Division of Fish, Wildlife and Marine Resources
NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION – DIVISION OF
FISH, WILDLIFE & MARINE RESOURCES
Monthly Highlights
- May 2012-
In This Issue
Waterfowl Population Survey Results In ............................................................................................................................. 1 Belmont Lake Bass Catch-and-Release Regulation Assessment .................................................................................. 1 Buffalo-Niagara Region Peregrine Falcon Nesting and Banding Survey..................................................................... 2 Round Whitefish Stocked in Wilderness.............................................................................................................................. 2 Common Tern Nesting Survey in Great Lakes Region .................................................................................................... 3 Deep Pond Chain Pickerel and Contaminant Survey .................................................................................................... 3 Lake Erie Pilot Lake Sturgeon Assessment ......................................................................................................................... 4 Hale Creek Field Station Hosts Environmental Field Day................................................................................................. 4 Double-crested Cormorant Control in Buffalo Harbor .................................................................................................... 4 Reintroduction of Deepwater Ciscoes to Lake Ontario ................................................................................................. 5 Wild Fish Contribution to Lake Ontario Chinook Salmon Fishery ................................................................................... 5 Protecting Aquatic Resources in Wolf Creek, Wyoming County .................................................................................. 6 Banding Hooded Mergansers, Wood Ducks and Owls .................................................................................................. 6 I FISH NY Programs Across New York State ........................................................................................................................ 6 Cayuga Watershed Sea Lamprey Nest Counts ............................................................................................................... 7
The following highlights are contributed by staff from the NYSDEC Division of Fish, Wildlife, and Marine Resources (DFWMR). These highlights are intended to inform our constituents about the accomplishments of, plans for and challenges to New York State’s fish, wildlife and marine resources management, research and outreach efforts.
Waterfowl Population Survey Results In This spring, DEC staff completed the 2012 Atlantic Flyway breeding waterfowl plot survey at approximately 280 locations across New York State. The survey results are combined with data from other northeastern states to estimate annual breeding populations of mallards, black ducks, wood ducks and Canada geese in the Atlantic Flyway. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) uses these estimates to determine annual waterfowl hunting regulations. In New York State, mallards are the most abundant ducks in terms of breeding population size and occurrences in reported hunter harvest. However, the 2012 estimate of 74,000 mallard breeding pairs is the second lowest since surveys began in 1989 and is well below the 100,000 or more pairs in the late 1990s. Similar trends were evident in the Atlantic Flyway estimates. The decline in mallard breeding pairs has been evident since 1997, as shown in the graph to the right. This coincides with when duck hunting seasons were extended to 60 days for the first time since the early 1970s. This decline has caused major concern, leading biologists in the Atlantic Flyway to begin reviewing possible causes, including hunter harvest. If the trend continues, duck season length and bag limits for mallards may be reduced in the future.
500,000 400,000 300,000 200,000 100,000 0
Estimated mallard breeding pairs in the northeastern U.S., 19892011
For other waterfowl species, the New York State estimate of 2,400 black duck pairs was more than 50 percent below the long-term average, whereas wood ducks were near the long-term average of 45,000 pairs. Canada goose pair estimates of 69,000 and total estimates of 209,000 (including flocks of non-breeding geese) were the lowest in nearly a decade. This is a more welcome decline and may be the result of increased hunter harvest in recent years, as well as more aggressive management of local nesting or “resident” geese in urban/suburban areas where hunting opportunities are limited.
BUREAU OF WILDLIFE
BRYAN SWIFT
518‐402‐8922
Belmont Lake Bass Catch-and-Release Regulation Assessment DEC’s Region 1 Fisheries Unit completed an electrofishing survey in Belmont Lake on Long Island to assess whether the catch-and-release only regulation instituted in October 2004 was effective in improving largemouth bass populations. To assess this, staff used pre-regulation survey data from 2000 and 2004 to compare with this year’s survey. In those years, the overall catch rate per hour of largemouth bass was 12.7 and 16.1, respectively. When compared to the post-regulation survey in 2012, the catch rate per hour increased slightly to 19.3. For bass longer than 15 inches, the catch rate was 2.9 in 2000 and 2.0 in 2004. In comparison to the post-regulation survey, this increased substantially to a catch rate of 11.2 per hour. Half of the bass caught weighed above three pounds, and more than a quarter were greater than four pounds. Unlike several other waters in the region, there was no concurrent improvement in the size distributions of forage fish in the lake. Overall catch rates for bluegill, pumpkinseed and yellow perch declined substantially from the 2004 survey. No pumpkinseed more than 6 inches long or yellow perch more than 8 inches long were caught, and the catch rate for bluegill more than 6 inches long dropped from 10.2 per hour in 2004 to 2.7 per hour in 2012.
Four largemouth bass from Belmont Lake
While the decline in large panfish in Belmont Lake is not promising, the increased abundance of large bass is very promising. The catch-and-release regulation has clearly resulted in an improvement in the size distribution of bass in the lake. The regional fisheries unit will attempt to survey Belmont Lake in the next three to five years to continue assessing regulation impacts.
BUREAU OF FISHERIES
1 | M o n t h l y H i g h l i g h t s
CHART GUTHRIE
631‐ 444‐0281 May 2012
Buffalo-Niagara Region Peregrine Falcon Nesting and Banding Survey In late March, the first peregrine falcon eggs were laid at the University at Buffalo’s (UB) South Campus nest, initiating the Buffalo-Niagara region’s peregrine falcon nesting season. Each year, DEC’s Region 9 (BuffaloNiagara) Wildlife staff monitor the region’s six falcon nesting sites and one territorial site to observe adult pair behaviors, to document egg-laying and hatching dates and to band the young. This May, 13 young peregrine falcons or “eyasses” were banded, including four at the University at Buffalo’s South Campus, four at the Statler Towers in downtown Buffalo, one at the South Grand Island Bridge in Tonawanda and four at the North Grand Island Bridge in Niagara Falls. In late May, a large female eyas, named “Athena” from the UB South Campus nest was fitted with a satellite transmitter by retired DEC Wildlife Technician Mike Allen, along with DEC Region 9 Wildlife staff and UB Operations staff. The transmitter will allow Wildlife staff to track Athena’s movements after she fledges and disperses from the area, providing valuable data on the migration, movement and habitat use of peregrine falcons. Peregrine falcon "Athena" outfitted with a new satellite transmitter
A new breeding pair of peregrines arrived at Buffalo’s Central Terminal this year, displacing the previous resident pair in mid-March. The female’s band was read during a nest check, identifying her as “Gleig” from the 2009 Sheraton Hotel nest site in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The male has yet to be identified. Their three eggs were expected to hatch in early June, and the eyassess were banded at three weeks old. After investigating a peregrine falcon carcass on the roof of the terminal in May, there is enough evidence to assume the previous nesting female was killed in a territorial fight in mid-March, coinciding with the arrival of the new peregrine pair.
BUREAU OF WILDLIFE
C. ADAMS/J. WALTERS
716‐851‐7010
Round Whitefish Stocked in Wilderness Round whitefish is an endangered fish in New York State that was once an abundant and prized species in the Adirondack ecosystem. This was documented in the 1894 Report of the Commissioners of Fisheries (a commission that preceded DEC), which notes that more than nine million round whitefish fry were stocked into Adirondack ponds in the previous year. At that time, round whitefish were found in 26 Adirondack ponds, the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain. Today, round whitefish are found in only 10 ponds and are gone from New York’s portion of the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain. For the past 10 years, DEC staff have caught Hatchery raised round whitefish fingerlings being released into the wilderness round whitefish in Lower Cascade Lake in Essex County during November to obtain eggs for rearing in the Oneida Hatchery. This May, 2,000 round whitefish fingerlings grown from those eggs were transported to their new homes. Darning Needle Pond and Ledge Pond each received 1,000 of these two-inch fish to establish a population. While these two ponds are not known to be historic round whitefish waters, they provide appropriate habitat and are free from predators. Three hundred round whitefish were also stocked into Little Green Pond in Franklin County, which is a brood stock water for round whitefish. DEC will know in a few years whether the population survived and reproduced.
BUREAU OF FISHERIES
2 | M o n t h l y H i g h l i g h t s
LISA HOLST
518‐402‐8887
May 2012
Common Tern Nesting Survey in Great Lakes Region To monitor abundance of New York State’s threatened common tern, DEC Wildlife staff and New York Power Authority (NYPA) contractor Riveredge Associates conduct annual peak common tern nesting counts in May. This year, multiple nests were counted on three breakwalls in the Buffalo Harbor, and three nests each were counted on water intakes and power cribs in the Niagara River. This year’s count revealed 2,422 breeding pairs of common terns in the Buffalo-Niagara region, a record high count for the already largest common tern colony in the Great Lakes region and an overall 4 percent increase from 2011. The tern population in the Buffalo Harbor alone increased by 11 percent from 2011, with the greatest growth in areas where NYPA contractors installed gravel substrate in 2010. The total Buffalo Harbor count was 2,103 breeding pairs.
A common tern nest on Donnelly’s Breakwall in Buffalo Harbor. There were more than 800 tern chicks present on the breakwalls at the time of the peak nesting count in May.
Even though the Buffalo-Niagara tern population saw an overall increase in total numbers of breeding pairs in 2012, the terns on the water intakes and power cribs in the Niagara River had a 27 percent decrease in numbers from 2011. At water intakes, terns suffer from extensive vegetation growth and depredation from great horned owls and extensive vegetation growth. On the power cribs, guano (feces) and debris from double-crested cormorant nests overhead smother tern nests below, and many suffer nesting failure. This year, Riveredge Associates reported extensive depredation of tern nests on Donnelly’s Breakwall at the end of May, owing to mink and possibly herring gulls. In 2011, the same factors caused total abandonment of terns on Donnelly’s, even within the gravel enclosure. Riveredge Associates has placed cameras and mink traps on the breakwalls; however, no mink have been caught.
BUREAU OF WILDLIFE
C. ADAMS/J. WALTERS
716‐851‐7010
Deep Pond Chain Pickerel and Contaminant Survey DEC’s Region 1 Fisheries staff on Long Island conducted a survey at Deep Pond owned by the Theodore Roosevelt Council of the Boy Scouts of America (TRCBSA). The survey was to assess impacts of a catch-andrelease only regulation on chain pickerel and to collect fish for contaminant analysis. In 2010, the TRCBSA imposed a catch-and-release only regulation for chain pickerel when anglers reported not catching any large pickerel. To evaluate the impact of this regulation, fisheries staff used several gear types, including a fyke net, gill nets and electrofishing to catch pickerel. The average size of the 37 pickerel caught was 25 inches, with none less than 14 inches. Staff caught other species, including 928 yellow perch, 813 golden shiner and 734 pumpkinseed sunfish. It appears that the TRCBSA pickerel regulation was effective in protecting large pickerel in the pond; however, the absence of small pickerel is disconcerting. It is hoped that continuation of the catch-and-release regulation for chain pickerel will enable the population to recover. DEC will change the current pickerel regulation for Deep Pond to continue the TRCBSA catch-and-release only regulation on October 1, 2012. Another portion of this survey was to collect fish for contaminant analysis through the Toxic Substance Monitoring Program (TSMP) and to monitor disease. Ten each of chain pickerel and yellow perch were collected and frozen for TSMP analysis. Thirty yellow perch and 60 pumpkinseed sunfish were shipped to the USFWS Lamar Fish Health Center in Pennsylvania for disease investigation. Results from TSMP analysis and disease investigation and further evaluation of the fish community are pending.
BUREAU OF FISHERIES
3 | M o n t h l y H i g h l i g h t s
HEIDI O’RIORDAN
631‐ 444‐0282
May 2012
Lake Erie Pilot Lake Sturgeon Assessment During May, DEC fisheries staff from the Lake Erie Unit and the Region 9 Office began a new initiative to gather initial baseline population information on a concentration of lake sturgeon located near the head of the Niagara River. Using gill nets and set lines, staff sampled adult lake sturgeon in this area during a twoweek pilot survey. In all, they caught 13 lake sturgeon and took various measurements and tissue samples from each individual. Staff then tagged and released the fish. This effort was conducted in support of a much broader effort to understand the dynamics of sturgeon populations throughout the Great Lakes. Data were gathered and will be forwarded to US Fish and Wildlife Service and US Geological Survey scientists to achieve a more comprehensive summary that will improve knowledge about the status of this threatened species in New York State.
DEC Fisheries staff pull in a lake sturgeon to take measurements, collect tissue samples and tag the fish prior to release.
BUREAU OF FISHERIES
DON EINHOUSE
716‐366‐0228
Hale Creek Field Station Hosts Environmental Field Day The Hale Creek Field Station in Gloversville has been hosting Environmental Field Day for the last 20 years. The event provides information on water quality and trout, stream ecology and benthic macroinvertebrates, water chemistry, PCBs, bioaccumulation, and fish and wildlife resources. It also offers hands-on activities and a nature hike. Approximately 100 fifth-graders from surrounding schools participated in the most recent Environmental Field Day. DEC works in unison with the Cornell Cooperative Extension's 4-H Youth Development Program on this event and hopes to continue holding it for many years to come.
BUREAU OF HABITAT
ROBERT BORDIERI
518‐773‐7318
Double-crested Cormorant Control in Buffalo Harbor Double-crested cormorants nest in several locations in the Buffalo Harbor and along the Niagara River. To keep the cormorant population from growing too large and taking over nesting habitat vital to more sensitive species such as herons and egrets, DEC Wildlife staff conduct egg oiling, nest destruction and culling operations throughout the month of May. This year, Wildlife staff oiled 404 nests (containing 942 eggs) in the Niagara River and Buffalo Harbor and completely removed 242 nests (containing 864 eggs) from the sandspit on the north end of Donnelly’s Breakwall in Buffalo Harbor. At Motor Island in the Niagara River, cormorants compete for nesting space with a large colony of great blue herons, great egrets and black-crowned night herons. Twelve adult cormorants were culled and their stomach contents analyzed. Culling operations on Motor Island continued into the month of June to ensure that cormorants would not take over this vital nesting habitat.
DEC staff oiling cormorant nests on Buckhorn Weir in the Niagara River
BUREAU OF WILDLIFE
4 | M o n t h l y H i g h l i g h t s
C. ADAMS/J. WALTERS
716‐851‐7010
May 2012
Reintroduction of Deepwater Ciscoes to Lake Ontario Until the mid-1950s, Lake Ontario was home to four species of deepwater ciscoes representing the main prey fish in Lake Ontario. All four species were extirpated and replaced by non-native alewife and rainbow smelt. The Great Lakes Fishery Commission’s Lake Ontario Committee is committed to re-establishing a self-sustaining population of deepwater ciscoes in Lake Ontario within 25 years. Potential benefits of restoring deepwater cisco include: • Increasing diversity and resilience of the food web • Improving reproduction of native lake trout by reducing thiamine (vitamin B) deficiency due to a diet based on alewife and rainbow smelt • Restoring historical food web structure and function For the second consecutive year, a collaborative effort between DEC, the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (OMNR), the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) successfully collected deepwater cisco eggs from Lake Michigan in January and February 2012. Fertilized eggs were transported to the USGS Tunison Laboratory of Aquatic Sciences and the OMNR’s White Lake Fish Culture Station (WLFCS) for experimental rearing that focused on determining the best diet for newly hatched fry, large-scale rearing techniques and development of captive brood stock. Results to date are very promising. More than 200 ciscoes from the February 2011 egg-take have been retained at WLFCS and will be experimentally reared to the adult stage to support development of a captive brood stock. In addition, improved egg-collection and rearing techniques in 2012 resulted in sufficient numbers of young ciscoes to establish a second generation of fish targeted for brood stock development and approximately 20,000 fish that could be stocked into Lake Ontario in fall 2012.
BUREAU OF FISHERIES
STEVE LAPAN
315‐654‐2147
Wild Fish Contribution to Lake Ontario Chinook Salmon Fishery From 2008 through 2011, DEC and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources marked 2.3 million hatchery-raised Chinook salmon with an adipose fin clip prior to stocking in Lake Ontario. This was done to determine the relative contributions of wild versus hatchery-stocked Chinooks to open lake and tributary fisheries. Knowing the relative contributions of wild versus hatchery salmon in the lake is very important for fisheries managers. It helps them understand how stocking decisions influence Chinook salmon population dynamics and the balance of predators and prey in Lake Ontario. Data collection from the 2008 year-class (fish spawned in 2007 and hatched in late 2007/early 2008) of Chinook salmon is complete. Samples taken of these fish for the open lake survey in 2010 and 2011 yielded 36.2% wild salmon at age-2 and 35.2% at age-3. The proportion of wild Chinook salmon observed varied, but was generally low in most New York tributaries, except the Salmon River. The 2008 year-class in the Salmon River yielded 57.5% wild salmon at age-2 and 28.5% at age-3. Results among tributaries were considerably different due to relatively high-quality spawning habitat in the Salmon River system, as compared to other tributaries, and the tendency for Chinook salmon to return to their tributary of origin. Spawning conditions in the Salmon River during fall 2007 were very poor, with low water levels and high water temperatures; yet, wild salmon contributed substantially to both open lake and Salmon River fisheries. Although wild fish are a substantial component of the lake and Salmon River fishery, results showed that very few wild fish enter the Salmon River Hatchery. Returns of tagged fish to the hatchery suggest a high degree of homing by salmon stocked at the Salmon River and a low degree of straying by fish stocked at other sites; therefore, stocking at Salmon River is vital for maintaining current egg-collection targets. Ongoing studies on the 2009 and 2010 year-classes, as well as comparison evaluations of different Chinook salmon-stocking strategies (e.g., pen rearing prior to release versus directly stocked from hatchery) will provide additional insight.
BUREAU OF FISHERIES
5 | M o n t h l y H i g h l i g h t s
MICHAEL CONNERTON
315‐654‐2147
May 2012
Protecting Aquatic Resources in Wolf Creek, Wyoming County Morton Salt, a salt-producing facility located along Wolf Creek in Wyoming County, recently completed an installation of a closed-cycle cooling system that meets Best Technology Available (BTA) requirements. Replacing an old, once-through cooling system, the new system will reduce water use by nearly 90 percent, withdrawing only 1.5 million gallons (MGD) of water from Wolf Creek. The new system also will prevent harmful thermal impacts to organisms when the water is discharged from the facility, as it will be recycled and pumped to well mines to cool down prior to release. Furthermore, impingement and entrainment of fish will be greatly reduced. The old cooling system had many adverse effects on aquatic organisms. They included impingement of juvenile and adult fish on screens (used to filter water before it enters the cooling system), entrainment of early life-stage fish within the cooling system and the effects of high water temperatures on organisms in the receiving water body. Since 2010, DEC has been working to establish BTA requirements in all power plants and other industrial facilities to decrease these negative impacts on aquatic life and habitat.
BUREAU OF HABITAT
COLLEEN KIMBLE
518‐ 402‐8873
Banding Hooded Mergansers, Wood Ducks and Owls Each spring, DEC Wildlife staff band wood duck and hooded merganser hens nesting in monitored nest boxes at Watts Flats Wildlife Management Area in Chautauqua County. This year, six new hooded merganser hens and two new wood duck hens were banded. Eight previously banded hooded mergansers were recaptured along with one wood duck. In addition to mergansers, one adult female eastern screech owl was found and banded, along with her two juveniles. It is not unheard of to find eastern screech owls nesting in wood duck boxes; however, it is unusual to find northern saw-whet owls. This year, one northern saw-whet female was found and banded, along with her four juveniles.
BUREAU OF WILDLIFE
C. ADAMS/J. WALTERS
DEC Biologist Ann Rothrock with banded northern sawwhet owl
716‐851‐7010
I FISH NY Programs Across New York State May is the start of the busy season for DEC’s I FISH NY program. Approximately, 2,500 people attended the 43 I FISH NY programs this month. The I FISH NY staff delivered the following programs across New York State this May: • •
•
23 In-Class Programs - These involve classroom lessons followed by a fishing trip. Programs are structured to help reinforce I FISH NY lessons the students learned. 14 Fishing Clinics - For these clinics, students receive up to one hour of instruction before going fishing. Instruction includes learning how to fish, understanding fishing regulations, learning fish identification, fish biology and aquatic ecology. Fishing clinics are also open to the public and are tailored for groups such as boy scouts and girl scouts. 6 Conservation Day Events - These events incorporate school groups that visit several educational stations for 15 to 20 minutes each to learn about conservation programs. Typically, the benefits of fisheries management is taught at these events.
BUREAU OF FISHERIES
GREG KOZLOWSKI
518‐402‐8896
6 | M o n t h l y H i g h l i g h t s
May 2012
Cayuga Watershed Sea Lamprey Nest Counts Annual monitoring of Cayuga Lake sea lamprey spawning activities was conducted a few weeks earlier than usual this year, as warmer spring temperatures caused sea lampreys to migrate and spawn earlier. Seventy-three nests were counted in six index streams that have accessible spawning habitat in the Cayuga Lake watershed. More than 4,000 adult sea lampreys were blocked at the Cayuga Inlet fishway, preventing them from spawning. No nests were observed upstream of the barrier. In comparison, the 2011 survey resulted in a count of 74 nests and only 802 lampreys blocked at the fishway. The water level of Cayuga Lake was high enough in 2011 that lampreys were able to migrate past the fishway barrier, and 34 nests were observed upstream. This fall, sea lamprey habitat will be surveyed to assess larval populations and the relative success of previous spawning events. This information, in conjunction with lamprey wound rates on sport fishes, will be used to determine whether to treat tributaries to remove larvae before they metamorphose into parasitic adult lampreys.
BUREAU OF FISHERIES
7 | M o n t h l y H i g h l i g h t s
EMILY ZOLLWEG‐HORAN
607‐753‐3095
May 2012
FISH, WILDLIFE & MARINE RESOURCES
Monthly Highlights
- May 2012-
In This Issue
Waterfowl Population Survey Results In ............................................................................................................................. 1 Belmont Lake Bass Catch-and-Release Regulation Assessment .................................................................................. 1 Buffalo-Niagara Region Peregrine Falcon Nesting and Banding Survey..................................................................... 2 Round Whitefish Stocked in Wilderness.............................................................................................................................. 2 Common Tern Nesting Survey in Great Lakes Region .................................................................................................... 3 Deep Pond Chain Pickerel and Contaminant Survey .................................................................................................... 3 Lake Erie Pilot Lake Sturgeon Assessment ......................................................................................................................... 4 Hale Creek Field Station Hosts Environmental Field Day................................................................................................. 4 Double-crested Cormorant Control in Buffalo Harbor .................................................................................................... 4 Reintroduction of Deepwater Ciscoes to Lake Ontario ................................................................................................. 5 Wild Fish Contribution to Lake Ontario Chinook Salmon Fishery ................................................................................... 5 Protecting Aquatic Resources in Wolf Creek, Wyoming County .................................................................................. 6 Banding Hooded Mergansers, Wood Ducks and Owls .................................................................................................. 6 I FISH NY Programs Across New York State ........................................................................................................................ 6 Cayuga Watershed Sea Lamprey Nest Counts ............................................................................................................... 7
The following highlights are contributed by staff from the NYSDEC Division of Fish, Wildlife, and Marine Resources (DFWMR). These highlights are intended to inform our constituents about the accomplishments of, plans for and challenges to New York State’s fish, wildlife and marine resources management, research and outreach efforts.
Waterfowl Population Survey Results In This spring, DEC staff completed the 2012 Atlantic Flyway breeding waterfowl plot survey at approximately 280 locations across New York State. The survey results are combined with data from other northeastern states to estimate annual breeding populations of mallards, black ducks, wood ducks and Canada geese in the Atlantic Flyway. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) uses these estimates to determine annual waterfowl hunting regulations. In New York State, mallards are the most abundant ducks in terms of breeding population size and occurrences in reported hunter harvest. However, the 2012 estimate of 74,000 mallard breeding pairs is the second lowest since surveys began in 1989 and is well below the 100,000 or more pairs in the late 1990s. Similar trends were evident in the Atlantic Flyway estimates. The decline in mallard breeding pairs has been evident since 1997, as shown in the graph to the right. This coincides with when duck hunting seasons were extended to 60 days for the first time since the early 1970s. This decline has caused major concern, leading biologists in the Atlantic Flyway to begin reviewing possible causes, including hunter harvest. If the trend continues, duck season length and bag limits for mallards may be reduced in the future.
500,000 400,000 300,000 200,000 100,000 0
Estimated mallard breeding pairs in the northeastern U.S., 19892011
For other waterfowl species, the New York State estimate of 2,400 black duck pairs was more than 50 percent below the long-term average, whereas wood ducks were near the long-term average of 45,000 pairs. Canada goose pair estimates of 69,000 and total estimates of 209,000 (including flocks of non-breeding geese) were the lowest in nearly a decade. This is a more welcome decline and may be the result of increased hunter harvest in recent years, as well as more aggressive management of local nesting or “resident” geese in urban/suburban areas where hunting opportunities are limited.
BUREAU OF WILDLIFE
BRYAN SWIFT
518‐402‐8922
Belmont Lake Bass Catch-and-Release Regulation Assessment DEC’s Region 1 Fisheries Unit completed an electrofishing survey in Belmont Lake on Long Island to assess whether the catch-and-release only regulation instituted in October 2004 was effective in improving largemouth bass populations. To assess this, staff used pre-regulation survey data from 2000 and 2004 to compare with this year’s survey. In those years, the overall catch rate per hour of largemouth bass was 12.7 and 16.1, respectively. When compared to the post-regulation survey in 2012, the catch rate per hour increased slightly to 19.3. For bass longer than 15 inches, the catch rate was 2.9 in 2000 and 2.0 in 2004. In comparison to the post-regulation survey, this increased substantially to a catch rate of 11.2 per hour. Half of the bass caught weighed above three pounds, and more than a quarter were greater than four pounds. Unlike several other waters in the region, there was no concurrent improvement in the size distributions of forage fish in the lake. Overall catch rates for bluegill, pumpkinseed and yellow perch declined substantially from the 2004 survey. No pumpkinseed more than 6 inches long or yellow perch more than 8 inches long were caught, and the catch rate for bluegill more than 6 inches long dropped from 10.2 per hour in 2004 to 2.7 per hour in 2012.
Four largemouth bass from Belmont Lake
While the decline in large panfish in Belmont Lake is not promising, the increased abundance of large bass is very promising. The catch-and-release regulation has clearly resulted in an improvement in the size distribution of bass in the lake. The regional fisheries unit will attempt to survey Belmont Lake in the next three to five years to continue assessing regulation impacts.
BUREAU OF FISHERIES
1 | M o n t h l y H i g h l i g h t s
CHART GUTHRIE
631‐ 444‐0281 May 2012
Buffalo-Niagara Region Peregrine Falcon Nesting and Banding Survey In late March, the first peregrine falcon eggs were laid at the University at Buffalo’s (UB) South Campus nest, initiating the Buffalo-Niagara region’s peregrine falcon nesting season. Each year, DEC’s Region 9 (BuffaloNiagara) Wildlife staff monitor the region’s six falcon nesting sites and one territorial site to observe adult pair behaviors, to document egg-laying and hatching dates and to band the young. This May, 13 young peregrine falcons or “eyasses” were banded, including four at the University at Buffalo’s South Campus, four at the Statler Towers in downtown Buffalo, one at the South Grand Island Bridge in Tonawanda and four at the North Grand Island Bridge in Niagara Falls. In late May, a large female eyas, named “Athena” from the UB South Campus nest was fitted with a satellite transmitter by retired DEC Wildlife Technician Mike Allen, along with DEC Region 9 Wildlife staff and UB Operations staff. The transmitter will allow Wildlife staff to track Athena’s movements after she fledges and disperses from the area, providing valuable data on the migration, movement and habitat use of peregrine falcons. Peregrine falcon "Athena" outfitted with a new satellite transmitter
A new breeding pair of peregrines arrived at Buffalo’s Central Terminal this year, displacing the previous resident pair in mid-March. The female’s band was read during a nest check, identifying her as “Gleig” from the 2009 Sheraton Hotel nest site in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The male has yet to be identified. Their three eggs were expected to hatch in early June, and the eyassess were banded at three weeks old. After investigating a peregrine falcon carcass on the roof of the terminal in May, there is enough evidence to assume the previous nesting female was killed in a territorial fight in mid-March, coinciding with the arrival of the new peregrine pair.
BUREAU OF WILDLIFE
C. ADAMS/J. WALTERS
716‐851‐7010
Round Whitefish Stocked in Wilderness Round whitefish is an endangered fish in New York State that was once an abundant and prized species in the Adirondack ecosystem. This was documented in the 1894 Report of the Commissioners of Fisheries (a commission that preceded DEC), which notes that more than nine million round whitefish fry were stocked into Adirondack ponds in the previous year. At that time, round whitefish were found in 26 Adirondack ponds, the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain. Today, round whitefish are found in only 10 ponds and are gone from New York’s portion of the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain. For the past 10 years, DEC staff have caught Hatchery raised round whitefish fingerlings being released into the wilderness round whitefish in Lower Cascade Lake in Essex County during November to obtain eggs for rearing in the Oneida Hatchery. This May, 2,000 round whitefish fingerlings grown from those eggs were transported to their new homes. Darning Needle Pond and Ledge Pond each received 1,000 of these two-inch fish to establish a population. While these two ponds are not known to be historic round whitefish waters, they provide appropriate habitat and are free from predators. Three hundred round whitefish were also stocked into Little Green Pond in Franklin County, which is a brood stock water for round whitefish. DEC will know in a few years whether the population survived and reproduced.
BUREAU OF FISHERIES
2 | M o n t h l y H i g h l i g h t s
LISA HOLST
518‐402‐8887
May 2012
Common Tern Nesting Survey in Great Lakes Region To monitor abundance of New York State’s threatened common tern, DEC Wildlife staff and New York Power Authority (NYPA) contractor Riveredge Associates conduct annual peak common tern nesting counts in May. This year, multiple nests were counted on three breakwalls in the Buffalo Harbor, and three nests each were counted on water intakes and power cribs in the Niagara River. This year’s count revealed 2,422 breeding pairs of common terns in the Buffalo-Niagara region, a record high count for the already largest common tern colony in the Great Lakes region and an overall 4 percent increase from 2011. The tern population in the Buffalo Harbor alone increased by 11 percent from 2011, with the greatest growth in areas where NYPA contractors installed gravel substrate in 2010. The total Buffalo Harbor count was 2,103 breeding pairs.
A common tern nest on Donnelly’s Breakwall in Buffalo Harbor. There were more than 800 tern chicks present on the breakwalls at the time of the peak nesting count in May.
Even though the Buffalo-Niagara tern population saw an overall increase in total numbers of breeding pairs in 2012, the terns on the water intakes and power cribs in the Niagara River had a 27 percent decrease in numbers from 2011. At water intakes, terns suffer from extensive vegetation growth and depredation from great horned owls and extensive vegetation growth. On the power cribs, guano (feces) and debris from double-crested cormorant nests overhead smother tern nests below, and many suffer nesting failure. This year, Riveredge Associates reported extensive depredation of tern nests on Donnelly’s Breakwall at the end of May, owing to mink and possibly herring gulls. In 2011, the same factors caused total abandonment of terns on Donnelly’s, even within the gravel enclosure. Riveredge Associates has placed cameras and mink traps on the breakwalls; however, no mink have been caught.
BUREAU OF WILDLIFE
C. ADAMS/J. WALTERS
716‐851‐7010
Deep Pond Chain Pickerel and Contaminant Survey DEC’s Region 1 Fisheries staff on Long Island conducted a survey at Deep Pond owned by the Theodore Roosevelt Council of the Boy Scouts of America (TRCBSA). The survey was to assess impacts of a catch-andrelease only regulation on chain pickerel and to collect fish for contaminant analysis. In 2010, the TRCBSA imposed a catch-and-release only regulation for chain pickerel when anglers reported not catching any large pickerel. To evaluate the impact of this regulation, fisheries staff used several gear types, including a fyke net, gill nets and electrofishing to catch pickerel. The average size of the 37 pickerel caught was 25 inches, with none less than 14 inches. Staff caught other species, including 928 yellow perch, 813 golden shiner and 734 pumpkinseed sunfish. It appears that the TRCBSA pickerel regulation was effective in protecting large pickerel in the pond; however, the absence of small pickerel is disconcerting. It is hoped that continuation of the catch-and-release regulation for chain pickerel will enable the population to recover. DEC will change the current pickerel regulation for Deep Pond to continue the TRCBSA catch-and-release only regulation on October 1, 2012. Another portion of this survey was to collect fish for contaminant analysis through the Toxic Substance Monitoring Program (TSMP) and to monitor disease. Ten each of chain pickerel and yellow perch were collected and frozen for TSMP analysis. Thirty yellow perch and 60 pumpkinseed sunfish were shipped to the USFWS Lamar Fish Health Center in Pennsylvania for disease investigation. Results from TSMP analysis and disease investigation and further evaluation of the fish community are pending.
BUREAU OF FISHERIES
3 | M o n t h l y H i g h l i g h t s
HEIDI O’RIORDAN
631‐ 444‐0282
May 2012
Lake Erie Pilot Lake Sturgeon Assessment During May, DEC fisheries staff from the Lake Erie Unit and the Region 9 Office began a new initiative to gather initial baseline population information on a concentration of lake sturgeon located near the head of the Niagara River. Using gill nets and set lines, staff sampled adult lake sturgeon in this area during a twoweek pilot survey. In all, they caught 13 lake sturgeon and took various measurements and tissue samples from each individual. Staff then tagged and released the fish. This effort was conducted in support of a much broader effort to understand the dynamics of sturgeon populations throughout the Great Lakes. Data were gathered and will be forwarded to US Fish and Wildlife Service and US Geological Survey scientists to achieve a more comprehensive summary that will improve knowledge about the status of this threatened species in New York State.
DEC Fisheries staff pull in a lake sturgeon to take measurements, collect tissue samples and tag the fish prior to release.
BUREAU OF FISHERIES
DON EINHOUSE
716‐366‐0228
Hale Creek Field Station Hosts Environmental Field Day The Hale Creek Field Station in Gloversville has been hosting Environmental Field Day for the last 20 years. The event provides information on water quality and trout, stream ecology and benthic macroinvertebrates, water chemistry, PCBs, bioaccumulation, and fish and wildlife resources. It also offers hands-on activities and a nature hike. Approximately 100 fifth-graders from surrounding schools participated in the most recent Environmental Field Day. DEC works in unison with the Cornell Cooperative Extension's 4-H Youth Development Program on this event and hopes to continue holding it for many years to come.
BUREAU OF HABITAT
ROBERT BORDIERI
518‐773‐7318
Double-crested Cormorant Control in Buffalo Harbor Double-crested cormorants nest in several locations in the Buffalo Harbor and along the Niagara River. To keep the cormorant population from growing too large and taking over nesting habitat vital to more sensitive species such as herons and egrets, DEC Wildlife staff conduct egg oiling, nest destruction and culling operations throughout the month of May. This year, Wildlife staff oiled 404 nests (containing 942 eggs) in the Niagara River and Buffalo Harbor and completely removed 242 nests (containing 864 eggs) from the sandspit on the north end of Donnelly’s Breakwall in Buffalo Harbor. At Motor Island in the Niagara River, cormorants compete for nesting space with a large colony of great blue herons, great egrets and black-crowned night herons. Twelve adult cormorants were culled and their stomach contents analyzed. Culling operations on Motor Island continued into the month of June to ensure that cormorants would not take over this vital nesting habitat.
DEC staff oiling cormorant nests on Buckhorn Weir in the Niagara River
BUREAU OF WILDLIFE
4 | M o n t h l y H i g h l i g h t s
C. ADAMS/J. WALTERS
716‐851‐7010
May 2012
Reintroduction of Deepwater Ciscoes to Lake Ontario Until the mid-1950s, Lake Ontario was home to four species of deepwater ciscoes representing the main prey fish in Lake Ontario. All four species were extirpated and replaced by non-native alewife and rainbow smelt. The Great Lakes Fishery Commission’s Lake Ontario Committee is committed to re-establishing a self-sustaining population of deepwater ciscoes in Lake Ontario within 25 years. Potential benefits of restoring deepwater cisco include: • Increasing diversity and resilience of the food web • Improving reproduction of native lake trout by reducing thiamine (vitamin B) deficiency due to a diet based on alewife and rainbow smelt • Restoring historical food web structure and function For the second consecutive year, a collaborative effort between DEC, the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (OMNR), the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) successfully collected deepwater cisco eggs from Lake Michigan in January and February 2012. Fertilized eggs were transported to the USGS Tunison Laboratory of Aquatic Sciences and the OMNR’s White Lake Fish Culture Station (WLFCS) for experimental rearing that focused on determining the best diet for newly hatched fry, large-scale rearing techniques and development of captive brood stock. Results to date are very promising. More than 200 ciscoes from the February 2011 egg-take have been retained at WLFCS and will be experimentally reared to the adult stage to support development of a captive brood stock. In addition, improved egg-collection and rearing techniques in 2012 resulted in sufficient numbers of young ciscoes to establish a second generation of fish targeted for brood stock development and approximately 20,000 fish that could be stocked into Lake Ontario in fall 2012.
BUREAU OF FISHERIES
STEVE LAPAN
315‐654‐2147
Wild Fish Contribution to Lake Ontario Chinook Salmon Fishery From 2008 through 2011, DEC and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources marked 2.3 million hatchery-raised Chinook salmon with an adipose fin clip prior to stocking in Lake Ontario. This was done to determine the relative contributions of wild versus hatchery-stocked Chinooks to open lake and tributary fisheries. Knowing the relative contributions of wild versus hatchery salmon in the lake is very important for fisheries managers. It helps them understand how stocking decisions influence Chinook salmon population dynamics and the balance of predators and prey in Lake Ontario. Data collection from the 2008 year-class (fish spawned in 2007 and hatched in late 2007/early 2008) of Chinook salmon is complete. Samples taken of these fish for the open lake survey in 2010 and 2011 yielded 36.2% wild salmon at age-2 and 35.2% at age-3. The proportion of wild Chinook salmon observed varied, but was generally low in most New York tributaries, except the Salmon River. The 2008 year-class in the Salmon River yielded 57.5% wild salmon at age-2 and 28.5% at age-3. Results among tributaries were considerably different due to relatively high-quality spawning habitat in the Salmon River system, as compared to other tributaries, and the tendency for Chinook salmon to return to their tributary of origin. Spawning conditions in the Salmon River during fall 2007 were very poor, with low water levels and high water temperatures; yet, wild salmon contributed substantially to both open lake and Salmon River fisheries. Although wild fish are a substantial component of the lake and Salmon River fishery, results showed that very few wild fish enter the Salmon River Hatchery. Returns of tagged fish to the hatchery suggest a high degree of homing by salmon stocked at the Salmon River and a low degree of straying by fish stocked at other sites; therefore, stocking at Salmon River is vital for maintaining current egg-collection targets. Ongoing studies on the 2009 and 2010 year-classes, as well as comparison evaluations of different Chinook salmon-stocking strategies (e.g., pen rearing prior to release versus directly stocked from hatchery) will provide additional insight.
BUREAU OF FISHERIES
5 | M o n t h l y H i g h l i g h t s
MICHAEL CONNERTON
315‐654‐2147
May 2012
Protecting Aquatic Resources in Wolf Creek, Wyoming County Morton Salt, a salt-producing facility located along Wolf Creek in Wyoming County, recently completed an installation of a closed-cycle cooling system that meets Best Technology Available (BTA) requirements. Replacing an old, once-through cooling system, the new system will reduce water use by nearly 90 percent, withdrawing only 1.5 million gallons (MGD) of water from Wolf Creek. The new system also will prevent harmful thermal impacts to organisms when the water is discharged from the facility, as it will be recycled and pumped to well mines to cool down prior to release. Furthermore, impingement and entrainment of fish will be greatly reduced. The old cooling system had many adverse effects on aquatic organisms. They included impingement of juvenile and adult fish on screens (used to filter water before it enters the cooling system), entrainment of early life-stage fish within the cooling system and the effects of high water temperatures on organisms in the receiving water body. Since 2010, DEC has been working to establish BTA requirements in all power plants and other industrial facilities to decrease these negative impacts on aquatic life and habitat.
BUREAU OF HABITAT
COLLEEN KIMBLE
518‐ 402‐8873
Banding Hooded Mergansers, Wood Ducks and Owls Each spring, DEC Wildlife staff band wood duck and hooded merganser hens nesting in monitored nest boxes at Watts Flats Wildlife Management Area in Chautauqua County. This year, six new hooded merganser hens and two new wood duck hens were banded. Eight previously banded hooded mergansers were recaptured along with one wood duck. In addition to mergansers, one adult female eastern screech owl was found and banded, along with her two juveniles. It is not unheard of to find eastern screech owls nesting in wood duck boxes; however, it is unusual to find northern saw-whet owls. This year, one northern saw-whet female was found and banded, along with her four juveniles.
BUREAU OF WILDLIFE
C. ADAMS/J. WALTERS
DEC Biologist Ann Rothrock with banded northern sawwhet owl
716‐851‐7010
I FISH NY Programs Across New York State May is the start of the busy season for DEC’s I FISH NY program. Approximately, 2,500 people attended the 43 I FISH NY programs this month. The I FISH NY staff delivered the following programs across New York State this May: • •
•
23 In-Class Programs - These involve classroom lessons followed by a fishing trip. Programs are structured to help reinforce I FISH NY lessons the students learned. 14 Fishing Clinics - For these clinics, students receive up to one hour of instruction before going fishing. Instruction includes learning how to fish, understanding fishing regulations, learning fish identification, fish biology and aquatic ecology. Fishing clinics are also open to the public and are tailored for groups such as boy scouts and girl scouts. 6 Conservation Day Events - These events incorporate school groups that visit several educational stations for 15 to 20 minutes each to learn about conservation programs. Typically, the benefits of fisheries management is taught at these events.
BUREAU OF FISHERIES
GREG KOZLOWSKI
518‐402‐8896
6 | M o n t h l y H i g h l i g h t s
May 2012
Cayuga Watershed Sea Lamprey Nest Counts Annual monitoring of Cayuga Lake sea lamprey spawning activities was conducted a few weeks earlier than usual this year, as warmer spring temperatures caused sea lampreys to migrate and spawn earlier. Seventy-three nests were counted in six index streams that have accessible spawning habitat in the Cayuga Lake watershed. More than 4,000 adult sea lampreys were blocked at the Cayuga Inlet fishway, preventing them from spawning. No nests were observed upstream of the barrier. In comparison, the 2011 survey resulted in a count of 74 nests and only 802 lampreys blocked at the fishway. The water level of Cayuga Lake was high enough in 2011 that lampreys were able to migrate past the fishway barrier, and 34 nests were observed upstream. This fall, sea lamprey habitat will be surveyed to assess larval populations and the relative success of previous spawning events. This information, in conjunction with lamprey wound rates on sport fishes, will be used to determine whether to treat tributaries to remove larvae before they metamorphose into parasitic adult lampreys.
BUREAU OF FISHERIES
7 | M o n t h l y H i g h l i g h t s
EMILY ZOLLWEG‐HORAN
607‐753‐3095
May 2012
