The Midwest Glacial Lakes Partnership (MGLP) is awarding over $245,000 through its Lake Conservation Grant to four projects across the Upper Midwest. Together, these projects will benefit glacial lakes, fish habitats, fish populations, and fisheries for anglers for years to come. Funds from the Lake Conservation Grant are provided by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and will be matched by over $400,000 in contributions from partners, for a total conservation impact of over $650,000.
- Assessing and conserving high-quality Michigan lakes for Cisco and Walleye; Barry Conservation District; $86,358 award
- Systems-level perspectives on fish habitat: Capacity building workshops with lake associations across the Midwest; Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies; $56,044 award
- Building capacity for MGLP conservation; Michigan State University; $40,000 award
- Working to meet NFHP Goals and Objectives through the MGLP; Michigan Department of Natural Resources; $62,743 award
The MGLP will announce the request for proposals for the next round of Lake Conservation Grants in late July. You can find more information on the Lakes Conservation Grant page of the MGLP website and receive notification through the MGLP Newsletter. Learn more about the projects that received funding this year below.
Assessing and conserving high-quality Michigan lakes for Cisco and Walleye; Barry Conservation District; $86,358 award
Habitat for cool- and cold-water fishes in glacial lakes is threatened by a changing climate and cultural eutrophication. Warming air temperatures and longer periods of stratification lead to warmer epilimnetic waters while increased nutrients from shoreline and watershed development, more common and severe rain events, and longer stratification periods lead to decreased oxygen in the hypolimnion. These factors combine to threaten cool- and cold-water fishes such as Walleye and
Cisco throughout Michigan and the MGLP region. This project will: 1) Assess habitat for cool- and cold-water fishes in at least three priority Michigan lakes using in-situ measurements; 2) Assess the sources and severity of nutrient and sediment runoff, develop a nutrient budget, and recommend specific best management practices that should be implemented to protect Green Lake; and 3) Establish two demonstration natural shoreline projects and conduct education and outreach campaigns to leverage committed and pending funding for implementing best management practices in the watersheds of Big Cedar Lake, Little Cedar Lake, Wall Lake, and other lakes in the Cedar Creek subwatershed.
Systems-level perspectives on fish habitat: Capacity building workshops with lake associations across the Midwest; Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies; $56,044 award
This project will build systems-level perspectives on lake fish habitat among lake association members in the upper Midwest. Lake associations are important agents of, and advocates for, habitat conservation in glacial lakes. While effective conservation of these habitats increasingly demands an appreciation for long term change, landscape connections, and other social-ecological systems concepts, these patterns of thinking are still relatively rare among lake association members. This will be series of interactive workshops to help lake association members learn key concepts about fish habitat and develop patterns of systems-level thinking. The workshops will focus on developing skills within and relationships between lake organizations, resulting in increased resiliency, ultimately leading to positive outcomes for lakes, such as high water quality and healthy, sustainable fish populations.
Building capacity for MGLP conservation; Michigan State University; $40,000 award
In order to implement the fish habitat assessment and conservation implementation goals of the partnership, the MGLP must address basic database management needs. This grant will support Michigan State University staff in their collaboration with the MGLP to generate a new database of fish survey data across all states in the MGLP. This database will help the MGLP to better assess fish habitat threats and conditions, thereby improving efficiency and efficacy of projects funded by the MGLP.
Working to meet NFHP Goals and Objectives through the MGLP; Michigan Department of Natural Resources; $62,743 award
The MGLP works to protect, rehabilitate, and enhance sustainable fish habitats in glacial lakes of the Midwest for the use and enjoyment of current and future generations. Partnership staffing is limited to the coordinator, and funding for that position is required to coordinate the MGLP’s three committees, implement tasks delegated by the committees to the coordinate, and maintain MGLP operations in support of the MGLP’s mission, goals, and objectives. This grant partially funds the MGLP part-time coordinator.