Tracy Casselman, Heather Dawson, Christie Deloria-Sheffield, Rob Elliott; FWS, Jessica Mistak; MDNR, Jon Johnson; MPI, Chris Meehan; Wenck Associates toured the Manistique Papers dam in Manistique, Michigan. - FWS photo

As an agent of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), Marquette Biological Station (MBS), is planning the construction of a sea lamprey barrier on the Manistique River. 

The barrier would deny adult sea lampreys access to upstream spawning and larval habitat, eliminate lampricide treatments above the barrier, and eliminate the subsequent survival of sea lampreys (residuals) during a treatment; estimated to be about 15 percent of the total stream population. 

Eliminating residual sea lamprey, that eventually transform into parasites, would preserve thousands of pounds of economically valuable Great Lakes fish such as lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) and lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis).  These fish would have a greater chance to survive, reproduce, sustain their populations, and contribute to the rehabilitation of populations within the lakes.  

A barrier planning meeting was held in Manistique, Michigan on August 23 to discuss the construction of a low-head, fix-crest sea lamprey barrier on the Manistique River.  Representatives from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (MBS, Region 3 Engineering, Green Bay Fishery Resources Office, East Lansing Ecological Services, and Seney National Wildlife Refuge), Manistique Papers, Inc. (MPI), Stanley Consultants, Inc., and Wenck Associates, Inc. attended the meeting. 

Cheryl Kaye of the MBS led the meeting and along with Mike Fodale and Terry Morse, discussed sea lamprey control of the Manistique River and the need for a new sea lamprey barrier.  Jon Johnson of MPI discussed plans for the existing dam and proposed using the current dam structure as the base of the new sea lamprey barrier.  Fish passage and species of concern were discussed by all agency representatives.  Attendees visited the MPI dam following the meeting. 

The Manistique River drains an area of 3,810 km² and is one of Lake Michigan’s largest tributaries.  The existing dam was constructed 3 km upstream of the river mouth during 1919 to generate hydroelectric power.  The dam also served to prevent upstream migration of spawning sea lampreys and historically, lampricide treatments were not required.  Larval surveys revealed that efforts to repair the existing dam have not been effective and spawning sea lampreys are no longer blocked.

The Manistique River has been a contributing factor in the increase of parasitic sea lampreys in Lake Michigan during the last decade.  A 2006 survey ranked the Manistique River second in sea lamprey larval production and fifth as a contributor of 2007 transformers in the Lake Michigan watershed. 

Treatment of the Manistique River is difficult and expensive due to the large watershed, volume of water, and numerous tributaries totaling over 400 km.  Treatment requires 50 to 60 personnel from the three Great Lakes SLM stations over a 10 day period, and 40 chemical application points.  The river above the MPI dam was treated during 2003 at a cost of $561,000.  Due to the large number of larvae that survived the 2003 treatment, a 2004 treatment was required at a cost of $498,000.  The river is scheduled for its third treatment in 5 years during 2007. 

(Contact Cheryl Kaye: 906.226.1217)