Event Title

Concurrent Sessions D: Sturgeon Passage - Midwest Fish Passage And Concerns With Invasive Species, Disease, and Contaminants

Location

Agriculture Science Theater, Oregon State University

Start Date

25-6-2013 11:00 AM

End Date

25-6-2013 11:20 AM

Description

Historically, many Midwestern migratory fish species, such as lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) and paddlefish (Polyodon spathula), had free and unobstructed access to feeding and spawning areas in rivers and tributaries throughout their range in the Midwest, including the Great Lakes. Major river systems, such as the Menominee River in northern Wisconsin and the Wisconsin River in central Wisconsin, at one time supported vast spawning migrations. Within the past 100 years, however, construction and operation of hydroelectric dams on these river systems has interrupted much of these great migrations. This fragmentation and loss of habitat has contributed to the decline of the lake sturgeon and paddlefish populations throughout the Midwest. One method for reestablishing this lost connection is to create an artificial pathway such as a fish passage facility (i.e., fishway). The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has been working with state and local partners in Wisconsin and Michigan to design and build fishways to reestablish migratory corridors on rivers historically important to lake sturgeon and paddlefish. In particular, the FWS has been working on two fish passage projects, one on the Wisconsin River near Prairie du Sac, WI (a hydroelectric dam licensed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission; FERC) and another at a FERC dam on the Menominee River, a tributary to Lake Michigan near Menominee, MI. At both of these locations, fish passage is complicated by the occurrence of invasive species and disease downstream of the dam, one of which has the added concern of heavy metal contaminants. Of particular concern to fisheries agencies is the emergence of aquatic threats such as Asian carp (e.g., sliver carp and bighead carp) and fish diseases (e.g., Viral Hemorahgic Septicemia). As these projects move toward completion, the agencies need to take great care in how long term project operation may impact the health of the aquatic ecosystem upstream of the proposed fishway. One solution may be to impose a restriction on numbers and species of fishes to be passed upstream. In addition, fishes allowed to be passed upstream may need to be manually sorted and selected based on strict guidelines as approved by the appropriate state agency with jurisdiction. We will explore fish passage projects at FERC dams in Wisconsin and Michigan and discuss how emerging concerns with invasive species, disease, and contaminants are impacting project planning, design, and long term operation.

Comments

Nick Utrup is a Fish Biologist and FERC Hydropower Coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service out of Green Bay, Wisconsin. Nick has spent nearly 10 years working with several different migratory fish species throughout the Midwest, including sturgeon and paddlefish. As part of his duties, Nick works with State, Federal, and local agencies, in addition to private companies and NGO’s, to develop flows, protection, and fish passage at FERC hydropower dams for the benefit of migratory fish species. Currently, Nick is an Implementation Team member, and co-project manager, for several fish passage projects at FERC hydropower dams in the State of Wisconsin, one of which has been constructed and is operational. Nick received a Bachelor of Science degree in Zoology from The Ohio State University and a Master of Science degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Ecology from Oklahoma State University.

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Jun 25th, 11:00 AM Jun 25th, 11:20 AM

Concurrent Sessions D: Sturgeon Passage - Midwest Fish Passage And Concerns With Invasive Species, Disease, and Contaminants

Agriculture Science Theater, Oregon State University

Historically, many Midwestern migratory fish species, such as lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) and paddlefish (Polyodon spathula), had free and unobstructed access to feeding and spawning areas in rivers and tributaries throughout their range in the Midwest, including the Great Lakes. Major river systems, such as the Menominee River in northern Wisconsin and the Wisconsin River in central Wisconsin, at one time supported vast spawning migrations. Within the past 100 years, however, construction and operation of hydroelectric dams on these river systems has interrupted much of these great migrations. This fragmentation and loss of habitat has contributed to the decline of the lake sturgeon and paddlefish populations throughout the Midwest. One method for reestablishing this lost connection is to create an artificial pathway such as a fish passage facility (i.e., fishway). The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has been working with state and local partners in Wisconsin and Michigan to design and build fishways to reestablish migratory corridors on rivers historically important to lake sturgeon and paddlefish. In particular, the FWS has been working on two fish passage projects, one on the Wisconsin River near Prairie du Sac, WI (a hydroelectric dam licensed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission; FERC) and another at a FERC dam on the Menominee River, a tributary to Lake Michigan near Menominee, MI. At both of these locations, fish passage is complicated by the occurrence of invasive species and disease downstream of the dam, one of which has the added concern of heavy metal contaminants. Of particular concern to fisheries agencies is the emergence of aquatic threats such as Asian carp (e.g., sliver carp and bighead carp) and fish diseases (e.g., Viral Hemorahgic Septicemia). As these projects move toward completion, the agencies need to take great care in how long term project operation may impact the health of the aquatic ecosystem upstream of the proposed fishway. One solution may be to impose a restriction on numbers and species of fishes to be passed upstream. In addition, fishes allowed to be passed upstream may need to be manually sorted and selected based on strict guidelines as approved by the appropriate state agency with jurisdiction. We will explore fish passage projects at FERC dams in Wisconsin and Michigan and discuss how emerging concerns with invasive species, disease, and contaminants are impacting project planning, design, and long term operation.