"Pete" said:
If rumors from the esocid folks are true, namely that LSC fish have been deemed too genetically dissimilar to be stocked into existing GLS inland waters, AND an egg take from Northern LP will never be attempted, then…
Ahh… the rumor mill. I think some peeps are talking out of turn about the GLS program and the genetics of said fish.
What exactly would constitute "too genetically dissimilar"? They probably won't share all the alleles but I don't think many fish of the same specie will be exact. I think they'd be fine no matter how different they were from the inland fish. Those LSC fish are real pretty and are growing bigger because of the whitefish coming back to the Detroit River. I don't know, I'm not a geneticist. I DID stay at a Holiday Inn Express…..but that was last week.
"Steve Horton" said:
I don't know, I'm not a geneticist. I DID stay at a Holiday Inn Express…..but that was last week.
LMAO!!
I think one major factor is that the LSC GLS will spawn in rivers and in open water areas as they are showing a propensity to do in Green Bay. This makes them the perfect candidate in some lakes where river habitat has been altered and/or ruined. If we want to look at genetics then we need to consider that 200 years ago all of these fish shared the same water in the Great lakes.
The MDNR is moving very slow and cautious with the GLS project trying best to match all the historic factors of the GLS to the potential fishery habitats we have left to work with today. True we may not be able to achieve perfect matches for all factors, but at that point the MDNR can hedge the bets for the best future fishery using available stocks. Our lake habitats aren't perfect today and never will be, but they are loaded with ample food to grow big fish for a trophy fishery. That is simple enough to satisfy the customers the MDNR is charged to serve.
I can't fault the MDNR for the painfully slow specie correctness, but after they make their decision with final a management plan a year from now, plus pilot hatchery culture experiments for stocking to three brood source lakes, plus 5-6 years for adults to collect disease free eggs, plus finally stocking a public fishing lake with 5 more years to reach legal size, and couple more for a trophy class fish, then there are a caveats of a couple years of hatchery failure or no funding, on and on…..
I was as hoping to catch one local GLS before I die [smilie=grandpa.gif]. Aw-hic-crap……. [smilie=dead.gif]
Question #1-A Question #2 A and B.
I am getting ready to spend the next two weeks (starting july 5)on the Cheboygan/Lower Black Rivers in pursuit of these rascalls. I have seen some real beaut's in there.
I am staying at Waterways Campground with a slip for the pontoon. If any one is in the neighborhood stop on by and say hi!
I forgot to mention in my earlier post that the state of Wisconsin got a $200,000 grant from the Natural Resources Damage Assessment that resulted from the Fox River environmental settlement. That allowed WI DNR to stock the Ontario-raised strain of musky into the recently established brood lakes for the next four years, which will continue to increase the genetic variation and abundance of the re-established Green Bay population. It is an example like that using a special funding of AOC Muskegon and White Lakes break the funding gridlock in the future. <url url="[Permission to view this media is denied]
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$10 million to fund Muskegon Lake restoration
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06/30/09 by Dave Alexander | The Muskegon Chronicle
Muskegon Lake will receive $10 million in federal wetland and shoreline restoration money aimed at returning large areas of the lake's shore to a more natural state.
The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration grant — announced by Sen. Carl Levin, D-Michigan — will help pay to restore 24 acres of wetlands and stabilize the shoreline in 10 locations on the south side of Muskegon Lake.
The federal "stimulus" money is in addition to $3.4 million the community already has received from NOAA for Muskegon Lake shoreline restoration. The new funds should create up to 18 jobs, with work beginning yet this fall, according to government sources.
"This is wonderful news to address a long-standing problem," Levin said.
The areas to be improved have had decades of human activity, which have harmed the natural plant and wildlife of the shoreline. These are areas that have been filled in during both the lumber and industrial eras, according to environmental consultants working on the grant application.
The grant application was put together by the Muskegon Lake Watershed Partnership and through the offices of the West Michigan Shoreline Regional Development Commission.
"I think people will be amazed at the work because they will see so much more accessibility to the water in an environmentally friendly way … greenspace and everything that goes along with that kind of pleasant atmosphere," said Kathy Evans, director of the partnership and environmental program manager for WMSRDC.
The project is slated to remove about 200,000 tons of unnatural fill in the lake and along the shoreline. Marine contractors will restore the aquatic environment throughout 23.6 acres and restore about two miles of hardened shoreline.
The work is expected to improve the environment for fish, reptiles, amphibians, marsh birds, waterfowl and mammals such as fox, otter and muskrat, according to the grant application.
The specific 10 sites — both public and private — to be rehabilitated are the Grand Trunk dock, South Branch of the Muskegon River at Richards Park, Ruddiman Creek at the Lakeshore Trail, the Amoco tank farm peninsula, Heritage Landing, the South Branch of the Muskegon River at Muskegon Lake, Great Lakes Dock & Materials, the YMCA, the Kirksey property and along Edgewater Street.
The Muskegon Lake project was among 814 projects requesting more than $3 billion in funds. The local effort is among a handful approved by NOAA and believed to be the only one funded in the Great Lakes.
Also:
$10 million stimulus grant awarded to Great Lakes Commission for Muskegon Lake restoration project
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Hamilton, Thanks for all your efforts toward this. You're correct in saying that this is similar to what started the Green Bay Project and it is great news. I'm hopefull that they'll find reclaiming and restoring native habitat and species within the drowned river mouths to be one of the most important outcomes. It could possibly become something that the MDNR/MDEQ, through its careful management of any future projects connected with this, could be proud of. I imagined this coming down the pipe for some time and I'm happy to see that things are developing.
Sorry Duke, since I've already hijacked the thread I'll add this………
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Although its 2 years old, it outlines the direction that wildlife management is going with the Great Lakes riparian ecosystems, which includes restoration of habitat and native species. Interestingly, toward the end, it states clearly how, who and where to apply for funding for things like stocking GLS muskies.
Steve,
There are many programs coming that will impact the future of the GLS muskie, some directly and some indirectly while targeting other objectives. Snippet: "Keep in mind the Region 3 Step-Down Plan represents a living document. As we improve our ability to address trust resource issues in the Great Lakes, guidance documents and approaches will change." Therefore, we can then review many potential projects coming that will help our Great Lakes using this link (expand the view for easier reading).
Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Summary of Proposed Programs and Projects Sorted by Focus Area
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At a meeting last night I found out we are actually getting $12.5M in this round of funding to the Muskegon River Watershed Assembly (MRWA). Now the reality check for the AOC lakes we're working with. There is no way we can completely undo a 150-years of fishery habitat abuse the drowned river mouth lakes have endured. However, we will give 110% effort and use every angle, policy change, and financial windfall to grab any improvements we can get within windows of opportunity. The millions of dollars coming to Muskegon Lake in this opportunity may or not be enough to fully complete restoration of the former GLS spawning habitat, but we'll take every segment we can. Just one example is 100+ acres of Strawberry Island area of shallow slab wood will be removed and cleaner substrate created for a 3-6' depth spawning area.
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