An ecological framework for fish habitat restoration in the Huron-Erie Corridor Darryl W. Hondorp, Bruce A. Manny, David Bennion, & Edward F. Roseman March 16, 2011
Questions & scenarios How does the bathymetric distribution of spawning habitat affect spawner abundance & species composition and egg deposition & survival? How should experimental reefs be sited longitudinally? How does reef placement impact connectivity with downstream nursery habitat? Is rock-cobble spawning substrate limiting? What inshore structure(s) maximize larval retention and nursery habitat quality in rivers/lakes? What role does Lake St. Clair play in fish early life history dynamics and fish population structure? Do populations of lake- and river-spawners fluctuate asynchronously?
Questions & scenarios What inshore structure(s) maximize larval retention and nursery habitat quality in rivers/lakes? What role does Lake St. Clair play in fish early life history dynamics and fish population structure? Do populations of lake- and river-spawners fluctuate asynchronously?
The Great Lakes connecting channels St. Mary s R. St. Lawrence R. St. Clair R. Lk. St. Clair Detroit R. Niagara R. Huron-Erie corridor (HEC)
habitat restoration is necessary for conservation Rinne et al. (2005) large river fish community survey species declines? yes no habitat loss? yes no
Overall objective To develop the...high-priority research needed to understand and remediate the impacts of habitat loss and degradation as well as invasive species on fishery resources in the HEC. -Manny et al. (2004)
Developing the science of fish habitat restoration Identify driving forces Scientific framework for habitat restoration Predict outcome(s) of restoration scenarios
Glaciation Driving forces
Channel hydrogeomorphology: historical river channel x-section St. Clair R. sand slow current fast, turbulent current lacustrine clay rock-cobble
Driving forces Glaciation Flood/drought?
Flow regime of the connecting channels Normalized discharge 1.0 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 Detroit R. St. Clair R. Missouri R. Columbia R. 0.0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Month (Jan= 1)
Driving forces Glaciation Flood/drought? water level
Water level fluctuations River channel x-section (historical) 176.0 water levels in the HEC Water level (m above sea level) 175.5 175.0 174.5 174.0 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000 Year
Driving forces Glaciation Flood/drought? water level ice/ice jams
Ice Figure 33 of Liu & Parker (2009) Figure 5 of Power (2002)
River channel x-section (historical) Ice
Driving forces Glaciation Flood/drought? water level ice/ice jams sand accretion/erosion
Sand accretion/erosion St. Clair R. http://lancastria.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/lake_huron_2.jpg St. Clair R. delta
Channel hydrogeomorphology: historical river channel x-section St. Clair R. sand slow current fast, turbulent current lacustrine clay rock-cobble
Developing the science of fish habitat restoration Identify driving forces Scientific framework for habitat restoration Predict outcome(s) of restoration scenarios
Focal species: examples lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) cisco (C. artedii) coldwater fall-winter spawners walleye (Sander vitreus) coolwater spring spawners
Life history-habitat model adult migration spawning habitat with incubation of eggs larval drift (passive) feeding and/or overwintering habitat: growth avoid harsh conditions juvenile migration nursery habitat: growth predator avoidance adult larvae/juvenile
Life history-habitat model (connecting channels) Flow time/ontogeny
Framework: principles quality of spawning habitat is a function of the diversity & distribution of local spawning sites larval retention is bound to inshore/riverbed structure and form and their intersection with river/lake hydrodynamics
Framework: principles (cont d) microhabitat gradients are required to cover the changing habitat needs of larval-juvenile fish over ontogeny population and community diversity is a function of macro-scale habitat complexity & connectivity (e.g., main river channels, river islands, river mouths/inlets, etc.)
Channel hydrogeomorphology: historical sand slow current fast, turbulent current lacustrine clay rock-cobble
Historical spawning habitat(s) Limekiln Crossing: lower Detroit River.
Historical spawning habitat(s) Port Huron rapids Dipnet fishing in the St. Mary s Rapids eddy in St. Mary s Rapids
Known lake sturgeon spawning sites (2001) Port Huron Zug Isl. Detroit R. St. Clair R. Algonac Manny & Kennedy (2002)
Shoreline morphology Upper Detroit River, U.S. Shoreline (north of Belle Isle) 1900 shoreline 1996 shoreline image courtesy of David Bennion
Life history-habitat model (connecting channels) Flow time/ontogeny
Channel morphology River channel x-section (historical) River channel x-section (present) bulkhead sand fill lacustrine clay
Water level fluctuations River channel x-section (historical) 176.0 water levels in the HEC Water level (m above sea level) 175.5 175.0 174.5 174.0 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000 Year
Altered flow pathways Channel morphology: lower Detroit River (Courtesy D. Bennion) historical current spoil shipping channels
Altered flow pathways Construction of the St. Clair cut-off and Lake St. Clair shipping channel Anchor Bay St. Clair R. Lk. St. Clair Lake St. Clair (< 1926) Detroit R.
Altered flow pathways Construction of the St. Clair cut-off and Lake St. Clair shipping channel Anchor Bay 40% spoil island Lake St. Clair (< 1926) St. Clair Cut Off
Developing the science of fish habitat restoration Identify driving forces Scientific framework for habitat restoration Predict outcome(s) of restoration scenarios
Questions & scenarios what is the effect of bathymetric distribution of spawning habitat on spawner abundance & species composition and egg deposition & survival?
Historical spawning habitat(s) Port Huron rapids Dipnet fishing in the St. Mary s Rapids eddy in St. Mary s Rapids
Experimental design surface surface flow ~8 m flow ~1-3 m experimental ( impact ) treatments material = rock/cobble surface surface flow flow controls material = clay/fill
Questions & scenarios How does the bathymetric distribution of spawning habitat affect spawner abundance & species composition and egg deposition & survival? How should experimental reefs be sited longitudinally? How does reef placement impact connectivity with downstream nursery habitat?
Minor tributaries of the St. Clair system
reef placement Detroit Port Huron Detroit R. St. Clair R. experimental reefs Algonac experimental reefs
Questions & scenarios How does the bathymetric distribution of spawning habitat affect spawner abundance & species composition and egg deposition & survival? How should experimental reefs be sited longitudinally? How does reef placement impact connectivity with downstream nursery habitat? Is rock-cobble spawning substrate limiting?
how much rock is enough? spawner cpue 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 time (T) flow T 6 T 4 T 2 larval prduction T 0 reef 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 time (T)
Questions & scenarios What inshore structure(s) maximize larval retention and nursery habitat quality in rivers/lakes?
A B C shoreline main channel zipper dike shoal or island isobath flow
A B shoreline main channel shoreline isobath isobath flow
Questions & scenarios What inshore structure(s) maximize larval retention and nursery habitat quality in rivers/lakes? What role does Lake St. Clair play in fish early life history dynamics and fish population structure?
Water masses: Lake St. Clair A: Lake-Huron/St. Clair R. higher current velocity cooler, lower productivity residence time ~4.5 days B: South Channel/cut-off Clinton R. A Thames R. influenced stagnant warmer, higher productivity residence time ~8-30 days B Thames R.
Lake sturgeon metapopulation structure in a complex, river-lake ecosystem Charles C. Krueger (GLFC), Darryl W. Hondorp (USGS), James C. Boase (USFWS), Edward F. Roseman (USGS), et al. February 8-9, 2011
Hypothesis: 3 local populations? known spawning site St. Clair R. Lk. Huron St. Clair R. Lk. St. Clair Detroit R. Lk. Erie
Acoustic receiver array design Bois Blanc Island White Rock Belle Isle Lower Detroit R. Blue Water Bridge
Questions & scenarios What inshore structure(s) maximize larval retention and nursery habitat quality in rivers/lakes? What role does Lake St. Clair play in fish early life history dynamics and fish population structure? Do populations of lake- and river-spawners fluctuate asynchronously?
Population diversity & stability in variable environments performance E1 E2 E3 E4 E5 E6 habitat loss E1 E2 E3 E4 E5 E6 environmental gradient environmental gradient Yield or abundance 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 1213 14 15 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 1213 14 15 (E2) (E5) (E1)(E6) (E3) (E2) (E2)(E4) (E5)(E4) (E1) (E2) (E6) (E5) (E3) (E2) (E5) (E1)(E6) (E3) (E2) (E2)(E4) (E5)(E4) (E1) (E2) (E6) (E5) (E3) time (environmental gradient) time (environmental gradient) Figure 3.8 of Liss et al. (2006)
Risk spreading: a Great Lakes example spawning Maumee & Sandusky rivers walleye Sander vitreus adult larvae offshore Lake Erie maturation juvenile nursery nearshore Lake Erie adult larvae active migration passive dispersal lake habitat midlake reef spawning river habitat
Risk spreading: Lake Erie walleye walleye Sander vitreus spawning populations midlake reef Maumee & Sandusky rivers
Questions pertaining to existing projects Is selection of spawning substrate species specific? Does substrated type influence egg survival/hatching success? How does cross-channel placement affect spawning reef quality?
Collaborators, contributors & funding Greg Kennedy James Boase Paul Seelbach Kurt Newman Russ Strach Jaqi Craig
Bathymetry: Upper St. Clair R. St. Clair R. Figure 5b of Liu & Parker (2009)
The connecting channels are large rivers Mississippi 20.0 15.0 10.0 5.0 Discharge (1000's m 3 /sec.) 0.0 connecting channels other large rivers St. Lawrence Columbia Danube Yukon Niagara Detroit St. Clair Nile St. Mary's Missouri Colorado
Life history-habitat model (connecting channels) Flow time/ontogeny