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Fisheries | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Midwest Region
https://www.fws.gov/midwest/fisheries/fishlines/index.html
Conserving America's FisheriesFisheries, Midwest Region
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Field Focus
Jordan River National Fish Hatchery
Jordan River National Fish Hatchery(NFH), located in Elmira, Michigan hasbeen producing lake trout fingerlingsand yearlings for Great Lakesrestoration...Read More
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"Fish Tails” refers to articles that are submitted byfield staff that do not appear as a feature in the currentedition of Fish Lines. These articles provide examplesof the diverse work that the Service's Midwest FisheriesProgram and partners perform on behalf of our aquaticresources and for the benefit of the American public.
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Sea Lamprey Control inthe Great Lakes
Happy 130th Birthday
Collecting OrientalWeatherfish
FWCO Maintains StrongPartnership withUniversity of Wisconsin
M.A.S.H. Mobile Asian carpSurgical Hospital
Sea Lamprey Control in the Great LakesGauzy morning light leaks through dense mature oaks and maples ina square woodlot next to an...Read More
Fisheries | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Midwest Region
https://www.fws.gov/midwest/fisheries/fishlines/feature1.html
Conserving America's FisheriesFisheries, Midwest Region
Adult Sea Lamprey. Credit: Karla Bartelt, USFWS
A lake trout with sea lamprey wounds. Credit: Scott Grunder, USFWS
Gauzy morning light leaks through dense matureoaks and maples in a square woodlot next to anIndiana farm road. It’s only a few miles from theMichigan state line, lying just below the bottom endof Lake Michigan.
Right angles predominate in this place from artificiallines laid on the land. It is well-settled here, theartifices of people everywhere. Roads run oversection lines straight as ribbons over low hills innear-perfect square-mile blocks. They make thecheckerboard you can see from the air. On theground, you can hear the distant drone of a brushhog, and the comings and goings of occasional carsand farm implements as people live out their dayalong the rim of the Great Lakes.
The backlighting of the morning sun illuminates thebugs that float aloft on the yellow beams. Theyremind you of dust defying gravity, caught in lightbending through dirty widows. A spattering of left-over sunlight hits a tiny stream barely big enough toname. The rill, no bigger than a groove in the glacialtill, gets much attention from fish biologists. This manicured site belies what’s below. Swimming in this pleasant little purl of wateris an alien invader that’s become naturalized—and entirely by accident. Its existence here is as incongruous as finding ice creamin an oven.
The sea lamprey as its name implies is naturally at home in the salty waters of the Atlantic. But the unintended consequences ofconnecting the Great Lakes more directly to the seaboard for commerce via the Welland Canal essentially put the invasivelamprey in this otherwise bucolic scene. Their invasion into the Great Lakes dates to 1829, and by the late 1930s, theypopulated all of the Great Lakes. A saltwater fish swims in the tiniest of freshwater upland farm creeks ringing much of the GreatLakes basin.
It’s had a real down side.
The lamprey is a fish. On the evolutionary scale, it’s primitive–without scales and without bones. Its slightly cone-shaped circularmouth is loaded with rings of sharp raspy teeth. It’s a parasiticpest that makes a living by grating onto its host, sucking bloodand body fluids as it clings along for the ride.
As you might guess that’s hard on a host fish. And fish speciesnative to the Great Lakes such as the lake trout have suffered forit.
The sea lamprey will spend 12 to 20 months in its parasitic phasein open water, killing up to 40 pounds of fish. Lake trout are notthe only fish to host the invasive lamprey; steelhead, whitefish,lake sturgeon, salmons, walleye, and yellow perch often get theparasite. But lake trout populations have taken a measurable toll: prior to the lamprey explosion in the 1950s, about 15 millionpounds of lake trout a year were harvested from Lakes Superiorand Huron. Ten years later, only 300,000 pounds were pulledfrom nets. In Lake Michigan alone, lake trout harvest went from5.5 million pounds in 1946, to a mere 402 pounds seven yearslater.
An Unnatural History:Sea Lamprey Control in the Great Lakes
BY CRAIG SPRINGER, USFWS REGION 2-EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
Fisheries | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Midwest Region
https://www.fws.gov/midwest/fisheries/fishlines/feature1.html
Young sea lamprey live in fine sediments in upland stream that pour into the Great Lakes. Credit: Mara Koenig, USFWS
USFWS biologists carefully meters out TFM in a Great Lakes tributary. Credit: Mara Koenig, USFWS
With Great Lakes fisheries devastated by invasive sea lamprey,the Great Lakes Fishery Commission directed the scientific testingof some 6,000 substances to determine what might control thedamaging parasite. In 1958, the compound commonly called“TFM” proved its worth. This selective lampricide could suppressthe invasive parasite while still in streams. Registered forpermitted use by the EPA and Agriculture Canada, TFM has metall safety criteria for use in Great Lakes streams. Under theauspices of the Commission, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Servicebiologists now apply TFM in roughly 250 streams tributary to theGreat Lakes, such as the unassuming rill on the Indiana-Michiganstate line.
It’s not the adult lamprey sought by biologists applying TFM tostreams. The adult lampreys swim into the tributaries in the springof the year to spawn and then die. Their eggs hatch in gravels,and the worm-like larvae move into muck to live out the nextseveral years before turning to parasitism and moving into openlake water. The compound TFM kills sea lampreys in the larvalstage.
While TFM is the primary means of suppressing sea lampreypopulations, it is not the only one. Barriers built across severalstreams block sea lamprey from moving upstream to spawn. Sealampreys lack an ability to leap; hundreds of low-head barriers onstreams across the Great Lakes basin create impassable heightsand prevent sea lampreys from migrating, thus reducing thenecessity of applying TFM above barriers.
The ancient Greek adage, “make haste, slowly,” applies here. A great deal of experience and much scientific experimentationhas brought sea lamprey control a long way from the nadir of the 1950s. Well-trained and dedicated biologists go after sealamprey in a measured, deliberate way. On any application of TFM, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will have deployed staffwith an impressive array of expertise: chemistry, limnology, fisheries science, and hydrology. The field work is physicallydemanding.
That work is paying off. Desirable sport and commercial fisheries valuable to people are on the rebound. But we can’t let up: asingle female sea lamprey may lay up to 100,000 eggs.
The past can’t be undone, but with science and technology, fisheries professionals can rewind it a bit. And it starts upstream, inthe smallest of rills in the uplands that pour into the Great Lakes. To learn more, visit: https://www.fws.gov/midwest/fisheries/
Fisheries | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Midwest Region
https://www.fws.gov/midwest/fisheries/fishlines/feature2.html
Conserving America's FisheriesFisheries, Midwest Region
The porch at Neosho National Fish Hatchery visitor center is an inviting place to relax. Credit: Bruce Hallman, USFWS
The kids fishing derby hosted by the hatchery has always been a popular eventfor Neosho youth. Credit: Photo courtesy of the Neosho archives
Neosho National Fish Hatchery just turned 130 yearsold, and we at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service arecelebrating the history of the hatchery. Established in1888 in southwest Missouri, Neosho is the oldestoperating federal fish hatchery in the United States.The hatchery has played a major role in therestoration efforts of endangered aquatic speciessuch as paddlefish, lake sturgeon, Topeka shinersand pallid sturgeon, as well as conservation of theOzark cavefish.
The story of Neosho is one of a great love affairbetween a city and its hatchery. The hatchery wasstrategically placed just outside the small town ofNeosho. Access to reliable quality spring water andthe railroad spur of the Kansas City, Fort Smith andSouthern Railroad lines provided the resources forsuccessful fish rearing and transportation of stockacross the nation. As time marched on, the tiny townof Neosho slowly began to grow around the hatcheryinto a city of more than 12,000 people. Thedistinctive onion dome atop the hatchery’s mainbuilding became an iconic structure in the communityas generations of residents adopted the hatchery asa city treasure. Twice the citizens of Neosho haverallied behind the hatchery to save it from closure.
More than 130 different species of fish have beenraised at the hatchery throughout the years. Fromthe beginning, the hatchery has raised rainbow trout.Stocking of these trout enhance recreational fishingopportunities that boost the local economy. Thehatchery was successful in raising endangeredpaddlefish and lake sturgeon, which led to its currentfocus on the recovery of pallid sturgeon. Neosho isthe first federal facility to work with the rare Topekashiner and supports restoration efforts for threatenedand endangered native mussel species, including theNeosho mucket, and their required host species oflargemouth and smallmouth bass.
Neosho also protects the fragile habitat of theendangered Ozark cavefish through its ownership ofthe spring and cave system in which it lives. Thisunique colorless, eyeless fish species wasdiscovered in a spring on hatchery property shortlyafter the hatchery was established.
In 2010, the hatchery visitor center was rebuiltspecifically with its energy footprint andenvironmental impact in mind. It was constructedwith environmentally friendly, natural materials such as fiber cement siding and marmoleum flooring, and is registered with theU.S. Green Building Council’s LEED program. Stop inside the visitor center to catch a glimpse of endangered pallid sturgeonand explore interactive exhibits. The hatchery grounds are a great place to gather for a picnic. Pavilions and grills are availablefor use. Visitors can enjoy a walk among the ponds on paved trails.
We invite you to see why a city in southwest Missouri has fallen in love with a federal fish hatchery. Plan your visit to Neosho
Happy 130th Birthday to Our Nation’s Oldest National Fish Hatchery
BY MONICA BLASER, REGIONAL OFFICE-EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
Fisheries | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Midwest Region
https://www.fws.gov/midwest/fisheries/fishlines/feature3.html
Conserving America's FisheriesFisheries, Midwest Region
An Oriental Weatherfish collected from the Grand Calumet River in Hammond, IN during August 2018. Credit: USFWS
Oriental Weatherfish prefer shallow, soft bottom habitats where they can take shelter and find food. Roxana Marsh, a side channel habitat adjacent to the Grand Calumet River, is ideal habitat for this species. Credit: USFWS
Invasive species have been and continue to be aproblem in the Great Lakes region. Some invadersmake their way into the lakes through ballast waterfrom transoceanic ships and others are acquiredlegally through the bait or pet trade and released bytheir owners into local waterways. The OrientalWeatherfish falls into the latter category. Thisspecies is native to East Asia but has been widelydistributed through the aquarium trade. At somepoint during the late 1980’s or early 1990’s, thisspecies was introduced to the waterways of Chicago,became established, and began slowly spreadingthrough the vast interconnected canal and riversystem of Chicago, and eventually into Indiana viathe Grand Calumet River.
The Grand Calumet River in northwest Indiana is anunusual system because water flows both east toLake Michigan and west to the Chicago AreaWaterway System that leads to the MississippiRiver. The river also flows through one of thedensest areas of petrochemical and steel productionin the United States. The legacy of this heavyindustry is evident in the river; effluent from industrial facilities contaminated the sediments prompting this river to be designateda Great Lakes Area of Concern. In recent years, efforts have been made to clean up the river and restore habitat, wherepossible. Some of these restored areas include marshes and shallow, vegetated shorelines, the kind of habitat preferred byOriental Weatherfish.
During an invasive species monitoring project innorthwest Indiana the Aquatic Invasive SpeciesProgram based out of the Green Bay Fish andWildlife Conservation Office (FWCO) collectedseveral Oriental Weatherfish from two locations inthe West Branch of the Grand Calumet River,including a restored marsh area known as RoxanaMarsh. The fish were captured in modified minnowtraps that were tucked along the edge of the marshand baited with dog food. In their newly establishedrange in the Greater Chicago Area, OrientalWeatherfish are usually not found in high densities,this could be related to the relatively limited amountof ideal habitat available in this heavily urbanizedarea, and the legacy of pollution. The potentialecological impacts of this species may includecompetition for food and space with native fishes thatfill a similar niche.
It is unlikely that this species will thrive in LakeMichigan proper, but could find suitable habitat incoastal marshes, drowned river mouth lakes, andrivers if they are able to continue spreading. Weroutinely monitor the nearshore zone and connectedwaters in this part of Lake Michigan and have not
documented this species in the lake yet. We will continue to monitor the spread of this species and attempt to learn more aboutit in the years to come.
Collecting Oriental Weatherfish in the Grand Calumet River
BY BRADLEY SMITH, GREEN BAY FWCO
Fisheries | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Midwest Region
https://www.fws.gov/midwest/fisheries/fishlines/feature4.html
Conserving America's FisheriesFisheries, Midwest Region
Angie Grimm, UWGB undergraduate student, holding an age-0 lake sturgeon captured during a spotlighting survey in the Wolf River, WI. Credit: Stefan Tucker
Stefan Tucker, UWGB graduate student, prepares to make an incision and implant an acoustic transmitter into an age-0 lake sturgeon. Credit: Stefan Tucker
Age-0 lake sturgeon captured during a spotlighting survey in the Wolf River, WI. Credit: Stefan Tucker
Often, the most successful research is the result ofstrong partnerships and the use of pooled knowledgeand resources – couple this with mentoring andproviding fisheries experience for undergraduate andgraduate students and it’s a win-win. The Green BayFish and Wildlife Conservation Office (FWCO) has alongstanding partnership with the Aquatic Ecologyand Fisheries lab at the University of Wisconsin –Green Bay (UWGB). Over time, UWGB studentshave gained hands-on experience with USFWSprograms by completing internships and volunteeringfor field work at the Green Bay FWCO; staff from theFWCO have provided technical expertise andtraining to undergraduate and graduate students,loaned out fisheries sampling gear, and contributednumerous scientific presentations and professionaldevelopment seminars/workshops for the UWGBstudent American Fisheries Society subgroup.
Stefan Tucker, a UWGB graduate student is one ofthe most recent examples of this partnership. Stefanis investigating the early life history dynamics of thelake sturgeon population in the lower Fox River,Green Bay. One aspect of Stefan’s project is to document the movement and habitat use of age-0 lake sturgeon in the lowerFox River using acoustic telemetry.
Last year, Stefan used gill nets toattempt to capture wild, age-0 lakesturgeon from the Fox River todocument their habitat use andmovement. That gear wasunsuccessful, so alternative ideaswere necessary to obtain studyfish. This summer, Green BayFWCO staff assisted Stefan withexploratory nighttime spotlightingsurveys to collect age-0 lakesturgeon from the Wolf River, atributary to the lower Fox Riverand the same genetic stock, to seeif enough individuals of a certainsize could be collected for thestudy. Nighttime spotlighting wasa success! Staff from the FWCOnot only assisted with the captureof wild age-0 lake sturgeon, but also helped with the setup of recovery tanks where fish were
held for several days prior to release, after being implanting with acoustic transmitters. These study fish recovered from taggingand were successfully released into the lower Fox River.
Stefan will be collecting data on the movement and habitat use of these fish to improve our understanding of how juvenile age-0lake sturgeon use the lower Fox River before they out-migrate to Green Bay, and may also identify where to focus gill nettingefforts in an attempt to document wild, age-0 lake sturgeon. The USFWS – UWGB collaboration and partnership helpedfacilitate the success of this effort to better understand lake sturgeon in the lower Fox River, and we look forward to building thispartnership into the future. We also thank Stefan for being a dedicated volunteer with both the aquatic invasive species, massmarking, and native species programs at the Green Bay FWCO over the past two years.
Green Bay FWCO: Maintains Strong Partnership with University of Wisconsin Extension
BY BRANDON HARRIS, GREEN BAY FWCO
Fisheries | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Midwest Region
https://www.fws.gov/midwest/fisheries/fishlines/feature5.html
Conserving America's FisheriesFisheries, Midwest Region
M.A.S.H. on the banks of the Illinois River. Credit: Joe Kingsbury
A surgery in progress. Credit: Joe Kingsbury
Within the last two years, the Carterville Fish andWildlife Conservation Office (FWCO) WilmingtonSubstation has expanded the monitoring of juvenileSilver and Bighead Carp distribution to include atelemetry study in the Peoria reach of the IllinoisRiver. The purpose of this study is to track themovements of juvenile Silver Carp and correlate fishmovements with factors such as population density,hydrology, habitat, and water quality. This data willprovide valuable information about how far these fishmove and what habitats they prefer during differenttimes of the year, information that can greatlyimprove monitoring efforts.
Movement of tagged Silver Carp are recorded byradio receiving stations and hydroacoustic receiversinstalled along the river channel, side channels, andbackwaters of the Peoria reach. When a tagged fishswims within the proximity of one of these receivers,its ID tag is logged along with the date and time. Before any of these data can be collected, however,the telemetry tags must be implanted in fish.
Surgically implanting telemetry tags is quite an operation (pun intended). An entire surgery team is organized to facilitate asmooth and speedy process from the second the fish arrives at the tent to their eventual release in the river. This is becausethey are already under a great deal of stress from simply being captured. Like any surgery, a myriad of activities can be seentaking place and everyone has a job to do.
Asian carp are brought in from the capture team and are first heldin a holding tank, which has salt added to the water to helpfacilitate oxygen diffusion across their gills and regeneration oftheir slime coat. When the surgeon is ready, the fish’s length,weight, and sex is recorded. Then the data recorder preps andassigns each fish a specific telemetry transmitter and floy tag; thesize of the fish will dictate the size and type of the transmitterused. Next, the fish is placed upside down onto a special surgeryboard and a breathing tube flowing oxygenated river water isinserted in the fish’s mouth. Once the fish is sedated, the surgeonmakes an incision is in the body cavity near the anal fin andimplants the tag. The wound is closed with sutures, sterilized oncemore, and then the fish is placed into a recovery tank to bemonitored by a release team.
This tagging process results in a remarkably quick recovery. Fishare released once they are able to swim away from the releaser’s
grasp and maintain proper buoyancy in the tank. The surgical process is an organized whirlwind of activity to ensure the fish arereturned quickly and are healthy. It seems unusual ensuring that an invasive species returns to the water healthy but the resultsof the telemetry study will provide extremely valuable information in the fight against the spread of Asian carp.
M.A.S.H.Mobile Asian carp Surgical Hospital
BY ERIC BROSSMAN AND CORY ANDERSON, CARTERVILLE FWCO-WILMINGTON SUBSTATION
Fisheries | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Midwest Region
https://www.fws.gov/midwest/fisheries/fishlines/fieldfocus.html
Conserving America's FisheriesFisheries, Midwest Region
Juvenile cisco destined for release into Lake Huron in fall of 2018. Credit: USFWS
Cisco eggs being incubated at Jordan River NFH. Credit: USFWS
Jordan River National Fish Hatchery (NFH), locatedin Elmira, Michigan has been producing lake troutfingerlings and yearlings for Great Lakes restorationprojects since 1963. As such, the hatchery’spropagation program has developed into one of theplanets largest char restoration initiatives. Withhistoric requests for lake trout and brook troutexceeding 3.5 million fish annually, the hatchery hasbeen a major contributor to the restoration ofdepressed populations of lake trout across the upperGreat Lakes. Over the past 50 plus years the facilityhas shipped in excess of 100,000,000 of theseregionally significant animals to stocking sites acrossthis globally unique watershed. In response torecent successes in lake trout restoration initiatives,especially in Lake Huron, Jordan River NFH has hadits annual yearling lake trout numbers requestedreduced significantly. While this is the ultimate goalof any fishery enhancement, restoration or recoveryprogram within the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service(USFWS), it is also a rare opportunity for the Serviceto make significant programmatic adjustments to
bolster existing activities or adaptively manage precious resource funding. In an effort to continue to build on recent positivetrends with regard to natural lake trout reproduction within Lake Huron, strategically maintain the full potential of the USFWSMidwest Region fishery infrastructure, and to continue to further enhance native species restoration activities within theLaurentian Great Lakes watershed, a consortium of partners have supported significant restructuring of Jordan River NFHproduction programs.
Prior to the mid 1900’s cisco (Coregonus artedi) and it’s closely related suite of deep-water cisco species constituted the primary prey of the majority of adult lake troutpopulations across the Great Lakes. By the 1960’s, with the exception of LakeSuperior, cisco had become extremely rare or absent from much of its former rangethroughout the Laurentian lakes. Factors such as habitat degradation, nonnativespecies introductions, and overfishing are just a few of the causes hypothesized forthis system wide collapse of populations. Fast forward 60 years and Great Lakesfishery managers think the conditions may be right to try to bring this ecologicallysignificant species back from obscurity to help stabilize a system undergoing change.
Since 2007 a group of fishery scientists,managers, and researchers have beendebating the viability of enhancing ciscopopulations in Lake Huron in an effort toprovide forage base stability,enhancement of sportfish populations,and for the long term viability of thespecies for its own sake. This workinggroup, made up of fishery professionalsfrom the Chippewa-Ottawa ResourceAuthority, State of Michigan, and Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources,with technical staff support from federalsignatory agencies, (collectively knownas the Lake Huron Technical Committee), directly reports to the Lake HuronCommittee. The Lake Huron Committee, composed of senior officials of regionalresource agencies is the action arm of the Council of Great Lakes Fishery Agencies. Recently, draft plans have been approved by these cooperating authorities for a tenyear investigational effort to test the viability of bolstering cisco populations in central
Jordan River National Fish HatcheryRetools Fishery Production Program
BY ROGER GORDON, JORDAN RIVER NFH
Fisheries | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Midwest Region
https://www.fws.gov/midwest/fisheries/fishlines/fieldfocus.html
Cisco rearing area at Jordan River NFH. Credit: USFWS
Lake Huron.
It is at this point in the story that Jordan River NFH has a role to play. Beginning in2016 staff from Jordan River NFH and the Alpena Fish and Wildlife ConservationOffice began collecting fertilized cisco eggs from small populations still found innorthern Lake Huron. These and further efforts in 2017 constitute the founding stock
for a captive brood population to be housed in the National Fish Hatchery System. Addition to the creation of these captivebrood sources in 2017, staff from these stations, with assistance from Genoa NFH, Iron River NFH, and Lacrosse Fish HealthCenter, collected two million fertilized eggs to be cultured at Jordan River NFH for release as fingerlings in fall of 2018. Thesestockings of approximately one million cisco, will be the largest release ever attempted for advanced stage juvenile cisco in theGreat Lakes basin, and stand as a testament to effective cooperative fishery management.
For more information about this or other fishery programs at Jordan River NFH contact Roger Gordon, Hatchery Supervisor [email protected] or phone at 231-584-2461.
Fisheries | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Midwest Region
https://www.fws.gov/midwest/fisheries/fishlines/fishtails.html
Conserving America's FisheriesFisheries, Midwest Region
Summer Help at Genoa National Fish Hatchery
BY AARON VON ESCHEN, GENOA NFH
Genoa National Fish Hatchery (NFH) is full of activity in the summer time and due to the extra workload summer help is required.This year the hatchery’s Youth Conservation Corps provides a little extra kick in the form of a third YCC member. The YCCmembers assist the hatchery staff with fish culture chores, nature trail repair and maintenance, and some minor maintenancechores that the staff cannot always dedicate the time to accomplish. The experience that the students gain over the summergives them an insight into a natural resource career to help determine if they want to choose a career in conservation.Additionally the hatchery welcomes back former pathways student Laura Chappell as a part-time animal caretaker. Laura bringsfish culture experience and Coast Guard experience from the Great Lakes. Having boating experience is valuable at Genoa NFHdue to the large amount of time hatchery staff spend on the water to complete their mission. Laura has been able to jump right inand help with hatchery chores involving boating (such as minnow harvesting) that helps us feed our mussel host fish andbroodstock without skipping a beat. We welcome all of our summer helpers and hope that their experience enriches them both inthe present and the future.
Requests for Fish Come Pouring In
BY AARON VON ESCHEN, GENOA NFH
While winter settles in at Genoa National Fish Hatchery (NFH) spring planning kicks into high gear. In many professions, thearrival of winter can bring about a slower pace but at the hatchery there is no time to slow down. Planning for the upcomingproduction cycle begins almost immediately after the previous fish go out the door. It is important for staff at Genoa NFH toprepare and plan to make sure all of the appropriate pieces are in place. This entails prepping culture buildings for incomingeggs, repairing nets for spawning activities, and compiling fish requests from tribal, federal, and state partners. Biologists at thehatchery send out fish request forms to all partners which compile their fish needs and report them back to the hatchery staff.This allows the hatchery to determine pond space and rearing tanks needed to make sure these requests can be met. In theevent that Genoa NFH does not raise the fish that partners sometimes need we can help coordinate partners with others to helpfind the fish they are after. The staff also attends various fish meetings where requests can be shared with one another. Thisprocess allows Genoa NFH to gain access to fish that are not normally raised on station. Some good examples are theacquisition of Golden Shiners and Mudpuppies that are used for mussel propagation. All incoming or outgoing fish are passedthrough a rigorous series of fish health examinations to ensure that no possible pathogens are passed among stations and allpartners are receiving certified healthy fish. All this is going on during the time we are collecting and caring for eggs from our fallspawning species such as lake herring, brook and rainbow trout. These species hatch out in the winter months and will needspecial care and attention to ensure that they acclimate to commercial starter diets, and begin their cycle of life.
Fisheries | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Midwest Region
https://www.fws.gov/midwest/fisheries/fishlines/feature6.html
Conserving America's FisheriesFisheries, Midwest Region
Midwest Region Fisheries Divisions
National Fish HatcheriesThe Region’s National Fish Hatcheries (NFH) focus on native species recoveryand restoration. Primary species include: lake trout, endangered pallidsturgeon, and endangered, threatened, and native mussels. Other majorprograms include coaster brook trout and lake sturgeon restoration, fulfillingtribal trust responsibilities for native aquatic species, and cost reimbursedrainbow trout production for recreational fishing. Hatcheries also providetechnical assistance to other agencies, provide fish and eggs for research, anddevelop and maintain brood stocks of various species and strains.
Fish and Wildlife Conservation OfficesFish and Wildlife Conservation Offices (FWCO) conduct assessments of fishpopulations to guide management decisions, play a key role in targeting andimplementing native fish and habitat restoration programs; perform keymonitoring and control activities related to aquatic invasive species; survey andevaluate aquatic habitats to identify restoration/rehabilitation opportunities;work with private land owners, states, local governments and watershedorganizations to complete aquatic habitat restoration projects under theService’s National Fish Passage Program, National Fish Habitat Partnerships,Partners for Fish and Wildlife and the Great Lakes Coastal Programs; providecoordination and technical assistance toward the management of interjurisdictional fisheries; maintain and operate several keyinteragency fisheries databases; provide technical expertise to other Service programs addressing contaminants, endangeredspecies, federal project review and hydro-power operation and relicensing; evaluate and manage fisheries on Service lands;and, provide technical support to 38 Native American tribal governments and treaty authorities.
Sea Lamprey Biological StationsThe Fish and Wildlife Service is the United States Agent for sea lamprey control, with two Biological Stations assessing andmanaging sea lamprey populations throughout the Great Lakes. The Great Lakes Fishery Commission administers the SeaLamprey Management Program, with funding provided through the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Department of the Interior,and Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
Fish Health CenterThe Fish Health Center provides specialized fish health evaluation and diagnostic services to federal, state and tribal hatcheriesin the region; conducts extensive monitoring and evaluation of wild fish health; examines and certifies the health of captivehatchery stocks; and, performs a wide range of special services helping to coordinate fishery program offices and partnerorganizations. The Whitney Genetics Lab serves as a leading edge genetics laboratory and conducts environmental DNA(eDNA) sample processing for early detection of invasive species.
Whitney Genetics LabThe Whitney Genetics lab provides environmental DNA (eDNA) surveillance for the early detection of invasive Silver andBighead carp as part of the Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee’s plans to detect, monitor, and respond to the threat ofinvasive carp in the Great Lakes. The lab also provides analysis for determining the ploidy of wild-caught Black and Grass carp,two more invasive carp species.
Fisheries | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Midwest Region
https://www.fws.gov/midwest/fisheries/fishlines/feature7.html
Conserving America's FisheriesFisheries, Midwest Region
Alpena Fish & WildlifeConservation Office480 W. Fletcher StreetAlpena, MI 49707Scott Koproski [email protected] 989-356-5102Area of Responsibility (MI, OH)
Ashland Fish & WildlifeConservation Office2800 Lake Shore Drive EastAshland, WI 54806Mark Brouder [email protected] of Responsibility (MI, MN, WI)
Carterville Fish & WildlifeConservation Office9053 Route 148, Suite AMarion, Illinois 62959Acting Mark Brouder [email protected] of Responsibility (IL, IN, OH)
Columbia Fish & WildlifeConservation Office101 Park Deville Drive, Suite AColumbia, MO 65203Jason Goeckler [email protected] of Responsibility (IA, MO)
Green Bay Fish & WildlifeConservation Office 2661 Scott Tower RoadNew Franken, WI 54229Acting Ted Treska [email protected] of Responsibility (IL, IN, MI, WI)
Ludington Biological Station200 River Street Manistee, MI 49660 Scott Grunder [email protected]
Marquette Biological Station3090 Wright StreetMarquette, MI 49855Jessica Barber [email protected]
Regional Office 5600 American Blvd WestBloomington, MN 55437Todd Turner [email protected] 612-713-5111
Iron River National Fish Hatchery10325 Fairview RoadIron River, WI 54847Carey Edwards [email protected]
Genoa National Fish HatcheryS 5689 State Road 35Genoa, WI 54632Doug Aloisi [email protected]
Jordan River National FishHatchery6623 Turner RoadElmira, MI 49730Roger Gordon [email protected]
Neosho National Fish Hatchery520 E Park StreetNeosho, MO 64850Roderick May [email protected] ext: 102
Pendills/Sullivan Creek National Fish Hatchery21990 W. Trout LaneBrimley, MI 49715Acting Crystal LeGaultAnderson,[email protected]
Midwest Fisheries Center 555 Lester AvenueOnalaska, WI 54650Teresa Lewis [email protected]
LaCrosse FWCOSam Finney [email protected] Fish Health CenterKen Phillips [email protected] Genetics LabEmy Monroe [email protected]
Midwest Region Fisheries Contacts
