The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded a US$6.4 million grant to the Great Lakes Fishery Commission to restore and manage fish species.
The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) is part of the EPA’s FishPass project and will make use of the Great Lakes Acoustic Telemetry Observation System (GLASTOS).
“The EPA’s investment in FishPass and GLATOS comes at a critical time,” said Robert Lambe, executive secretary, Great Lakes Fishery Commission. “This formal support from the EPA and from our city, state, federal, tribal, and binational partners, is a clear indication of the value of science and innovation. The GLRI has significantly increased our understanding of Great Lakes fisheries and ecosystems and has allowed us to communicate science to people who will put it to good use.”
The Commission is receiving US$6 million for its innovative FishPass project, which will remove the deteriorating Union Street Dam in downtown Traverse City, Michigan, and reconnect the Boardman River with Lake Michigan. The dam will be replaced with an improved sea lamprey barrier featuring a fish-sorting channel and construction is expected to begin later this year.
The remaining US$400,000 will support an existing project that uses GLASTOS to track the movement of fish populations. The project will accelerate the recovery of native species, such as lake trout and lake sturgeon, and the control of invasive species, such as sea lamprey and Asian grass carp.
These projects are part of GLRI’s larger efforts to protect and restore the chemical, physical and biological integrity of the Great Lakes basin.
