GLFT Grant Library

With support from the GLFT, the City of Frankfort constructed an ADA compliant shore-based fishing pier in April of 2004. The structure is located West of the Frankfort Municipal Marina on Betsie Lake and was part of a larger beachfront restoration project. The structure is connected to the Betsie Valley Trail, other city amenities, and Lake Michigan via a paved bike path. The pier officially opened in May of 2004 upon completion of the public access bike path and is maintained by the City of Frankfort Recreation Department.

This project included construction of a fishing platform and fishermen access to the banks of the Betsie River during renovation of the Railroad Causeway Bridge, which runs over the Betsie River near Elberta. This was part of a $1.7 million project to complete the Betsie Valley Trail from Frankfort to the Railroad Point Natural Area on Crystal Lake.

The goal of this project was to estimate the number of mature whitefish that die annually from natural causes in two populations from both Lake Michigan and Lake Huron in each of three years. Health-related data were gathered on whitefish sampled from these populations, and these data were used to identify possible mechanisms for that mortality, using a comparative approach.

This project produced a lake trout spawning habitat map, via multibeam sonar and sidescan sonar, that has facilitated ROV (unmanned submersible)-based studies of lake trout reproduction at Lake Michigan’s Southern Refuge. Via ROV we have been able to confirm egg deposition at steep dropoffs, at depths of about 50 meters. The dropoff habitat is abundant at the Southern Refuge, and a map of part of this habitat has greatly facilitated finding the best available habitat for study and future rehabilitation efforts.

This project addressed early mortality syndrome (EMS) in Great Lakes predatory fish from a biochemical perspective, and had two major objectives: 1) purify and characterize thiaminase, the presumed causative agent of EMS, derived from alewife; and 2) develop new tools for the rapid identification and quantification of thiaminase.

The project included acquiring the original printing files, transferring them to a format compatible with the printing company, updating information, printing, postage to mail approximately 65,000 to the membership of MUCC as a supplement to the monthly magazine Michigan-Out-of Doors, and freight to deliver the remaining 35,000 copies to MUCC for distribution at events.

This grant funded activities to stabilize dune erosion along the White Lake Channel Pier’s south side in Fruitland Township. At the start of the project, after windy days, the sand was often 2 feet deep on the pier. With the installation of the snow fence and dune grass planting, the dune stabilized and sand did not cover the pier. During the summer of 2006, no sand was shoveled or swept from the pier by Fruitland Township.

Salmon in the Classroom is a hands-on K-12 curriculum for teachers, classrooms and sponsoring organizations willing to put in intensive work on raising fish, studying water quality, watersheds and conservation, and on the importance of fisheries conservation and management in Michigan waters of the Great Lakes.

The grant money from the GLFT was used to conduct an eneginerring study and environmental assessment on a parcel of Lake St. Clair property where the MDNR sought to enhance shoreline fishing opprotunities and restore native vegetation. 

This grant produced a book on the Muskegon River watershed including its history and current direction of restoration efforts.

Human activities in coastal areas influence nearshore ecosystems, although spatial scales of response by nearshore communities are largely unknown. Such community responses are key for effective ecosystem management of Great Lakes nearshore areas. The goal of this study was to identify differences in fish and prey populations in response to local and larger-scale environmental properties of shoreline areas along the eastern Lake Michigan coastline.

The goal of this project was to determine whether the availability of essential fatty acids to yellow perch has been affected by the changing food web and contributed to poor recruitment of this important sport fish. Changes in the food web (e.g., exotic species), as well as increased UV light penetration, may have altered amounts of essential nutrients available in the ecosystem.

Bacterial kidney disease (BKD), caused by Renibacterium salmoninarum, is a devastating disease of Great Lakes salmonids. Researchers for this project enhanced diagnosis of BKD by developing sensitive molecular probes that will differentiate between virulent and avirulent strain(s). This new diagnostic procedure will be useful in epizootiological surveys and disease control. Ultimately, this will facilitate better management of salmon fisheries in the Great Lakes and lower the prevalence of clinical BKD outbreaks.

Early mortality syndrome (EMS) causes massive mortality to many salmonid species in Lakes Michigan and Ontario. In this project researchers studied the etiology of EMS using an extensive fish health investigation and novel cDNA microarray (“gene chip”) technology, which has revolutionized human disease research and diagnosis. The same cDNA microarray would be a novel resource to study fish health, toxicology, and nutrition.

The Manistee River, with good potential habitat and a sturgeon population of remnant historic numbers, is highly suitable for sturgeon rehabilitation. Evidence suggests poor recruitment and an insufficient spawner population are the culprits. This study focused on lake sturgeon recruitment in the Manistee River by monitoring egg deposition, larval drift, juvenile dispersal, and habitat utilization, and determined critical habitat for these life stages.

Rehabilitation of lake sturgeon in the Lake Michigan basin requires an understanding of the historical distribution and relative abundance of sturgeon within the basin. Similarly, understanding how barriers limit movement by sturgeon from current populations to previously available habitat requires an understanding of historical distribution of sturgeon within tributary systems. This project built on previous compilations of anecdotal data through completion of an intensive library search of historic documents.

The Great Lakes Fishery Trust sponsored the Great Lakes Fisheries and Ecosystem Education Networking Conference on May 5-6, 2003, in East Lansing, Michigan. The overall purpose of the networking conference was to assist the GLFT Board in developing and focusing its efforts in support of Great Lakes fisheries and ecosystem education throughout the region.

The Black River Access improvement project provided angler access amenities and general improvements along a 765-foot stretch of the Black River, just upstream of Lake Michigan. The site serves the City of South Haven and its surrounding regions.

The Lake Michigan Oval Park improvement project was a community effort led by Benona Township to improve and beautify public access to this fishermen’s hot spot. The project consisted of three tasks: the construction of a fish landing/deck, replacement of a portion of the deteriorating seawall, and construction of restroom/refuse shelters.

Grant funds were used to stabilize the eroding shoreline, increase fishing access, and enhance the fishing habitat at Elizabeth Park in Trenton, Michigan, along the Detroit River.

This project consisted of three related components: construction of three demonstration lake sturgeon spawning reefs, a public education program, and a robust monitoring program. The project's goal was to enhance a healthy and self-sustaining population of lake sturgeon in the river. This project had a consortium of federal, state, university, local, and nongovernmental agencies and organizations assisting with meeting goals.

Two additional fishing piers were added to the park as a result of this project. Each pier is 16 feet wide and 18 feet long, and amenities include barrier-free access benches, handicapped-parking, and lighting.

This project tells the story of the Big Rapids Dam Removal project with a PowerPoint CD presentation that can be given to any community, along with a companion booklet.

The McKay Bay access site improvement project enhanced tribal and nontribal fishing opportunities in northern Lake Huron. The enhancements are for both recreational anglers and commercial fishing vessels at McKay Bay.

The Beaver Island dock expansion project enabled tribal trap net fishing vessels to access the commercial fishery targeting whitefish.

This project helped promote understanding of the impacts of dreissenid and cladococera invaders on lower-lakes fish communities and forecasting invasion impacts on upper-lakes fish communities.

This project promoted better understanding of Great Lakes fisheries and factors required to sustain this natural resource by 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 expanded the White Lake pier by adding additional feet on both sides.

This project facilitated communication and coordination between biologists, managers, and researchers working toward lake sturgeon rehabilitation in the Great Lakes through annual meetings. The project included a two-day meeting: the first day was for sharing research and management activities, confirming or identifying priority research needs, and enhancing collaboration; the second day focused on a technical issue or information gap.

The goal of this project was to determine the age-specific diet and energy density of lake whitefish on a seasonal basis, as well as the seasonal energy density of major food types of lake whitefish.

This project focused on the distribution, movement patterns, and requirements of early life stages of lake sturgeon in relation to availability and utilization of physical, chemical, and biological resources in the lower Peshtigo River, Wisconsin, and inner waters of Green Bay, Lake Michigan.

Throughout the Great Lakes Basin, remnant stocks of lake sturgeon exist at low abundance. Traditional fish sampling and assessment methods are marginally effective for these populations and can lead to fish mortality. Lake sturgeon congregate each spring when they spawn in large rivers. Nonlethal hydroacoustic technology, successfully used to count salmon in Pacific Northwest river systems, was used to evaluate the lake sturgeon population in the Sturgeon River, Michigan, and then applied to evaluation of the Muskegon River population.

The project quantified the relative effects of lake physics (meso-scale circulation features, small-scale turulence, turbidity, water temperature) on distributions, survival, feeding, growth, and potential recruitment of young alewife and yellow perch.

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.