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2015 Lake Sturgeon Sampling Yields Encouraging Results

Record number of sturgeon collected and tagged in Lake Champlain tributaries

Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department reports that a total of 17 lake sturgeon were collected during sampling activities on several Lake Champlain tributaries. This is an encouraging sign for the endangered prehistoric species.

2015 lake sturgeon sampling yields encouraging results

Jon Kimball and Chet MacKenzie of VT Fish & Wildlife pose with a lake sturgeon captured and released in the Winooski River last May.
(Vermont Fish & Wildlife photo)

“We started sampling in mid-May, collecting 16 sturgeon in the Winooski River over a five day span, as well as one sturgeon in the Lamoille River in three days of work. Water levels and temperatures were excellent for collecting fish in the Winooski, but not ideal for effective sampling in the Lamoille.” ~ Chet MacKenzie, fisheries program manager, Vermont Fish & Wildlife. 

The sturgeon collected this year ranged from 48 to 55 inches in length and weighed between 20 and 40 pounds. The only sturgeon collected in the Lamoille River was identified as a fish that had been previously captured and tagged in 1999.

“By comparison, a total of 25 sturgeon were collected at spawning sites in the Winooski and Lamoille rivers during a 5-year span from 1998 to 2002. While it’s too early to know if the increase in the number of sturgeon collected this year indicates the population is beginning to rebound, it is good news that so many fish were collected in such a short time.” ~ Chet MacKenzie.

2015 Lake Sturgeon Sampling Results

 

2015 Lake Sturgeon Sampling Also Shows Drop in Lamprey Damage

MacKenzie noted another encouraging sign this year: sea lamprey wounding rates had dropped significantly from previous sampling observation rates. The number of fresh and healing wounds on sturgeon collected this year had dropped to 18 wounds per 100 fish; this was significantly lower than the 276 wounds per 100 fish seen on fish collected between 1998 and 2002.

The department began collecting lake sturgeon again this spring at various spawning sites in the Winooski and Lamoille rivers and tagged the fish with radio transmitters to monitor their seasonal movements. Sturgeon were last sampled in Lake Champlain in 2002.

“We’re hoping to be able to identify locations in the lake where sturgeon congregate so that future sampling can be done more effectively, allowing us to learn more about their movements in the lake and spawning tributaries,” according to MacKenzie.

Ten sturgeon from the Winooski were tagged, enabling fisheries biologists to track them for the next ten years. So far, all ten sturgeon have migrated out of that river and have been located in Lake Champlain. MacKenzie said future sturgeon sampling is also planned for the Missisquoi River and Otter Creek, as well as additional sampling in the Winooski and Lamoille rivers.

About Lake Champlain’s Lake Sturgeon

Lake sturgeon in Vermont are only found in Lake Champlain and the lower sections of the Winooski, Lamoille and Missisquoi rivers and Otter Creek. They are a unique, ancient species of fish that are fully protected by state law and must be immediately released if caught. Lake Champlain and its tributaries have the only lake sturgeon population in New England.

Lake sturgeon movements are monitored by boat with a portable receiver and a network of stationary receivers spread throughout the lake by researchers from the University of Vermont. Vermont Fish & Wildlife asks anglers to help population recovery efforts by reporting any sturgeon they catch by calling 802-878-1564, or by contacting their local game warden or district office. Information obtained about sturgeon catches can be valuable to the department’s sampling efforts and to monitoring the trend in sturgeon abundance over time.

 

2015 Lake Sturgeon Sampling

 

Anglers and the public are also asked to report illegal sturgeon harvest to law enforcement immediately by calling their local game warden, a state police dispatch center or Operation Game Thief at 1-800-752-5378.

To learn more about Vermont’s fisheries management programs and fishing in Vermont, visit www.vtfishandwildlife.com.

Learn More About Lake Champlain’s Sturgeon:

 

aff link islands

‘Lake Champlain Islands’
A Photo History of the Islands
On July 3, 1609, French explorer Samuel de Champlain and his group canoed south from Canada into an expansive lake and found four islands. These are the islands now known as the Lake Champlain Islands.
Located in the far northwest corner of the state, the islands are well known as a shoreline retreat for all of New England, with their small-town feel and picturesque farmlands. The Lake Champlain Islands are a tranquil, yet vibrant area of Vermont.
Click Here to Order This Book Now

 

In Good Taste: Lake Champlain Islands Agricultural Network

Lake Champlain Islands Agricultural Network

A network of local farms and food businesses in the Champlain Islands of Vermont. Grand Isle County. Partnerships, education, farm dinners, and more!

Sourced through Scoop.it from: www.islandsfarmsandfood.com

 

aff link islands

‘Lake Champlain Islands’
A Photo History of the Islands
On July 3, 1609, French explorer Samuel de Champlain and his group canoed south from Canada into an expansive lake and found four islands. These are the islands now known as the Lake Champlain Islands.
Located in the far northwest corner of the state, the islands are well known as a shoreline retreat for all of New England, with their small-town feel and picturesque farmlands. The Lake Champlain Islands are a tranquil, yet vibrant area of Vermont.
Click Here to Order This Book Now

 

See on Scoop.it – Canoeing & Kayaking

 

VT DEC: 150K Gallons of Sewage Discharged into East Creek

The Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced they were notified Friday of a release of untreated sewage into East Creek in the City of Rutland.

More than 100,000 gallons of raw sewage discharged into East Creek in Rutland this week through a broken sewer line, according to city officials.

A sewer pipe in broke during routine cleaning Monday and began leaking raw sewage into the creek, officials reported to state regulators Thursday. Employees didn’t find the leak until three days and 100,000 gallons of sewage later. When they rerouted the sewage to a different pipe, they discovered that pipe was broken too, leaking an additional 1,000 to 10,000 gallons into the creek.

 

Sourced through Scoop.it from: www.mychamplainvalley.com

See on Scoop.it – Lake Champlain Life

New guide kayaks through Lake Champlain’s rivers

guide kayaks through Lake Champlain's rivers

SHELBURNE – Two kayaks skitter like water bugs across the café-au-lait surface of the LaPlatte River toward a wall of trees.

“A Paddler’s Guide to the Champlain Valley: Exploring the Rivers, Creeks, Wetlands and Ponds,” published this month, is a sequel to the pair’s first book, “A Kayaker’s Guide to Lake Champlain.”

That volume chronicled the women’s journey in a series of day trips around the 650-mile shoreline of the lake. They enjoyed sweeping vistas, but sometimes battled strong winds and three-foot waves.

The chance to explore the contrasts between lake and stream — between distant views and intimate landscape, the scream of gulls and the twitter of marsh birds, high waves and flat water — helped inspire their new book.

Sourced through Scoop.it from: www.burlingtonfreepress.com

See on Scoop.it – Lake Champlain Life

John Guilmette Fishing Access Area now open for public use

John Guilmette Fishing Access Area now open 

The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department has completed the reconstruction of the John Guilmette Fishing Access Area on Lake Champlain in South Hero, Vermont and the facility is now open for public use.

The new boat ramp and dock at the John Guilmette Fishing Access Area, which is now open for public use.

The new boat ramp and dock at the John Guilmette Fishing Access Area, which is now open for public use.

 

The improved access area features new boat ramp and dock structures and a renovated parking area and several other upgrades. Other improvements include green infrastructure components such as a pervious grass parking surface, grass-lined drainage swales, rock drains, new landscaping, and “no-mow” sections along the entire project that meet the state’s new shoreline protection standards.

“The improvements completed will allow for safer and more organized access, boat launching and parking.”  ~ Mike Wichrowski, facility and lands administrator, Vermont Fish & Wildlife.

 

The facility is also fully compliant with Americans with Disabilities Act criteria.

“Given the amount of use the access area sees throughout the year by anglers, boaters and other recreationalists, it was paramount that we redeveloped the access area to meet their needs while also complying with ADA and Vermont environmental guidelines. We feel that the new facility is much more user-friendly and environmentally responsible, and will serve the public well for years to come.” ~ Mike Wichrowski

 

John Guilmette Fishing Access Area is now open for public use.

The reconstruction project began last fall (John Guilmette Fishing Access Area Closed for Improvements) and was funded by the Department’s access area program supported by anglers and boaters. The Access Area was acquired in 2012 to serve a large group of anglers and boaters, as well as duck hunters, by providing year-round access at a key location on northern Lake Champlain (New John Guilmette Fishing Access Area).

To learn view a complete list of all Vermont fishing access areas, including maps and additional information, visit fishing access search page.

Other Lake Champlain Fishing Articles: