GLFT Grant Library

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources will construct an accessible fishing pier at Sterling State Park for the purposes of provide a safe and accessible public fishing location. A former fishing pier was removed in 2015 due to ice damage. Installation of a new pier will provide improved capacity for fishing programming at this popular fishery.

In the heart of the city of Cheboygan, the Cheboygan River runs with steelhead salmon, rainbow trout, walleye, bass, and sunfish before entering Lake Huron. Its desirable fishing lacks safe access. From designs created with public input, project proposes to construct two of seven planned fishing piers, adjacent lighting, and connecting paths. The piers will provide a destination for shore-based fishing using universal access and reduce erosion from foot traffic.

With the largest dam removal project in Michigan’s history concluding in 2019 on the Boardman River, initiating road/stream crossing work in the headwaters of the North Branch is a sound next step to effectively managing the watershed as a whole. Partners will work with CRA to complete design for a new bridge crossing, and inventory all crossings in the Boardman Watershed and neighboring Grand Traverse Bay feeder streams of Mitchell, Acme, Yuba, and Tobeco Creeks.

The Sand Creek is a cold water stream located in Ottawa and Kent County Michigan. It is designated as a Trout Stream by the Michigan DEQ, but has a history of impairments due to flow regime alterations and sedimentation. We will conduct an inventory of all road stream crossings in the watershed, a habitat assessment at key locations, and to identify areas of concern where future restoration efforts may be beneficial.

An engineering alternatives study for the lowermost barrier on the Bear River, the largest tributary to Little Traverse Bay, will be completed. Potential alternatives for the Lake Street dam include complete or partial removal, modification, or no change. Project partners will conduct community engagement efforts to solicit support and highlight the connection between the Great Lakes Fishery and coastal tributaries. The study will serve as the basis for prioritizing the future management of the dam.

This project will benefit brook trout and other aquatic species by reconnecting 89.6 upstream miles of critical coldwater habitat in the upper Thunder Bay River Watershed by replacing five undersized road/stream crossing structures with timber bridges. These project locations were identified as top priorities based on the comprehensive inventory of road/stream crossings completed in 2018 with Great Lakes Fishery Trust support. This work restores a suite of natural river processes while improving local road infrastructure.

Since the early 2000s, Lake Whitefish (LWF) populations in Lake Michigan have declined whereas Cisco populations have increased. Changes in food resources coupled with differential vulnerability to predators may have negatively affected LWF recruitment and positively influenced Cisco. We will examine the spatio-temporal variability in nearshore zooplankton resources and the dietary preferences and growth of larval fish in situ. Laboratory experiments will highlight reactions of each species to food availability and vulnerability to nearshore predators.

Northview Public School District will design a new teaching curriculum for grades 4, 5, and 6 that will provide an integrated, multi-disciplinary learning experience that places Great Lakes stewardship and outdoor learning at the center of the student’s experience. After fully implementing the curriculum throughout the district, every student who progresses through Northview Public Schools will have outdoor learning and environmental education experiences as part of their developmental pathway into active and informed citizens.

Working on Detroit’s East Side, Audubon Great Lakes’ Wild Indigo Nature Explorations program will build community appreciation of wetland ecology and support for their restoration along the Detroit River. This project will develop a series of events that, via community science, recreation, and stewardship, will foster a deeper connection to wildlife along the upper Detroit River. With community partners, we will develop a cohort of ambassadors who will advocate for healthy watersheds in the region.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in partnership with the Southeast Michigan Stewardship Coalition (SEMIS Coalition) is seeking funding to implement an integrated education program in Detroit which will serve middle and high school students, focusing on fish and fisheries management. The program will consist of the SEMIS Coalition Summer Institute, an outreach visit to schools by DNR staff, a field trip to the DNR Outdoor Adventure Center and an experiential field trip out-of-doors.

Huron Pines will provide programming for people of all ages that gets them outside experiencing nature, engaging in habitat management and contributing to data collection. By connecting people to the Great Lakes in a meaningful way, we help develop understanding and appreciation for the ecology of the Great Lakes that can lead to active stewardship and advocacy to support long-term sustainability of the Great Lakes fishery

Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council will continue to foster millennial stewards in Northern Michigan using the successes of the middle school Water Resources Education Program to provide local students with comprehensive water resources education and experiences. The program will increase student knowledge and provide them with opportunities to improve local water resources through place-based projects and monitoring.

The National Wildlife Federation and our partners will expand our successful Asian carp communications campaign to broaden our base of support and convert this into implementation of the Brandon Road plan (Plan). To do so, we will: 1) Ramp up communications as critical deadlines approach; 2) Develop and deploy solution-oriented messaging in addition to building awareness; and 3) Expand our geographic focus to constituencies in the Ohio and Mississippi River Basins that are currently impacted by Asian carp by supporting control and eradication strategies. We are seeking a major increased investment from the GLFT to double down our efforts to ensure that the Brandon Road plan is finalized.

We propose to synthesize available information in a desktop study to evaluate the feasibility of stocking lake whitefish to rehabilitate or supplement fisheries in the Great Lakes. This will involve determination of likely numbers that would need to be stocked at different stages to have substantial benefits and the resources required to produce those numbers of fish to stock.

The GLFT supported the Superior Watershed Partnership as one of the nine Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative (GLSI) hubs throughout the state. In partnership with the Seaborg Center at Northern Michigan University, the Superior Watershed Partnership and the Upper GLSI offered professional development for educators and supported place-based stewardship projects for K-12 students in Alger, Delta, Marquette, and Schoolcraft Counties. The Upper GLSI worked to promote school-community partnerships that engaged communities in project efforts and strengthened stewardship impacts among students. GLFT funding during the project period directly supported 53 total hours of professional development for 28 educators and provided project support for 550 students.

The Manistee River, below Tippy Dam (Wellston, MI), is a federally designated Wild And Scenic River and supports robust fish populations and critical habitat for wild and native species such as Lake Sturgeon. Due to the abundant angler opportunities the site provides, excessive bank erosion has occurred, leading to bank instability, sedimentation and hazardous access. The project team seeks to restore the stream bank and improve angler access at the south bank of the river.

In the heart of the City of Cheboygan, the Cheboygan River runs with steelhead salmon, rainbow trout, walleye, bass, and sunfish before entering Lake Huron. Its desirable fishing lacks safe access. This project proposes to design permanent or removable fishing piers. The public will be engaged through surveys, a workgroup, and public meetings. Adjacent amenities will include educational signage and an ADA kayak launcher.

In order to support and improve access and use of the local fishery, South Haven will construct a no-fee, modern, ADA fish cleaning station. This would additionally support the new access created by a shore based fishing pier developed in the park.

The Charter Township of Elmwood is starting a 3-phase land based redevelopment project of the existing Elmwood Marina on West Grand Traverse Bay. One of the most highly anticipated portions of Phase 1 is the state-of-the-art fish cleaning station. The fish cleaning station includes a pavilion, large grinder to dispose of waste in the Township sewer and a recognition wall of donors that will include metal cutouts of native fish.

Lake whitefish declines in the four lower Great Lakes (GL) have alarmed GL fishery managers, commercial/tribal fisherman, and the public alike. This research seeks to clarify the role that infectious fish diseases play in decreasing the survival of young lake whitefish and determine routes by which such infections spread from parents to offspring. If funded, study results will help identify viable management solutions and guide future research to improve the health of GL lake whitefish.