GRAYLING — The Au Sable River is one of the nation’s top fishing destinations for cold water fish like trout, but local groups and the Department of Natural Resources say climate change and invasive species are hurting the river.
The DNR and Michigan State University are partnering up with local groups like the Mason-Griffith Chapter of Trout Unlimited to figure out the best ways to make the river more resilient to warming water and invasive species.
“The Au Sable River Resiliency Project is how do we as groups, who don’t always see eye-to-eye, how do we agree on where we can go into the future and what kind of actions can we take to mitigate climate change,” The DNR’s Fisheries Management Supervisor for the northeast and central lower peninsula, Tim Cwalinski explained.
Cwalinski said they want to find the management strategies all the groups can agree on before trying to get funding.
“When we go after those funding opportunities, we can come with a framework that here is what we all agreed on, here’s why we’re trying to go after funding,” Cwalinski said
The different management possibilities could include things like habitat restoration or removing sand, or it may involve something much larger like removing a dam. Regardless, the DNR said they need local groups to be onboard.
“A lot of these people have grown up on this river, they’ve lived here, they’ve seen it, they’ve witnessed it and they have some really good knowledge to bring forth,” admitted Steve Sendek, a member of Mason-Griffith Trout Unlimited.
Sendek said they’re already looking at installing habitat in places where groundwater inputs into the river in order to give fish refuge during warmer periods.
“The Au Sable River is one of the crown jewels of Michigan’s cold water resources and Mason-Griffith Chapter of Trout Unlimited along with many other conservation groups all want what’s best for the river,” Sendek said.
If all goes as planned and the project is successful, the DNR said they hope to expand the project to river systems across the state in an attempt to save cold water streams for generations to come.
