VHS confirmed in Wisconsin inland lake

Kingfisher · Post by **Kingfisher** » Wed May 16, 2007 8:40 pm

I wasnt aware of the Macatawa die offs. Was there any proof that it was VHS or just some up river poison run off from the factories??? Big shame to lose any of the few Muskies in Lake Mac. Even worse the loss of Pike from that lake is tremendous. I would venture to guess that Sheeps and Shad were the big numbers dead. Mike and Michelle

Hamilton Reef · Post by **Hamilton Reef** » Wed May 16, 2007 9:07 pm

FYI on the 2006 Lake Mac fish die-off.

Warmer water killed fish, scientist says

http://www.mlive.com/news/grpress/in...110.xml&coll=6

Thursday, May 18, 2006 The Grand Rapids Press

HOLLAND -- Federal officials agree with the state: a fish die-off this spring in Lake Macatawa was caused by a sudden rise in water temperatures, not pollutants or toxins.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency looked into the issue this week at the request of U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Holland. Life Scientist Pete Jackson of the EPA's Chicago office said his workers reviewed reports and data filed by Michigan officials.

"There were no indications of any outside organisms or toxins in the water that might cause the kill," Jackson said Wednesday.

Jay Wesley, a fish biologist with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, said Wednesday the die-off has nearly stopped because waters have cooled in recent days.

"We could still see another fish kill occur because large amounts of nutrients are entering the lake from the run-off of heavy rains," Wesley said.

Nutrients from farm and home fertilizers encourage algae growth that lowers oxygen levels, which could cause more fish to die. Most of the dead fish were larger sheepshead, carp and gizzard shad, which can be affected quickly by low oxygen levels.

Last month, Hope College Professor Graham Peaslee, with the chemistry and geological/environ-mental department, said his records showed the lake temperature was 45 degrees on April 10 and climbed to 62 degrees by April 20.

Hamilton Reef · Post by **Hamilton Reef** » Wed May 16, 2007 9:21 pm

There are several important and related topics running within this VHSv thread. This is my personal suggestion, but could this thread be limited to the specific VHS topic and new threads started for ballast water discussion, etc. for the larger GL exotics challenge? We have readers and students following this thread for historic timeline of the VHSv and I don't want to see them too distracted with the other side topics. I'm commenting about my own tendency to get distracted as well.

Hamilton Reef · Post by **Hamilton Reef** » Wed May 16, 2007 10:48 pm

WI - Timing of Opening Fox Locks is Questioned

The discovery of the virus comes as Friends of the Fox is preparing to celebrate the opening of two more locks along the Fox River. It's working to restore the system of 17 locks that run from Lake Winnebago to the Bay of Green Bay.

http://www.wbay.com/Global/story.asp?S=6522116

Post by **Will Schultz** » Thu May 17, 2007 9:27 am

Hamilton Reef wrote:There are several important and related topics running within this VHSv thread. This is my personal suggestion, but could this thread be limited to the specific VHS topic and new threads started for ballast water discussion, etc. for the larger GL exotics challenge? We have readers and students following this thread for historic timeline of the VHSv and I don't want to see them too distracted with the other side topics. I'm commenting about my own tendency to get distracted as well.

Tom,

I'll split topics as needed as I did splitting this VHSv in Wisconsin topic out of the main VHSv discussion. If you think we get off on a tangent and need to move the discussion to another thread let me know and we'll do that.

Hamilton Reef · Post by **Hamilton Reef** » Tue May 22, 2007 11:16 pm

WI DNR Doubts It Brought VHS to Wisconsin Lakes

http://www.wbay.com/Global/story.asp?S=6547939

05/22/07 By Natalie Arnold

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is on the defensive about its decision to transport fish eggs from a VHS-infected lake in the State of Michigan four years ago.

The DNR used the spotted musky eggs to eventually stock our inland lakes, including Little Lake Butte des Morts, where the fish-killing virus was detected earlier this month. Then, test results confirmed the virus is also in Lake Winnebago.

VHS is not harmful to humans but deadly to at least 25 species of fish.

Emergency rules for boaters and anglers on the Lake Winnebago system are in place to help prevent the spread of VHS to any other inland lake or river.

Records suggest it's possible the DNR unknowingly brought the virus to our inland lakes in the first place. However, the DNR says a closer look at those records prove the state agency is not to blame.

Four years ago the DNR wanted Michigan to spread its spotted musky wealth to Wisconsin lakes like Little Lake Butte des Morts. Now there's a question that with that fish transfer and stocking program, the DNR spread much more.

Monday in a phone call with Action 2 News, DNR Fisheries Management director Mike Staggs said while it's unlikely the DNR is to blame, as a scientist he never says anything is impossible.

According to its own records, the DNR took spotted musky eggs from Lake St. Clair, a body of water that is sandwiched between Lake Huron and Lake Erie. That was 2002.

A fish sample taken from Lake St. Clair in 2003 later tested positive for VHS. And just two years after that, it was confirmed in the Great Lakes system.

It is not hard to connect the dots. However, the DNR says it is not the complete picture.

Staggs says when they took the fish eggs, not only did they test the spotted musky who created the offspring but later they tested the offspring themselves for VHS. All the tests came back negative.

And as far as disinfecting the eggs before introducing them into Wisconsin hatcheries, the DNR web site says that is standard operating procedure.

Nothing, Staggs says, is completely impossible. However, he says the likelihood the DNR caused the inland lake infection comes pretty close.

Hamilton Reef · Post by **Hamilton Reef** » Thu May 24, 2007 3:46 pm

WI - DNR rule expansion falls short

The Department of Natural Resources missed an opportunity last Thursday when it asked the Natural Resources Board to adopt expanded rules to prevent the spread of viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS) from the Lake Winnebago system.

The expansion of the rules, from existing coverage of the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River system to only the Lake Winnebago system, failed to expand the preventive measure to all waters of the state.

http://www.madison.com/tct/sports/135920

Hamilton Reef · Post by **Hamilton Reef** » Thu May 24, 2007 9:35 pm

Note the 'Stocks in jeopardy'

WI - DNR urges boaters to help stop VHS

While much of the focus has been on the Winnebago System in recent weeks, Department of Natural Resources fisheries director Mike Staggs is encouraging boaters anywhere to take common-sense steps to reduce the likelihood they'll spread aquatic invasive species or the VHS virus.

http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/app ... 40521/1233

Hamilton Reef · Post by **Hamilton Reef** » Fri May 25, 2007 11:01 pm

Note side bar with long list of links and potential bird transport for VHS.

Virus worries fish farmers
Business operators brace as deadly fish disease moves inland

Black Creek - With a net and sweat, fish farmer Bill West brings in his first harvest of an uncertain season.

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=610578

Hamilton Reef · Post by **Hamilton Reef** » Sun May 27, 2007 4:01 pm

We will see if the WI muskie tournaments follow this example.

WI - VHS won't stop walleye tourney

FOND DU LAC — Sponsors of the 2007 Mercury Marine National Walleye Tournament say they have adopted a wait-and-see attitude as to the implications of a deadly fish virus found in Lake Winnebago.

Emergency rules implemented by the state Natural Resources Board require that boats be washed after the tournament, said Steve Fleming, director of communications at Mercury Marine.

The Mercury Marine tourney will take it a step further by sanitizing the boats using 180-degree water, Fleming said.

http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/app ... 70681/1233

Hamilton Reef · Post by **Hamilton Reef** » Sun Jun 03, 2007 8:06 pm

WI - Hatchery fingerlings await their fate

http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/app ... 30705/1233

06/03/07 By Kevin Naze Press-Gazette correspondent

Close to 150,000 chinook salmon fingerlings awaiting release from Sturgeon Bay's Strawberry Creek are "holding their own" so far, according to Paul Peeters, lakeshore fish team supervisor of the Department of Natural Resources office in Sturgeon Bay.

The fingerlings are undergoing a physiological process known as smolting, during which they obtain the silvery color of an adult and are fully imprinted on the water in which they were stocked. The fish would have been released, but a state stocking hold that took effect May 16 has frozen their fate.

"It's time," said Peeters. "We're starting to get a few jumpouts, but (a dozen dead ones picked up Friday) is not a significant number."

DNR fisheries supervisor Mike Staggs of Madison said the reason for the freeze is some brood stock walleyes, sauger and northern pike from lakes Winnebago and Puckaway were spawned before the state knew viral hemorrhagic septicemia was in the system.

Eggs from those fish were taken to the Wild Rose, Lake Mills and Kettle Moraine state fish hatcheries, potentially infecting other species.

Testing on brood stock fish was done, and all were negative except for a batch of saugers that came back untestable from contamination of ovarian fluid. The DNR is testing various fish species in the hatcheries and hopes to catch and test the tiny saugers in a rearing pond soon.

"It's Murphy's Law, I guess," Staggs said. "The sauger came out of Lake Winnebago, which is kind of ground zero (for inland VHS cases). We're going to test some of the production fish as soon as we can catch a sample."

With the clock ticking, Staggs said the decision on what to do with the Strawberry Creek chinooks — and hundreds of thousands of other fry, fingerlings and yearlings in the three hatcheries — could be finalized any day.

Staggs said DNR fisheries personnel are working with DNR secretary Scott Hassett's office and the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection to come up with a recommendation for stocking this year.

"It's going to be a well-reviewed decision," Staggs said.

"We definitely don't want to risk the spread of VHS, but we don't want to stupidly waste fish, either."

LeMay · Post by **LeMay** » Wed Jun 06, 2007 3:14 pm

Little Rainbow Lake at Maple Rapids just experienced an unexplained fish kill and the DNR is investigating this week. It may be that VHS has found it's way there? If so, it will flow into Big Rianbow Lake soon, then to the Maple River, then the Grand River, etc.. Could be more invasive than the Emerald Ash Bore.

Post by **Will Schultz** » Wed Jun 06, 2007 3:28 pm

LeMay wrote:Little Rainbow Lake at Maple Rapids just experienced an unexplained fish kill and the DNR is investigating this week. It may be that VHS has found it's way there? If so, it will flow into Big Rianbow Lake soon, then to the Maple River, then the Grand River, etc.. Could be more invasive than the Emerald Ash Bore.

I would be ver surprised if that kill is VHSv related. We just had some very significant changes in water temps the past couple weeks with minimal wind. This often causes fish kills particularly crappies that were spawning or just finished that are already stressed.

Also, VHSv is a cool water killer. I believe every kill from the St Lawrence to Winnebago has been in 45-55 degree water.

Hamilton Reef · Post by **Hamilton Reef** » Sat Jun 09, 2007 9:55 pm

Note: Still under Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection quarantines are a 1,000-plus spotted muskies

DNR approves salmon stocking for Sturgeon Bay
Specialists find no sign of deadly fish virus in samples

http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/app ... 07/GPGnews

By Kevin Naze Press-Gazette correspondent

Fisheries supervisors at Sturgeon Bay and the Wild Rose State Fish Hatchery got the green light to prepare a half-million chinook salmon for stocking this week pending visual health checks.

Sue Marcquenski, the state Department of Natural Resources fish health specialist in Madison, inspected samples of 3- to 4-inch salmon fingerlings from Sturgeon Bay's Strawberry Creek Thursday morning with DNR Lakeshore Basin Fisheries Supervisor Paul Peeters.

"They look good," said Marcquenski as she cut and tweezered her way through the small chinooks' body cavities. "No external or internal signs of VHS."

The discovery of VHS — a fish-killing virus called viral hemorrhagic septicemia — forced a freeze on fish stocking and transfers from hatcheries last month as state and federal officials stepped back to analyze the situation.

On Wednesday, the DNR got the go-ahead from the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection to release the chinooks. Not only do officials think there's a low risk that the fish could have been inadvertently infected when some eggs from Lake Puckaway walleyes and northern pike were brought into the hatchery before it was known that the Winnebago system was infected, the salmon are destined for water where VHS has already been confirmed. Before the freeze, about half of the year's quota had already been stocked anyway.

"That was kind of a no-brainer once you stepped back and think about it," said Mike Staggs, DNR fisheries supervisor in Madison.

Still under Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection quarantines at Wild Rose, Kettle Moraine Springs and Lake Mills' hatcheries are more than 650,000 brown trout, a half-million walleye fingerlings, 460,000 coho salmon, 100,000-plus northern pike, 26,000 lake sturgeon and 1,000-plus spotted muskies.

Testing is ongoing, and if Winnebago-system fish are clean, it's possible stocking for some species normally planted from late May to mid-June could resume late this month. Many other fish are being held for this fall's stockings.

Marcquenski said she knows of at least a half-dozen cases of fish being tested for VHS in state or federal labs right now, including a couple fish kills from new inland sources.

Hamilton Reef · Post by **Hamilton Reef** » Tue Jun 19, 2007 1:49 pm

Hitching a ride into Wisconsin's inland waters
Scientists often surprised by the paths invasive aquatic species take

The aquatic invasive thing, for me, is my biggest professional source of frustration," said Mike Staggs, director of the state Department of Natural Resources' Fisheries Management and Habitat Protection Bureau and overseer of Wisconsin's $2.3 billion fishery.

"There isn't any question that we have lower fish populations because of invasive species."

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=620715