GLFT Grant Library

Trout Unlimited, Inc. is looking to restore aquatic organism passage and stream function at three road/stream crossings as the first phase of an effort to restore complete connectivity throughout the Bigelow Creek watershed, a critically important coldwater tributary to the Muskegon River. The replacement of these crossings will enhance and provide long-term protection for fish passage and habitat for salmonids and other coldwater species of the Lake Michigan Basin.

We will evaluate the source-specific production of steelhead to the Lake Michigan fishery. We have demonstrated that chemical signatures of juvenile steelhead otoliths are sufficiently differentiable among different Lake Michigan tributaries and hatcheries to support accurate natal origin assignment. Here, otoliths of adult steelhead will be collected and analyzed to quantitatively assess the mixing of stocks in the Lake Michigan fishery and identify specific sources most supportive of steelhead production.

We will improve assessment of trends for lake trout populations and estimates of vital rates in Lake Michigan by fitting age-structured assessment models in southern and western areas of the lake where such assessments are lacking. We will combine results with those from other areas of the lake to provide a lake-wide assessment. Results will be used to develop or improve forecasting models to evaluate consequences of stocking decisions on rehabilitation status and predator-prey balance.

Historically, cisco was the major forage fish component in the Great Lakes food chain and supported extensive commercial fisheries in multiple Great Lakes. However, anthropogenic impacts have led to massive declines in cisco abundance as well as local and global extirpations of multiple cisco species. We will use genomics to investigate the genetic basis of adaptation in cisco. This research will provide important data that can be used to preserve cisco diversity and inform restoration.

The Water Resources Education Program engaged over 300 students from Northern Michigan middle schools in a foundation-laying program of watershed experiences that focused on local issues and stewardship of community water resources. Students were provided with water resources knowledge over the course of five in-class sessions, the majority of which also included community field trip sessions. This knowledge allowed students to plan and implement an action project that was designed to improve or solve a water resource issue in their community. Over the course of the program, teachers received training, resources, and tools to continue water-resources education in the future.

The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) Classroom with a Current program provided an opportunity for thousands of students to experience inquiry-based learning with a focus on Great Lakes Watersheds. Programs were designed to provide information that assisted students in becoming (1) active and effective stewards of the Great Lakes and (2) advocates for strategies that support the long-term sustainability of the Great Lakes fisheries. Programming included Museum based field trip programs, extension of a traveling exhibit and summer camp experiences. 

With the support of the Great Lakes Fishery Trust (GLFT), the Besser Museum for Northeast Michigan developed a conceptual plan and narrative for how the museum will display elements of the Besser Fishery Heritage Project. This story includes a summary of the early 20th century Great Lakes fisheries, effects of overfishing and invasive species on the Great Lakes, the eventual collapse of the Great Lakes fisheries, how Sea Lamprey impact the modern ecosystem, and the stewardship efforts by resource agencies to begin the recovery of the Great Lakes fisheries. Once complete, the display will engage both students and general visitors as stewards of the great lakes. Specifically, the grant provided funding to assist Besser Museum in defining and communicating their vision for the Fishery Heritage display. Grant products included conceptual drawings, display renderings, and a comprehensive narrative for the exhibit. 

The overall goal of this grant is to work with university centers and agencies to develop a long-term business plan for Great Lakes Aquatic Habitiat Framework that cultivates partnerships with state, federal and provincial agencies and universities and creates a long-term funding and maintenance strategy with the following goals:

• Building greater capacity within resource management agencies and the university

• Developing, maintaining, and serving spatial data needed for management and research in the Great Lakes Region

• Assisting agencies in the use of spatial approaches in research and decision making • Developing a better understanding of the spatial ecology of the Great Lakes Basin.

The Healing Our Waters - Great Lakes (HOW) Coalition is improving the health of the Great Lakes through our Priority Area implementation Program which addresses historic threats to the Great Lakes through on the ground restoration work. The project provides capacity building grants to local and state non-profit organizations, with priority given to Lake Michigan basin sites, to help applicants successfully implement restoration projects through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

National Wildlife Federation is looking to develop and launch a strategic education and communications campaign to inform the public about the serious threat Asian carp pose to the Great Lakes and about advancing solutions that lead to the most effective actions to prevent carp from entering the Great Lakes. This is a collaborative effort with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Michigan United Conservation Clubs, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa Indians, and other tribal leaders.

Hayes Township in Charlevoix County is going to construct a 170' public fishing pier in order to create shoreline fishing access to Lake Charlevoix. The pier will be located in the Hayes Township Park/Camp Sea-Gull which is situated on the north shore of Lake Charlevoix and is centrally located between Boyne City and the City of Charlevoix.

The shore-fishing access project at Lake St. Clair Metropark in Macomb County, Michigan will help create additional public shore-fishing opportunities on Black Creek including a universally accessible fishing/observation platform, a cement pathway to the platform, and handicap parking next to the pathway. The project provides access by means of an existing parking lot adjacent to Black Creek. The creek empties into Lake St. Clair and is a popular shore-fishing area for anglers visiting the park.

The City of Boyne City installed an ADA accessible, public fishing pier in Lake Charlevoix through a public/private partnership. The pier is approximately 190 feet long and located immediately southwest of the mouth of the Boyne River and complimented by existing public restrooms, parks and parking, and a direct connection to the City's downtown. The pier allows anglers of all experience levels and physical abilities to fish safely and conveniently.

With funding support from the GLFT, Huron Pines completed a comprehensive road/stream crossing inventory as well as additional streambank erosion and invasive species inventories in the Thunder Bay Watershed. The data collected will help resource managers in the northeast Michigan make cost-effective decisions in locations that will generate the most impact. Road/stream crossing, streambank erosion, and invasive species inventory data have been uploaded to the publicly accessible website:  http://www.northernmichiganstreams.org/. Streambank erosion and invasive species data have also been uploaded to the Midwest Invasive Species Information Network website: http://www.misin.msu.edu/. Huron Pines has secured additional funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, to restore five of the highest-priority sites in the watershed. In-kind labor and equipment commitments have also been secured from the Montmorency County Road Commission. It is ideal when additional restoration efforts are completed as a result of completed watershed inventories.

Huron Pines improved five road-stream crossings on the upper East Branch Au Gres River Watershed, reconnecting 26.3 miles of upstream aquatic habitat and reducing sediment input by approximately 15.4 tons per year. The upper East Branch Au Gres River is a state-designated Blue-Ribbon Trout Stream with important spawning, forage, nursing, and refuge habitat for brook trout. The project also had a positive impact on other native species and introduced game fish such as brown trout, steelhead, and salmon. This project was completed with the help of, and in coordination with, the Iosco County Road Commission. The completed project builds on the efforts of Huron Pines to conserve and project Coldwater resources throughout Northeast Michigan, and within the Northern Saginaw Bay Region. The GLFT contributed approximately 32 percent of the project budget

This project will optimize application rates of synthesized pheromone to yield large and consistent catches of invasive sea lamprey in Lake Michigan tributaries. The results will enable widespread use of this environmentally benign and innovative sea lamprey control tool in Lake Michigan and throughout the Great Lakes, thereby reducing dependence on lampricides and sea lamprey barriers.

Sea lamprey control in the Great Lakes has been an unprecedented success. This study will use a qualitative approach to assess and analyze the deeper knowledge of key individuals involved in Great Lakes aquatic invasive species (AIS) issues, compare this data to existing robust data from an ongoing sea lamprey project, and use the output to inform policymakers, managers, AIS technicians, elected officials, and the public about how to tackle current and future threats.