DENR Fears Man Made Structures Killing Fish Habitat
BILL HITCHCOCK AUGUST 27, 2012
The North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources (NCDENR) is trying to find out if estuarine piers, docks, bridges and bulkheads are depleting the fishery habitat. For over two years now NCDENR has been mapping North Carolina’s 12,000 miles of estuarine shoreline in an attempt to create an online map showing all of these manmade structures and the effect on the environment they may have had. See the dozens of unique artificial fish habitat models at fishiding.com, the leader in true fish protection.
NCDENR is working on the premise that man-made structures are blocking sunlight thus reducing the amount of sub-aquatic vegetation necessary for fish survival and propagation.They want to see how big of a shadow is being cast by man-made structures over the waters of North Carolina’s 20 coastal counties.
US – A new report by Ecotrust has found that watershed and fish habitat restoration in Oregon has created jobs and generated $977.5 million in economic activity between 2001 and 2010.
“Restoration can drive economic development and job creation, particularly in rural communities that have suffered from persistently high unemployment rates,” said Spencer B. Beebe, president and founder of Ecotrust. “And, unlike in many other sectors of our economy, restoration jobs can’t be outsourced to far-off places.” See the dozens of unique artificial fish habitat models, fish attractors and fish cover at fishiding.com, the leader in proven science based, fish protection.
Restoration projects create jobs for construction workers, landscapers, heavy equipment operators, and technical experts such as engineers and wildlife biologists. Restoration projects also create demand for local businesses, such as plant nurseries, quarries, and others.
Restoring habitat also benefits the economy in the long term. Habitat improvements intended to bolster fish runs promise to increase sport and commercial fishing opportunities in the coming years — already big business in Oregon.
“Habitat restoration jobs pay dividends twice, first in creating good, local jobs immediately, and then, for many decades to come, through increased benefits from fisheries, tourism and resiliency for coastal communities,” said Eric Schwaab, assistant administrator for fisheries for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. NOAA provides technical expertise and funding to restore coastal, marine, and migratory fish habitat in Oregon and around the nation.
A recent national study published in Marine Policy analysing job creation and other economic impacts from NOAA restoration projects found that an average of 17 jobs were created for $1 million invested. That rate of job creation is significantly higher than other industries, including coal, natural gas, or road and bridge construction.
Congressman Earl Blumenhauer, who represents Oregon’s third district and recently introduced HR 6249, the “Water Protection and Reinvestment Act,” a bill that calls for investment in clean water infrastructure across the nation, commented: “For too long, we have treated our rivers and waterways like machines to the detriment of water quality and quantity. Investing in restoration not only improves habitat for fish and wildlife, it creates jobs and bring much needed revenue to local communities. Oregon has tremendous opportunities for restoration that can serve as a model for the rest of the nation.”
A recent University of Oregon report found that an average of 90 cents of every dollar spent on restoration stays in the state, and 80 cents of every dollar spent stays in the county where a project is located. For example, of the nearly $400,000 invested to restore Little Butte Creek in Southern Oregon from 2009–2011, 72 per cent was spent in Jackson County, and 97 per cent was expended in Oregon. Over half of those dollars went to salaries that directly benefit Oregonians.
Mike Herrick, Owner of Aquatic Contracting said: “Over the last 10 years, restoration projects have allowed us to provide sustainable livings for our employees. They can use their skills in construction and feel good about what they are doing. We have grown from just a couple of employees to as many as 20. Without this funding we would not be able to provide these opportunities and support the local economies where we work.”
Bringing Back the Fish: Michigan Sea Grant Oversees Successful Habitat Reconstruction
By Stephanie Ariganello, Michigan Sea Grant
Plan for the fish habitat restoration project. Credit: Michigan Sea Grant
The unmanned camera bounced along a rock reef on floor of the St. Clair River. Researchers watched the monitor. Then a long, dark shape came into focus and another and another. The looming figures were lake sturgeon. The team whooped at the discovery: the restoration was working and much sooner than anticipated.
The goals of the project are to:
Construct one acre of fish spawning reefs connected to 14 square miles of nursery area in the St. Clair Delta.
Enhance the reproduction of native fish.
Restore fish habitat and help delist the St. Clair Area of Concern.
“It is science in action,” said Jennifer Read, assistant director of Michigan Sea Grant and project lead on the St. Clair River Middle Channel Restoration project. “This is the kind of research project where we’re performing research not just to learn new things, but to apply what we’ve discovered. And with this project, we’ve been rewarded with early success.”
The lake sturgeon were congregating on rock reefs installed as part of the restoration project in the St. Clair River, led by Michigan Sea Grant. The project focuses on restoring fish spawning habitat in order to add young fish to the stocks of several endangered or threatened fish species in Michigan, including lake sturgeon, mooneye, northern madtom catfish and river redhorse suckers. Valuable commercial and sport fish such as walleye, lake whitefish and perch are also expected to use the reefs for spawning.
“Obviously there was a need for more spawning habitat based on the immediate response by the sturgeon,” said Terry Heatlie, habitat restoration specialist with NOAA Fisheries Restoration Center, Great Lakes Regional office. “It’s special because this would not have happened without the restoration project, without restoring spawning habitat in the river.”
click to expand imageReef habitat restoration in the St. Clair River Middle Channel. Credit: Michigan Sea Grant
When given enough time, Heatlie said, some land or water issues heal themselves. With habitat restoration, that is not typically the case. It requires intervention. The construction was completed in June. Nine rock reefs were created, providing an acre of restored fish spawning habitat in the river.
The St. Clair River connects the waters of Lake Huron to Lake St. Clair, where water then flows through the Detroit River and eventually into Lake Erie. The channel is a major shipping route and forms a border between the U.S. and Canada. Because of its location in the heart of the Great Lakes, the restoration has potential to benefit waters upstream and downstream of the construction. The restoration efforts could also provide cultural and economic benefits, bolstering commercial and sport fishing and contributing to a higher quality of life in an area currently listed as an Area of Concern under the U.S.-Canada Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement.
In the early 1900s, the rivers connecting Lakes Huron and Erie were widened and deepened to accommodate larger, modern commercial shipping vessels. Dredging and depositing the materials in different locations in the river damaged fish spawning sites — and subsequently, fish populations.
click to expand imageResearchers inspect egg mats as part of the Middle Channel Restoration project. Credit: Michigan Sea Grant
“That’s what is really unique about the Middle Channel project,” said Read. “It reflects over ten years of work performed by a multi-agency science team tackling increasingly complex questions over a large geographical area. It represents a successful, system-wide approach to restoration.”
Researchers surveyed the new reefs and collected eggs. It was confirmed. Lake sturgeon successfully deposited and fertilized their eggs on the reefs and the eggs produced viable sturgeon larvae.
Post-construction assessments are planned to ensure the Middle Channel Reefs are being used by a variety of fish species. The goal, aside from reestablishing the habitat, is to help remove the St. Clair River from the bi-national list of Areas of Concern. Two more spawning reefs for native fish are being planned for the St. Clair River in 2013 and 2014, as part of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.
This unusual barge can deposit several tons of rock into the lake to help create new fish habitat. / Missouri Department of Conservation
Written by
David Casaletto
Executive Director, Ozarks Water Watch
The Missouri Department of Conservation uses this unusual barge to dump heavy rocks or tree stumps into Table Rock Lake to help improve fish habitat. MDC also uses a different ‘fish habitat barge’ to deposit trees and brush piles into the lake. / Missouri Department of Conservation
Table Rock Lake is more than 50 years old.
When the lake was created, much of the Ozark forest was flooded, and the trees and brush provided cover for the lake’s fish populations. But after 50 years, most of that fish habitat has disappeared.
In 2007, the Table Rock Lake National Fish Habitat Initiative (NFHI) project began with the primary objective to improve fish habitat in Table Rock Lake. Additional goals include: Improve the water quality of Table Rock Lake and its tributaries, monitor the effectiveness and longevity of habitat structures, and develop a framework for a broader national habitat program.
Project partners include the Missouri Department of Conservation, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Bass Pro Shops, The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Southwestern Power Administration, Ozarks Water Watch, Table Rock Lake Water Quality, James River Basin Partnership and other private groups and citizens.
To improve habitat, the Initiative project places cedar trees, hardwood treetops and recycled Christmas trees in the lake to create habitat with a “fish habitat barge.” The barge was built for this purpose by Tracker Marine in Lebanon, Mo. It is a large pontoon-style boat with a hydraulic lift on the front that raises and dumps the habitat into the lake.
Another barge called the “rock barge” is contracted to place larger (and heavier) habitat structure consisting of rocks, boulders and stumps. The state conservation department gets these materials from developers, contractors and landowners who are clearing land and need to dispose of them.
To date, 1,810 brush piles, 104 rock structures, 76 stump fields, 11 stump/rock combinations and 26 rock “fence” structures have been installed for a total of 2,027 new habitat structures in Table Rock Lake. These structures were placed in areas and depths that are available for fish during most of the year.
They have been located by positioning systems and can be found (and downloaded) on the department’s website at:http://newmdcgis.mdc.mo.gov/tablerock/. In addition, the department has placed green signs on the shoreline near some structures.
The Initiative also recognizes that water quality is a critical component of fish habitat. Funding has been contributed to the James River Basin Partnership, Table Rock Lake Water Quality and Ozarks Water Watch for cost sharing to homeowners to pump out septic tanks and replace failing septic systems.
These water quality organizations have combined over the past five years to pump out more than 2 million gallons of septic effluent and replace more than 100 failing septic systems.
All participants receive a packet of water quality educational materials and septic system maintenance information. Funds are still available to share the cost for pumpouts and for replacing failing septic systems.
To monitor and evaluate the Initiative structures that have been placed in Table Rock Lake, the state conservation department has designated four evaluation techniques: fish sampling, Scuba observations, an angler survey and a black bass biotelemetry study.
By monitoring fish use of the habitat structures, the department is learning what techniques and designs work best for placing habitat during the remainder of the Initiative project and in other lakes in Missouri. Information gathered from the evaluation will allow the department to share ideas and techniques with other state agencies that are working to improve fish habitat in reservoirs.
By all accounts, this is a success story, but is that area going to be loaded with fish? Will a fisherman always be able to find fish off those trees? The only way to find out is to get out there and fish those areas. And the only way for biologists to know if the project is working is if anglers let them know.
I was recently contacted by J Harmon, President of the Protect lake Dunlap association in New Braunfels,Texas. He explained to me their struggle with the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority over existing small diameter standing timber being hazardous to recreation use. Apparently, The GBRA has denied the cutting of these stumps to protect fish habitat and recommends marking these areas off to boat use which has the residents upset.
The PLDA’s plan is to draw down the reservoir and shorten the existing hazards about eight feet from normal surface elevation. I’m told there are hundreds of them and already have caused many accidents and property damage. J says the average depth is about 15 feet, so when cut, they would still stick up about 6-8 feet off the bottom, root ball intact.
After cutting, they plan to set one of our PVC habitat units on the remaining stump and fasten it there for good. This would increase the square footage of surface area approximately three times. The thinking is, with our units within six feet of the surface as water fluctuates, boats, skiers and water craft will be safe, including the fish. J and the group understand the benefits of not only keeping as much existing habitat as possible but to continue to add more habitat. The cut off tops would be kept and fastened to the remaining trunk too.
They have a full understanding of the science behind periphyton, nutrient removal and fish production and feel unwavering in their decision to work with only us in their efforts.
Senator Jeff Wentworth supports PLDA. With his intervention and the phone call from Gov. Rick Perry, GBRA’s action item #8 was tabled. The PLDA has been granted 30 days, (less now) to present their case for a final decision of what will be allowed. The General Manager and staff continue to meet with representatives of Lake Dunlap, enforcement officers, and fishery experts to evaluate the current no-wake area designation and alternative options to provide water safety and assure a balance of all uses including the preservation of fishery habitat and funding mechanisms, and to continue to review and develop alternatives that address congestion and lake boating conflict uses on Lake Dunlap and to report back to the Board at its next regularly scheduled meeting in August 2012.
What I’m asking of you once again is your opinion, hopefully your support. Can you find any adverse effects of removing these hazardous stumps as long as the habitat is replaced in other ways/forms? Can you comment on the benefits of the artificial habitat we produce and results you have seen? What can we expect to see in a 300 % increase in available cover for the fishery? With our help, the PLDA intends to present their plan for approval as a landmark decision for the state of Texas. Safety for the residents and fish is the priority of both sides, in that order. All parties involved want to save and increase fish habitat. Wood is good, just not where people get hurt. Send replies to either Jarod or myself at david@fishiding.com Thanks.
Part of the Muskegon Lake shoreline where debris is being removed and stabilized with native vegetation to restore coastal habitat.
In Muskegon, Michigan we are restoring wetlands and stabilizing shorelines at 10 separate locations. The effort is helping Muskegon Lake, the Muskegon River and Lake Michigan recover from impairments to wetlands and the loss of fish and wildlife. See the dozens of unique artificial fish habitat models, fish attractors and fish cover used at fishiding.com, the leader in proven science based, fish protection.
Money spent on restoration is also helping to stimulate the local economy: the project produced a 6-to-1 return on the investment.
The ecological benefits of this project are clear. Our partners will remove more than 200,000 tons of sawmill waste and demolition material from shallow water and wetlands. They will replace 10,000 feet of hardened shoreline with native vegetation and restore nearly 24 acres of wetland. These changes will help fish and other wildlife return to their native habitat.
The economic benefits are clear as well. We invested $10 million in the project with our partner, the Great Lakes Commission.
A study undertaken by the Commission suggests that the project will generate:
a $12 million increase in property values,
$600,000 in new tax revenues annually
more than $1 million a year in new recreational spending in Muskegon
65,000 additional visitors annually
an additional 55 cents in the local economy for every federal dollar spent
All told, for a $10 million investment, the project will create $66 million in economic benefits. The project will also create jobs in an area with an unemployment rate higher than 12 percent, while creating healthier habitat and more fish.
Conservation groups, lake associations and local governments can help improve fish habitat and water quality through a Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) grants program. Read more…………fish
The new box culvert and open channel to Long Island Sound, which restored fish passage and tidal flows to the salt marsh. Volunteers installed the dune grass plantings.
We have a lot to learn from nature about teamwork. In fact, natural systems prove time and again that the intricate partnerships between air, water, soil, nutrients and plant and animal species breed success. So why, whether a singular agency, organization or landowner, would we ever think that we could “fix” a problem like fish habitat degradation alone? See the dozens of unique artificial fish habitat models, fish attractors and fish cover used at fishiding.com, the leader in proven science based, fish protection.
Well, we’re not trying to do it alone anymore. Just this week, I was able to represent USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and speak to a nationwide group of conservation partners about how we follow nature’s lead and partner for impact.
We were gathered at The Nature Conservancy headquarters to celebrate the Memorandum of Understanding between the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce and Interior to implement theNational Fish Habitat Action Plan (NFHAP). This is a plan that leverages partnerships for collaborative, science-based conservation that yields results for species recovery and sustainability—a priority for NRCS.
NFHAP steers federal resources towards voluntary conservation strategies developed by grassroots fish habitat partnerships. The plan works by combining federal, state and private funding sources to achieve the greatest impact on fish populations through priority conservation projects.
Last spring in Long Island Sound, we and our partners restored tidal flow to a 78-acre tidal marsh by removing metal culverts—barriers to fish passage—and reconnecting 3 miles of stream to Bride Lake, a lake that now provides spawning habitat for river herring. In the second operating season, an electric fish counter recorded almost 197,000 river herring passing through the newly opened channel.
The small alewife species of herring swimming up the newly opened channel to spawn in Bride Lake.
This is only one example of the hundreds of ongoing projects fostered through the National Fish Habitat Partnership action plan. And NRCS is pursuing many exciting opportunities like this every day. The partnership approach stretches public dollars further because it engages the private sector in helping tackle shared priorities while connecting local conservation partnerships to achieve the best possible results. By combining resources we are increasing “boots on the ground” in priority areas to make a measurable impact.
Today, I followed up with our partners to outline the upcoming actions NRCS is taking on both the east and west coasts in support of the partnership. In Puget Sound, on Washington’s coast, we are making additional commitments to protect and build habitat for the Pacific salmon. In Long Island Sound, we are making resources available for efforts to restore shellfish habitat and oyster populations decimated during hurricane Irene.
At NRCS we are about not just the health of soil, air and water, but also the living ecosystems that make our natural resources so significant. Working lands and living waters create natural partnerships between the communities of sportsmen, agriculturists, environmentalists and wildlife enthusiasts. There is a place in nature for all of us to come together—starting with conservation partnerships! Posted by NRCS Assistant Chief James Gore
The sportfishing industry applauds the Secretaries of Interior, Agriculture and Commerce who signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to promote interagency collaboration on the implementation of the National Fish Habitat Action Plan (NFHAP), a science-based partnership that seeks to protect, restore and enhance fish habitat on a range-wide scale. The agreement will streamline agency efforts and ensure that federal resources are employed in the most effective and efficient manner possible.
The NFHAP was established in 2006 in response to the declining condition of waterways and fish habitat across the country. Through 18 Fish Habitat Partnerships, federal, state, tribal, local and private interests collaborate to conserve and restore fish habitat. This non-regulatory initiative is the most comprehensive effort ever attempted to voluntarily conserve freshwater, estuarine and marine habitats nationwide.
Bass habitat
“The recreational fishing community is committed to the conservation and improvement of our waterways and it is gratifying to see the Administration strengthen its commitment to the NFHAP as well,” said Gordon Robertson, American Sportfishing Association vice president. “Our aquatic resources play a large role in the quality of our lives. Healthy waterways and robust fish populations are vital to the well-being of our society and sustainable fisheries, providing recreation, clean water, food and more.”
“This is a big step for our federal partners, who see the value of our strategic approach to conserving fish habitat,” said Kelly Hepler, chair of the National Fish Habitat Board who is also with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. “Our coordination and involvement with federal agencies has really grown since 2006 and I think today marks a significant day in recognizing that.”
“The NFHAP not only conserves our waterways and fishery resources, it fuels a great economic engine,” said Mr. Robertson. “Recreational fishing has a $125 billion impact on our nation’s economy. The economic, social and conservation benefits of recreational fishing would not be possible without the commitment made by programs like NFHAP to ensure our nation’s waterways are clean, healthy and abundant with fish. Over the years, NFHAP has proven that a small federal investment will benefit all Americans and the resources that we depend on for livelihood and leisure.”
Between 2006 and 2010, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service provided $12 million to support 257 on-the-ground conservation projects in 42 states, leveraging $30 million in partner match, to address the priorities of the Fish Habitat Partnerships. This investment in turn creates jobs and provides economic benefits as results of healthier waterways and increased recreational fishing activity. Investment in the NFHAP since 2006 has generated nearly $1 billion in value and supported over 20,000 jobs. That is a return of over $20 for every dollar spent and one job supported by every $2,400 invested.
Fish attractors by fishiding
“Our next step is to have Members of Congress get on board with this important initiative,” said Mr. Robertson. “The National Fish Habitat Conservation Act (S.1201), introduced by Sen. Lieberman (I-Conn.), will formally authorize and establish a funding source for the NFHAP, providing much needed support for aquatic habitat restoration and conservation across the U.S. Together with the support of the Administration and Congress, we can expand upon the tremendous strides already made by NFHAP in restoring our nation’s waterways.”
WYANDOTTE — Friends of the Detroit River extends an invitation to get together March 31 at the Wyandotte Boat Club for the annual Detroit Riverkeeper fundraising dinner.
The goal of the dinner is to raise funds to help support the Detroit Riverkeeper program and the patrol work that Riverkeeper Robert Burns does along the Detroit River.
The dinner will be held at the rowing club’s facility in the Wyandotte Boat Club’s second-story banquet room, which overlooks the Detroit River. The facility is at 1 Pine St, east of Biddle Avenue and south of Eureka Road, across from the Portofino restaurant parking lot.
Doors open at 6 p.m. for socializing, followed by a catered dinner at 7 p.m.
Friends of the Detroit River is a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting and improving the waters and habitats along the river’s watershed. After dinner, a presentation will be given on three Great Lakes restoration projects the group is working on along the Detroit River.
According to Burns, the group received $3.2 million in grants on behalf of the Detroit River Area of Concern’s Public Advisory Committee from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Great Lakes Restoration Initiate funds to do the projects. Two of them are on Belle Isle and one is along the shoreline of U.S. Steel-Great Lakes Works’ facility in Ecorse and River Rouge.
The first project on Belle Isle will be at the south fishing pier, just below the Coast Guard station, and will involve the creation of a fish habitat area behind the pier, along with some shoreline restoration.
The second Belle Isle project will be to open up the landlocked Blue Heron Lagoon lake, at the upper end of the island, to the river.
“This will allow fish from the river to be able to access this 40-acre shallow wetland lake, adding valuable fishing habitat for spawning and a nursery area for fish that hatch in the upper river,” Burns said.
The third project is between the Great Lakes Steel Boat Club and the 80-inch rolling mill on the U.S. Steel site. Burns said this shoreline has some natural features on a section of the site not being used by the facility.
“The project is currently proposing to enhance an existing 300-feet rock shoal that will provide additional fish habitat,” he said. “The shoreline will also be enhanced with emergent native vegetation, and about five acres of upland area will be replanted with native trees, bushes and vegetation to provide habitat for local wildlife and migratory birds.”
All three projects are expected to begin by this summer.
The fundraiser will include a cash bar, music, a raffle and a silent auction. Advance tickets are $50 per couple, $30 for a single ticket and $15 for children.
“Come join us for a pleasant evening of networking and socializing,” Burns said.
For more information about the event and to purchase tickets, call 1-734-675-0141 or visitdetroitriver.org.By Jim Kasuba
The new box culvert and open channel to Long Island Sound, which restored fish passage and tidal flows to the salt marsh. Volunteers installed the dune grass plantings.
The small alewife species of herring swimming up the newly opened channel to spawn in Bride Lake.
