GLFT Grant Library

The project improved angler access by connecting an existing parking area to the south pier. The improvements include the handicapped-accessible walkway and paved parking for approximately 12 vehicles.

The south project included a concrete walk from the street to the pier, a barrier-free fishing deck at the eastern end of the pier, vault toilet, and 21 car parking parking for 21 vehicles (one barrier-free) along Chester Street. There is no fee to use this facility.

The north project included two separate sites: Channel Lake Park and Bridge Street access site. Channel Lake Park features paved parking for 18 vehicles, a handicapped-accessible restroom, picnic facilities, and benches. The Bridge Street access site has paved parking for four vehicles.

The project improved angler access at an existing city park, Medbery Park. The park improvements include improved entrance road, paved parking for approximately 50 vehicles, pedestrian walkway connecting to the north channel of White Lake, vault toilet, landscaping, benches, and picnic tables.

The project improved angler access to the White Lake south pier. The improvement features improved parking at the White River Station Park and Dock Road, including handicapped parking, construction of a handicapped-accessible ramp to the pier, cement slab for port-a-john placement, and landscaping.

The project provided funds for engineering design to improve angler access to the White Lake south pier. The improvement features improved parking at the White River Station Park and Dock Road, including handicapped parking, construction of a handicapped-accessible ramp to the pier, cement slab for port-a-john placement, and landscaping.

This project supported continued access for tribal commercial fishermen at Beaver Island. Improvements include new dock space, a sea wall, an icehouse, a well, a work area, and a security fence.

The grant money allowed for the construction of a bridge providing new shore-based, universally accessible fishing of migrating Lake Michigan trout and salmon at the mouth of the Betsie River as it enters Betsie Lake.

This project installed a fishing pier on a historic coal dock property, now the Village Municipal Marina, for the use and enjoyment of all local and tourist shore-based anglers.

A video of the Great Lakes Fishery Trust was produced that provides general information on the GLFT and also highlights some of its grants and granting categories.

Fluctuating abundances of alewife affect early survival and management of salmon, lake trout, and yellow perch in Lake Michigan. This project used field studies and analyzed historical data to determine factors affecting alewife abundance, growth, and survival. Researchers used natural chemical tracers present in alewife ear bones to determine alewife environmental histories and identify those habitats producing the most survivors. Researchers also developed statistical models to predict alewife survival and abundance for fisheries managers.

This project completed Phases I and II of a three-phase project to develop a genetics-based management plan for lake sturgeon within the Great Lakes Basin. During the course of the project, researchers (1) standardized microsatellite and mtDNA genetic markers among all geneticists studying lake sturgeon, (2) sampled key populations that are not currently targeted by any management agencies, and (3) analyzed population genetic data from these sampled populations.

This project provided improvements to the promenade and development of an on-site fisheries education program.

Researchers from the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, Grand Valley State University, and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, together with the Muskegon River Watershed Assembly and other local stakeholders, are collaborating to develop a modeling framework for risk assessment and ecosystem management in the Muskegon River Watershed. This project was part of the Great Lakes Fishery Trust's Muskegon River Initiative and the Muskegon River Watershed Research Partnership.

Researchers from Michigan State University, University of Michigan, and Wayne State University, together with the Muskegon River Watershed Assembly and volunteers from the Michigan Lake and Stream Association and other local stakeholders, collaborated to conduct an ecological survey of the Muskegon River watershed. The primary goal was to develop and apply new methods for assessing the ecological integrity of aquatic ecosystems to improve our understanding of relationships between human activities and valued ecological attributes; develop new technologies to improve ecological assessments; and to engage public and government stakeholders in the research and communicate
results to them. This project was part of the Great Lakes Fishery Trust's Muskegon River Initiative and the Muskegon River Watershed Research Partnership.

Funds for this project were used to build capacity of the Muskegon River Watershed Assembly. This project was part of the Great Lakes Fishery Trust's Muskegon River Initiative.

Whirling Disease (WD) is a serious disease of salmonids caused by the myxosporean parasite Myxobolus cerebralis (Mc). Introduction of WD into the Great Lakes, Wisconsin, and Minnesota would pose a risk to the multibillion-dollar-a-year Great Lakes freshwater salmonid fishery. This study validated a nonlethal test for Mc in salmonids, thereby preventing unnecessary sacrifice of suspect hatchery and feral fish, valuable broodstock, and threatened and endangered species.

The influence of egg and fry predators on the lack of successful reproduction by lake trout in the Great Lakes is poorly understood. Predation, particularly by exotic species, may exceed the potential of spawning reefs to successfully incubate eggs and produce measurable recruitment. Researchers evaluated egg, fry, and predator abundance at spawning reefs in northeastern Lake Michigan, and used egg seeding, alewife exclosures, and laboratory experiments to assess the current effect of predation on recruitment.

The project team investigated consequences of larval yellow perch being transported out of productive near-shore areas of Lake Michigan. The primary concern regarding this transport is availability of optimal food for larval yellow perch in offshore areas. The team examined whether offshore transport inhibits larval growth and whether this growth change increases probability of mortality. This investigation greatly contributed to our understanding of how to best manage the Lake Michigan yellow perch fishery.

The city constructed a steel frame walkway, which connects to the top of the steel sheet wall. The walkway surface was made of treated wood and includes a steel railing on the east side adjacent to the water. Large rip rap stone was placed on top of the existing rip rap on the west side to adjust the grade to the walkway elevation. The walkway serves as a fishing site with direct access to the water and also provides pedestrian access to the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers Pier for fishing. The entire project construction was developed to provide for handicapped accessibility.

A barrier-free children’s fishing dock was installed on the shore of Arcadia Lake near Arcadia in 1997. Through this grant, Arcadia extended that dock by 40 feet into the lake to enhance deep water fishing opportunities.

The railroad trestle crossing the White River between the cities of Montague and Whitehall in Muskegon County is now part of the Rails-to-Trails extension under construction. This project created a 244-foot-by-8-foot Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-accessible fishing bridge attached to the downstream side of the trestle.

This project assessed fisheries education needs in order to assist the GLFT in targeting education-related funds where they will be most effective.

The city's Muskegon River dam was removed, eliminating an obstruction and reconnecting portions of the Muskegon River. The high gradient portion of the Muskegon River was recovered which based on previous work on the Muskegon River, will directly and positively affect the ecology of the river. Following the removal, the city used its remaining GLFT grant funds to construct a riverwalk around the site, providing angler access, bank stabilization, and interpretative educational signage.

Funds for this project were used to purchase hydroacoustic sampling gear that will be used by multiple agencies to enhance their ability to conduct prey fish surveys in Lake Michigan and provide critical abundance information to Great Lakes fisheries managers.

This research provided a means of evaluating the success of rehabilitation programs by elucidating the proportional contribution of various hatchery stocks to adult recruitment onto spawing reefs and to natural reproduction. Researchers identified the reproductive success of reintroduced lake trout from different hatchery strains. Identification of the relative contribution of each of several introduced hatchery strains allowed researchers to match putative donor strains to specific reef habitats based on differences in strain fitness, thus eliminating redundant and wasteful production.

The 4th International Symposium on Sturgeon was one of a series of symposia designed to facilitate worldwide information exchange, research stimulation, and professional networking in relation to sturgeon. Previous symposia in this specific series were held in Piacenza, Italy, in 1997; Moscow, Russia, in 1993; and Bordeaux, France, in 1989.

Funding for this project was used to coordinate and host a 1-2 day workshop on standardizing genetic identification of various lake sturgeon populations in December 1999 in Chicago.

This project completed laboratory testing and began field evaluation of nonlethal and environmental sampling methods for detecting the agent of bacterial kidney disease (BKD) in Great Lakes salmonid fishes and water, respectively. Nonlethal detection methods that enable monitoring of performance and survival of fish after testing, and methods for monitoring the pathogen in the environment, enhanced evaluation of the impacts of this important pathogen on Great Lakes salmonids.

Laboratory research compared diagnostic methods for bacterial kidney disease and investigated the effects of hatchery practices on the transmission of the pathogen and the development of the disease.

This project related the potential differences in fish diet and food web dynamics between St. Joseph and Little Sable Pointe to recent declines in Diporeia (an invertebrate food source).

The primary goal of this study was to research the factors controlling the recruitment of yellow perch in Lake Michigan.

The grant's specific objectives included evaluating the feasibility of using fixed-location riverine hydroacoustic technology to measure smolt abundance, quantifying smolt behavior during migration, and estimating abundance of out-migrating smolts.

Lake Michigan fishery managers seek reliable indicators of nutritional stress in Chinook salmon populations. Project managers collected wild-ranging Chinook salmon from Lake Michigan and measured various indicators of fish nutritional state in spring and fall over a three-year period. The goal of this study was to determine which indicators provide the best measure of stress and estimate the number of fish needed to provide an adequately precise estimate of stress on the population. The study also enhanced knowledge of the causes of stress in Great Lakes Chinook salmon.

This study assessed the potential fishing access sites in southeast Michigan along the Detroit River.

This project evaluated the success of existing lake trout stocking strategies which started in 1985 because of the lakewide plan to rehabilitate Lake Michigan approved by the Lake Michigan (approved by the Lake Michigan Committee). Since 1985, the majority (more than 76 percent) of lake trout stocked have been transported and released directly above 24 specific spawning reefs,compared to less than 27 percent in 1965-84. Recolonization of historically productive spawning reefs will likely play a major role in lake trout finally achieving sustained natural reproduction in Lake Michigan. This project measured the distribution of spawning lake trout on 31 reefs throughout northern Lake Michigan over three years to evaluate the success of current stocking stategies. Distribution information was used to assess the performance of lake trout strains stocked for restoration and the movement of lake trout in the study area.

This project provided enhanced angler access to Lake Huron fish populations as part of recreational improvements (including a new breakwall) at the city’s boat harbor.

Early mortality syndrome (EMS) of Great Lakes salmonid species is a result of a deficiency in the vitamin thiamine. The goal of this research was twofold: 1) to provide fishery management agencies with information for management of forage fish, such as alewife, to minimize thiamine-related loss of lake trout, coho, and Chinook salmon; and 2) to determine if neurological and other abnormalities in thiamine-deficient fry contribute to the observed recruitment failure in Lake Michigan lake trout populations.

Managing for sustainable salmon and trout fisheries in Lake Michigan is threatened by the occurrence of early mortality syndrome (EMS), a syndrome that reduces egg survival. This three-year project identified the most effective thiamine treatment methodology to maintain Lake Michigan hatchery production. A screening technique was developed to measure egg thiamine levels that will provide a tool to decide which eggs require treatment was developed. Once the cause and pathway of EMS is identified, fishery agencies will have the information to help manage the Lake Michigan fish community. Methodology and analytical techniques from this project can be transferred to investigate recent recruitment problems in other Great Lakes species.

The City of Ludington angler access improvement project is located in downtown Ludington and was completed in the fall of 2000. This project provided enhanced opportunities for shore fishing of Great Lakes species as part of the new downtown harbor redevelopment project on Pere Marquette Lake, adjacent to Lake Michigan. The improvements meet the needs of residents and visitors to the area by maximizing access for families, seniors, and disabled persons. Improvements include restroom facilities, picnic tables, a fishing boardwalk, parking, and shelters.

This project provided shore-fishing opportunities for Great Lakes species entering Betsie Lake as part of a larger recreational project involving creative re-use of the former car/railroad ferry site.

This project identified potential projects to enhance public and tribal fishing access in northern Lake Huron, northern Lake Michigan, and eastern Lake Superior.

This project implemented erosion control and habitat improvement measures on the Big South Branch of the Pere Marquette River. Baseline data were taken prior to improvements for benchmarking and evaluation purposes. Sampling occurred (following improvement measures) to determine the effect of the habitat improvements on natural salmonid reproduction.

The Pere Marquette Charter Township angler access improvement project at Sutton's Landing was a pilot project (1998) of the Great Lakes Fishery Trust. This two-year project improved the Sutton's Landing Park, which served 7,500 fishermen per year prior to improvements. The boat launch provides access to Pere Marquette Lake, the Pere Marquette River, and Lake Michigan.

This project promoted better understanding of Great Lakes fisheries and factors required to sustain this natural resource through providing materials, training, and support for teachers and volunteer mentors who work with youth in schools, sport fishing clubs, and locally sponsored sport fishing events. This project indirectly provided better access to resource users, and promoted active stewardship of Great Lakes fisheries among youth and families. It accomplished these goals through exciting interactive learning materials, long-term learning experiences with mentors and clubs, and Family Fun Fishing Festivals.

This project produced two education resources relating to Lake Michigan fisheries: a traveling exhibit and an exhibit catalog. These education resources enabled the public to contextualize present-day fisheries policies.

This project sought to investigate further the use of gluteraldehide to treat both no-ballast-on-board (NOBOB) and ballast-on board (BOB) shipping vessels. The main focus of this study was to access the logistics, efficacy, and environmental acceptability of treating vessels claiming NOBOB. A secondary goal was to evaluate the treatment of BOB vessels.

This project resulted in the building and testing of a prototype fish passage for lake sturgeon. Primary components included continued telemetry studies at White Rapids Dam to determine the best location for a fishway passage; tests with juvenile lake sturgeon to determine the best fishway design; and tests with other warm-water fish to determine the effectiveness for other species.

This project improved angler access by connecting an existing parking area to the south pier. The improvements include the handicappe-accessible walkway and paved parking for approximately 12 vehicles.

This project developed integrated and comprehensive Great Lakes ecological information/interpretive centers at state fish hatcheries.