In the winter of 2011, Ohio Sea Grant conducted a comprehensive survey of the charter fishing industry of Ohio's portion of Lake Erie. The survey is an effort to provide an update on the status, business characteristics, and economics of the charter fishing business in Ohio's portion of Lake Erie. The survey is modeled after a similar survey last conducted in 2006 and part of a larger database of information conducted since 1985. The data reported here are for the year 2010.

The objectives of this study focus upon economic impact of birdwatching as it relates to substantial economic expenditures; tourism patterns of birdwatching along Lake Erie; and strategic partnership among the communities and industries to promote the local economy and to market birdwatching. The findings show that birdwatching at six Ohio natural areas along Lake Erie generated $26,438,398 in 2011, created 283 jobs for those living and working in these coastal communities, generated $8.9 million in personal income, and contributed $1.9 million tax revenues directed to local and state coffers. Birders visiting Lake Erie provide significant revenue infusions to the regions year around.

Final report of the Lake Erie Millennium Network Synthesis Team 14 June 2011.

The Lake Erie watersnake occurs only on islands in western Lake Erie, giving it one of the most restricted distributions of any North American vertebrate taxon. Differences in color pattern between island populations of the Lake Erie watersnake and mainland populations of the northern watersnake (N. s. sipedon) provide a textbook example of the ways in which natural selection and gene flow influence population differentiation (King and Lawson 1997). However, its insular nature makes the Lake Erie watersnake vulnerable to population declines due to human activities and natural processes. Population declines during the mid- to late-1900's resulted in the Lake Erie watersnake being listed as endangered in Ontario in 1977, threatened in the U.S. in 1999, and endangered in Ohio in 2000. The research summarized here addresses two strategic actions of the Lake Erie Protection & Restoration Plan: B-2 Complete the inventory initiative of the Biological Diversity Strategic and Implementation Plan emphasizing identification of rare and endangered species and their habitat areas B-4 Maintain or restore viable populations of Lake Erie water snakes, institute specific management programs, identify and protect essential habitat refuge Specific objectives were to: 1. Locate and characterize hibernation sites used by adult Lake Erie water snakes. 2. Characterize seasonal activity patterns of Lake Erie water snakes, especially the timing of entry into and emergence from hibernation. 3. Characterize movement patterns and habitat characteristics of adult Lake Erie water snakes throughout the active season. 4. Generate updated estimates of adult population size for Lake Erie water snakes. Results pertaining to each of these four objectives are provided in the following sections.

A grant agreement was reached between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Northern Illinois University (Grant Agreement No. 301810G038) to undertake a radio-telemetry study of adult water snakes on the four largest Ohio islands in western Lake Erie. Dr. Richard B. King (Associate Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Illinois University) is principle investigator (PI) on this project. Doug Wynn (teacher, Westerville North High School, Westerville, Ohio) and Kristin Stanford (graduate student, Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Illinois University) are collaborators. The letter of authorization from Michael J. Budzik (Chief, Ohio Division of Wildlife) to the PI dated 8 May, 2000 stipulates that quarterly reports be provided to the Ohio Division of Wildlife in October, April, and July and that an annual report be provided in January of each year. This document represents the third annual report on this project. Additional information on this project can be found in previous reports (King, 2000; 2001a, 2001b, 2001c, 2002a, 2002b, 2002c). In the sections that follow, movement patterns during the summer active season and characteristics of hibernation sites are summarized. The results are in general agreement with those reported in King (2002a) but are based are larger sample sizes and should be used in preference to those provided in previous reports.