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

Brianna.Kupsky@Wisconsin.gov

920-662-5465