StructureSpot

StructureSpot

Tag: artificial fish attractors

Remove carp from Lake Puckaway to improve game fish habitat

Posted on by david
area for habitat installation
habitat along shoreline

Removal of carp from Lake Puckaway to improve fish habitat got off to a good start last year after a massive game fish kill on the lake in 2009 halted the carp project for a year.

A little over one million pounds of carp were taken from the lake starting in November of last year by a commercial fishing business — the La Crosse based Monsoor Fishing Company, which sells the carp to fish distributors. See the dozens of unique artificial fish habitat models, fish attractors and fish cover used at fishiding.com, the leader in  science based, proven, fish protection.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has renewed the company’s contract for this year to continue its carp removal efforts from Lake Puckaway located west of Oshkosh in Green Lake County.

The possibility exists that upwards of four to five million pounds of carp could be removed from the lake in the next few years in continuing efforts to clean up the invasive species and provide a better habitat for game fish.

Officials from the DNR said so far they’re also pleased with the Monsoor Fishing Company and its efforts to remove carp.

“We’ve been working with them and they’re taking out a good number of carp,” said Dave Bartz, a DNR fisheries biologist in Wautoma. “They have good equipment and are experienced and professional.”

It was a much different story two years ago when an Ohio man and his crew workers committed a huge blunder while removing carp from the lake.

Ron Bruch, DNR fisheries supervisor in Oshkosh, said they didn’t properly handle the carp removal and as a result there was a pretty substantial killing of game fish, including a sizeable number of walleye.

“They killed about 10 percent of the walleye stock. It didn’t have any measurable effect on the fisheries, but we would have preferred the walleye still be in Lake Puckaway,” Bruch said.

Timothy J. Smith of Swanton, Ohio, who had the contract to remove the carp, pleaded no contest to three counts of unlawful possession of fish and two counts of possessing illegal fish in Green Lake County Circuit Court in September of 2010.

He entered into a deferred prosecution agreement on a felony charge of violating fish dealing rules. A Jan. 17 motion hearing has been scheduled to possibly revoke the agreement for failure to make payments on fines levied for the violations.

The fish kill came to light on Nov. 27, 2009 when a shoreline property owner reported seeing piles of dead fish along the shore in the town of Marquette. DNR agents went to the scene and found thousands of dead fish. The number of game fish, which included highly prized walleye, white bass and northern pike, was estimated at more than 3,300.

Their value was placed at $8.75 each, according to a criminal complaint.

The fish became stressed and many of them died when Smith failed to remove the game fish from his carp nets as required.

Carp studies underway
A major theory behind the carp removal is to improve the habitat so game fish can thrive on Lake Puckaway.

Bruch said carp mess up water clarity by rooting up vegetation beds, which destroys habitat the game fish population needs to be successful and stable.
“We’re hoping to remove some of the carp so the habitat will be less influenced by carp left there,” Bruch said.

Phil Malsack, chairman of the Lake Puckaway Protection and Rehabilitation District, said not only will game fishing improve on the lake with fewer carp, but is also a plus for water fowl, including Forster’s Tern, who nest on the lake in what he called “floating mats of vegetation.”

“With fewer carp there will be more vegetation and expand the opportunities for terns to nest,” Malsack said.

Bruch said attempts have been made to remove carp on Lake Puckaway and other area waters for about 100 years, but with no lasting results so far.

Bruch said the current carp management strategy on Lake Puckaway is much more than taking fish out of the water. He said the DNR is doing additional monitoring and studies of carp in partnership with the Lake Puckaway Protection and Rehabilitation District.

Bruch said the Lake Puckaway group provided $7,000 for sonic telemetry tags surgically embedded into 20 carp from Lake Puckaway this past November. He said the tags should help define where carp call home and how fast they grow and die.

“We’re trying to define the stock size of the carp and to figure out the home range of the carp and do they move long range,” Bruch said. “We want to know just what are the dynamics of the carp population in Lake Puckaway.”

He said the tags should also allow DNR personnel to build mathematical models to see what level carp can be removed to negatively impact their population long term.

“Understanding the fish better will provide critical insight into whether carp removal will ever be effective,” Bruch said.

Carp sold for consumption
Jedd Monsoor, who operates the Monsoor Fishing Company with his father, Tom, said carp from Lake Puckaway range from five to 35 pounds and are sold to fish distributors in the Midwest and east coast, where carp are considered a delicacy.

Monsoor said a mile of netting is placed in the lake and airboats are used to scare fish — from carp to a variety of game fish — into the nets.

“We pick out the game fish and immediately release them back into the lake,” Monsoor said.

Monsoor said the live carp are shipped to fish distributors in semi trucks with tanks of water to ensure freshness and good quality.

Malsack said he’s impressed with the work of Monsoor Fishing Company.

“Thank God, we have somebody decent in there to commercially fish the carp,” Malsack said. “I think they have been doing an exceptional job.”

Written by
Doug Zellmer
of The Northwestern

Reconnecting Habitat on Wyoming’s Salt River

Posted on by david

Salt River Diversion Dam
This diversion dam on Wyoming’s Salt River seems pretty low, but it was blocking
access to vital spawning habitat for some trout and other native fish.
 
photo courtesy Trout Unlimited

Across the West, many rivers and watersheds are fragmented by old diversion dams and other irrigation infrastructure. That’s a big problem for trout, which need access to the full range of river habitat in order to thrive. For Trout Unlimited, upgrading these obsolete or inefficient irrigation systems offers a tremendous opportunity to restore rivers. With the help of Orvis funding, TU recently completed an exciting “reconnection” project on the Salt River in west-central Wyoming that should boost both the fish habitat and the fishing.  See the dozens of unique artificial fish habitat models, fish attractors and fish cover used at fishiding.com, the leader in  science based, proven, fish protection.

The Salt River is home to native Yellowstone cutthroat trout, as well as wild rainbows and browns. But they faced a big obstacle: an aging, solitary diversion dam imposed a two-foot-high vertical barrier to fish movement. While adult fish could likely clear the hurdle most of the year, smaller trout and other native species weren’t able to move upstream.

Salt River Fish Ladder
The new fish ladder (in foreground) is a low-tech, low-maintenance solution that
will open some 21 miles of habitat to spawning fish.
 
photo courtesy Trout Unlimited

TU’s Jim Gregory, working with Wyoming Game and Fish and the Eastside Canal Company, saw a golden opportunity to retrofit the structure with a fish ladder and open up some 21 miles of mainstem river habitat. This fall, TU and its partners—including the Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resource Trust and the U.S. Forest Service—constructed a rock-ramp type fish ladder on the southern side of the diversion structure that provides a low-velocity, low-gradient passageway using a design that is simple, stable, and low-maintenance. The completed ladder allows all native fish species to clear the diversion hurdle and access upstream tributaries—such as Willow Creek, Stump Creek, and Crow Creek—which provide critical spawning and rearing habitatfor native fish.

Sometimes, as on the Salt River, removing a single barrier can dramatically improve miles of habitat for fish. TU is working on dozens of these infrastructure upgrade projects that offer some of the best opportunities to restore rivers for wildlife. As far as we know, no one is making any new rivers, but this might be the next best thing.

For more information on the Orvis/TU Culvert Fund, visit the Orvis Commitment page.

Randy Scholfield is the Director of Communications/Western Water Project for Trout Unlimited. 

Michigan firm expanding with Fishiding Habitat products

Posted on by david

This Michigan company has the help you need to manage your lake or pond. Get professional advice with proven results along with cost effective methods and products at Tri-county Aquatics.

Tri-County Aquatics, Inc. is a full service aquatic management company, specializing in superior waterway management programs. The friendly staff regularly controls nuisance aquatic vegetation, weeds, and algae in small backyard ponds, inland lakes, canals, marinas and other waterways. Tri-County Aquatics’ goal is to create a management program designed to control your specific aquatic need. With years of experience in the aquatics industry, These folks have the solution to your pond and lake needs.

See the dozens of unique artificial fish habitat models, fish attractors and fish cover used at fishiding.com, the leader in  science based, proven, fish protection.

Tri-County Aquatics, Inc. services include, but are not limited to:

  • Aquatic Vegetation Control
  • Aeration Systems (sales, service, and installations)
  • Floating Fountains (sales, service, and installations)
  • Water Quality Testing
  • Pond and Lake Consulting
  • Fish Stocking & Population Management
  • Equipment Sales

  • Pond & Lake Consulting

    Problems with your pond or lake? Contact Tri-County Aquatics and have one of their trained technicians meet with you to set up the best management program for your waterway. Whether you’re dealing with nuisance aquatic vegetation, high bacteria levels, or just looking for a beautiful floating fountain or some professional advice, we can help you with any of your aquatic needs.

  • Tri-County Aquatics, Inc. specializes in the control of nuisance aquatic vegetation in ponds, lakes, canals, marinas and many other waterways. 
  • Aquatic vegetation can inhibit the recreational uses of any waterway, and become very aesthetically unappealing.
  • Tri-County Aquatics, Inc. has years of experience in the aquatics industry. Controlling aquatic vegetation is our specialty. With hundreds of water bodies being managed by us annually, we have the experience, knowledge, and tried management techniques to solve your waterway problems.
  •  Full service water testing for bacteria levels, organics, and total water quality index. 
  • The products used to control nuisance aquatic vegetation, whether herbicides or algaecides, are all approved and labeled for aquatic use by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the Michigan Department of Agriculture. All waterway treatments and applications are performed by trained, state certified, and licensed applicators. We use specialized and waterway specific management techniques to manage your waterway in the most efficient and effective manner.

Leaser lake gets more fish habitat

Posted on by david
Looking back on 2011, the most striking factor affecting the outdoors community in Berks County had to be the lopsided weather we had. Who remembers such a year from the past?See the dozens of unique artificial fish habitat models, fish attractors and fish cover used at fishiding.com, the leader in  science based, proven, fish protection.

Winter ice stretched almost into spring, then rain, rain rain. We were inundated in late August and September by a double-whammy – a hurricane and a tropical storm, followed by summer heat in autumn and a November deer season with days so warm you could hunt in camo t-shirts. For decades to come, weather-wise, 2011 may be the year to which we compare all others.

The saddest events were weather-related too. The flooding, Sept. 7, of Limestone Springs Trout Hatchery by Tropical Storm Lee washed thousands of trout into Upper Tulpehocken Creek which, in turn, were attacked by ill-behaving anglers who angered and frustrated landowners so much they have cut off future access to a once popular portion of the stream.

Flooding also caused an abbreviated pheasant hunting season in 2011. An estimated 35,000 pheasants died or were lost during the autumn floods at the state pheasant farms and the Pennsylvania Game Commission had to cancel late season pheasant stocking.

On the plus side, kids had much to celebrate in 2011. Fishing rodeos, youth hunts and mentored outings, the opening day of the trout fishing season and the annual Youth Field Day rank right up there as highlights.

Rick Heckman of Fleetwood was named 2011 Berks County Outdoor Sports Person of the Year for his volunteer leadership in the Berks Izaak Walton League and with the Federated Sportsman’s Club of Berks County.

The outdoors community made notable efforts to help feed the hungry in Berks last year. From canned goods collections by students to campaigns for frozen meat by Hunters Sharing the Harvest, Mohnton Fish and Game and Berks County Hunters Fighting Hunger much needed food was gathered and donated to the Greater Berks Food Bank and the Reading Salvation Army.

Finally, two area conservation and habitat improvement projects were highlights in 2011. An extraordinary riparian project along Willow Creek, north of Route 73, required many organizations working together to strengthen and repair the path of the beautiful winding stream.

And likewise, just north of the Berks County line near Kempton, the Leaser Lake Heritage Foundation, working with private, public, state and national organizations have nearly completed rehabilitation of Leaser Lake, a popular Berks angler destination. The fish habitat improvements in the lake are among the most advanced in the state.

Last year at this time, anglers were fishing through the ice on area lakes during what was one of the longest ice fishing seasons in many years. Today, there is no sign of ice, an oddity which will likely make 2012’s outdoor highlight list.

Contact Roger Mallon: 610-371-5060 or sports@readingeagle.com.

New Vessels for Aquaculture Regulation in British Columbia

Posted on by david

CAMPBELL RIVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA–(Marketwire – Jan. 9, 2012) – The Honourable Keith Ashfield, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, welcomed six British Columbia-made vessels into the departmental fleet today.

“Our government is proud to ensure that Fisheries and Oceans Canada has the tools it needs to regulate the aquaculture industry in British Columbia and ensure that it operates in a sustainable and environmentally responsible manner,” Minister Ashfield said. “We are committed to an economically and ecologically viable fishing and aquaculture industry across Canada.”

The six vessels, of various sizes and construction, are dedicated to the B.C. Aquaculture Regulatory Program and carry out aquaculture regulatory and monitoring activities. Three of the vessels are used by aquaculture management staff for auditing and monitoring aquaculture sites, and three are used by aquaculture fishery officers for enforcement and compliance inspections.

As the majority of aquaculture operations are located along the coast of Vancouver Island and in mainland inlets, and most are inaccessible by car, ensuring DFO staff are able to move freely on the water is an important aspect of regulating the aquaculture industry in B.C. The new Conservation and Protection vessels will allow fishery officers to respond quickly to events or public reports of potential concerns at farm sites, while staff on the aquaculture management vessels can deploy tethered remote underwater vehicles for site inspections and conduct and analyze benthic (ocean bottom) sampling.

Nationally, aquaculture production has increased four-fold in the past 20 years. Approximately 70 per cent of all Canadian aquaculture products are sold to foreign markets, and the world increasingly depends on aquaculture as an essential food source. In fact, globally, half of all fish and seafood is now farmed. British Columbia contributes the most farm-raised fish and seafood to Canada’s output annually.

Backgrounders:

  • SIX DFO AQUACULTURE VESSELS FOR B.C.
  • FISHERIES AND OCEANS CANADA’S FIRST YEAR AS PRIMARY REGULATOR FOR BRITISH COLUMBIA’S AQUACULTURE INDUSTRY

SIX FISHERIES AND OCEANS CANADA AQUACULTURE VESSELS FOR BRITISH COLUMBIA

Fisheries and Oceans Canada has purchased six B.C.-made vessels to support its effective regulation of aquaculture activities in the province. As the regulator and manager of aquaculture in B.C., Fisheries and Oceans Canada is responsible for ensuring that the industry is abiding by the conditions of licence established for each aquaculture site in the province, adhering to the Pacific Aquaculture Regulations, and following strict guidelines for operations. These vessels will allow departmental staff to carry out these new duties.

Of the six vessels, three are being used by aquaculture management staff to undertake regular audit and monitoring activities at aquaculture sites, and three are tasked with aquaculture fishery officer enforcement activities.

Aquaculture Management Program

Three B.C.-made vessels, the Salmon Bay, the Sturgeon Bay, and the Oyster Bay, are being used by aquaculture management staff for audit and monitoring activities:

  • Fish health management inspections
  • Sea lice audits
  • Stream surveys
  • Benthic (ocean floor) sampling and remote-operated vehicle assessments
  • Facility inspections

The three program management vessels are named after the three sectors of the fish farming industry: marine finfish, shellfish, and freshwater aquaculture.

The Salmon Bay and the Sturgeon Bay carry departmental staff to fish farm sites for the purpose of conducting finfish facility inspections, fish health inspections, and soft-bottom benthic sampling. In addition, the vessels can deploy a remote-operated vehicle, which is used to capture video of hard-bottom benthic (ocean floor) environments for assessment purposes.

The Salmon Bay has an onboard work station that supports field testing of various benthic samples and the collection of samples for future analysis.

The Oyster Bay is used primarily to transport departmental staff to and from aquaculture facilities to conduct fish health and shellfish farm inspections.

Enforcement Program

The regional Conservation and Protection Branch is operating its three new vessels to transport fishery officers to aquaculture facilities to conduct announced and unannounced site inspections and enforce compliance with the Pacific Aquaculture Regulations and the Fisheries Act.

The MacLeod Bay is a 9.7-metre rigid-hull inflatable boat. It is named for J. Ronald MacLeod, a retired departmental employee and Officer of the Order of Canada who was recognized for his contributions to Pacific fisheries.

The Weaver Bay is a 9.7-metre rigid-hull inflatable boat. It is named after Kenneth E. Weaver, a Pacific Region fishery officer who died in an airplane accident in the line of duty on September 2, 1948.

The Max Bay is a six-metre aluminum vessel. It is named after Max Tscharre, a well-respected retired fishery officer dedicated to the protection of fish and fish habitat. This vessel is the “sister ship” to the Oyster Bay, with similar design, features and equipment.

FISHERIES AND OCEANS CANADA’S FIRST YEAR AS PRIMARY REGULATOR FOR BRITISH COLUMBIA’S AQUACULTURE INDUSTRY

In December 2010, Fisheries and Oceans Canada assumed primary responsibility for the regulation of the aquaculture industry in B.C., including the licensing of marine finfish, shellfish, and freshwater aquaculture sites, as well as enhancement facilities. Staff were hired to implement and undertake the federal B.C. Aquaculture Regulatory Program, with the majority of positions located on Vancouver Island. The program provides economic stimulus to coastal communities, as its employees work to ensure that the aquaculture industry is operating in an environmentally sustainable fashion.

After its first full year in operation, the program has achieved success in a number of areas:

  • A total of 104 inspections were conducted at marine finfish aquaculture sites by departmental field biologists and fishery officers to assess compliance with their site’s conditions of licence, and applicable acts and regulations;
  • Conditions of licence inspections were conducted at 140 shellfish and 22 freshwater aquaculture operations, and fishery officers also conducted 18 compliance inspections;
  • More than 65 marine finfish site health audits (including sea lice audits) were conducted;
  • Benthic (ocean bottom) environmental audits were conducted at 23 operational marine finfish farm sites;
  • An enhanced Atlantic Salmon Watch Program has surveyed six rivers for the potential presence of Atlantic salmon escapes;
  • Two new freshwater aquaculture licences were issued;
  • A pre-site audit was conducted for one proposed new farm site; and
  • A total of 12 marine finfish licence applications and amendments were processed.

In 2011, the Department also initiated consultations on the development of draft Integrated Management of Aquaculture Plans. These consultations will continue in 2012: http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/consultation/aquaculture/index-eng.htm.

As part of its commitment to transparency, the Department undertakes regular public reporting of fish health, sea lice levels, disease presence, and other data on the environmental performance of the aquaculture industry in B.C. Information is regularly posted to the Department’s website: http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/aquaculture/index-eng.htm.

The British Columbia aquaculture industry provides an estimated 6,000 jobs and over $224 million in wages for British Columbians. Salmon farming has grown to take its place as the province’s largest agricultural export, generating $800 million in economic output. Cultured shellfish production has reached 10,000 tonnes with a landed value of $21.7 million.

See the dozens of unique artificial fish habitat models, fish attractors and fish cover used at fishiding.com, the leader in  science based, proven, fish protection.

Contact Information

  • Fisheries and Oceans Canada
    Michelle Imbeau
    Communications Advisor, Pacific Region
    604-666-2872 or Cell: 604-219-5730

    Fisheries and Oceans Canada
    Barbara Mottram
    Press Secretary
    Office of the Minister
    613-992-3474
    http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca

Montana plan’s future for fish

Posted on by david

Future fisheries panel to meet today

The 14-member Future Fisheries Improvement Program’s Citizen Review Panel will meet today at Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks in Helena, 1420 East Sixth Ave., beginning at 8:30 a.m.

The panel will review project applications for the winter funding cycle and prepare recommendations that the FWP Commission will review in March.

The future fisheries panel is appointed by the governor and makes recommendations on funding for projects to restore or improve Montana’s wild and native fish habitat. See the dozens of unique artificial fish habitat models, fish attractors and fish cover used at fishiding.com, the leader in  science based, proven, fish protection.

The panel will review 13 applications requesting about $380,000. The public may attend this meeting, or review and comment on the grant applications on the FWP website at fwp.mt.gov, click on the Fishing page. To comment, select “Public Comment.”

Individuals or groups with opportunities to restore or improve wild and native fish habitat may apply for Future Fisheries Improvement Program funds. Landowners and other project partners usually share project costs, which extends Future Fisheries Improvement Program dollars. Applicants are encouraged to work with local area FWP fisheries biologists.  The next deadline to submit project applications is June 1.

For more information on the Future Fisheries Improvement Program, call 444-2432, or send an email tomlere@mt.gov.

Nova Scotia cares about fish habitat

Posted on by david

Clean Nova Scotia. Inspiring environmental Change

Nova Scotia Fish Habitat Assessment Protocol (NSFHAP)

Nova Scotia Fish Habitat Assessment Protocol (NSFHAP)

Clean Nova Scotia, in collaboration with the NSLC Adopt-A-Stream, is working on the development of a standardized fish habitat assessment methodology for specific use in Nova Scotia. The methodology is intended to be used by the various groups involved in the protection, restoration, and assessment of aquatic ecosystems and will aid in the accurate assessment of fish habitat in our local rivers. This will help identify restoration needs, impacts of poor practises, and protection efforts.

See the dozens of unique artificial fish habitat models, fish attractors and fish cover used at fishiding.com, the leader in  science based, proven, fish protection.

The methodology will incorporate the use of Habitat Suitability Indices (HSI) to provide meaningful and accurate results from data collection in the field. Habitat variables are assessed in the field and are related to water quality, river morphology and hydrology, river banks and riparian vegetation, and benthic macroinvertebrates. The methodology will be modular and varying in the level of depth required so groups with different resources are able to effectively assess their rivers. The methodology will enhance our understanding of fish habitat and populations, lead to effective restoration and protection projects, and improve the health of our aquatic ecosystems.

Counties receive several grants to improve fish habitat

Posted on by david

Cowlitz County has a $204,000 grant to remove this bridge on Abernathy Creek.

See the dozens of unique artificial fish habitat models, fish attractors and fish cover used at fishiding.com, the leader in  science based, proven, fish protection.

Several groups that work to improve habitat for endangered fish have been awarded more than $1 million for projects in Cowlitz County. Clark County projects on the Lewis River total $925,383 and money for work in Wahkiakum County totals $361,505.

The grants announced recently by the state Recreation and Conservation Office come from federal and state funds dedicated to fish recovery. The money for the grants comes from the federal Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund and from the sale of state bonds.

The level of fish funding for most parts of the state has decreased over the past few years. The statewide total of $30 million recently awarded compares to $32 million in 2010 and $42.8 million the year before, said Susan Zemek, communications manager for the RCO.

In addition, grants for fish habitat work in Puget Sound total $13.5 million this year, compared to $33 million a year ago.

Cowlitz County

• Reshaping Abernathy Creek, $486,305. The Cowlitz Indian Tribe will use this grant to remove an abandoned roadbed on the east side of the creek that inhibits full connectivity between the creek and its floodplain, and place logjams in the creek to increase habitat. The tribe will excavate channels through the former roadbed and place logjams in the main channel, allowing the river to meander. The work is on state land.

The tribe will contribute $85,819 in donations of cash, labor and materials.

• Removing an Abernathy Creek Bridge, $204,000. Cowlitz County will use this grant to remove a bridge on an abandoned portion of Abernathy Creek Road. The bridge is 6 1/2 miles up the creek, near Brentwood Road. The bridge constrains the channel and limits the creek’s ability to meander and connect with its floodplain. The county will install logs and tree root wads in the creek and replant its banks after the bridge is removed

Cowlitz County will contribute $36,000.

• Restoring Andrews Tree Farm waterways, $177,401. The Cowlitz Conservation District will use this grant to restore portions of the Coweeman River and a tributary, Turner Creek, on the Andrews Tree Farm. The district will install logs and whole trees in the streams to slow the river, encourage gravel accumulation and create places for salmon to rest and hide from predators. The district also will plant trees along stream banks to shade and cool the water.

The conservation district will contribute $40,000 from a state grant and donations of equipment, labor and materials.

• Restoring Nesbit Tree Farm stream, $89,100. The Cowlitz Conservation District will use this grant to restore a portion of the Coweeman River on the Nesbit Tree Farm, which is about 8 miles up Rose Valley Road. The conservation district will place logs and whole trees in the river to trap sediment on exposed bedrock to improve salmon habitat and cool the water.

The conservation district will contribute $20,000 from a state grant and donations of equipment, labor and materials.

• Restoring the Coweeman River, $124,000. The Conservation District will use this grant to place logs and whole trees in the Coweeman River on the Baxter and Andrews tree farms about 6 1/2 miles up Rose Valley Road to improve habitat for salmon. The logs and trees will slow the river, encourage gravel to accumulate and create places for salmon to rest and hide from predators.

The conservation district will contribute $24,500 from a state grant and donations of equipment, labor and materials.

Clark County

• East Fork of the Lewis River, $212,753. Clark County Public Works will use the money to grade the outlets of two side channels of the river, install logs and root wads that act as juvenile fish habitat, and remove invasive plants and replant with native species. The project will expand side channel habitat by 3,500 square feet. Clark County will contribute $61,891 to the project.

• North Fork of the Lewis River, $401,730. The Cowlitz Tribe will use the money to place logs and jams into two side channels of the river, remove invasive plants along the bank, and replant the area with native trees and shrubs. The tribe will contribute $91,400 from a local grant and donation of labor and materials.

• East Fork of the Lewis River at Daybreak Park, $143,900. Fish First will enhance two side channels of the river, install wood structures in the river for habitat, and replant streambanks with native trees and shrubs at the park. Fish First will contribute $26,100 in cash, labor and materials.

• Eagle Island-North Channel Restoration Project, $167,000. Lower Columbia Fish Enhancement Group will use the money to design a project to restore optimum water flows in the north channel of Eagle Island, which is located in the North Fork of the Lewis River near Woodland. Optimizing the water flow will improve 2.2 miles of high value fish spawning and rearing habitat below Lake Merwin. Pacificorp and the state departments of Natural Resources and Fish and Wildlife are partners.

Wahkiakum County

• Grays River, $226,180. The Lower Columbia Fish Enhancement Group will install wood structures on Columbia Land Trust property in the Grays River to reduce water velocity, create habitat diversity and collect sediments against the toe of eroding stream banks. The structures will create pools, collect flood debris and stabilize the river channel. Additional structures will be placed along more than a half-mile of shoreline to protect important chum salmon habitat in nearby Crazy Johnson Creek. The enhancement group also will remove non-native plants and replant the area with native trees and shrubs.

The enhancement group and Columbia Land Trust will contribute $76,300 in donations of equipment, labor and materials.

• Elochoman River, $135,325. The Wahkiakum Conservation District will use this grant to place logs and tree root wads in the Elochoman River, to slowing the river and creating places for salmon to rest and hide from predators. The logs and root wads also help stabilize the channel by reducing erosion and protecting young trees on the riverbanks. The work will improve salmon habitat along more than a half-mile of the river and create a streamside forest on 4.5 acres.

The conservation district will contribute $39,500 from federal and local grants and donations of equipment and labor.

Can I just toss my Christmas tree on the ice for fish habitat?

Posted on by david

When the ice comes, the temptation to place fish attractors often comes to mind especially on a farm pond. If no ice, then a boat might be used. But just weighting down a couple of Christmas trees and dropping them in, may not achieve the best results.

DNR has this to say:  There are many ways to recycle Christmas trees, but tossing on a frozen lake as a way of creating fish habitat has certain requirements — and an uncertain outcome. Instead of waiting for an iced-over lake to thaw so a single Christmas tree can sink to the bottom, Bill James fisheries section chief has this to say.

“They need to be designed, sized and placed appropriately to attract and hold fish.”  He said,  “Large hardwood brush piles work well and last for many years.  Soft woods such as pin or spruce attract fish initially but deteriorate quickly. This is especially true if use Christmas tree are placed singly or just scattered about.”

State laws may apply, depending on the body of water.  Discarding a Christmas tree on a private pond is at the owner’s discretion, but doing so on a public freshwater lake is governed by the Lake Preservation Act. See the dozens of unique artificial fish habitat models, fish attractors and fish cover used at fishiding.com, the leader in  science based, proven, fish protection.

I have placed Christmas trees and have seen the results a couple of years later, both on farm ponds and Lakes  when the water is down.  Christmas trees tend to lay flat on the bottom and shortly become covered with sediment , offering little cover for fish.

On the other hand, a brush pile of hardwood limbs, wired together to maintain it’s shape will be there for years if weighted enough to stay in it’s location.  For further info Google “Fish Attractors” .  There are many home-made designs that work for years and do not deteriorate.

Take a look at fishiding.com. They make artificial fish habitat out of things like reclaimed pvc siding, saving landfill space and helping future generations of fish and fisherman alike.

Culverts open up new fish habitats

Posted on by david

Swimming against the current won’t be quite as hard for fish in parts of the Siuslaw basin thanks to a project that replaced 11 culverts on creeks southwest of Eugene.

The culverts opened a passage to upstream habitat on three creeks that was effectively blocked by the old pipes. Buck, Hawley and Esmond creeks could start seeing runs of coho and chinook salmon and steelhead trout as a result of the fixes. See the dozens of unique artificial fish habitat models, fish attractors and fish cover used at fishiding.com, the leader in  science based, proven, fish protection.

The $1.5 million project took place over the summer and was funded with a federal stimulus grant. Road repairs also were done as part of the project.

The work took place on the U.S. Bureau of Land Management’s Eugene District. The creeks all feed into the Siuslaw River drainage. The new culverts replaced old pipes that were failing or that blocked fish passage because of their small size or erosion around the outlets.

Jennifer O’Leary, a BLM spokeswoman, said the new culverts are specially designed to aid fish. Not only are they larger in diameter, they also are oblong in shape to create a wider, more natural passage.

Also, rocks and sediment are placed in the culvert to simulate the natural creek and slow the water so it flows at the same speed as the rest of the creek.

“What this does is allow for more natural rates of flow while restoring the natural width of the stream channel,” she said. “It’s all about restoring more natural conditions out there in the watershed.”

Many older culverts aren’t big enough for the stream volume, causing water to speed up and jet through the pipe, clearing out any natural material and making it hard for fish to navigate upstream. And because of erosion on the downstream side where water exits, many older pipes now sit well above the stream level, blocking young fish from migrating downstream.

With the new culverts in place, fish will have an easier time. That means areas that had been off limits before will now be reachable.

“The habitat above these (new) culverts is healthy and intact,” said Leo Poole, fisheries biologist for the BLM’s Siuslaw Resource Area. “All we needed to do was open up the passage for fish and other aquatic species to get there.”

Work on the creeks only can be done during a summer window from July 1 to Sept. 15. To get all the culverts replaced in that relatively brief opening, the BLM worked with an agency of the Federal Highway Administration known as the Western Federal Lands Highway Division.

That agency contracted with area engineering and construction firms to design and build the culverts. The number of jobs created by the project wasn’t available this week, but O’Leary said it was at least a dozen and possibly more.

The BLM has done a number of other projects aimed at improving fish habitat in the area. Previous work added boulders and gravel to portions of the Siuslaw River, creating spawning beds, lowering water temperature and providing refuges where fish can rest.

BY GREG BOLT

The Register-Guard

Scroll to Top