AUTHORS: Elizabeth Anderson, University of Toledo; Jonathan Bossenbroek, University of Toledo; Christine Mayer, University of Toledo; Jeremy Pritt, Ohio Division of Wildlife; Todd Crail, University of Toledo; Brian Schmidt, Ohio Division of Wildlife
ABSTRACT: The western basin of Lake Erie once supported a significant sauger (Sander canadensis) fishery. However, this native sport fish has been extirpated from the lake since the mid 1960s due to habitat fragmentation, poor water quality, and fishery exploitation. Improvements in Lake Erie water quality and fishery management in recent decades have been well documented, and the Ohio Division of Wildlife is now considering reintroducing sauger into the western basin. While current lake conditions may be able to support a population, the extent of habitat fragmentation and availability of suitable spawning habitat for sauger remain unknown and are important to determine before reintroduction is attempted. Therefore, the goal of this study is to assess the quality, quantity, and connectivity of sauger spawning habitat in the Maumee and Sandusky rivers, two of the historic spawning tributaries of the western Lake Erie population. The quality and quantity of spawning habitat will be assessed using habitat suitability indices (HSIs) for selected study reaches of each river. Suitable spawning habitat will be identified using sauger preferences for river substrate, velocity, and depth. The connectivity between areas of suitable spawning habitat will be assessed using the flow modeling software, HEC-RAS, to model river velocity and depth based on flow conditions, and identify potential barrier locations. The results of this study will inform managers on the capacity of the system to support sauger spawning and help them decide whether species reintroduction should be attempted in the western basin of Lake Erie.
