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LOWER GREEN BAY & FOX RIVER AOC: REVISING REMOVAL CRITERIA FOR FISH AND WILDLIFE
POPULATIONS AND HABITAT IMPAIRMENTS
Presented by Brie Kupsky
9.11.2019
BUIs
1. Bird/Animal Deformities
2. Restrictions on Fish/Wildlife Consumption
3. Restrictions on Dredging
4. Degradation of Benthos
5. Degradation of Phyto/Zooplankton
6. Loss of Fish/Wildlife Habitat
7. Degradation of Fish/Wildlife Populations
8. Restrictions on Drinking Water Consumption
9. Beach Closings
10.Eutrophication or Undesirable Algae
11.Degradation of Aesthetics
12.Fish Tumors or Other Deformities
13.Tainting of Fish/Wildlife Flavor
BACKGROUND INFO
Habitat/Populations BUIs Listing Rationale
➢ Changes in habitat: ➢ Estimated 75-90% coastal wetlands lost in
lower Green Bay
➢ Significant water quality issues primary
cause of sustained ecosystem degradation
➢ Impacts from exotic species:➢ Dreissenid mussels
➢ Phragmites
➢ Round goby
➢ Toxic chemicals:➢ PCB
➢ PAHs
Photo: Stacy Schumacher
Green Bay Press Gazette
5 Operable Units of Lower Fox PCB Project---•------
Lo.:::~ _.I FO)I Rh"•' •
S ite ...,,,,,
OU2 Appleton to Little Rapids
Manlt
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2009 TARGETS
➢ The AOC contains healthy, self-sustaining, naturally reproducing, and diverse populations of native fish, furbearers, amphibians, reptiles, terns, migratory diving ducks, dabbling ducks, marsh nesting birds, and island-dependent colonial nesting birds species in
abundance sufficient to provide ecological function to the fish community and are capable of supporting some level of exploitation;
AND➢ Invasive species expansion is minimized and controlled as needed to protect native species within the AOC and upstream;AND➢ Contaminant levels in forage fish populations do not impair the reproductive success of fish-eating birds and wildlife and meet the
criteria established in Annex 1 of the GLWQA
AND➢ The AOC supports fish and wildlife populations at levels consistent with extant fish and wildlife management plan objectives:
➢ Predator-prey biomass ratio of fish species is 1/10 to 1/20➢ Average sport angler harvest over a 3-4 year period of 7000 walleye and 150,000 perch annually➢ Lake sturgeon has minimum of 750 spawning adults➢ Otter and mink present and abundant muskrat populations➢ Aggregate total of 15 nesting pairs of marsh breeding birds per acre➢ Resident nesting waterfowl production totals at least 1 young produced per acre of brood water➢ Nesting populations of diverse array of waterbirds consistently present when suitable habitat available
AND➢ Fish and wildlife community structures within the AOC are statistically similar to populations in unimpacted reference sites of highly
productive, warm water freshwater estuaries of the Great Lakes
POPULATIONS BUI:
2009 TARGETSHABITAT BUI:
➢ Fish and wildlife management goals are achievable as a result of the physical, chemical, and biological integrity of the AOC waters,
including wetlands AND
➢ A balance of diverse habitat types exist within the AOC that supports all life stage requirements of fish and wildlife populations including:➢ Multiple wetland types
➢ Quality fish spawning habitats
➢ Islands for colonial nesting birds, amphibians and furbearers
➢ Intact migration corridors
➢ Unconsolidated beaches
➢ Habitat for State and Federally listed species
AND
➢ The hydrologic connectivity between wetlands and the AOC is maintained and restored sufficiently to support fish spawning and allow for fish passage;
AND
➢ The Green Bay portion of the AOC contains water clarity and other conditions suitable for support of a diverse biological community, including a robust and sustainable area of SAV in shallow waters
AND
➢ The AOC contains a diversity of plants, an abundance of SAV, and sufficient invertebrates to provide adequate food supplies to support a diverse assemblage of fish and wildlife
AND
➢ The AOC meets water quality standards and/or water quality targets of a State and US EPA approved TMDLAND
➢ The AOC meets Wisconsin water quality criteria for dissolved oxygen and water temperature that are protective of fish and wildlife populations
AND
➢ No waterbodies within the AOC are listed as impaired due to physical or water chemistry conditions in the most recent Wisconsin Impaired Waters List
LGBFR AOC RESTORATION PLAN AND PATH TOWARD DELISTING
➢ Project in partnership with UW-Green Bay
➢ Project goals:➢ Develop an objective method for tracking progress
toward the condition of habitats and populations in the AOC
➢ Recommend achievable removal targets based on that framework
➢ How?➢ Evaluate current conditions through habitat mapping
and biota surveys➢ Develop biota database incorporating both
contemporary and historical information➢ Solicit feedback from stakeholders and technical experts
➢ Outcomes:➢ Established 18 priority habitats and 22 priority species
groups➢ Recommended broad goals and objectives for
improving condition of these priority groups➢ Developed a Fish and Wildlife BUI Assessment Process➢ Recommended achievable condition score targets
Goals
Lower Green Bay & Fox River Area of Concern
Objectives
F&W Habitat Monitoring
==--
Activities
F&W Habitat Assessment Tool - . -- - ·-- ~- -=- . - ..
F&W Management Actions / r ·-- . - --... ____ __ -- __ ,. ___ .. ____ ..
: :::·: ___ ~-~
2. Expand and
==-· - .. _,_· ....
F& W Populations Monitoring
F&W Populations Assessment Tool
- -·- - . =- ;:;_ ~ :.- ';'_": ::::::!--
/ r
Update ----+ -- --
:::--_-- ----·-·····-··_•· •·_•,
8. Control woody successlonal and Invasive plant species, remove accumulated zebra/quagga mussel shells, and restore native vegetation at undeveloped east shore beaches (Point au S ble, UW-Green B y campus, Joliet Park. Bav Beach region).
7. Great Lakes beach, coastal wetland Mustelids, coastal macrolnvertebrates, (migratory ), and turtles
FISH AND WILDLIFE HABITAT AND POPULATIONS BUI ASSESSMENT TOOLS
➢ Overall condition scores can be
improved for both BUIs by
implementing management
actions
➢ Management actions that focus
on the highest weighted priority
populations and habitats are the
most effective at “moving the
needle”
Priority Fish & Wildlife Pop,ulaitions
Coastal tla cl Mustelicls
Tribu arv fish
Coas al birds (breeding season)
Fr~shwa er Union'd muss~ls
Shoreline fish
Sho ebin:ls (breed·ng)
Bald Eagle/Osprcey (breeding)
Coas al erres ria macroinvertebrates
Shorebirds (migra ory)
Waterfo ¥1 (migra ory)
Tox[c Econ
SC?nsitivii:y lmpo 4 5 6 I
7
F&W Habitat BUrs 2
Current Condit ion = 3.60 Target Condition = 6 .. 0
0 10
Let's move the needle! 5 6 I
7 /
2 F&W Popullations BUii
Current Condit ion = 4.65
Target Condition = 6 .. 5
0-------------------------Howe, R.W., E.E. Gnass Giese. and A.T. Wol f. 2018. Quantitative estoration ta rgets for fish and w ild life habitats a
o , u lations in the lower Green Ba and Fox River AOC. Journa l of Great la kes Resea rch 44(5):883- 894.
Area of Wet Meadow (ha) x Quality Index
Desired condition: 40 acres of moderate to high
quality sedge meadow40 x 0.75 = 30
Baseline (2017) condition: 4.75 ha high quality sedge meadow
4.75 x 1.0 = 4.75
Ideal condition: 60 ha high quality sedge meadow
60 x 1.0 = 60
EXAMPLE➢Management Action: Improving and expanding sedge/wet meadow habitat at Bay
Beach Wildlife Sanctuary, Pt. Sable, and Green Bay West Shore Wildlife Area
Habitat BUI Removal Target = 6.0
Score increase needed to meet target = 2.40
Implementing sedge/wet meadow management
actions increased score by 0.52 points or 22% of
the 2.40 points needed to reach overall BUI target.
Current F&W Priority Fish & Wildlife Habitat
Historical Conservation
Importance
Geographic
Significance
Significance to AOC Functional Weight CCondition
·151 a Status a ·a Biodiversity Significance ra ·a
3 14
out hern Sedge Meadow 3 2 3 3 3 14
_- . ·• ·.-~•h- &~ ldl"f b" •;Historical . Geographic Significance to AOC F~ • . h . · Pnonty Fis W1 1 e Ha 1tat Conservation Weig t
mportance Significance Biodiversity Significance Ill a Status ·a 1a a a !I • Emerg
FoxRi 3 3 3 G Great Lakes Beach
reenr'.""--:-~---:-~-.------""T"'--":"'"----~~------:-------Shrub out hern Sedge Meadow 3 2 3
ri but,Emergent Mars ig energy coasta
HardwSubmerge nt Marsh
Emerg,Emergent Marsh (ripa rian)
Open ~Fox River Open Water
Sout heG reen Bay Open Wate r
Emerg,Shrub Ca rr
Northe Tributary Open Wate r
Other 1Hardwood Swamp
Surro Emergent Marsh (inland)
SurrogOpen Water (inland)
Sout hern Dry Mesic Forest
Emergent Marsh (roadside)
Northern Mesic Forest
3 1 3
1 1 1
3 2 14
3 3 14
3 3 13
1 2 6
. Habitat Scor1i. 1a ~
I Current F&W
CCondition a Habitat Scor:I
I 8.5
4
5
3
3
3
4
3
5
4
3
5
3
4
DRAFT TARGET REVISION
Loss of Fish and Wildlife Habitat BUI Removal Target
The cumulative habitat condition score, as calculated by the Fish and Wildlife Habitat BUI Assessment Tool, reaches a 6.0 (+/- 20%). This cumulative score will be calculated as a weighed average of the respective condition scores from the priority habitats outlined in the Fish and Wildlife Populations and Habitat
AOC Monitoring Plan.
Degradation of Fish and Wildlife Populations BUI Removal Target
The cumulative populations condition score, as calculated by the Fish and Wildlife Population BUI Assessment Tool, reaches a 6.5 (+/- 20%). This
cumulative score will be calculated as a weighed average of the respective condition scores from the priority habitats outlined in the Fish and Wildlife
Populations and Habitat AOC Monitoring Plan.
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
© Erin Giese
• Stakeholders engaged throughout process to determine priority habitats and populations and BUI assessment framework
• Technical advisory committee formed in 2018 to reach consensus on target revision and management action list
• This committee will provide this recommendation to other stakeholders and EPA
• Over 60 technical experts engaged in the development of metrics that feed into BUI assessment process
• Hosted several open meetings to discuss potential restoration activities and needs by subject area
• These ideas forming the basis of developing management actions with TAC
QUESTIONS?
Brie Kupsky
Lower Green Bay & Fox River and Lower
Menominee River AOC Coordinator
Office of Great Waters
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
920-662-5465