Volunteers Sought for Electrofishing Survey

Area residents now have an opportunity to get a firsthand look at nature in and along the Milwaukee River. The Ozaukee County Planning and Parks Department is looking for volunteers to help with an electrofishing survey in Saukville.

"It’s something anybody can do, we just need a lot of people to help us," said Ryan McCone, program assistant with the Fish Passage Program.

The electrofishing survey is being done for the Fish Passage Program with the main goal of reconnecting fish with their native habitats throughout Ozaukee County.

"The big goal is to allow native fish species access to all the different habitats that they need," McCone said. "Most people think 'Well there’s water, that’s good enough,' but most fish have very different requisites to survive."

The program is funded by a $5.2 Million grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

McCone says a typical day for volunteers will start with participants meeting on location at the different sites along the Milwaukee River. Program assistants will then explain to volunteers the electrofishing process. Once fish are gathered, crews document the samples’ length and species type. Larger fish samples will have a tiny tag inserted onto one of their fins for further tracking.

"The volunteers are most helpful for collecting [the fish samples]," McCone said. "The processing is a lot on us, but if we get enough volunteers, we can keep them catching as we process. So it keeps everybody entertained."

One volunteer who was very entertained at previous electrofishing surveys was Grafton resident Jerry Kiesow.

"It was great because I learned about a lot of different species I didn’t know about in the river," said Kiesow, a man who describes himself as passionate about nature and fishing. He has been teaching fly fishing at the Riveredge Nature Center since 1996.

Kiesow described the electrofishing process, which was a first time experience for him. Volunteers are given rods that have metal loops at the end of them. When the rods are powered on, they create an electrical current that fish are attracted to. Fish swim parallel with the rods to bask in the electrical current, allowing crew members to scoop them up and write down the sample information needed.

Kiesow enjoyed volunteering for the survey because, in addition to experiencing something new, he said the program assistants were understanding that volunteers had other commitments and were thankful for the time they gave.

"You have to have chest waders," Kiesow said. "It depends on how much time you have. It could take three to four hours or longer. It depends on how much fish you’re catching."

Kiesow was most surprised at the number of fish they caught during the two days he volunteered and the size of some of them.

Crews are hoping to find pike, walleye and sturgeon in the river because those are the species they are focusing on reconnecting with their natural habitats.

Along with the Fish Passage Program, the Planning and Parks Department is also working on a water quality program funded by a $2 Million grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Water samples are being sent to a lab to look at bacteria and nutrient levels, along with the amount of PCBs.

McCone has been with the Fish Passage Program project from the very beginning, when a co-worker in 2006 noticed a culvert in the river that fish could not get up.

While changes in the fish ecosystem may not be seen today, McCone said it’s the long term goal he’s working towards.

"I have a 6-year-old daughter. I’d love for her to be my age and have her see sturgeon spawning every spring," McCone said. "I’d like for her to go out and go fishing. Catch pike and walleye, you know — where 100 years ago she could have, but now she can’t."

Anyone interested in volunteering for the electrofishing survey day at Ehlers Park in Saukville on Tuesday is encouraged to call Ryan McCone at 262-268-2046.

Volunteers need to have chest waders and are encouraged to pack a lunch, water, sunscreen and bug spray.