Last month, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation announced that a major aquatic rehabilitation project was completed with high success. It was an experimental aquatic habitat reclamation at Brocton Shoal in Lake Erie that developed a high-velocity cleaning method to restore habitat for lake trout.
DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton said in the press release: "This innovative project in Lake Erie supports DEC's goals to help enhance native fish populations through habitat reclamation. The success of the experimental project has huge implications for native fish restoration, habitat rehabilitation, and invasive mussel control throughout the Great Lakes Basin and across New York State."
The area of Brocton Shoal is a glacial deposit containing hundreds of rocks and was once a spawning ground for lake trout. The trout used the crevices within the rock piles to hide the eggs from predators. However, after the introduction of an invasive mussel species, dreissenids, in the early 1900s, it became unsuitable for spawning and disrupted the local food chain.
DEC's Lake Erie Fisheries Research Unit worked in partnership with Seaway Marine Group to develop high-velocity jetting nozzles, and they were deployed in the lake in mid-September at two sites with the assistance of an underwater drone to monitor the effects in real time. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and The Nature Conservancy also contributed with side-scan sonar to develop detailed maps and conducted dives before and after the project.
While in the past it was best to let nature balance itself, irresponsible human activity, extreme weather, and invasive species have made conservation projects essential for rebalancing ecosystems. Without a project like this, the lake trout could have migrated to a less ideal area, pushed out other native species, or gone extinct.
Other projects that have proved successful include FWS' White Sulphur Springs National Fish Hatchery restocking the creek with 10,000 fatmucket mussels and the Bog Meadows Nature Reserve in Ireland installing a new pond. The installation of mussels helps purify ocean water and complete the food chain, while the new pond attracts dragonflies, which eliminate common pests.
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Initial results prove that the habitat restoration was successful, and the DEC and TNC will continue to monitor the experimental sites.
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