ORAL PRESENTATION TITLE: A spatial model for wetland plant migration and pike spawning habitat in Great Lakes coastal restoration ABSTRACT: In this presentation, I will introduce a rule-based spatial model that simulates how annual water level changes influence vegetation migration and transition in Great Lakes coastal wetlands, with an extension to fish spawning habitat suitability. Natural coastal wetlands on the Great Lakes are resilient to multi-year lake level fluctuations of one to two meters (three to six feet). However, human efforts to restore, manage, or create Great Lakes coastal wetlands can be challenged by large hydrologic changes that can flood or dry out intended vegetation communities, promote invasive species, and hinder the establishment of suitable habitat for native fish, birds, and other wildlife. To address these challenges, a grid-based spatial model was developed to predict how six distinct wetland vegetation communities respond to water level changes. The model incorporates bathymetry, current and historical water levels and vegetation patterns, and the ability of plant communities to spread or re-establish via seed banks and vegetative growth. The model was applied to the Burnham Canal in Milwaukee, Wisconsin—a dredged industrial waterway undergoing planning for coastal wetland re-establishment. Because northern pike (Esox lucius) spawning habitat is a key restoration goal for the Burnham Canal project, the model was extended to evaluate spawning suitability by assigning numeric scores to combinations of vegetation types and water depths. This approach provides a new tool for water resource and ecological managers, planners, and designers, by providing model-based spatial predictions of coastal wetland plant community dynamics and fish habitat suitability under variable hydrologic conditions. BIO: Aaron Volkening is a water resources engineer at Stantec specializing in wetland and stream restoration, flood management, stormwater quality, and watershed planning. He enjoys collaborating with diverse teams and stakeholders to contribute engineering and hydrology expertise to address environmental challenges. He lives in the Milwaukee area.