An experimental aquatic habitat reclamation project in a section of Lake Erie in Chautauqua County is finished. On Wednesday, the New York State DEC announced the completion of a high-velocity jetting method that was developed to clean and restore historical spawning habitat for lake trout on Brocton Shoal, a glacial deposition area located about 10 miles southwest of Dunkirk.
According to the DEC, Brocton Shoal contains hundreds of rock piles that were one of the main historical spawning grounds for lake trout in Lake Erie. Lake trout require clean rock containing crevices in which eggs can become lodged and protected from weather and predators. However, the habitat has been severely degraded following the introduction of zebra and quaqqa mussels (also known as dreissenids) into the system in the 1990s, rendering the habitat unsuitable for spawning. Dreissenids have plagued many of New York State’s waterways since their introduction, altering food webs, causing damage to infrastructure, and impacting fish health and spawning habitat…