines at various water depths and locations above the Soo Locks in Sault Ste. Marie, MI.  During this week long period, no sturgeon were caught, and set lines were moved further west in hopes of finding fish.  As of the end of July, there was still no sturgeon caught.  Lines will continue to be set through the end of the summer. 

In previous years when sturgeon were caught, length, weight, and girth measurements were taken, along with fin samples for DNA and age analysis; sturgeon greater than 125 cm were also implanted with sonic transponder tags. During the trip, Katie also assisted in tracking sturgeon implanted with sonic transponder tags in the lower part of the St. Mary’s River.  Tracking was done by boat using a hydrophone and receiver.  Each sturgeon has a unique tag, and when a tag is heard, the location of the fish is recorded.  These locations are used to track the movements of the sturgeon over time.  All of the sturgeon that LSSU have tagged were found and locations recorded during the two day period when tracking was done. 

 

Salmon Trout River: Home of the Coaster Brook Trout
Migrations and biological characteristics of the coaster brook trout in Lake Superior tributaries are being studied and assessed by the Ashland FWCO, Michigan Technological University, and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources in an ongoing effort to rehabilitate the native coaster brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) in Lake Superior.  During the weeks of June 9th, and June 16th, Katie Renschen (AFWCO) assisted Dr. Casey Huckins, from Michigan Tech University, and Dr. Edward Baker, from the Michigan DNR in backpack electrofishing sections of the Salmon Trout River located in the Huron Mountains northwest of Marquette, MI.  The Salmon Trout River is the site of the last known remnant population of coaster brook trout on the south shores of Lake Superior.

The goal of this survey was to assess and collect data on the population of resident brook trout in the river.  Specifically, we were looking for brook trout greater than 200 mm.  In theory, these fish would be resident brook trout, and not coasters.  Coaster brook trout at this size are thought to have already moved out of the river and into Lake Superior.  By collecting data and genetic samples on resident brook trout, genetic analysis can be done between resident brook trout and coaster brook trout in hopes of finding genetic differences between the two. During the two weeks of sampling, over 5 river miles were covered.  However, the number of resident brook trout captured was minimal.  Not more than 5 fish greater than 200 mm were captured.  There were several “questionable” resident brook trout caught ranging from 160-180 mm, and genetic samples were taken on them as well.  Studies and assessments on the Salmon Trout are ongoing.  Recently, a weir and camera were also set in place on a section of the river to further monitor the movements of the coaster brook trout. 

 

Isle Royale Brook Trout Sporting New PIT Tag Technology
There are a few brook trout residing in the Washington Harbor area of Isle Royale National Park that have moved into the newest technology for tracking of tagged fish.  The Ashland FWCO office has been surveying Washington Harbor and Washington Creek and inserting Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) tags into brook trout caught during the surveys.  A PIT tag station has also been installed on Washington Creek to monitor the movement of brook trout in Washington Creek. The brook trout in Washington Harbor were collected during electrofishing surveys of the Harbor in June of 2008.  During this period the crew also installed the PIT tag station consisting of a solar panel and batteries for power, two antennae that will record the tagged fish passing over the antennae, and a data recording station that logs the PIT tags as they pass. 

Washington Creek was also surveyed at this time with backpack electrofishing equipment. However, due to a heavy thunderstorm the night before and a rain event that dumped up to 5 inches of rain, the creek came up too high to survey completely.  Another crew went out again to Washington Creek in July and tagged 55 brook trout in the lower stretch of the creek.  Again, Mother Nature decided to dump several inches of rain on the island and the crew was unable to survey the upper stretch of Washington Creek.  This rain event did however send a few of the PIT tagged fish up the creek and they were logged on the recorder.  The interpretative staff at the Isle Royale Windigo Ranger Station are downloading the PIT tag station and emailing this information to the Ashland FWCO.  Plans are being made to make several more trips to Washington Creek and tag more brook trout in this system. 

 

Lake Whitefish Population Assessment Conducted in Grand Marais, Michigan Area
The US Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office in Ashland, Wisconsin conducted lake whitefish assessments out of Grand Marais, Michigan during the period of July 24 –31, 2008.  The Ashland FWCO received assistance from the Jordan River National Fish Hatchery with Hannah Edwards, a volunteer at the hatchery, and Ted Eggebraaten, Green Bay FWCO.  These surveys are coordinated by the Technical Fisheries Committee (TFC) of the 2000 Consent Decree for 1836 Treaty waters of Lake Superior.  Cooperators on this effort include, Bay Mills Indian Community, Chippewa-Ottawa Resource Authority, and Michigan DNR, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and Grand Marais Coast Guard Auxiliary.  The areas surveyed by the Service include Grand Marais, Blind Sucker Creek and Deer Park.  Gill nets were set along 6 randomly selected transects that run perpendicular to the shoreline.  Nets were set on the bottom in water depths set in two different depth strata ranging from less than 100 feet and greater than 100 feet.  Four 900’ gangs were strung together (3600’), with each gang containing 9 – 100’ panels that ranged in size from 2 “– 6” stretch (by the ½”) and 6’ deep.  The information obtained is used by agencies to manage the commercial and recreational harvest of lake whitefish, evaluate abundance and fish health, and to gain a broader understanding of the lake whitefish ecological role in Lake Superior. Biological data collected by species caught included length, weight, sex, sea lamprey marks, ageing material and stomach (diet) samples.

 

Coaster Ecology Studied
Tracking the movement of brook trout in and out of Lake Superior tributaries is one of the keys to understanding the ecology of coaster brook trout and efforts to rehabilitate this depleted form of brook trout.  Important questions abound with respect to coaster rehabilitation.  Questions like, what time of year, what size or age, and what are the environmental conditions (water temperature, water level) when coasters or juvenile brook trout leave or enter streams, are coasters spawning in a particular stream, and what is the rate of survival of stocked brook trout and are they leaving the stream to access the lake environment? 

To gain a better understanding of these and other questions the Ashland Fishery Resources Office recently embarked on the use of half-duplex passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags and remote tag detection stations to track fish.  The use of remote tag detection stations allows the Service to collect data on the direction of individual fish movement 24 hrs a day without having to be physically present.  Data is collected when a tagged fish passes by the instream antennae and is stored in the data logger for download at a later date.  Biologists periodically return to the site to upload data and return to the office to check on movement of fish at the site. The Ashland office benefitted greatly from our partners in this effort.  Our education began by helping Northern Michigan University researchers install a PIT tag station in the Hurricane River at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Michigan.  Lisa O'Connor of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Canada traveled to Ashland and assisted with the setup of a station in Whittlesey Creek, Wisconsin.  Ms. O'Connor has set up stations throughout the Great Lakes to examine effectiveness of fish passage devices at sea lamprey barriers.  Trout Unlimited chapters have assisted with the acquisition of equipment and Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources biologist Marilee Chase, who has established numerous stations to track coaster movement in the Nipigon River region, provided key technical assistance. Thus far the Service has set up or assisted with the establishment of five PIT tag detection stations.  One of the goals of this effort is to develop regional networks of stations that allow biologists to learn where fish go when they leave a particular stream system. 

 

Aquatic Invasive Species

 

 

Great Lakes National Parks (GLNP) Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Report on the Web
Under an interagency agreement with the Great Lakes Inventory and Monitoring Network of the National Park Service, the Ashland National Fish & Wildlife Conservation Office completed a report addressing AIS issues within and in the vicinity of nine National Parks in the Great Lakes Basin.   Highlights of the report include life history summaries of 12 AIS of concern to the GLNP; the selection of 3-5 priority AIS for each of the 9 GLNP; protocols for monitoring the priority AIS; and organizations conducting sampling activity within and in the vicinity of each of the 9 parks that could monitor the priority AIS directly or incidentally.   In addition to the GLNP, this report provides helpful AIS background and monitoring information to any organization that manages aquatic ecosystems, conducts AIS monitoring, or is preparing to conduct AIS monitoring.   The report can be found at: http://science.nature.nps.gov/im/units/GLKN/reports/USFWS_AIS_Final_Report_20070927.pdf. 

 

Ashland FWCO Proposes New Aquatic Invasive Species Plan for Lake Superior
The Ashland National Fish & Wildlife Conservation Office (FWCO) unveiled four components that it will propose to its partners as its new aquatic invasive species (AIS) plan, (exclusive of sea lamprey control), addressing high risk locations on the south shore of Lake Superior.  These components include early detection monitoring and rapid response for new invasive fish introduced into the Duluth-Superior Harbor, Minnesota/Wisconsin; fish community monitoring of indigenous, nonindigenous, and invasive fish in three major Lake Superior embayments, where nonindigenous and invasive fish are already established, present, or potentially could exist; early detection monitoring for zebra and quagga mussels in high risk locations; and investigation of any potential threat relating to nonindigenous and invasive species.  These AIS activities, are advocated in the Lake Superior Lakewide Management Plan, the Lake Superior Fish Community Objectives, the Ruffe Control Plan, and have undergone testing in past AIS experiments and control operations. The Duluth-Superior Harbor (St. Louis River Estuary) has become a single collection point for virtually every invasive fish in the Great Lakes due to its stature within the maritime shipping industry.  Many commercial ships arrive here with ballast water, and expel the ballast into the harbor in order to take on cargos of grain or taconite.  Due to its importance, complexity, and size, the St. Louis River Estuary has also been identified as a “focus point” for habitat management and preservation by the Fish & Wildlife Service.  The Ashland FWCO is anticipating implementing the fish component of an AIS early detection monitoring model being developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Mid-Continent Ecology Division, Duluth, Minnesota.  The Ashland FWCO is interested in monitoring and exploring the resiliency of Huron Bay to invasive fish, and Huron Bay would also serve as an invasive free control embayment to compare with Chequamegon and Whitefish Bays.

The Ashland FWCO proposes to initiate Dreissena monitoring by examining vessel hulls in drydock after they have spent the open water season parked in marina slips.  Early detection of Dreissena on vessel hulls would then lead to increased monitoring activity and other potential control activities.
Rainbow smelt, a nonindigenous fish, are suspect in limiting abundance of lake herring in Lake Superior by possible predation on lake herring larvae.  The Ashland FWCO will assist with this investigation by collecting smelt for diet analysis, when larval lake herring are available (May). These AIS issues are what the Ashland FWCO envisions as important to the Lake Superior fishery.  A more detailed plan will be sent to partners for their review and comment. The Ashland FWCO desires to implement a Lake Superior AIS plan, exclusive of sea lamprey control, that best serves the needs of the managing jurisdictions, within the abilities of our office.

 

The Ruffe Control Program, “Celebrate Success”
“Celebrate success”  was a comment expressed by Tom Busiahn, Chief – Branch of Fish & Wildlife Mgt. Assistance, USFWS Washington, DC Office, in reference to the Ruffe Control Program.  In 1992, the ruffe, pronounced ruff, was the first fish to be designated a “nuisance species” under the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990.  Busiahn, then project leader of the USFWS Ashland Fishery Resources Office, was the initial Chair of the Ruffe Control Committee that was tasked by the National Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force to draft a plan to control ruffe. 

Ruffe were first detected in the Duluth-Superior Harbor (St. Louis River Estuary (SLRE)), Minnesota/Wisconsin by the Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resources in 1986, a likely accidental introduction from the ballast water discharge of ocean-going shipping.  Ruffe were very invasive (became abundant very rapidly) in the SLRE, and became the dominant member of the fish community by 1990.  Initially, the goal of the Ruffe Control Program was “to prevent ruffe from spreading outside of Lake Superior”, but ruffe migrated rapidly eastward along the south shore of Lake Superior, reaching the Ontonagon River, Michigan, by 1994, 276 km east of the SLRE.  Then in 1995, ruffe were detected in Lake Huron near Alpena, Michigan, 756 km east of the SLRE, likely a ballast water discharge of intra-lake shipping originating from the Duluth-Superior harbor.  The goal of the program was then revised “to prevent or delay the spread of ruffe through the Great Lakes and prevent their spread into inland waters”.  However, upon reaching the Thunder Bay River in Lake Huron and the Ontonagon River in Lake Superior, ruffe range expansion began to slow, and surveillance verified that ruffe range expansion was proceeding very close to an unassisted migratory rate projected by the USGS-Lake Superior Biological Station.  It took 20 years (1986-2006) for ruffe to span the south shore of Lake Superior.  In Lake Huron, a combination of ruffe population reduction and natural predation likely prevented ruffe from expanding outside of the Thunder Bay River shipping channel, where they were initially detected, and no ruffe have been reported captured from Lake Huron since 2003.  In Green Bay of Lake Michigan, it has taken five years (2002-2007) for ruffe to expand a distance of 55 miles, and no ruffe have been reported captured in Lake Michigan outside of Green Bay.  No ruffe have ever been confirmed captured from the Lower Great Lakes, where they remain undetected, as well as in all inland lakes and streams within the Great Lakes Basin.  Five elements of the Ruffe Control Plan: ballast water management, bait fish management, education, population reduction, and surveillance, along with unfavorable habitat and predation are believed to have contributed in slowing and delaying the spread of ruffe.  The success of the Ruffe Control Program can also be attributed to outstanding cooperation between federal, state, and provincial agencies; the Great Lakes Maritime Industry; the Great Lakes Sea Grant Network; Great Lakes bait fish associations; Great Lakes universities; Great Lakes media; sport anglers; and commercial fishing operations. 

 

Fact Sheet on Invasive Ruffe Completed for 2007
The National Fish & Wildlife Conservation Offices (FWCO) of Ashland and Green Bay, Wisconsin, Alpena, Michigan, Amherst, New York, the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, and the U.S. Geological Survey updated a fact sheet on the range of Eurasian ruffe, a Great Lakes invasive fish.  The fact sheet highlights ruffe range expansion during 2007, and illustrates the detected range of ruffe from initial discovery in 1986 through 2007.  The fact sheet was made available to participants at each of the five Great Lakes technical committee meetings of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, held last month in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.  The fact sheet is also available to the public on the Ashland FWCO website at http://www.fws.gov/midwest/ashland/images/ruffe-range-map_w.jpg. 

 

Ashland FWCO Plans Invasive Fish Outreach
The Ashland National Fish & Wildlife Conservation Office (FWCO) plans to purchase and distribute 1,000 copies of the aquatic invasive species publication A Field Guide to Fish Invaders of the Great Lakes Region.  This 20-page pocket-sized booklet, produced by Minnesota Sea Grant, contains color illustrations of invasive fish in the Great Lakes, and distinguishes them from native fish of similar appearance.  During implementation of the control plan for the invasive fish, ruffe, many of the ruffe discoveries were reported by anglers.  Therefore, the Ashland FWCO plans to distribute this informative invasive fish booklet to bait shops along the north and south shores of Lake Superior for free distribution to anglers.  This helpful tool will equip anglers to assist with implementation of early detection monitoring of invasive fish in Lake Superior and inland waters in proximity.  Early detection monitoring is followed by appropriate levels of rapid response activities used in the management and control of invasive fish.  A detailed description of the field guide is available at the Ashland FWCO home page (http://www.fws.gov/midwest/ashland/) and also at: http://www.seagrant.umn.edu/publications/X105. 

 

 

 

Ruffe Control Program – Celebrate Success
While ruffe were first detected in the Duluth-Superior Harbor, Minnesota/Wisconsin in 1986, they almost certainly arrived some years prior.  By 1990, ruffe had established themselves as the most abundant member of that fish community based on bottom trawl captures.  It took twenty years for ruffe to expand across the south shore of Lake Superior from the Duluth-Superior Harbor to Whitefish Bay.  Based on projections by U.S. Geological Survey, ruffe expansion across Lake Superior progressed at a pace similar to what would be expected for an unassisted migration rate.  In Lake Huron, ruffe have not expanded outside of the Thunder Bay River where they were initially detected in 1995, and no ruffe have been reported captured from Lake Huron since 2003.  In Lake Michigan, it has taken five years (2002-2007) for ruffe to expand a distance of 88 km (55 miles), and no ruffe have been reported captured in Lake Michigan outside of Green Bay.  Ruffe remain undetected in the Lower Great Lakes, as well as in all inland lakes and streams within the Great Lakes Basin.

Five elements of the Ruffe Control Plan are likely to have contributed to delay the spread of ruffe in the Great Lakes and prevent their spread into inland waters. They include voluntary ballast water management, bait fish management, education, population reduction, and surveillance, along with unfavorable habitat and interspecific interactions. The success of the these elements of the Ruffe Control Program can be attributed to outstanding cooperation between federal, state, tribal, and provincial agencies; the Great Lakes Maritime Industry; the Great Lakes Sea Grant Network; Great Lakes bait fish associations; universities; media; sport anglers; and Great Lakes commercial fishing operations. 

 

Invasive Ruffe Continue to Expand Southward in Green Bay of Lake Michigan
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources reported that a commercial fisherman, captured a ruffe off Peshtigo Harbor, Wisconsin, in Green Bay of Lake Michigan on May 28th, 2008.  The capture was made at a depth of 12 meters, and it confirms a range expansion of 15 kilometers south from a previous capture site near Marinette Harbor, Wisconsin, in 2007.  Commercial fishing operators as well as sport anglers continue to be a valuable source of aquatic invasive species early detection.

Impossible to eliminate from the open waters of the Great Lakes, efforts concentrated on delaying ruffe range expansion by controlling the pathways of introduction, with the exception of natural migration, and by population reduction where feasible.  The result has been and continues to be a successful delay in ruffe range expansion.  Limiting the spread of ruffe to natural migration, combined with exposure of ruffe to areas of un-preferred habitat resulted in a time span of 20 years (1986-2006) before the ruffe reached eastern Lake Superior.  Likewise, ruffe have never been detected outside of the Thunder Bay River and Thunder Bay in Lake Huron, and no ruffe have been captured there or anywhere in Lake Huron since 2003.  In the Thunder Bay River, population reduction was feasible, and likely contributed to stop the further spread of ruffe there. In Lake Michigan, ruffe remained confined to northern Green Bay for five years (2002-2007) before likely migrating south naturally.  In the Lower Great Lakes, ruffe remain undetected, as well as in all inland lakes and streams in the Great Lakes Basin. 

 

Implementation of an Invasive Fish Early Detection Monitoring Design
The Ashland National Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office (FWCO) met with the National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), to begin coordination in implementing an invasive fish early detection monitoring design for the St. Louis River Estuary (Duluth-Superior Harbor), Minnesota/Wisconsin, Lake Superior waters.  The invasive fish design is part of a larger design that also includes aquatic invertebrates, currently in the final stages of development by the EPA Lab.  The EPA Lab presented three design types that were being analyzed for optimum efficiency and effectiveness.  Analysis of three years of research has shown that a minimum of 20-30 sampling locations were required to capture 95% of the known fish species in the estuary.  Further analysis demonstrated that in order to capture a majority of the available fish species in the most efficient manner, sampling methodology should consist of fyke netting, electrofishing, and bottom trawling, with more emphasis on the shallow water (surface-2 meters) gear, fyke netting and electrofishing.

Under the direction of the EPA Lab, the Ashland FWCO will begin training in the implementation of the design during late August, 2008.  Results from this training event will be used by the EPA Lab for further analysis of the invasive fish portion of the design. The Ashland FWCO is planning to use the EPA design to conduct early detection monitoring for invasive fish in the St. Louis River Estuary on an annual basis.  Data collected in future years will be shared with the EPA Lab for continued refinement of the design. 

 

Invasive Free Zone Partnership
Since its inception the Invasive Free Zone (IFZ) has made considerable progress both inside and outside the project boundaries.  Whittlesey Creek National Wildlife Refuge provides the leadership for the project and continues to receive support from many partners and funding organizations.  The Ashland National Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office (FWCO) has been an active partner from the beginning.  Funding from the Service's Coastal Program - Great Lakes which is administered by the Ashland FWCO helped get the IFZ off the ground.  The office has also contributed to the project through the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program with both technical and financial support.  
Initially, a landscape-scale mapping effort was undertaken to determine the extent of invasive species within IFZ.  A database was then established to track the location of infestations.  The focus then shifted to treatment efforts with over 150 acres treated and 80 acres declared as invasive free.  After two years of refining mapping and treatment methods, project staff wrote a long-term plan for the project.  An Invasive Species Management Plan has been written for the area which incorporates the knowledge gained from the mapping and treatment methods.  Also recently developed is the Invasive Free Zone Guidebook, which was written as a resource for those who would like to establish an IFZ elsewhere, and along with the Invasive Species Management Plan is available at the Whittlesey Creek NWR website. 

This IFZ is one of many parts of the strategic approach being undertaken for the Whittlesey Creek watershed.  The habitat restoration and enhancement provided through this project will benefit Whittlesey Creek and its important Lake Superior tributary fishery through the removal of invasive and less stable species such as buckthorn.  These invasive plants do not hold the streambank soils in place as well as native species, thus contributing to problems like siltation of coaster brook trout spawning sites.  Removal of the invasives and planting native conifers and other species will benefit the trout as well as other Service trust resources such as migratory songbirds. 

 

Ashland FWCO Demonstrates Bottom Trawling to Northland College Students
In cooperation with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the Ashland National Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office (FWCO) demonstrated the fish sampling technique of bottom trawling to two classes of students from Northland College, Ashland, Wisconsin.  Twelve students enrolled in the Superior Fisheries class and seven students enrolled in the Fisheries Science and Management class observed the operation of a bottom trawl net retrieved by a hydraulically powered winch aboard a 21 foot smallcraft trawler.  In addition, all students participated in sorting the catches by individual fish species with the target species being Eurasian ruffe, a nonindigenous invasive fish. 

Both classes are instructed by Dr. Derek H. Ogle, Associate Professor of Mathematics and Natural Resources, who described each of the classes as follows:  “Superior Fisheries is a quantitative reasoning course that focuses on the application of mathematics to Lake Superior issues with a primary focus on fisheries.  The trawling exercise with the USFWS was an opportunity for the twelve students to experience a resource-intensive sampling gear and a fish community (small forage fishes) that they would otherwise not get to see.  In addition, the data from ruffe captured during the experience were used in a variety of class projects to promote learning of mathematical and statistical concepts while also learning about invasive species in the Great Lakes watershed and ruffe in Chequamegon Bay.  Fisheries Science and Management is an upper-level course required for fisheries majors at Northland College.  One aspect of this course is for students to gain experience with a variety of field gears and to understand methods of sampling fish populations.  The trawling exercise with this class was more intensive than with the Superior Fisheries class so that students could gain more experience and see an additional fish community (deeper, off-shore communities).  Ruffe captured in the trawling were used to demonstrate biological processing including measuring length, weighing, and removal of calcified structures.  In turn, these data were used in size structure, catch-per-unit-effort, and length-at-age growth analyses”.

During reconnaissance for this bottom trawl demonstration in Chequamegon Bay, Wisconsin, an estimated 3,000-5,000 invasive ruffe were captured in one 5-minute tow.  Overall, an estimated 6,000-7,000 ruffe were captured, including both reconnaissance and demonstration trawling.  Young-of-the-year and yearlings appeared to be the primary age classes represented, which will be verified by the students.  Due to the success of the experience and the praise of the students, it is desired that this demonstration continue on an annual basis; a student project is already being considered for next years classes as a follow-up for that trawl demonstration. 

 

 

Public Use

 

Experiencing Ice Fishing on Lake Superior
Washburn Wisconsin High School students braved the cold weather and ventured onto the ice covering Lake Superior on January 11, 2008.  The students learned about ice fishing and ice safety as was part of Washburn High School’s Life Experiences physical education class.  Each student had a chance to drill a hole in the ice, bait and set up a tip-up, and practice jigging with an ice-fishing pole.  A few were successful in catching a yellow perch!  They were also taught about VHS (Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia) and learned how, as responsible anglers, they can help prevent the introduction and spread of harmful diseases and invasive species. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service staff from the Ashland National Fish & Wildlife Conservation Office and the Whittlesey Creek National Wildlife Refuge team-taught the class with High School teacher Sheri Collins.  This is the third winter that the Service has provided staff to teach this class on Lake Superior.  Several students had ice-fished before, but it was a new experience for many of them.  The objective of the class is to teach students that fishing is a life-long activity that anyone can participate in, and give them hands-on experience with it.  The Service also teaches students in this class about open-water angling in the spring and fall. 

 

 

Cooperation with Native Americans

 

 

Fall Walleye Surveys with the Great Lakes Indian Fish Wildlife Commission
Frank Stone completed a six week project assisting the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission in determining recruitment levels of juvenile walleye.  The objectives of these surveys were to estimate relative abundance of young-of-the-year walleye in several lakes of northern Wisconsin and Michigan.  The data from these surveys will be used in conjunction with spring population estimates, to set safe harvest levels for the 2008 tribal spearing season.  During the length of the project, Frank conducted fishery surveys on a total of 23 lakes.

These sampling efforts take place at night, when walleye activity is the highest and catch efficiency is maximized.  Using a boat electrofishing system, fish collection is relatively fast and efficient.  Both length data and scale samples were collected.  These data reflect the lakes recruitment values and are combined with the spring population surveys to yield the information needed to help determine the number of adult walleye that can be safely harvested. 

 

Red Lake Walleye Restoration Effort
The Ashland FWCO is continuing to work with the Red Lake Band of Chippewa, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, BIA and the University of Minnesota, to restore a naturally spawning population of walleye in Red Lake.  During a December 5th meeting, Frank Stone meet with the Red Lake Task Force Committee to discuss the walleye restoration program and performance indicators of this long term restoration effort. 

Several topics were discussed at this meeting: 

• Joint 2007 Assessment Report
• 2006/2007 Harvest Year Estimates
• Law Enforcement Updates
• 2008 Harvest Plans

 
Historically, the Red Lakes have provided food, recreation, cultural pursuits, and income to many people.  Government leadership, cooperation, and coordination have been paramount throughout the recovery process.  All parties have demonstrated a willingness to provide leadership by example to achieve the community support and involvement required to reach the goals of the Red Lake walleye recovery effort. 

 

Ashland FWCO Assist with National Scoring of the 2008 Tribal Wildlife Grants Program
Frank Stone assisted Regional Tribal Liaison, John Leonard, with the scoring of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s 2008 Tribal Wildlife (TWG) Grants Program. This was a national scoring process (conducted in Washington, DC) of resource proposals submitted by tribes throughout the United States.  A total of 22 proposals (totaling 2.5 million dollars) were reviewed.  Project topics ranged from conservation of Yellowstone cutthroat trout and eastern Olympic elk, status of freshwater mussels, riparian restoration, to increasing subsistence opportunities on tribal lands.

Each Region first had a review team score all proposals submitted to that region. The Regions then forwarded their top ranked proposals to the National Panel. The proposals that were reviewed at the national level included regionally ranked proposals that scored at or above the top 70%.  The TWG program will provide new funding opportunities to Tribes for activities that protect and restore habitats that will benefit fish and wildlife species of tribal significance.  The TWG program also supports the efforts of tribal governments to develop or augment the capacity to manage, conserve, or protect fish and wildlife species of concern through the provision of additional funding and technical support. 

 

Another Edition of the MTAN Goes to Print
The Ashland FWCO has the unique distinction of providing technical assistance for the development of numerous tribal fish hatchery programs.  One of the ways we contribute is by publishing a quarterly newsletter.  The Midwest Tribal Aquaculture Network (MTAN) is dedicated to assisting tribal hatchery programs through the sharing of cool/cold water fish culture information. The most recent addition of the MTAN (Volume 62) has just been completed and is now available on the Internet.   This quarter’s newsletter discusses: Water flowgates and Culverts and various equipment manufactures/suppliers.

The MTAN has been assisting tribal fish hatchery programs for the past seventeen years.  The rewards from this kind of technical assistance is in knowing we are providing information that enables hatchery programs to better utilize their resources and provide a healthier product for the fishery.  The MTAN has also helped to educate fish hatchery workers and direct them to other areas so they can better research their specific needs. Previous issues of the MTAN newsletters are now accessible from the Ashland FRO web page.  Readers can access this information by pointing their web browsers to:  http://www.fws.gov/midwest/ashland/mtan/mtanhome.html.   

 

Another Edition of the MTAN Is Now On the WEB
The Ashland FWCO has the unique distinction of providing technical assistance for the development of numerous tribal fish hatchery programs.  One of the ways we contribute is by publishing a quarterly newsletter.  The Midwest Tribal Aquaculture Network (MTAN) is dedicated to assisting tribal hatchery programs through the sharing of cool/cold water fish culture information.

The most recent addition of the MTAN (Volume 63) has just been completed and is now available on the Internet (http://www.fws.gov/midwest/ashland/mtan/mtan63/mtan_63.html).   This quarter’s newsletter discusses the Tribal Hatchery Programs of the Northern Great Lakes Region.

The objective of the MTAN is to provide current information that will help tribal aquaculture programs promote their specific resource needs. Often these needs will be equipment oriented, step-by-step procedural questions or perhaps just the need to contact another facility to ask how they would solve a particular problem.  The MTAN hopes its readers will use this resource to better understand the hatchery operations taking place in your area and to provide contact information to help solve any fish rearing questions you may have.

The MTAN has been assisting tribal fish hatchery programs for the past seventeen years.  The rewards from this kind of technical assistance is in knowing we are providing information that enables hatchery programs to better utilize their resources and provide a healthier product for the fishery.  The MTAN has also helped to educate fish hatchery workers and direct them to other areas so they can better research their specific needs. Previous issues of the MTAN newsletters are now accessible from the Ashland FWCO web page.  Readers can access this information by pointing their web browsers to:  http://midwest.fws.gov/ashland/mtan/mtanhome.html. 

 

Inouye Joint Fishery Assessment Steering Committee
Frank Stone participated in an annual meeting of the Joint Fishery Assessment Steering Committee held at the St Croix Indian Reservation.  Representatives from the Wisconsin DNR, the Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission, and Bureau of Indian Affairs meet to discuss 2007 inland walleye, bass and musky fishery surveys that were in-part, funded by the Steering Committee.  Fishery assessment data collected from spring/summer/fall surveys were presented as well as the 2008 lake assignments and a projected budget.  Additional discussion concerned the up-coming partners fishing day event now scheduled in June. The data collected from these surveys reflect the lakes recruitment values and will help to provide the information needed to determine the number of adult walleye that can be safely harvested by tribal spearing in 2008.  

 

Red Lake Walleye Restoration Effort
The Ashland FRO is continuing to work with the Red Lake Band of Chippewa, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, BIA and the University of Minnesota, to restore a naturally spawning population of walleye in Red Lake.  During a March 11th meeting, Frank Stone meet with the Red Lake Task Force Committee to discuss the walleye restoration program and performance indicators of this long term restoration effort. 

Several topics were discussed at this meeting: 

• The walleye fishery in Red Lake will again open for anglers in 2008.
• Natural reproduction and recruitment in the upper and lower Red Lakes have been exceptional.
• Sport anglers; 17-26" walleye will be protected; 3 fish bag limit, 1 over 26".
• Tribal anglers; 20-28" walleye will be protected; 10 fish bag limit, 1 over 28".

• Plans are being considered to once again activate the commercial fishery in 2008.  Fishing crews (4-8) will be hired by the tribe to set gillnets to help supplement the yearly catch. 
• Data was distributed that highlighted the winter 2007/2008 walleye harvest as well as the 2008 summer harvest plans.  Invasive species, northern pike assessments and lake sturgeon updates were also presented.
• The law enforcement effort on the upper Red Lake will continue to be significant.
• The forage fish trawling effort by the Ashland FWCO will again be needed in 2008.

Historically, the Red Lakes have provided food, recreation, cultural pursuits, and income to many people.  Government leadership, cooperation, and coordination have been paramount throughout the recovery process.  All parties have demonstrated a willingness to provide leadership by example to achieve the community support and involvement required to reach the goals of the Red Lake walleye recovery effort. 

 

2009 Tribal Wildlife Grant Program
The Ashland FWCO recently mailed an announcement to all our tribal contacts alerting them to the opening of the 2009 Tribal Wildlife Grant Program (TWG).  Our intent was to insure that tribal resource managers and biologist were alerted of this resource funding opportunity and to remind them to contact the Ashland FWCO for any technical assistance they may require. 

The TWG funds will be available for grants that will benefit fish and wildlife and their habitats, including species that are not hunted or fished. Although matching funds will be considered as an indicator of tribal commitment to a project, they are not required. The maximum award under this program is $200,000. The TWG program will provide funding opportunities to protect and restore habitats for fish and wildlife species of Tribal significance.  During the first six years of the tribal grant program, tribes in Region 3 were awarded 56 grants totaling $9,135,276. These grant programs also support the efforts of tribal governments to develop or augment the capacity to manage, conserve, or protect fish and wildlife species of concern through the provision of funding and technical support. 

 

Unique Features of the Tribal Wildlife Grant Program
At the request of John Leonard (Region 3 Tribal Liaison), Frank Stone assisted in the drafting of a document regarding the unique features of the Tribal Wildlife Grant (TWG) program and how performance measures could be used to evaluate completed TWG projects.  The TWG Program builds important partnerships through a competitive grant process with tribes to empower them to interact in the management of fish & wildlife species and to recover wildlife resources of tribal concern. 

The uniqueness of the TWG program is centered on its strong tie regarding tribal trust responsibility.  The Department of Interior bears a responsibility to collaborate with tribes to protect and restore fish and wildlife habitat and natural resources so essential to all Americans.  The TWG program is very unique in that it provides the financial bridge that connects the federal government’s responsibility to the tribal resource need.

The Service, acting through the TWG program, provides the tribes with technical assistance on an as needed basis.  No other grant program provides this kind of assistance, or the “additional layers” of technical assistance such as: Initial project conception, development of a project proposal and the follow-up evaluation after the project has been implemented. Having a project partner such as the Service also helps facilitate cooperative efforts and build relationships between federal, state and other non-governmental resource organizations.

Another unique characteristic of the program is that it provides funds for “public” resource management and enhancement projects that may enhance a “non Tribal” issue benefiting multiple resource users over a broad geographic area.  Since so many issues related to wildlife conservation are not contained by jurisdictional borders, the TWG program allows tribes to establish an unmet need and work with federal and state resource agencies to coordinate efforts to conserve endangered and threatened species, manage migrating birds, and lay foundations for good wildlife management.  The TWG program is very unique in that it is designed to “also” enhance no-game species and their habitats.

Several performance measures could be adopted to evaluate TWG projects:

1. Protect Cultural and Natural Heritage Resources
2. Improve Health Of Watersheds, Landscapes, and Marine Resources
3. Sustainability of  Biological Communities
4. Improve the Understanding of National Ecosystems and Resources Through Integrated Interdisciplinary Assessment
5. Provide for a Quality Recreation Experience and Access:

 

Fishery Surveys on the Keweenaw Bay Indian Reservation
At the request of the Keweenaw Bay (KB) Indian Community, Frank Stone assisted the KB Natural Resources Department with 3 inland lake surveys.  Using a boat electrofishing system, Light House Pond, 3rd Lake and Bishop Lake were surveyed to determine the species diversity and relative abundance of sport fish within those systems.  Data collected included fish species, length, scale samples, catch per unit effort and management recommendations for each lake.  The information gained from these surveys will be used by the KB Indian Community to determine future fishery management needs within these areas. 

 

Fishery Surveys on the Lac Courte Oreilles Indian Reservation
At the request of the Lac Courte Oreilles (LCO) Indian Community, Frank Stone, Mark Brouder and Katie Renschen assisted the LCO Natural Resources Department with 4 inland lake surveys.  Using a boat electrofishing system, Green, Ashegon, Christner and Mudd Lakes were surveyed to determine the species diversity and relative abundance of sport fish within those systems.  Data collected included fish species, length, scale/spine samples, catch per unit effort and management recommendations for each lake.  The information gained from these surveys will be used by the LCO Natural Resources Department to determine future fishery management needs within these areas. 

 

 

 

TWG Technical Assistance Request from the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa
Larry Wawronowicz (Deputy Administrator of Natural Resources) from the Lac du Flambeau (LDF) Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, requested that the Ashland FWCO review and comment on a Tribal Wildlife Grant (TWG) application for a project in 2009.  Staff biologist, Frank Stone read the draft document (The utilization of Cisco as VHS free forage fish, for extended growth Muskellunge fingerling production for stocking Reservation Lakes) and provided comments back to Mr. Wawronowicz.

In order to maintain a high level subsistence fishery, the LDF Conservation Department believes it’s necessary to raise muskie for stocking reservation waters. Before the increase of Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia (VHS), extended growth muskie fingerlings were produced by using wild or purchased bait fish.  The increase in the cost of bait fish is associated with the forage being VHS free and being able to provide the muskie fingerlings with the right size forage at the right time.  Currently, the Tribe has suspended raising extended growth muskellunge because of VHS and associated high costs of forage fish.  The LDF Conservation Department is proposing to develop and evaluate cost effective fish culture techniques to raise VHS free extended growth muskellunge fingerlings using lake herring as a forage fish.

Tribal resource programs throughout the United States will receive financial help in 2009 to initiate projects ranging from base line data collection and habitat restoration to the control of invasive plant species.  The TWG program provides new funding opportunities to Tribes for activities that protect and restore habitats that will benefit fish and wildlife species of Tribal significance.  TWG grants also support the efforts of tribal governments to develop or augment there capacity to manage, conserve, or protect fish and wildlife species of concern through the provision of additional funding and technical support.  

 

Another Edition of the MTAN Is Now on the WEB
The Ashland FWCO has the unique distinction of providing technical assistance for the development of numerous tribal fish hatchery programs.  One of the ways we contribute is by publishing a quarterly newsletter.  The Midwest Tribal Aquaculture Network (MTAN) is dedicated to assisting tribal hatchery programs through the sharing of cool/cold water fish culture information.

The most recent addition of the MTAN (Volume 65) has just been completed and is now available on the Internet (http://www.fws.gov/midwest/ashland/mtan_65.html).   This quarter’s newsletter discusses the issues of Biosecurity and Transportation of Fish in Bags.

The objective of the MTAN is to provide current information that will help tribal aquaculture programs promote their specific resource needs. Often these needs will be equipment oriented, step-by-step procedural questions or perhaps just the need to contact another facility to ask how they would solve a particular problem.  The MTAN hopes its readers will use this resource to better understand the hatchery operations taking place in your area and to provide contact information to help solve any fish rearing questions you may have.

The MTAN has been assisting tribal fish hatchery programs for the past seventeen years.  The rewards from this kind of technical assistance is in knowing we are providing information that enables hatchery programs to better utilize their resources and provide a healthier product for the fishery.  The MTAN has also helped to educate fish hatchery workers and direct them to other areas so they can better research their specific needs. Previous issues of the MTAN newsletters are now accessible from the Ashland FWCO web page.  Readers can access this information by pointing their web browsers to:  http://midwest.fws.gov/ashland/mtanhome.html

 

Ashland FWCO Assist with Regional Scoring of the 2009 Tribal Wildlife Grants Program
Frank Stone assisted Regional Tribal Liaison, John Leonard, with the scoring of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s 2009 Tribal Wildlife (TWG) Grants Program. This was a regional scoring process of resource proposals submitted by tribes throughout Region 3.  A total of 9 proposals were reviewed by Frank.  Additional proposals were also scored by other program staff: Sean Kelly - Migratory Birds, Lynn Lewis - Ecological Services, Dan Sobieck - National Wildlife Refuges, Jim Luoma – Fisheries and Bob Jackson - Bureau of Indian Affairs.  Once all the TWG proposals have been scored, the top 75% will be sent in for the National scoring portion of this grant program.

The TWG program will provide new funding opportunities to tribes for activities that protect and restore habitats that benefit fish and wildlife species of tribal significance.  The TWG program also supports the efforts of tribal governments to develop or augment the capacity to manage, conserve, or protect fish and wildlife species of concern through the provision of additional funding and technical support.  

 

 

Leadership in Science and Technology

 

Coaster Brook Trout PIT tagging Study Underway
Biologists from the Ashland FWCO and Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa are working cooperatively to examine tag retention, survival, and growth of fingerling coaster brook trout implanted with a PIT tag. Results of this study will help guide future tagging and stocking efforts of coaster brook trout in support of a long-term experiment to establish a coaster brook trout population in Whittlesey Creek; a coldwater tributary to Lake Superior. Prior to releasing PIT tagged coaster brook trout into Whittlesey Creek, a remote PIT tag sensing station will be installed near the mouth of Whittlesey Creek to allow for the detection of emigration of stocked fish out of the creek and into Lake Superior’s Chequamegon Bay.  Contact Mark Brouder.

Northland College Interns Receiving Valuable Training at Ashland FWCO
The Ashland FWCO has partnered with Northland College, Ashland, WI to provide valuable hands on training for 4 interns this year.  The interns are receiving valuable training in aging techniques, including scale and otolith interpretations; predator/prey studies analyzing stomach contents; net mending; computer use including developing databases, and other functions of the office. The four interns, Katie Renschen (pictured above), Tim Werner, Eric Vacha and Sean Luxem have been working 8 – 10 hours per week in the office.  Their interest and class levels vary, with Katie being a junior and interested in a job within the fisheries profession, to Tim, a sophomore looking at the natural resources field for employment, to Eric and Sean, both freshmen and checking out various field and office aspects of the fisheries and wildlife programs to decide a future employment goal.   Their hard work and enthusiasm in approaching their various assignments have helped the Ashland FWCO finish a number of tasks and everyone is looking forward to the upcoming field season to get out there and start it over again. 

Bad River Watershed Association Receives 2008 Volunteer Stream Monitoring Award
The Bad River Watershed Association (BRWA), a major partner with the Ashland FWCO, received the 2008 Volunteer Stream Monitoring Award at the Association’s annual event, “Spring for the Water”.  The award, for group effort in the statewide Water Action Volunteer program, is sponsored by the University of Wisconsin Extension office.

The Bad River Watershed Association was nominated by Fishery Biologist Glenn Miller on behalf of their work within the Bad River Watershed.  This watershed includes the Bad, White, Marengo, Potato and Tyler Forks Rivers.  The BRWA is involved with many types of monitoring work; including the process of surveying the 1300 road crossings for fish passage issues, water quality tests and invertebrate sampling.  There are 18 sites in the watershed that are sampled monthly for water quality testing.  The group formed because very little information existed about these parameters in the area.  At the Spring for the Water event, the Bad River Watershed Association Executive Director Michelle Wheeler accepted the award from Nancy Larson, Lake Superior Basin Educator with the UW Extension Office.  Along with Glenn, Pam Dryer and Frank Stone from the Ashland FWCO were also in attendance.  For more information about the BRWA or to sign up for their free quarterly newsletter, contact Michelle at 715-682-2003. 

 

USFWS Contributes to Review of Research at Isle Royale National Park
Isle Royale National Park is one of the most remote and unique wilderness areas in the U.S.  The park consists of one large island surrounded by about 400 smaller islands; it includes submerged land which extends 4 ½ miles out into the largest fresh water lake in the world. Due to Isle Royale's biological and ecological uniqueness, it was designated an International Biosphere Reserve in 1980. The Park is undergoing a comprehensive review of research activities on the island including the historic wolf-moose studies led by Michigan Tech. researchers and coaster brook trout work led by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.   Nine highly acclaimed academics from Alaska to North Carolina and points between have been contracted to provide review of existing activities and recommendations for future research at the island.

Henry Quinlan of the USFWS Ashland National Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office was among a group of presenters that addressed current and future natural resource activities at Isle Royale.  Mr. Quinlan presented information on USFWS work with coaster and stream dwelling brook trout and future plans for lake trout studies at Isle Royale to the panelists and participated in discussion of fish, wildlife and plant monitoring and research at Isle Royale National Park. Isle Royale is home to three of about a dozen populations of coaster brook trout remaining in Lake Superior.  Data collected by the USFWS such as age and size at maturity has contributed to management actions by the Park and Michigan DNR to help ensure the continued existence of coasters at Isle Royale. 

 

 

Aquatic Habitat Conservation and Management

 

 

Region 3 Coastal Program Completes Strategic Plan
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (Service) Region 3 Coastal Program – Great Lakes (CPGL) recently completed its initial 5 year strategic plan.  The Service’s East Lansing Ecological Services Field Office and the Ashland National Fish & Wildlife Conservation Office jointly administer the CPGL, and staff from both offices worked together to produce the final document.  Creating the CPGL Strategic Plan was a three year effort starting with the visioning process and ending with the plan. 

The CPGL is committed to maintain the strategic plan as a living document.  As we improve our ability to address trust resource issues in the Great Lakes, our guidance documents and approaches will change.  Specifically, the CPGL addresses each of the five Coastal Program goals established in the Vision Document by describing objectives, specific five-year performance measures, and key strategic activities.  As the CPGL pursues its goals, our biologists will work under the backdrop of adaptive management, always seeking to reassess and improve our capability and expertise, and ultimately, our conservation product.
At the onset of the strategic planning process, stakeholders across the Great Lakes provided insight into what internal and external factors were impacting the Coastal Program’s current performance or could impact future endeavors.  That input provided valuable direction for the design and content of the document.  Prevailing themes of Coastal Program strengths expressed by stakeholders included on-the-ground accomplishments, flexibility, technical expertise, and responsiveness to the needs and values of property owners and local communities.  As implementation of the CPGL Strategic Plan proceeds over the next five years, stakeholders will continue to provide valuable input as we all seek a common Great Lakes conservation product.
The challenges and resulting opportunities are great.  Comprising less than 25% of America’s land area, coastal counties are home to more than 50% of our total population—a share projected to swell to 75% by 2010.  Only 50% of the Nation’s wetlands remain; more than 70% of the Nation’s riparian habitats are lost or significantly degraded; and, coral reefs and submerged coastal vegetation continue to decline.  Further, less than 2% of the Nation’s rivers remain free flowing.  Consequences of habitat loss include decreases in fish and wildlife populations and many other natural, social, and economic impacts that have the potential to decrease quality of life. 

At the heart of the Service’s mission are the conservation and management of federal trust resource species:  migratory birds, threatened and endangered species, inter-jurisdictional fish, certain marine mammals, and species of international concern.  With a focus on voluntary, cooperative conservation, the Coastal Program works under the premise that fish and wildlife conservation represents a shared responsibility across all lines of interest and society.  To that end, the CPGL engages willing partners to conserve and protect valuable fish and wildlife habitat.  We provide funding, technical assistance, and planning tools needed to make on-the-ground conservation affordable, feasible, and effective in order to benefit Great Lakes trust species. 

 

Kabasa Wetland Restoration Project
The Kabasa wetland restoration project was recently completed and consisted of 4 wetland restoration sites totaling 5 acres.  Also included in the project was the enhancement of 10 acres of upland grass waterfowl nesting cover through a deferred haying/grazing agreement.  The restoration took place on former agricultural land in Bayfield County Wisconsin.  A Habitat Development Agreement was signed to protect the restored area for a period of 10 years.
Species benefiting from the habitat restoration and protection project include migratory waterfowl such as wood ducks, mallards and American black ducks, as well as migratory songbirds such as sedge wrens and song sparrows.  The landowner has been actively managing his entire 114 acre farm for wildlife and the restored wetlands and protected uplands will help enhance the entire property for federal trust wildlife species.  Partners on the project included the landowner, Bayfield County Land Conservation Department, Ducks Unlimited and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Ashland National Fish & Wildlife Conservation Office.  Funding from the Service was provided through the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program. 

 

Ashland FWCO Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program 2007 Accomplishments
The Ashland National Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office – Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program (PFWP) had one of its best years ever in 2007.  It completed 14 high quality wetland, upland, instream and fish passage fish and wildlife habitat restoration projects.  The projects focused on U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service trust resources such as migratory waterfowl and native brook trout.  The office worked with many partners to accomplish these projects.  Building strong partnerships locally as well as across the Great Lakes basin has long been the key to the success of the office’s habitat programs.  The majority of the credit for our habitat accomplishments belongs to the great landowners, conservation organizations such as Ducks Unlimited and Trout Unlimited, Native American Tribes, and the many government agencies which we work with on daily basis.

Total wetland and upland acres restored and protected through the PFWP in 2007 totaled 87.  These consisted mainly of wetland restorations as well as upland nesting cover to benefit migratory waterfowl and songbirds.  Projects which are pieces to watershed scale restoration of riparian forest cover were also completed.  In recent years our PFWP work has been focusing on brook trout habitat and this is evident by the huge increase in brook trout related restoration projects, and miles of stream restored and enhanced.  Twenty-one miles of stream were restored or enhanced for brook trout as well as other native and sport fish.  Seven fish passage projects were completed, opening 41 miles of habitat upstream of man-made barriers.  With many fish habitat barrier’s and restoration challenges to be met in 2008, the Ashland FWCO – PFWP looks forward to another great year in 2008. 

 

18 Mile Creek, it was a large undertaking and now it is completed!

Ashland FWCO has completed the largest fish passage project the office has undertaken to date.

18 Mile Creek is well known for its naturalized brown trout and brook trout fishery. Located near the town of Grandview, the creek meanders through central Bayfield County before joining the Long Lake Branch of the White River in the Bibon Swamp, a designated state natural area. 

The culvert at the crossing on North Sweden Road was perched at approximately 12” and was also a velocity barrier for most life stages of fish in 18 Mile Creek.   Over 16 miles of additional spawning and rearing habitat were blocked by this perched culvert.  Additionally, the 12’ x 65’ culvert was failing structurally, was not long enough to allow adequate slope coverage on the ends of the culvert, and was causing erosion to occur on the road edges.

Ashland FWCO met with town officials, Bayfield County Land Conservation Department (BCLCD) and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) Fishery Biologist Scott Toshner to discuss the replacement of the culvert.  After completing the pre-construction survey for the hydraulics of the system, the BCLCD, along with assistance from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) designed the engineering plan.  It was decided to replace the old pipe with a 12’ x 80’ culvert, thus allowing for a slope gradient of 2:1 for the road bed. 

The Town of Grandview contracted with K & D Excavating of Ashland, WI for assistance with the replacement of the culvert.  Construction started on September 10th and was completed on September 12th.  Approximately 6’ of road-fill needed to be removed to uncover the old culvert.  Along with the road bed covering the culvert K & D dug a by-pass channel to divert the creek through, as the flow is too large to be handled by diversion pumps.  It took two large excavators to remove the old culvert, along with a D-8 bulldozer.  Once the old culvert was removed, ground elevations were taken to set the new culvert at the needed elevation.  This is where the crew ran into a problem, as the old culvert was set on an old cement bridge foundation that no one knew was there. 

Ittook an afternoon to break this old abutment up and remove these concrete chunks.  After the proper elevation was obtained, it then took the three pieces of equipment to lower the two 12’ x 40’ sections into place.  The two culvert sections were then banded together and the process of filling and compacting around the culvert was begun.  Once the culvert had approximately a foot of fill over it the diversion channel was slowly opened, allowing water to flow into the new culvert.  The stream bed immediately began filling the bottom of the culvert and within 24 hours had head cut upstream approximately 75 meters and deposited 12 – 14” of fill in the culvert.  Both ends of the culvert were armored with large boulders and rock to prevent erosion and the area was seeded and mulched.

To assess whether this project would be successful in terms of allowing fish passage, the Ashland FWCO conducted a pre- and post- construction fishery survey.  In discussions with the WDNR it was suggested to survey the area above the culvert and mark all fish caught upstream.  All trout caught above 150 mm (6”) were fin clipped and moved down below the existing perched culvert.  It was felt that these fish wouldn’t be able to pass through the old structure and would only be able to migrate upstream once the culvert was replaced.  A crew went out on August 30th and a total of 172 trout were caught by electrofishing.  Of these 172 trout, 168 were brown trout and the other 4 were brook trout.   Out of these 172 fish, 57 were large enough to move below the culvert. 

On October 11th, after a good rain event finally occurred in the area, the Ashland FWCO, along with assistance from the Fishery Management class from Northland College, Ashland, WI, conducted the recapture run.  This run netted 113 trout, 8 brook trout and 105 brown trout.  No brook trout were recaptured, but a total of 26 brown trout were recaptured (upriver of the new culvert), for a 35% recapture rate.  Everyone involved were very happy with the construction aspects of the project and the successful up-river movement of these fish.  The Ashland FWCO is currently creating a video showing all aspects of the culvert replacement and fishery survey.  This video will be available to all interested parties by contacting the Ashland FWCO and requesting a copy. 

 

Final Barrier on Trout Brook is Removed
The final barrier, a large perched culvert on Silver Brook Road in the Town of Ashland, was replaced on September 18 & 19, 2007.  This perched culvert was blocking the last 5 miles of spawning/rearing habitat on Trout Brook Creek. With this culvert replacement, and work previous done to raise the plunge pool level and installing baffles in the concrete culvert at the Hwy 13 crossing, the entire 42 miles of the watershed for Trout Brook and its tributaries are now accessible for native and anadromous fish.  

Funding for the culvert, a 10’ x 48’ structure, was obtained by the Ashland FWCO through the Region 3 Fish Passage Program.  The pre-construction survey was conducted by the Ashland FWCO and Ashland Land Conservation Department (ALCD) and the hydraulic design for the culvert was engineered by ALCD in conjunction with Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).  The Town of Ashland provided man power and financing to hire the Ashland County Highway Department (ACHD) for the construction phase of the culvert replacement.

The replacement of this culvert was challenging as the old culvert was in very poor shape, with large segments partially rusted out.  Also, the culvert was in one piece, a 12’ x 40’ section, so it required two large excavators to raise the culvert.  Once the old culvert was out, the ACHD re-shaped the slopes on Silver Brook Road to accommodate the new culvert.  The finishing touches on the culvert were completed on the afternoon of the 19th, with the ACHD spreading a mulch covering over the disturbed areas.  This culvert replacement has made this stretch of Silver Brook Road safer for vehicle passage and fish friendly once again. 

 

Fiorio 07 Wetland Restoration Project
A Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program (PFWP) wildlife habitat restoration project was completed on the Fiorio Brothers Farm in November of 2007.  This area of agricultural land south of the city of Ashland, Wisconsin, is a focus for local restoration efforts to restore watershed health in the Chequamegon Bay area.  The project also falls within the Lake Superior Watershed focus area for Region 3’s PFWP.  The project consisted of 2 wetland restoration sites totaling 4 acres.  Also included was the enhancement of 36 acres of upland grass waterfowl nesting cover through a deferred haying/grazing agreement.  A PFWP Habitat Development Agreement was signed to protect the restored area for a period of 10 years.

The restoration took place on former agricultural land in Bayfield County Wisconsin. This newly restored and protected wetland and grassland complex will provide ideal resting and nesting conditions for many species of migratory songbirds and waterfowl.  Species benefiting from the habitat restoration and protection project include migratory waterfowl such as wood duck and American black duck, as well as migratory songbirds such as sedge wren and Le Conte’s sparrow. 

 

Five Price County Wisconsin PFWP Habitat Restoration Projects Completed in 2007
Five Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program Projects were completed in partnership with the Price County Land Conservation Department in 2007.  Working in conjunction with private land owners and the Price County Land Conservation Department, projects were completed on the Bennet, Gegenbach, Novak, Shreck and Stebnitz properties.  These projects are within the Upper Mississippi River watershed in Price County, Wisconsin.  Wetland habitat restored on the projects totaled 35 acres.  Upland migratory bird nesting cover around the projects totaling 11 acres was also enhanced and protected through management plans.  A PFWP Habitat Development Agreement was signed to protect the restored area of each project for a period of 10 years.  These wildlife habitat projects will benefit a host of species including mallards, wood ducks, blue-winged teal, northern harriers and Le Conte’s sparrows.  Partners on the projects included the Landowners and the Price County Land Conservation Department. 

 

Wildcat Creek Culvert Replacement Completed, Another System Restored in the Marengo River
With funding from the Region 3 Fish Passage Program, the Ashland National Fish & Wildlife Conservation Office (Ashland FWCO) and its partners completed a culvert replacement on Wildcat Creek.  Wildcat Creek crosses Ashland-Bayfield County Line Road in the Town of Lincoln, Ashland County, WI, and flows into the Marengo River. This watershed is part of the Bad River Watershed which is the largest on the southern shoreline of Lake Superior.  Native fish species, such as brook trout, sculpin and redhorse species inhabit Wildcat Creek, along with naturalized brown and rainbow trout, and provide spawning and nursery habitat for introduced coho salmon.  A flood in the area in the late 80’s had the town replacing the culvert and unfortunately it was not properly placed.  The upstream side was lower than the slope needed, causing pooling above and sub sequential rain events ended up creating a perched culvert on the lower end. 

The Ashland FWCO purchased the new 6’ x 60’ culvert, and the Town of Lincoln supplied manpower and funding to hire the Ashland County Highway Department to supply a large excavator for the construction work.  A pre-construction survey for the correct placement of the culvert was conducted by Ashland FWCO and the Ashland County Land Conservation Department (ACLCD).  Plans for the culvert replacement were engineered by the ACLCD with assistance from the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

 
A pre- and post- construction fish survey was also conducted by the Ashland FWCO to assess the culvert replacement.  The pre-construction survey was conducted on August 17, 2007, with assistance from interns Abby Purdy and Ryan Huber, UW Stevens Point students, working at the Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility, Red Cliff, WI.. A segment of creek below the culvert was surveyed with a backpack electrofishing unit and all trout species were collected. 

In this stretch 176 trout were captured, 86 brown trout, 50 brook trout and 40 rainbow trout.  All fish received a lower caudal clip, measured and released.  A segment above the culvert was also shocked, with a total of 64 trout captured, 37 browns and 27 brook trout. These fish received an upper caudal clip, were measured and released.  The recapture run was conducted on October11, 2007.  Assistance was provided by Dr. Derek Ogle’s Fisheries Science and Management Class, Northland College, Ashland, WI.   The same segments below and above the culvert were electrofished and all trout species were collected.  Below the culvert a total of 68 fish were captured, 47 brown trout, with 5 of these having the lower caudal clip (LC), 5 rainbow trout, with no recaptures and 16 brook trout, with 2 LC recaptures.  Above the culvert a total of 5 trout, 3 browns and 2 rainbows were caught.  Two of the brown trout were clipped, one with a lower caudal clip and the other an upper caudal clip.  It appears that the culvert is allowing fish passage and the inhabitants are now able to assess the upper reaches (5.1 miles) of Wildcat Creek. 

 

Gin Creek Is Running Clear Again
Gin Creek, a small but popular brook trout stream found in the Town of Ashland, Ashland County, WI, is now flowing clear again, at least for fish passage.  The Ashland FWCO has completed a culvert replacement on the Silver Brook Road crossing.  This improvement has opened approximately 3.7 miles to spawning/rearing habitat.  Two small, perched culverts were blocking upstream migration, and flow velocities in the culvert were also a problem for smaller fish.  Gin Creek is a tributary to Trout Brook, and joins just below the culvert that was replaced earlier in the year on Trout Brook.

 
Funds from the Region Fish Passage Program were used to purchase a new 6’ x 60’ culvert and the Town of Ashland supplied manpower and equipment along with funds to contract with the Ashland County Highway Department to do the excavation at the site.  Ashland County Land Conservation Department, along with Ashland FWCO conducted the preconstruction survey for the engineering plans and the ACLCD did the engineering plans for the site.  Construction started on August 8 and was finished on August 9, 2007.  The plans called for a 1% percent slope at this site, with the culvert being set with 25% of the culvert embedded.  Unfortunately this site had other plans, as the crew soon ran into bed rock below the old culvert.  With the excavator working on breaking up a channel in the bedrock we were able to set the culvert at a 1.5% slope, and embedded at around 18%.  It was decided to also set up a small series of step pools on the downstream side of the culvert and it increased the volume of water so that close to 25% of the culvert was filled with substrate and water.   

Even with the drought conditions experienced by Northern Wisconsin this year, Gin Creek is mainly spring fed so a decent flow was still flowing through the culvert.  Pre- and post- construction fish surveys were conducted by the Ashland FWCO.  The pre-construction survey was conducted on August 7, the day before construction started. A total of 14 brook trout and numerous creek chubs were found in the survey.  The brook trout ranged in size from 55mm to 190 mm.  Brook trout found below the culvert were given a lower caudal clip and the upper stretch was given an upper caudal fin clip.  The post construction survey was conducted on September 5.  It appeared that the fish hadn’t moved much, as there were no significant rain events before this survey.  A follow up survey is planned in the spring of 2008. 

 

Whittlesey Creek NWR Waterfowl Survey – 2007 Results
In order to assess waterfowl populations on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Whittlesey Creek National Wildlife Refuge, a waterfowl survey was initiated in 2005. Counts of waterfowl numbers and species use at the refuge and on Chequamegon Bay near the creek’s estuary are being conducted during the spring and fall migrations.  The survey aids Whittlesey Creek National Wildlife Refuge managers in planning habitat activities which will benefit fish and wildlife populations that utilize the area.
Survey runs conducted once a week during the 2007 spring and fall migrations, counted 5,993 ducks, geese and swans.  The numbers counted offer a weekly snap-shot of waterfowl populations in this small portion of the Chequamegon Bay area on a given day.  This gives Whittlesey Creek National Wildlife Refuge managers an overall sense of the individual species and numbers of migrating waterfowl.  Scaup were the most numerous species observed with 1,317 counted.  In the diving duck category they were followed by unidentified divers (875), common goldeneyes (780) and buffleheads (218).  Other species of divers and mergansers included ring-necked duck, redhead, canvasback, surf scoter, white-winged scoter and common, hooded, and red-breasted mergansers.  The most common dabbling ducks observed were mallards (830).  They were followed by unidentified dabblers (135), American black ducks (77), and American widgeon (40).  Other species of dabbling ducks included American green-winged teal, wood duck, and blue-winged teal.  A total of 19 species of waterfowl were observed, 11 species of divers and mergansers, 6 species of dabbling ducks, Canada geese and tundra swans.
Historically, Chequamegon Bay and it’s wetland estuaries hosted spectacular numbers of migrating waterfowl, but according to local accounts, numbers are now a mere shadow of what they were prior to the Second World War.  Three species common at the refuge, scaup, American black duck and wood duck are all regional and national conservation priority species for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.  While wood duck numbers are increasing nationally, scaup and American black duck numbers have been decreasing for decades.  The Chequamegon Bay area is an important migratory stop for a large number of scaup.  This survey and other work in the area will be important for the conservation of this declining species.  Habitat restoration and protection efforts at the refuge, federal, state, tribal and other lands in the area will hopefully help to boost populations of these and other waterfowl species which inhabit northern Wisconsin.

The survey is lead by the Habitat and Wildlife Branch of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Ashland National Fish & Wildlife Conservation Office in cooperation with Whittlesey Creek National Wildlife Refuge.  Volunteer help was received from Northland College student and local birding expert Eric Bruhnke as well as former U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Refuge Manager John Lindell.  Their many hours of dedicated volunteer service were essential in completing this year’s work. 

 

Woodcock Singing-Ground Surveys – Ashland FWCO 2008
The American woodcock is a popular migratory game bird throughout eastern North America.  The management objective of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is to increase populations of woodcock to levels consistent with the demands of hunters and non-consumptive users.  Therefore, reliable annual population estimates are essential for woodcock management. As part of the North American Woodcock Singing Ground Survey, Ted Koehler and Gary Czypinski surveyed singing ground routes in Ashland and Bayfield counties in northern Wisconsin.  The annual survey provides an index to the relative size of the woodcock breeding population and is the most important source of data used to guide the United States and Canadian woodcock programs.  Male woodcock give vocal calls described as “peents” and perform aerial displays called “flight songs” shortly after sunset as part of their courtship behavior.  The number of peenting males were recorded and the results entered into the national database. 

 

Ashland FWCO Assists with Western Great Lakes Region Owl Monitoring
Increasing concern about the distribution, population status, and habitat loss for nocturnal raptors have prompted partners of the Wisconsin and Minnesota Bird Conservation Initiative to begin monitoring owl populations.  Birds of prey occupy the top of the food chain and may be susceptible to environmental toxins and contaminants, making them important to monitor as indicators of environmental health. Due to their nocturnal behavior and time of breeding, owls often go undetected using traditional methods to monitor bird populations such as Breeding Bird Survey routes.  In 2005, a large scale, long-term survey to monitor owl populations was implemented in the Western Great Lakes region (Wisconsin and Minnesota).  Volunteers have been solicited to run one or two standard routes after dark and count the number and species of owls they hear. Pam Dryer of the Ashland FWCO and citizen volunteer Ellie Williams conducted a survey in early April as part of this effort.  The ten mile route followed along less traveled roads in and near Hayward, Wisconsin.  Volunteer efforts to monitor easily recognizable species are often cornerstones of bird monitoring in our nation.  Pam and Ellie hope to continue their route each year. 

 

Whittlesey Creek Cozy Corner Project
Whittlesey Creek has been a symbol of hope for watershed restoration for many years.  Its cold, constant flow has helped spawn and nurse trout and salmon.  Its landowners have taken on restoration and management practices to improve stream health and the Barksdale Town Board has restored fish passage and reduced sediment inputs at road crossings.  One such project, replacement of the Cozy Corner Road culvert, will restore fish passage to the entire Whittlesey Creek system this summer. A bottomless arch culvert will replace the 150 foot long damaged culvert that prohibits fish movement up or down the North Fork of Whittlesey Creek.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and its partners were successful in obtaining numerous grants this spring to keep the project alive.  The project is large, especially for a town road, so assistance from many partners was needed.  The most recent funding commitments made to the project are the $40,000 from FWS’s Great Lakes Coastal Program, $30,000 from the Wisconsin DNR’s Great Lakes Protection Fund, and $40,000 from the FWS’s Fish Passage program. With these commitments, Bayfield County Land Conservation Department can finalize the project design and bid the project for summer construction.  The Town of Barksdale is also making significant in-kind and material contributions to make it happen.

Fish passage barriers, in general, fragment aquatic habitat for many native fish species and for several naturalized salmon species.  In an intact watershed that is free of fish passage problems, fish are free to use the entire stream system as habitat. After a road interrupts stream continuity, fragmented populations are forced to survive independently. Over a short time, smaller populations are more likely to die of chance events, but over the long-term, genetic homogeneity and natural disturbances are likely to extirpate larger populations.  That is why this project could have major implications on the genetic integrity of the restoration of trout and salmon, including coaster brook trout, in Whittlesey Creek. 

Bay City Creek Estuary Enhancement Project
The Bay City Creek Estuary Enhancement Project was funded through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Coastal Program – Great Lakes and consisted of a community-based restoration project for Bay City Creek in Ashland, Wisconsin, between US Highway 2 and its confluence with Lake Superior. A key element to successful ecological restoration is timing and opportunity and the need existed to assist the City of Ashland as they faced the challenges presented with implementing their Waterfront Development Plan and Comprehensive Plan in this area.  The City has successfully implemented a Lakefront Trail through the area and is actively seeking to add additional public open space in the area as well. This project provided critical leadership to a restoration process that involved diverse partners and the community at large. Little was known about the current status of the area and the cumulative impacts of decades of misuse. Northland College’s Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute led the way on this project by engaging in an assessment of the area to determine status and trends including invasive species, water quality and ecological health. The dominant species in the riparian zone is black willow trees planted for stabilization purposes after flood events of the 1940’s creating an even-aged, single species overstory under which only invasive species will thrive. An integrated management approach was utilized to determine how to transition to more natural balanced condition and removal of hot spots of invasive plant species has taken place.  Additional monitoring and other work will also continue in the future.

Permanent reference sites were established for long term physical, chemical and biological monitoring. SOEI coordinated activities with the Ashland School District, Ashland Tree Management Advisory Board, Park Board, Waterfront Committee, and Beautification Council. This and previous efforts for Bay City Creek have demonstrated the strong historical and cultural ties residents of Ashland have with this resource. It has strengthened the community support system that recognizes the value of Bay City Creek and it’s estuary. The values of this feeder stream to the Chequamegon Bay ecosystem were quantified for use in future resource planning and promoted to establish long term stewardship by citizens.  Thus, the benefits of this Coastal Program project will be shared for many years to come. 

Nyra Wildlife Habitat and Whittlesey Creek Watershed Restoration
Nine acres of a hay field on private land within the boundaries of Whittlesey Creek National Wildlife Refuge were restored to native forest in the spring of 2008.  This project was a joint effort between the landowner and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (Service) Whittlesey Creek National Wildlife Refuge and Ashland National Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office.  Funding was provided by the Service’s Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program with in-kind labor and equipment contributed by the landowner.  Approximately 1000 trees were planted and the native species consisted of red pine, white pine and white spruce. 

This project comprises part of an overall restoration approach for the Whittlesey Creek watershed and will benefit migratory fish and birds.  The creek supports native brook trout and large runs of migratory fish from Lake Superior.  Studies have shown that deforestation in the area has contributed to the degradation of habitat in Whittlesey Creek and other streams.  In the past, the shading effect of the forest allowed for a gradual spring runoff period and lower peak flows.  Now with snowmelt occurring much faster in a more open landscape, the spring melt occurs very quickly, eroding banks and sending large amounts of sediment into critical fish spawning areas.  The restoration project will also benefit migratory birds such as the Canada warbler, olive sided flycatcher and American woodcock.  As outlined in Best Management Practices developed for the area, reforestation is critical to restoring the health of Wisconsin’s Lake Superior tributaries, and this project adds another piece to the Whittlesey Creek restoration puzzle. 

 

Butcher Knife Habitat Restoration Project
The Butcher Knife Stream and wetland complex cuts across the remote southwest corner of the Red Lake Indian Reservation in northwest Minnesota, and outlets into a channelized portion of the Clearwater River, which forms the southwest boundary of the Reservation.  The lower 4 to 5 miles of Butcher Knife Creek includes 4 shallow lakes 15 to 100 acres in size, which are referred to as the Butcher Knife Chain.  Historical accounts suggest that habitats associated with this drainage attracted large numbers of migrating and breeding waterfowl, due to abundant stands of wild rice and adjacent upland grassland nesting cover.  Channelization of the Clearwater River in the 1960's, extensive beaver activity, and lack of fire and other natural disturbance have altered the hydrology of this portion of the drainage and allowed upland sites to become over-mature.  These factors reduced the capacity of the drainage to support natural stands of wild rice, as well as the overall utility and attractiveness of the site to waterfowl and other wildlife.

This project restored the natural hydrology in the lower reaches of the creek and associated wetlands, and restored local habitats in an effort to increase use by waterfowl. Restoration efforts were undertaken in the stream channel along the lower 2.5 miles of the drainage, restoring a more natural water regime to approximately 200 acres of riverine/wetland habitat.   Natural strain of wild rice was seeded into select sites, and 50 waterfowl nesting structures were built and will be monitored.  Approximately 25 acres of upland were cleared and restored to an appropriate grassland mixture, and public access to select areas was improved. Working in partnership with the Red Lake Tribe and the Bureau of Indian Affairs – Circle of Flight Program, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Ashland Fish & Wildlife Conservation Office was involved in the project through the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program.  The restoration and enhancement efforts undertaken by this project have improved a large amount of habitat for the benefit of Service trust resources such as migratory waterfowl and songbirds. 

 

Oronto Creek Fish Habitat and Watershed Protection Project
The Oronto Creek project was completed early this summer with the help of many Lake Superior watershed partners.  The large and complex project stabilized 650 feet of catastrophically failing bank on Oronto Creek in Iron County, Wisconsin.  Oronto Creek is a Lake Superior tributary and hosts a population of native brook as well as other important recreational fishing species such as brown and rainbow trout.  The project took place approximately 1/3 of a mile from Oronto Creek’s confluence with Lake Superior and had the added benefit of protecting many acres of mature riparian forest habitat important to migratory birds.

Past land use practices had destabilized the project area, so the landowner, Iron County Land and Water Conservation Department, Iron County, Wisconsin Department of Agriculture – Trade and Consumer Protection, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) partnered to fix the problem.  The Service’s Ashland National Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office worked through the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program to provide coordination, funding and technical assistance.  Working together, the banks were stabilized to prevent siltation of instream and Lake Superior habitat.  To further benefit fish and the Lake Superior watershed, stream barbs were incorporated into the stabilization to provide fish habitat and bank protection.  Local contractor, Ross Peterson Construction of Hurley, Wisconsin, was hired to complete the project and a Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program Habitat Development Agreement was signed with the landowner to protect the project for a period of 10 years. 

 

Whittlesey Creek Farm Wetland Project Completed
Construction has finished on the Whittlesey Creek Farm Wetland Project.  This Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program (PFWP) project consists of one wetland restoration site with a total of ¼ of an acre.  The site is strategically located in the Whittlesey Creek priority watershed and will hopefully open the door to working with the landowner on further fish and wildlife habitat projects in the future.  The project will provide habitat for species such as mallards, wood ducks and blue-winged teal.  A PFWP Wetland Development Agreement was signed to protect the project site for a period of 10 years.  After the design was completed, the construction contract was awarded to Ashland Construction of Ashland, Wisconsin.  The landowner contributed to the success of this project through assisting with equipment operation and seeding. 

 

 

Workforce Management and Administration

 

 

New Habitat Chief for the Ashland FWCO
The entire staff of the Ashland FWCO would like to introduce our newest employee. Pam Dryer is the Habitat Chief of the Ashland National Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office (FWCO).   As the Habitat Chief, Pam leads cooperative conservation efforts throughout the Lake Superior Basin in support of the Great Lakes Basin Habitat Partnership effort under the National Fish Habitat Action Plan.  Pam was previously at the Whittlesey Creek National Wildlife Refuge where she worked as the Refuge’s first Manager for the past 7 years.  During that time, Pam led cooperative conservation efforts throughout the Whittlesey Creek watershed to help benefit natural resources and the aquatic and terrestrial habitats they rely on. Prior to joining the Fish and Wildlife Service, Pam owned and operated her own environmental consulting business in North Dakota.  Pam was also the Executive Director of the North Dakota Wetlands Trust, and worked for the North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department as Chief of the Natural Resources Branch. Pam also holds both a Masters and Bachelors Degree in Zoology from North Dakota State University. 

 

Washington Office Detail
The Ashland National Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office sent Ted Koehler on a one month detail opportunity to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Washington Office’s Division of Fish and Wildlife Management and Habitat Restoration in February and March of 2008.  While there Ted worked directly with the Branch of Habitat Restoration on multiple projects related to the Coastal Program and the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program.  Some of the efforts in which Ted assisted included the national summary of the Coastal and Partners Program’s strategic plans, development of the manual chapter for the Coastal Program and initial development of a habitat restoration training curriculum.  Ted gave a brown bag presentation while there, which featured the Ashland office’s 18 Mile Creek Fish Passage Restoration Project.  The detail also offered the chance to gain valuable insight into national level decision making processes and the work that is performed on a daily basis to restore and protect Service trust species.  

 

 

 

 

Bad River Watershed Association Fish Passage Workshop
The Bad River Watershed Association (BRWA) hosted a fish friendly road crossing workshop on April 15, 2008 at the Town of Morse town hall in Mellen, Wisconsin. At this training, local professionals were brought together to present an overview of fish friendly culvert installation for road crews and contractors within the Bad River watershed. It focused on reading and implementing engineering designs for fish friendly road-stream crossings.  Approximately 45 people were in attendance at the workshop which consisted of presentations in the morning and a field trip to project sites in the afternoon.  Michele Wheeler from the BRWA organized the event.  John Simonson of the Wisconsin DNR talked to the group about the permitting process.  Mike Pero from the Ashland County Land and Water Conservation Department spoke on designing fish friendly crossings.  Ted Koehler of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (Service) Ashland National Fish & Wildlife Conservation Office talked about impacts of crossings and sediment on native species such as brook trout and naturalized species such as brown and rainbow trout. 

This training is part of the BRWA’s overall watershed/landscape approach to dealing with the issue of fish passage in the Bad River watershed.  The BRWA Culvert Program includes conducting an inventory of all crossings in the Bad River watershed, identifying problem crossings with respect to fish passage and sedimentation, and working with towns and other local agencies to fix problem sites.  Five sites for crossing work have been strategically selected for restoration this summer. Two in the Town of Grand View on a tributaries to the White River, two in the town of Ashland on Billy Creek and one in the Town of Anderson on Montreal Creek. BRWA, Service and the Wisconsin DNR will purchase the pipes and/or provide funding for installation of fish friendly crossings for these crossings.  The respective county Land and Water Conservation Departments will provide survey and design assistance and the Towns will directly install or assist with the installation at the project sites.  The great working partnership developed in the Bad River Watershed serves as an example for other efforts around Lake Superior and the Great Lakes as a whole. 

 

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