NALMS 2022 Conference

K&A was honored to be a presenter at the NALMS (North American Lake Management Society) 2022 conference:

Integrating fisheries habitat assessments with lake vegetation surveys and analysis metrics

Fisheries habitat assessments were conducted on 14 Michigan lakes utilizing sonar analysis and sediment probes. These assessments were then compared against a standardized set of lake health analysis metrics developed for use with data collected from vegetation surveys on each lake. The fisheries habitat assessment analyzed sediment classification, shoreline condition, coarse woody debris quantity, and fish counts. Lakes were surveyed biannually using expanded AVAS methods, then analyzed utilizing measures including the floristic quality index, Shannon indices for biodiversity and morphological diversity, and other novel metrics. Habitat assessments for Eagle Lake (Fort Custer Recreational Area, Battle Creek, MI) showed improved fish habitat quality via the remediation of 45 acres of coarse woody debris habitat that was overrun with Eurasian Watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum). The other surveyed lakes were analyzed for correlations between fish counts, sediment type, coarse woody debris quantity, and macrophyte conditions such as invasive species presence and floristic quality index scores. These analyses provide for baseline fish quantity, habitat, and macrophyte conditions that can be used to assess the effectiveness of lake management strategies for each lake. This presentation will show how ecological monitoring in these lakes with standardized monitoring and metrics can be integrated with sonar-based fisheries habitat assessments as a cost-effective means of managing aquatic invasive species and assessing long-term lake management benefits.