Researchers measure a Lake Erie Watersnake during the 2007 census on North Bass Island. - FWS photo by Megan Seymour

A $59,000 grant was awarded to the Reynoldsburg, Ecological Services Field Office, Ohio, through the Endangered Species Showing Success Program to fund the annual Lake Erie Watersnake (Nerodia sipedon insularum) census. 

The Watersnake is a federal threatened species that occurs only on Lake Erie’s offshore islands in Ohio and Canada.  The grant money will be distributed to Northern Illinois University researchers who organize and implement the survey.  The funding will support surveys in 2008 and 2009, the results of which will hopefully lead to a delisting proposal.   

The approved LEWS recovery plan (2003) identifies three criteria for delisting: 1) achieving estimated population size goals overall and for each of four subpopulations for a period of six or more consecutive years; 2) habitat protection and management of specified number of acres overall and on the four largest islands; and 3) reduction of human-induced mortality.

The habitat protection and management goals have been met overall and for three of the four islands; Only 4.9 additional acres are needed on South Bass Island to complete this criterion. The Reynoldsburg, Ohio Field Office is working with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife to submit a proposal for the HCP Land Acquisition Grant program to help purchase the remaining habitat to satisfy this criterion.  Reduction in human-induced mortality has been continuously addressed since the time of listing by an extensive outreach program. 

Opinion polls to assess the effectiveness of the outreach program are planned for completion in 2008.  At this time, census data indicates that the population and subpopulation goals have been achieved for three consecutive years, and that populations are stable to increasing.  The census for 2007 has already been completed and nearly 1700 watersnakes were captured, marked, measured, weighed, and released. 

The results have yet to be analyzed, but look promising in terms of achieving the recovery goal for a fourth consecutive year.  Two additional years of census are needed to provide population estimates for 2008 and 2009, to document that the overall and subpopulations continue to meet the recovery goals.  

Biologists fully anticipate that the LEWS population will continue on its stable to increasing trajectory, and that this funding will contribute towards a delisting proposal in 2009-2010.