Salmonid habitat quality in Lake Ontario tributaries

New York’s Lake Ontario tributaries are a valuable component of the lake ecosystem, but few possess outstanding salmonid habitat quality. We used a combination of field observations and model predictions to estimate salmonid abundance and then applied an IBI to assess the extent, distribution, and quality of salmonid habitat in Lake Ontario tributaries. Good salmonid habitat quality was identified in 7.9% of tributary habitat and only 0.6% was considered excellent habitat; barriers further limit the lake-accessible portion to <2% of good habitat. Eighty percent of accessible excellent habitat is found in three streams in the Eastern Basin. These rare streams are known to produce the majority of migratory salmonids for Lake Ontario and would be good candidates for habitat protection.  Access to other high quality streams may be achieved by enhanced fish passage capabilities.