Supporting aquatic habitat remediation in the Detroit River through numerical simulation

Fischer, Jesse R.; Filip, Grzegorz; Alford, Laura K.; Roseman, Edward F.; Vaccaro, Lynn

doi:10.1016/j.geomorph.2019.107001

Cited by 11 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 62 publications

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“…Habitat rehabilitation projects have modelled microhabitat (e.g., Koljonen et al, 2013), scour potential (e.g., Elkins et al, 2007;Fischer et al, 2020), and bioenergetics (Wheaton et al, 2018) The lower side channel was originally designed to have a smoothly graded connection to the mainstem at the downstream outlet, with a connection occurring from the upstream end only at flood flows (i.e. >141.58 m 3 /s).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Automated analysis of lateral river connectivity and fish stranding risks. Part 2: Juvenile Chinook salmon stranding at a river rehabilitation site

Larrieu

Pasternack

2021

Ecohydrology

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The dynamics of fish stranding have not been academically investigated within the context of physical adjustments to rivers for habitat enhancement purposes. River projects may aim to help fish populations but instead may function as attractive nuisances reducing populations because of unaccounted‐for stranding risk. This study applies a novel algorithm to predict spatially explicit, meter‐resolution fish stranding risk at a river rehabilitation site in California to address three scientific questions. Postproject disconnected wetted area predictions were validated against water surface elevation measurements and time lapse photography of flow reductions and stranding events. A comparison of preproject, final design, and postproject topographies revealed that the occurrence and severity of stranding events is highly sensitive to side‐channel topographic structure and postproject morphodynamic change. Even with moderate flows, side‐channel exits tend to close off by bars built across them via bedload transport. Implications for river management practices and river rehabilitation project design are discussed.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Habitat rehabilitation projects have modelled microhabitat (e.g., Koljonen et al, 2013), scour potential (e.g., Elkins et al, 2007; Fischer et al, 2020), and bioenergetics (Wheaton et al, 2018) but thus far not fish stranding risk. Unfortunately, creating shallow landforms inevitably increases redd dewatering and fish stranding risks.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Automated analysis of lateral river connectivity and fish stranding risks. Part 2: Juvenile Chinook salmon stranding at a river rehabilitation site

Larrieu

Pasternack

2021

Ecohydrology

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“…Walleye and Lake Whitefish seem to have a preference for course rocky substrates over sand and silt spawning habitats, which could have potentially led these species to spawn in treatment plots with increased relative hardness after cleaning (Johnson 1961; Anras et al 1999; Raabe and Bozek 2012). Additionally, when newly available quality spawning habitat becomes available (e.g., construction of spawning reefs), both species have been documented spawning on these structures within one spawning year of their creation (Wagner, 1959; Katt et al 2011; Roseman et al 2011a, 2011b; Fischer et al 2018). It is then possible that the displacement of fine sediments from some of our treatment plots potentially attracted spawning Walleye and Lake Whitefish.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Lake Whitefish Coregonus clupeaformis are another species of lithophilic spawners that also have strong spawning site preference for high‐quality rocky substrates (Bryan and Kato 1975; Anras et al 1999). Additionally, when high‐quality spawning substrates have been added (e.g., artificial reefs) to areas with degraded rocky habitats, both Walleye and Lake Whitefish have been documented spawning on these structures within the first year of construction, suggesting a preference for the newly created habitat (Katt et al 2011; Roseman et al 2011b; Fischer et al 2018). Given the preference for high‐quality spawning habitat by some species of lithophilic spawners and the potential negative effects associated with rocky reef degradation, remediation and maintenance of spawning and nursery reef habitats may be necessary.…”

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confidence: 99%

Assessment of Two Techniques for Remediation of Lacustrine Rocky Reef Spawning Habitat

Gatch

Koenigbauer²,

Roseman

et al. 2021

N American J Fish Manag

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Rocky reef habitats in lacustrine systems constitute important areas for lithophilic-spawning fishes. Interstitial spaces created by the structure of rocky reefs form microenvironments where incubating embryos and juvenile fish are potentially protected from predators and physical displacement. However, if interstitial spaces are filled or blocked by sediment or biofouling, the reef structure may lose these benefits. Common practices to restore reef habitat include augmentation of existing reef structures or construction of new reefs, though these practices can be costly. We explored an alternative approach for reef remediation. In 2018, we developed two benthic sled cleaning devices that used either propulsion or pressurized water jets and were towed behind a small vessel to clean reefs. We used the devices to clean two impaired natural rocky reefs in Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron. We indexed effectiveness of cleaning by measured changes in substrate relative hardness before and after cleaning. A biological response to reef cleaning was also measured by egg deposition of fall (Lake Whitefish Coregonus clupeaformis) and spring (Walleye Sander vitreus) lithophilic spawners. We found that our propulsion cleaning device was more effective in increasing substrate relative hardness than was the water jet device, although this was not consistent among all study locations. We also found that egg deposition on study plots was variable, but in general, egg deposition was highest on study plots that had the greatest increases in relative hardness post-cleaning. The practicality of cleaning devices is likely related to the magnitude of site-specific degradation. Our results indicate that the use of these or similar devices can potentially increase the quality of spawning habitat by displacing sediments that have deposited on reef structures.

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“…The reef team expanded field surveys to make more substantial use of side-scan sonar, underwater video, SCUBA surveys, and water velocity mapping with acoustic Doppler current profilers to identify potential upstream sediment sources, mobile bedforms indicative of bedload transport, and areas where decreasing shear stresses could encourage sediment deposition (Vaccaro et al 2016;Fischer et al 2020a;Fischer et al 2020b). In addition, a two-dimensional flow model was developed for the system, to predict flow patterns and sediment transport potential at a 20 × 20 m resolution (Kinzel et al 2016).…”

Section: Identify Constraintsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A structured approach to remediation site assessment: lessons from 15 years of fish spawning habitat creation in the St. Clair‐Detroit River System

Fischer

Roseman

Mayer

et al. 2021

Restoration Ecology

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Ideally, restoration re-establishes natural processes in degraded habitats (e.g. flow and sediment regimes). However, in altered systems where process-based restoration is not feasible, habitat construction is another approach to mitigate degradation. Because habitat construction does not directly focus on restoring processes that build and maintain desired habitats, projects must be developed and placed within the contemporary regulatory, ecological, and hydrogeomorphic context of a system, to maximize effectiveness. Here, we develop a framework for evaluating the regulatory, ecological, and hydrogeomorphic components using 15 years of fish spawning habitat construction in the St. Clair-Detroit River System. The process began by identifying regulatory requirements at a coarse resolution to quickly focus on locations where ecological potential and hydrogeomorphic constraints could be assessed at finer resolutions. Next, ecological potential was assessed using a lithophilic fish spawning habitat suitability index. The suitability index identified five sites for habitat construction and lake sturgeon spawning was documented at each site following construction. However, qualitative monitoring showed fine sediments accumulated at older sites. Thus, geomorphic assessments were incorporated to identify sediment sources and model flow within targeted areas. Since geomorphic assessments required the finest resolution and had the most uncertainty, they were conducted after broad-scale regulatory considerations and ecological assessments narrowed focus to a few candidate sites. The order of operations identified in this case study evolved from the iterative approach of the restoration team, but in retrospect, it helped develop a framework that directed project development resources to aspects with more uncertainty, where learning is most critical.

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Supporting aquatic habitat remediation in the Detroit River through numerical simulation

Cited by 11 publications

References 62 publications

Automated analysis of lateral river connectivity and fish stranding risks. Part 2: Juvenile Chinook salmon stranding at a river rehabilitation site

Automated analysis of lateral river connectivity and fish stranding risks. Part 2: Juvenile Chinook salmon stranding at a river rehabilitation site

Assessment of Two Techniques for Remediation of Lacustrine Rocky Reef Spawning Habitat

A structured approach to remediation site assessment: lessons from 15 years of fish spawning habitat creation in the St. Clair‐Detroit River System

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