Hungry Horse Mitigation; Flathead Lake, 2003-2004 Annual Report.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hansen, Barry; Evarts, Les

2005-06-01

The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) and Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks (MFWP) wrote the ''Fisheries Mitigation Plan for Losses Attributable to the Construction and Operation of Hungry Horse Dam'' in March 1991 to define the fisheries losses, mitigation alternatives and recommendations to protect, mitigate and enhance resident fish and aquatic habitat affected by Hungry Horse Dam. On November 12, 1991, the Northwest Power Planning Council (NPPC) approved the mitigation plan with minor modifications, called for a detailed implementation plan, and amended measures 903(h)(1) through (7). A long-term mitigation plan was submitted in August 1992, was approved by themore » Council in 1993, and the first contract for this project was signed on November 11, 1993. The problem this project addresses is the loss of habitat, both in quality and quantity, in the Flathead Lake and River basin resulting from the construction and operation of Hungry Horse Dam. The purpose of the project is to both implement mitigation measures and monitor the biological responses to those measures including those implemented by Project Numbers 9101903 and 9101904. Goals and objectives of the 1994 Fish and Wildlife Program (Section 10.1) addressed by this project are the rebuilding to sustainable levels weak, but recoverable, native populations injured by the hydropower system. The project mitigates the blockage of spawning runs by Hungry Horse Dam by restoring and even creating spawning habitats within direct drainages to Flathead Lake. The project also addresses the altered habitat within Flathead Lake resulting from species shifts and consequent dominance of new species that restricts the potential success of mitigation measures. Specific goals of this project are to create and restore habitat and quantitatively monitor changes in fish populations to verify the efficacy of our mitigation measures. The project consists of three components: monitoring, restoration and research. Monitoring, for example, includes a spring gillnetting series conducted annually in Flathead Lake and builds on an existing data set initiated in 1981. Monitoring of the experimental kokanee reintroduction was a primary activity of this project between 1992 and 1997. Lake trout, whose high densities have precluded successful mitigation of losses of other species in Flathead Lake, have been monitored since 1996 to measure several biological parameters. Results of this work have utility in determining the population status of this key predator in Flathead Lake. The project has also defined the baseline condition of the Flathead Lake fishery in 1992-1993 and has conducted annual lakewide surveys since 1998. The restoration component of the project has addressed several stream channel, riparian, and fish passage problems, and suppression of non-native fish. The research component of the project began in FY 2000 and measured trophic linkages between M. relicta and other species to assist in predicting the results of our efforts to suppress lake trout. Only Objective 1 in the workplan is funded entirely by Hungry Horse Mitigation funds. Additional funds are drawn from other sources to assist in completion of Objectives 2-8.« less

Hungry Horse Mitigation : Flathead Lake : Annual Progress Report 2007.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hansen, Barry; Evarts, Les

2008-12-22

The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) and Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks (MFWP) wrote the 'Fisheries Mitigation Plan for Losses Attributable to the Construction and Operation of Hungry Horse Dam' in March 1991 to define the fisheries losses, mitigation alternatives and recommendations to protect, mitigate and enhance resident fish and aquatic habitat affected by Hungry Horse Dam. On November 12, 1991, the Northwest Power Planning Council (NPPC) approved the mitigation plan with minor modifications, called for a detailed implementation plan, and amended measures 903(h)(1) through (7). A long-term mitigation plan was submitted in August 1992, was approved by themore » Council in 1993, and the first contract for this project was signed on November 11, 1993. The problem this project addresses is the loss of habitat, both in quality and quantity, in the Flathead Lake and River basin resulting from the construction and operation of Hungry Horse Dam. The purpose of the project is to both implement mitigation measures and monitor the biological responses to those measures including those implemented by Project Numbers 9101903 and 9101904. Goals and objectives of the 1994 Fish and Wildlife Program (Section 10.1) addressed by this project are the rebuilding to sustainable levels weak, but recoverable, native populations injured by the hydropower system. The project mitigates the blockage of spawning runs by Hungry Horse Dam by restoring and even creating spawning habitats within direct drainages to Flathead Lake. The project also addresses the altered habitat within Flathead Lake resulting from species shifts and consequent dominance of new species that restricts the potential success of mitigation measures. Specific goals of this project are to create and restore habitat and quantitatively monitor changes in fish populations to verify the efficacy of our mitigation measures. The project consists of three components: monitoring, restoration and research. Monitoring, for example, includes a spring gillnetting series conducted annually in Flathead Lake and builds on an existing data set initiated in 1981. Monitoring of the experimental kokanee reintroduction was a primary activity of this project between 1992 and 1997. Lake trout, whose high densities have precluded successful mitigation of losses of other species in Flathead Lake, have been monitored since 1996 to measure several biological parameters. Results of this work have utility in determining the population status of this key predator in Flathead Lake. The project has also defined the baseline condition of the Flathead Lake fishery in 1992-1993 and has conducted annual lakewide surveys since 1998. The restoration component of the project has addressed several stream channel, riparian, and fish passage problems, and suppression of non-native fish. The research component of the project began in FY 2000 and measured trophic linkages between M. relicta and other species to assist in predicting the results of our efforts to suppress lake trout. Only Work Element A in the Statement of Work is funded entirely by Hungry Horse Mitigation funds. Additional funds are drawn from other sources to assist in completion of all remaining Work Elements.« less

Hungry Horse Mitigation; Flathead Lake, 2004-2005 Annual Report.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hansen, Barry; Evarts, Les

2006-06-01

The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) and Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks (MFWP) wrote the ''Fisheries Mitigation Plan for Losses Attributable to the Construction and Operation of Hungry Horse Dam'' in March 1991 to define the fisheries losses, mitigation alternatives and recommendations to protect, mitigate and enhance resident fish and aquatic habitat affected by Hungry Horse Dam. On November 12, 1991, the Northwest Power Planning Council (NPPC) approved the mitigation plan with minor modifications, called for a detailed implementation plan, and amended measures 903(h)(1) through (7). A long-term mitigation plan was submitted in August 1992, was approved by themore » Council in 1993, and the first contract for this project was signed on November 11, 1993. The problem this project addresses is the loss of habitat, both in quality and quantity, in the Flathead Lake and River basin resulting from the construction and operation of Hungry Horse Dam. The purpose of the project is to both implement mitigation measures and monitor the biological responses to those measures including those implemented by Project Numbers 9101903 and 9101904. Goals and objectives of the 1994 Fish and Wildlife Program (Section 10.1) addressed by this project are the rebuilding to sustainable levels weak, but recoverable, native populations injured by the hydropower system. The project mitigates the blockage of spawning runs by Hungry Horse Dam by restoring and even creating spawning habitats within direct drainages to Flathead Lake. The project also addresses the altered habitat within Flathead Lake resulting from species shifts and consequent dominance of new species that restricts the potential success of mitigation measures. Specific goals of this project are to create and restore habitat and quantitatively monitor changes in fish populations to verify the efficacy of our mitigation measures. The project consists of three components: monitoring, restoration and research. Monitoring, for example, includes a spring gillnetting series conducted annually in Flathead Lake and builds on an existing data set initiated in 1981. Monitoring of the experimental kokanee reintroduction was a primary activity of this project between 1992 and 1997. Lake trout, whose high densities have precluded successful mitigation of losses of other species in Flathead Lake, have been monitored since 1996 to measure several biological parameters. Results of this work have utility in determining the population status of this key predator in Flathead Lake. The project has also defined the baseline condition of the Flathead Lake fishery in 1992-1993 and has conducted annual lakewide surveys since 1998. The restoration component of the project has addressed several stream channel, riparian, and fish passage problems, and suppression of non-native fish. The research component of the project began in FY 2000 and measured trophic linkages between M. relicta and other species to assist in predicting the results of our efforts to suppress lake trout. Only Work Element A in the Statement of Work is funded entirely by Hungry Horse Mitigation funds. Additional funds are drawn from other sources to assist in completion of all remaining Work Elements.« less

Hungry Horse Mitigation : Flathead Lake : Annual Progress Report 2008.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hansen, Barry; Evarts, Les

2009-08-06

The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) and Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks (MFWP) wrote the 'Fisheries Mitigation Plan for Losses Attributable to the Construction and Operation of Hungry Horse Dam' in March 1991 to define the fisheries losses, mitigation alternatives and recommendations to protect, mitigate and enhance resident fish and aquatic habitat affected by Hungry Horse Dam. On November 12, 1991, the Northwest Power Planning Council (NPPC) approved the mitigation plan with minor modifications, called for a detailed implementation plan, and amended measures 903(h)(1) through (7). A long-term mitigation plan was submitted in August 1992, was approved by themore » Council in 1993, and the first contract for this project was signed on November 11, 1993. The problem this project addresses is the loss of habitat, both in quality and quantity, in the Flathead Lake and River basin resulting from the construction and operation of Hungry Horse Dam. The purpose of the project is to both implement mitigation measures and monitor the biological responses to those measures including those implemented by Project Numbers 9101903 and 9101904. Goals and objectives of the 1994 Fish and Wildlife Program (Section 10.1) addressed by this project are the rebuilding to sustainable levels weak, but recoverable, native populations injured by the hydropower system. The project mitigates the blockage of spawning runs by Hungry Horse Dam by restoring and even creating spawning habitats within direct drainages to Flathead Lake. The project also addresses the altered habitat within Flathead Lake resulting from species shifts and consequent dominance of new species that restricts the potential success of mitigation measures. Specific goals of this project are to create and restore habitat and quantitatively monitor changes in fish populations to verify the efficacy of our mitigation measures. The project consists of three components: monitoring, restoration and research. Monitoring, for example, includes a spring gillnetting series conducted annually in Flathead Lake and builds on an existing data set initiated in 1981. Monitoring of the experimental kokanee reintroduction was a primary activity of this project between 1992 and 1997. Lake trout, whose high densities have precluded successful mitigation of losses of other species in Flathead Lake, have been monitored since 1996 to measure several biological parameters. Results of this work have utility in determining the population status of this key predator in Flathead Lake. The project has also defined the baseline condition of the Flathead Lake fishery in 1992-1993 and has conducted annual lakewide surveys since 1998. The restoration component of the project has addressed several stream channel, riparian, and fish passage problems, and suppression of non-native fish. The research component of the project began in FY 2000 and measured trophic linkages between M. relicta and other species to assist in predicting the results of our efforts to suppress lake trout. Only Work Element A in the Statement of Work is funded entirely by Hungry Horse Mitigation funds. Additional funds are drawn from other sources to assist in completion of all remaining Work Elements.« less

Secure & Restore Critical Fisheries Habitat, Flathead Subbasin, FY2008 Annual Report.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

DuCharme, Lynn; Tohtz, Joel

The construction of Hungry Horse Dam inundated 125 km of adfluvial trout habitat in the South Fork of the Flathead River and its tributaries, impacting natural fish reproduction and rearing. Rapid residential and commercial growth in the Flathead Watershed now threaten the best remaining habitats and restrict our opportunities to offset natural resource losses. Hydropower development and other land disturbances caused severe declines in the range and abundance of our focal resident fish species, bull trout and westslope cutthroat trout. Bull trout were listed as threatened in 1998 under the Endangered Species Act and westslope cutthroat were petitioned for listingmore » under ESA. Westslope cutthroat are a species of special concern in Montana and a species of special consideration by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. The Secure & Protect Fisheries Habitat project follows the logical progression towards habitat restoration outlined in the Hungry Horse Dam Fisheries Mitigation Implementation Plan approved by the NWPPC in 1993. This project is also consistent with the 2000 Fish and Wildlife Program and the Flathead River Subbasin Plan that identifies the protection of habitats for these populations as one of the most critical needs in the subbasin and directs actions to offset habitat losses. The Flathead basin is one of the fastest growing human population centers in Montana. Riparian habitats are being rapidly developed and subdivided, causing habitat degradation and altering ecosystem functions. Remaining critical habitats in the Flathead Watershed need to be purchased or protected with conservation easements if westslope cutthroat and bull trout are to persist and expand within the subbasin. In addition, habitats degraded by past land uses need to be restored to maximize the value of remaining habitats and offset losses caused by the construction of Hungry Horse Dam. Securing and restoring remaining riparian habitat will benefit fish by shading and moderating water temperatures, stabilizing banks and protecting the integrity of channel dimension, improving woody debris recruitment for in-channel habitat features, producing terrestrial insects and leaf litter for recruitment to the stream, and helping to accommodate and attenuate flood flows. The purpose of this project is to work with willing landowners to protect the best remaining habitats in the Flathead subbasin as identified in the Flathead River Subbasin Plan. The target areas for land protection activities follow the priorities established in the Flathead subbasin plan and include: (1) Class 1 waters as identified in the Flathead River Subbasin Plan; (2) Class 2 watersheds as identified in the Flathead River Subbasin Plan; and (3) 'Offsite mitigation' defined as those Class 1 and Class 2 watersheds that lack connectivity to the mainstem Flathead River or Flathead Lake. This program focuses on conserving the highest quality or most important riparian or fisheries habitat areas consistent with program criteria. The success of our efforts is subject to a property's actual availability and individual landowner negotiations. The program is guided using biological and project-based criteria that reflect not only the priority needs established in the Flathead subbasin plan, but also such factors as cost, credits, threats, and partners. The implementation of this project requires both an expense and a capital budget to allow work to be completed. This report addresses accomplishments under both budgets during FY08 as the two budgets are interrelated. The expense budget provided pre-acquisition funding to conduct activities such as surveys, appraisals, staff support, etc. The capital budget was used to purchase the interest in each parcel including closing costs. Both the pre-acquisition contract funds and the capital funds used to purchase fee title or conservation easements were spent in accordance with the terms negotiated within the FY08 through FY09 MOA between the Tribes, State, and BPA. In FY08, the focus of this project was to pursue all possible properties targeted by the Tribes and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Although we were not be able to acquire an interest in all properties targeted this fiscal year due to limited time, BPA staff constraints, and negotiation constraints, we expended approximately $4.2M providing BPA with 4.2 km of credit. The Siderius and Gardner parcels were protected with conservation easements. The Siderius conservation easement is held by the Flathead Land Trust and the Gardner conservation easement is held by the Tribes. Fee title was acquired for three parcels with the Tribes holding title to the Cole and Firestone parcels and MFWP holding title to the parcels acquired from Plum Creek Timber Company. All stream kilometers credited to BPA offset construction and inundation impacts (not operations related impacts) associated with Hungry Horse Dam as defined in the 1991 Hungry Horse Loss Assessment.« less

Isolation and identification of mosquito (Aedes aegypti) biting- deterrent compounds from the native American ethnobotanical remedy plant Hierochloë odorata (Sweetgrass)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Hierochloë odorata (L.) P. Beauv. (Poaceae), commonly known as sweetgrass, has documented use as an insect repellent by the Flatheads of Montana and Blackfoot of Alberta. Both the Flatheads of Montana and Blackfoot of Alberta would use braided plant material in a sac...

Impacts of Water Levels on Breeding Canada Geese and the Methodology for Mitigation and Enhancement in the Flathead Drainage, 1984 Annual Report.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mackey, Dennis L.

1985-01-01

The lower Flathead System Canada Goose Study was initiated to determine population trends and the effects of water level fluctuations on nest and brood habitat on the southern half of Flathead Lake and the lower Flathead River as a result of the operations of Kerr Dam. This report presents data collected during the 1984 field season as part of an ongoing project. Geese used Pablo, Kicking Horse, Ninepipe Reservoirs heavily during late summer and fall. Use of the river by geese was high during the winter, when the reservoirs were frozen, and during the breeding period. Most breeding geese leftmore » the river after broods fledged. Thirteen percent of the artificial tree nest structures on the river were used by nesting geese. Goose nest initiation on the river peaked the last week in March through the first week in April, and hatching peaked the first week in May. Predation was the most significant cause of nest loss on the river, and nest loss by flooding was not observed. Avian predation was the single largest factor contributing to nest loss on the lake. Habitat use was studied in 4 brood areas on the river and 8 brood areas on the lake, and available habitat was assessed for 2 portions of both the lake and the river. Brood habitat use was significantly different from the available habitat in all areas studied. On the lower river, broods used wheat fields, gravel bars, and shrub habitats. On the upper river, coniferous forest and shrub habitats were preferred. On the West Bay of the lake, brood areas consisted primarily of lawns and tall herbaceous habitat, while on the South Bay, marshes dominated the brood areas studied. Water levels on the river and lake affect both accessibility of these areas to brooding geese, and the ecology of the habitats preferred by geese. 43 refs., 24 figs., 31 tabs.« less

Earth observations taken by the Expedition Seven crew

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-08-02

ISS007-E-11612 (2 August 2003) --- This digital still camera's view of Glacier National Park in Montana, was captured by one of the crew members aboard the International Space Station orbiting earth at 215 nautical miles. The area pictured is north of Flathead Lake on the southern flank of the Apgar Mountains, just across the Flathead River.

Tuning stochastic matrix models with hydrologic data to predict the population dynamics of a riverine fish.

PubMed

Sakaris, Peter C; Irwin, Elise R

2010-03-01

We developed stochastic matrix models to evaluate the effects of hydrologic alteration and variable mortality on the population dynamics of a lotic fish in a regulated river system. Models were applied to a representative lotic fish species, the flathead catfish (Pylodictis olivaris), for which two populations were examined: a native population from a regulated reach of the Coosa River (Alabama, USA) and an introduced population from an unregulated section of the Ocmulgee River (Georgia, USA). Size-classified matrix models were constructed for both populations, and residuals from catch-curve regressions were used as indices of year class strength (i.e., recruitment). A multiple regression model indicated that recruitment of flathead catfish in the Coosa River was positively related to the frequency of spring pulses between 283 and 566 m3/s. For the Ocmulgee River population, multiple regression models indicated that year class strength was negatively related to mean March discharge and positively related to June low flow. When the Coosa population was modeled to experience five consecutive years of favorable hydrologic conditions during a 50-year projection period, it exhibited a substantial spike in size and increased at an overall 0.2% annual rate. When modeled to experience five years of unfavorable hydrologic conditions, the Coosa population initially exhibited a decrease in size but later stabilized and increased at a 0.4% annual rate following the decline. When the Ocmulgee River population was modeled to experience five years of favorable conditions, it exhibited a substantial spike in size and increased at an overall 0.4% annual rate. After the Ocmulgee population experienced five years of unfavorable conditions, a sharp decline in population size was predicted. However, the population quickly recovered, with population size increasing at a 0.3% annual rate following the decline. In general, stochastic population growth in the Ocmulgee River was more erratic and variable than population growth in the Coosa River. We encourage ecologists to develop similar models for other lotic species, particularly in regulated river systems. Successful management of fish populations in regulated systems requires that we are able to predict how hydrology affects recruitment and will ultimately influence the population dynamics of fishes.

Winter diel habitat use and movement by subadult bull trout in the upper Flathead River, Montana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Muhlfeld, Clint C.; Glutting, Steve; Hunt, Rick; Daniels, Durae; Marotz, Brian

2003-01-01

We evaluated the diel habitat use and movement of subadult bull trout Salvelinus confluentus by use of radiotelemetry during winter in the upper Flathead River, Montana. Of the 13 monitored bull trout, 12 (92%) made at least one diel movement to other habitat locations during their respective day–night tracking surveys and moved an average of 73% of the time. The median distance moved from day to night locations by the mobile fish was 86 m (range, 27–594 m). Diel shifts in habitat use by nine of the tagged fish were related to light intensity; nocturnal emergence generally commenced immediately after the onset of night, and daytime concealment occurred at daybreak. When diel shifts in microhabitat use occurred, subadult bull trout moved from deep, midchannel areas during the day to shallow, low-velocity areas along the channel margins without overhead cover at night. Resource managers who wish to protect the overwintering habitat features preferred by subadult bull trout in the upper Flathead River should use natural flow management strategies that maximize and stabilize channel margin habitats at night.

Feeding ecology and energetic relationships with habitat of blue catfish, Ictalurus furcatus, and flathead catfish, Pylodictis olivaris, in the lower Mississippi River, U.S.A.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Eggleton, M.A.; Schramm, H.L.

2004-01-01

We examined feeding of blue catfish, Ictalurus furcatus, and flathead catfish, Pylodictis olivaris, collected from floodplain lake, secondary (side) river channel, and main river channel habitats in the lower Mississippi River (LMR), U.S.A. We described the feeding ecology of two large river catfish species within the context of whether off-channel habitats in the LMR (i.e., floodplain lakes and secondary channels) potentially provided energetic benefits to these fishes as purported in contemporary theory on the ecology of large rivers. We used diet composition and associated caloric densities of prey consumed as indicators of energetic benefit to catfishes. Differences in diet among habitats were strong for blue catfish, but weak for flathead catfish; consumed foods generally differed among habitats in caloric (energy) content. Caloric densities of consumed foods were generally greatest in floodplain lakes, least in the main river channel, and intermediate in secondary river channels. Strong between-year variation in diet was observed, but only for blue catfish. Blue catfish fed disproportionately on lower-energy zebra mussels in the main river channel during 1997, and higher-energy chironomids and oligochaetes in floodplain lakes during 1998. Results suggested that although off-channel habitats potentially provided greater energetic return to catfishes in terms of foods consumed, patterns of feeding and subsequent energy intake may vary annually. Energetic benefits associated with off-channel habitats as purported under contemporary theory (e.g., the 'flood-pulse concept') may not be accrued by catfishes every year in the LMR.

Seasonal movement and habitat use by sub-adult bull trout in the upper Flathead River system, Montana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Muhlfeld, Clint C.; Marotz, Brian

2005-01-01

Despite the importance of large-scale habitat connectivity to the threatened bull trout Salvelinus confluentus, little is known about the life history characteristics and processes influencing natural dispersal of migratory populations. We used radiotelemetry to investigate the seasonal movements and habitat use by subadult bull trout (i.e., fish that emigrated from natal streams to the river system) tracked for varying durations from 1999 to 2002 in the upper Flathead River system in northwestern Montana. Telemetry data revealed migratory (N = 32 fish) and nonmigratory (N = 35 fish) behavior, indicating variable movement patterns in the subadult phase of bull trout life history. Most migrating subadults (84%) made rapid or incremental downriver movements (mean distance, 33 km; range, 6–129 km) to lower portions of the river system and to Flathead Lake during high spring flows and as temperatures declined in the fall and winter. Bull trout subadults used complex daytime habitat throughout the upper river system, including deep runs that contained unembedded boulder and cobble substrates, pools with large woody debris, and deep lake-influenced areas of the lower river system. Our results elucidate the importance of maintaining natural connections and a diversity of complex habitats over a large spatial scale to conserve the full expression of life history traits and processes influencing the natural dispersal of bull trout populations. Managers should seek to restore and enhance critical river corridor habitat and remove migration barriers, where possible, for recovery and management programs.

Lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) suppression for bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) recovery in Flathead Lake, Montana, North America

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hansen, Michael J.; Hansen, Barry S; Beauchamp, David A.

2016-01-01

Non-native lake trout Salvelinus namaycush displaced native bull trout Salvelinus confluentus in Flathead Lake, Montana, USA, after 1984, when Mysis diluviana became abundant following its introduction in upstream lakes in 1968–1976. We developed a simulation model to determine the fishing mortality rate on lake trout that would enable bull trout recovery. Model simulations indicated that suppression of adult lake trout by 75% from current abundance would reduce predation on bull trout by 90%. Current removals of lake trout through incentivized fishing contests has not been sufficient to suppress lake trout abundance estimated by mark-recapture or indexed by stratified-random gill netting. In contrast, size structure, body condition, mortality, and maturity are changing consistent with a density-dependent reduction in lake trout abundance. Population modeling indicated total fishing effort would need to increase 3-fold to reduce adult lake trout population density by 75%. We conclude that increased fishing effort would suppress lake trout population density and predation on juvenile bull trout, and thereby enable higher abundance of adult bull trout in Flathead Lake and its tributaries.

Hungry Horse Mitigation; Flathead Lake, 2001-2002 Annual Report.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hansen, Barry

2003-06-09

The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) and Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks (MFWP) wrote ''Fisheries Mitigation Plan for Losses Attributable to the Construction and Operation of Hungry Horse Dam'' in March 1991 to define the fisheries losses, mitigation alternatives and recommendations to protect, mitigate and enhance resident fish and aquatic habitat affected by Hungry Horse Dam. On November 12, 1991, the Northwest Power Planning Council (NPPC) approved the mitigation plan with minor modifications, called for a detailed implementation plan, and amended measures 903(h)(1) through (7). A long-term mitigation plan was submitted in August 1992, was approved by the Councilmore » in 1993, and the first contract for this project was signed on November 11, 1993. The problem this project addresses is the loss of habitat, both in quality and quantity, in the interconnected Flathead Lake and River basin resulting from the construction and operation of Hungry Horse Dam. The purpose of the project is to both implement mitigation measures and monitor the biological responses to those measures including those implemented by Project Numbers 9101903 and 9101904. Goals and objectives of the 1994 Fish and Wildlife Program (Section 10.1) addressed by this project are the rebuilding to sustainable levels weak, but recoverable, native populations injured by the hydropower system. The project mitigates the blockage of spawning runs by Hungry Horse Dam by restoring and even creating spawning habitats within direct drainages to Flathead Lake. The project also addresses the altered habitat within Flathead Lake resulting from species shifts and consequent dominance of new species that restricts the potential success of mitigation measures. Specific goals of this project are to create and restore habitat and quantitatively monitor changes in fish populations to verify the efficacy of our mitigation measures. The project consists of three components: monitoring, restoration and research. Monitoring, for example, includes a spring gillnetting series conducted annually in Flathead Lake and builds on an existing data set initiated in 1981. Monitoring of the experimental kokanee reintroduction was a primary activity of this project between 1992 and 1997. Lake trout, whose high densities have precluded successful mitigation of losses of other species in Flathead Lake, have been monitored since 1996 to measure several biological parameters. Results of this work have utility in determining the population status of this key predator in Flathead Lake. The project has also defined the baseline condition of the Flathead Lake fishery in 1992-1993 and has conducted annual lakewide surveys since 1998. The restoration component of the project has addressed several stream channel, riparian, and fish passage problems. The research component of the project began in FY 2000 and measured trophic linkages between M. relicta and other species to assist in predicting the results of potential mitigation strategies. Only Objective 1 in the workplan is funded entirely by Hungry Horse Mitigation funds. Additional funds are drawn from other sources to assist in completion of Objectives 2-6.« less

Invasive hybridization in a threatened species is accelerated by climate change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muhlfeld, Clint C.; Kovach, Ryan P.; Jones, Leslie A.; Al-Chokhachy, Robert; Boyer, Matthew C.; Leary, Robb F.; Lowe, Winsor H.; Luikart, Gordon; Allendorf, Fred W.

2014-07-01

Climate change will decrease worldwide biodiversity through a number of potential pathways, including invasive hybridization (cross-breeding between invasive and native species). How climate warming influences the spread of hybridization and loss of native genomes poses difficult ecological and evolutionary questions with little empirical information to guide conservation management decisions. Here we combine long-term genetic monitoring data with high-resolution climate and stream temperature predictions to evaluate how recent climate warming has influenced the spatio-temporal spread of human-mediated hybridization between threatened native westslope cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi) and non-native rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), the world's most widely introduced invasive fish. Despite widespread release of millions of rainbow trout over the past century within the Flathead River system, a large relatively pristine watershed in western North America, historical samples revealed that hybridization was prevalent only in one (source) population. During a subsequent 30-year period of accelerated warming, hybridization spread rapidly and was strongly linked to interactions between climatic drivers--precipitation and temperature--and distance to the source population. Specifically, decreases in spring precipitation and increases in summer stream temperature probably promoted upstream expansion of hybridization throughout the system. This study shows that rapid climate warming can exacerbate interactions between native and non-native species through invasive hybridization, which could spell genomic extinction for many species.

Watershed scale response to climate change--South Fork Flathead River Basin, Montana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chase, Katherine J.; Hay, Lauren E.; Markstrom, Steven L.

2012-01-01

Fourteen basins for which the Precipitation Runoff Modeling System has been calibrated and evaluated were selected as study sites. Precipitation Runoff Modeling System is a deterministic, distributed parameter watershed model developed to evaluate the effects of various combinations of precipitation, temperature, and land use on streamflow and general basin hydrology. Output from five General Circulation Model simulations and four emission scenarios were used to develop an ensemble of climate-change scenarios for each basin. These ensembles were simulated with the corresponding Precipitation Runoff Modeling System model. This fact sheet summarizes the hydrologic effect and sensitivity of the Precipitation Runoff Modeling System simulations to climate change for the South Fork Flathead River Basin, Montana.

Tuning stochastic matrix models with hydrologic data to predict the population dynamics of a riverine fish

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sakaris, P.C.; Irwin, E.R.

2010-01-01

We developed stochastic matrix models to evaluate the effects of hydrologic alteration and variable mortality on the population dynamics of a lotie fish in a regulated river system. Models were applied to a representative lotic fish species, the flathead catfish (Pylodictis olivaris), for which two populations were examined: a native population from a regulated reach of the Coosa River (Alabama, USA) and an introduced population from an unregulated section of the Ocmulgee River (Georgia, USA). Size-classified matrix models were constructed for both populations, and residuals from catch-curve regressions were used as indices of year class strength (i.e., recruitment). A multiple regression model indicated that recruitment of flathead catfish in the Coosa River was positively related to the frequency of spring pulses between 283 and 566 m3/s. For the Ocmulgee River population, multiple regression models indicated that year class strength was negatively related to mean March discharge and positively related to June low flow. When the Coosa population was modeled to experience five consecutive years of favorable hydrologic conditions during a 50-year projection period, it exhibited a substantial spike in size and increased at an overall 0.2% annual rate. When modeled to experience five years of unfavorable hydrologic conditions, the Coosa population initially exhibited a decrease in size but later stabilized and increased at a 0.4% annual rate following the decline. When the Ocmulgee River population was modeled to experience five years of favorable conditions, it exhibited a substantial spike in size and increased at an overall 0.4% annual rate. After the Ocmulgee population experienced five years of unfavorable conditions, a sharp decline in population size was predicted. However, the population quickly recovered, with population size increasing at a 0.3% annual rate following the decline. In general, stochastic population growth in the Ocmulgee River was more erratic and variable than population growth in the Coosa River. We encourage ecologists to develop similar models for other lotic species, particularly in regulated river systems. Successful management of fish populations in regulated systems requires that we are able to predict how hydrology affects recruitment and will ultimately influence the population dynamics of fishes. ?? 2010 by the Ecological Society of America.

Barriers impede upstream spawning migration of flathead chub

USGS Publications Warehouse

Walters, David M.; Zuellig, Robert E.; Crockett, Harry J.; Bruce, James F.; Lukacs, Paul M.; Fitzpatrick, Ryan M.

2014-01-01

Many native cyprinids are declining throughout the North American Great Plains. Some of these species require long reaches of contiguous, flowing riverine habitat for drifting eggs or larvae to develop, and their declining populations have been attributed to habitat fragmentation or barriers (e.g., dams, dewatered channels, and reservoirs) that restrict fish movement. Upstream dispersal is also needed to maintain populations of species with passively drifting eggs or larvae, and prior researchers have suggested that these fishes migrate upstream to spawn. To test this hypothesis, we conducted a mark–recapture study of Flathead Chub Platygobio gracilis within a 91-km reach of continuous riverine habitat in Fountain Creek, Colorado. We measured CPUE, spawning readiness (percent of Flathead Chub expressing milt), and fish movement relative to a channel-spanning dam. Multiple lines of evidence indicate that Flathead Chub migrate upstream to spawn during summer. The CPUE was much higher at the base of the dam than at downstream sites; the seasonal increases in CPUE at the dam closely tracked seasonal increases in spawning readiness, and marked fish moved upstream as far as 33 km during the spawning run. The upstream migration was effectively blocked by the dam. The CPUE of Flathead Chub was much lower upstream of the OHDD than at downstream sites, and <0.2% of fish marked at the dam were recaptured upstream. This study provides the first direct evidence of spawning migration for Flathead Chub and supports the general hypothesis that barriers limit adult dispersal of these and other plains fishes.

77 FR 70413 - Information Collection; Flathead and McKenzie Rivers and McKenzie National Recreational Trail...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-11-26

... McKenzie National Recreational Trail Visitor Surveys AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice; request... Recreational Trail. Because of the differences in the issues on each River and the need for different... Rivers and McKenzie National Recreational Trail by in-person, written surveys which will be administered...

Invasive hybridization in a threatened species is accelerated by climate change

USGS Publications Warehouse

Muhlfeld, Clint C.; Kovach, Ryan P.; Jones, Leslie A.; Al-Chokhachy, Robert K.; Boyer, Matthew C.; Leary, Robb F.; Lowe, Winsor H.; Luikart, Gordon; Allendorf, Fred W.

2014-01-01

Climate change will decrease worldwide biodiversity through a number of potential pathways, including invasive hybridization (cross-breeding between invasive and native species). How climate warming influences the spread of hybridization and loss of native genomes poses difficult ecological and evolutionary questions with little empirical information to guide conservation management decisions. Here we combine long-term genetic monitoring data with high-resolution climate and stream temperature predictions to evaluate how recent climate warming has influenced the spatio-temporal spread of human-mediated hybridization between threatened native westslope cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi) and non-native rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), the world’s most widely introduced invasive fish. Despite widespread release of millions of rainbow trout over the past century within the Flathead River system, a large relatively pristine watershed in western North America, historical samples revealed that hybridization was prevalent only in one (source) population. During a subsequent 30-year period of accelerated warming, hybridization spread rapidly and was strongly linked to interactions between climatic drivers—precipitation and temperature—and distance to the source population. Specifically, decreases in spring precipitation and increases in summer stream temperature probably promoted upstream expansion of hybridization throughout the system. This study shows that rapid climate warming can exacerbate interactions between native and non-native species through invasive hybridization, which could spell genomic extinction for many species.

NPDES Permit for City of Polson Wastewater Treatment Facility in Montana

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Under National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit number MT-0020559, the City of Polson is authorized to discharge from its wastewater treatment facility located in Lake County, Montana to the Flathead River.

Acute toxicity of zinc to several aquatic species native to the Rocky Mountains.

PubMed

Brinkman, Stephen F; Johnston, Walter D

2012-02-01

National water-quality criteria for the protection of aquatic life are based on toxicity tests, often using organisms that are easy to culture in the laboratory. Species native to the Rocky Mountains are poorly represented in data sets used to derive national water-quality criteria. To provide additional data on the toxicity of zinc, several laboratory acute-toxicity tests were conducted with a diverse assortment of fish, benthic invertebrates, and an amphibian native to the Rocky Mountains. Tests with fish were conducted using three subspecies of cutthroat trout (Colorado River cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarkii pleuriticus, greenback cutthroat trout O. clarkii stomias, and Rio Grande cutthroat trout O. clarkii virginalis), mountain whitefish (Prosopium williamsoni), mottled sculpin (Cottus bairdi), longnose dace (Rhinichthys cataractae), and flathead chub (Platygobio gracilis). Aquatic invertebrate tests were conducted with mayflies (Baetis tricaudatus, Drunella doddsi, Cinygmula sp. and Ephemerella sp.), a stonefly (Chloroperlidae), and a caddis fly (Lepidostoma sp.). The amphibian test was conducted with tadpoles of the boreal toad (Bufo boreas). Median lethal concentrations (LC(50)s) ranged more than three orders of magnitude from 166 μg/L for Rio Grande cutthroat trout to >67,000 μg/L for several benthic invertebrates. Of the organisms tested, vertebrates were the most sensitive, and benthic invertebrates were the most tolerant.

Goldspotted oak borer

Treesearch

M.L. Flint; M. I. Jones; T. W. Coleman; S.J. Seybold

2013-01-01

The goldspotted oak borer (GSOB), Agrilus auroguttatus (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), is a flatheaded borer introduced to San Diego County, California, in the late 1990s or early 2000s and also detected at one site in Riverside County in 2012. It was likely brought into the state on oak firewood collected and transported from the insect's native...

Deal or No Deal?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pember, Mary Annette

2006-01-01

Education at a tribal college for non-Native students is "an awfully good deal for states," says Dr. Joseph F. McDonald (Salish/Kootenai), president of Salish Kootenai College on the Flathead reservation in Montana. It may come as a surprise to most Americans, but tribal colleges have been quietly providing higher education to a…

76 FR 77768 - Information Collection; Flathead and McKenzie Rivers and McKenzie National Recreational Trail...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-12-14

... completed and validated, the hardcopy questionnaires will be discarded. Data will be imported into SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) for analysis. The database will be maintained at the respective...

Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) invasion and the spread of hybridization with native westslope cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Boyer, M.C.; Muhlfeld, C.C.; Allendorf, F.W.

2008-01-01

We analyzed 13 microsatellite loci to estimate gene flow among westslope cutthroat trout, Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi, populations and determine the invasion pattern of hybrids between native O. c. lewisi and introduced rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss, in streams of the upper Flathead River system, Montana (USA) and British Columbia (Canada). Fourteen of 31 sites lacked evidence of O. mykiss introgression, and gene flow among these nonhybridized O. c. lewisi populations was low, as indicated by significant allele frequency divergence among populations (?ST = 0.076, ?ST = 0.094, P < 0.001). Among hybridized sites, O. mykiss admixture declined with upstream distance from a site containing a hybrid swarm with a predominant (92%) O. mykiss genetic contribution. The spatial distribution of hybrid genotypes at seven diagnostic microsatellite loci revealed that O. mykiss invasion is facilitated by both long distance dispersal from this hybrid swarm and stepping-stone dispersal between hybridized populations. This study provides an example of how increased straying rates in the invasive taxon can contribute to the spread of extinction by hybridization and suggests that eradicating sources of introgression may be a useful conservation strategy for protecting species threatened with genomic extinction. ?? 2008 NRC.

Flathead River Basin Hydrologic Observatory, Northern Rocky Mountains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Woessner, W. W.; Running, S. W.; Potts, D. F.; Kimball, J. S.; Deluca, T. H.; Fagre, D. B.; Makepeace, S.; Hendrix, M. S.; Lorang, M. S.; Ellis, B. K.; Lafave, J.; Harper, J.

2004-12-01

We are proposing the 22, 515 km2 glacially-sculpted Flathead River Basin located in Montana and British Columbia as a Hydrologic Observatory. This hydrologic landscape is diverse and includes large pristine watersheds, rapidly developing intermountain valleys, and a 95 km2 regulated reservoir and 510 km2 lake. The basin has a topographic gradient of over 2,339 m, and spans high alpine to arid climatic zones and a range of biomes. Stream flows are snow-melt dominated and underpinned by groundwater baseflow. The site headwaters contain 37 glaciers and thousands of square kilometers of watersheds in which fire and disease are the only disturbances. In contrast, the HO also contains watersheds at multiple scales that were dominated by glaciers within the last 100 years but are now glacier free, impacted by timber harvests and fires of varying ages to varying degrees, modified by water management practices including irrigation diversion and dams, and altered by development for homes, cities and agriculture. This Observatory provides a sensitive monitor of historic and future climatic shifts, air shed influences and impacts, and the consequences of land and water management practices on the hydrologic system. The HO watersheds are some of the only pristine watersheds left in the contiguous U.S.. They provide critical habitat for key species including the native threaten bull trout and lynx, and the listed western cutthroat trout, bald eagle, gray wolf and the grizzly bear. For the last several thousand years this system has been dominated by snow-melt runoff and moderated by large quantities of water stored in glacial ice. However, the timing and magnitude of droughts and summer flows have changed dramatically. With the information that can be gleaned from sediment cores and landscape records at different scales, this HO provides scientists with opportunities to establish baseline watershed conditions and data on natural hydrologic variability within the system. Such a context frames the current and further observations and assists with translating measured changes into links with the varied HO ecosystems.

Goldspotted oak borer: Field identification guide

Treesearch

S. Hishinuma; T.W. Coleman; M.L. Flint; S.J. Seybold

2011-01-01

The goldspotted oak borer (GSOB), Agrilus auroguttatus (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), is a flatheaded borer new to California that poses a significant threat to oak trees. The pest is native to southeastern Arizona, although a related species occurs in southern Mexico and northern Guatemala. GSOB was first collected and identified in California in 2004 in San Diego County...

Modelling the Species Distribution of Flat-Headed Cats (Prionailurus planiceps), an Endangered South-East Asian Small Felid

PubMed Central

Hearn, Andrew J.; Hesse, Deike; Mohamed, Azlan; Traeholdt, Carl; Cheyne, Susan M.; Sunarto, Sunarto; Jayasilan, Mohd-Azlan; Ross, Joanna; Shapiro, Aurélie C.; Sebastian, Anthony; Dech, Stefan; Breitenmoser, Christine; Sanderson, Jim; Duckworth, J. W.; Hofer, Heribert

2010-01-01

Background The flat-headed cat (Prionailurus planiceps) is one of the world's least known, highly threatened felids with a distribution restricted to tropical lowland rainforests in Peninsular Thailand/Malaysia, Borneo and Sumatra. Throughout its geographic range large-scale anthropogenic transformation processes, including the pollution of fresh-water river systems and landscape fragmentation, raise concerns regarding its conservation status. Despite an increasing number of camera-trapping field surveys for carnivores in South-East Asia during the past two decades, few of these studies recorded the flat-headed cat. Methodology/Principal Findings In this study, we designed a predictive species distribution model using the Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) algorithm to reassess the potential current distribution and conservation status of the flat-headed cat. Eighty-eight independent species occurrence records were gathered from field surveys, literature records, and museum collections. These current and historical records were analysed in relation to bioclimatic variables (WorldClim), altitude (SRTM) and minimum distance to larger water resources (Digital Chart of the World). Distance to water was identified as the key predictor for the occurrence of flat-headed cats (>50% explanation). In addition, we used different land cover maps (GLC2000, GlobCover and SarVision LLC for Borneo), information on protected areas and regional human population density data to extract suitable habitats from the potential distribution predicted by the MaxEnt model. Between 54% and 68% of suitable habitat has already been converted to unsuitable land cover types (e.g. croplands, plantations), and only between 10% and 20% of suitable land cover is categorised as fully protected according to the IUCN criteria. The remaining habitats are highly fragmented and only a few larger forest patches remain. Conclusion/Significance Based on our findings, we recommend that future conservation efforts for the flat-headed cat should focus on the identified remaining key localities and be implemented through a continuous dialogue between local stakeholders, conservationists and scientists to ensure its long-term survival. The flat-headed cat can serve as a flagship species for the protection of several other endangered species associated with the threatened tropical lowland forests and surface fresh-water sources in this region. PMID:20305809

Modelling the species distribution of flat-headed cats (Prionailurus planiceps), an endangered South-East Asian small felid.

PubMed

Wilting, Andreas; Cord, Anna; Hearn, Andrew J; Hesse, Deike; Mohamed, Azlan; Traeholdt, Carl; Cheyne, Susan M; Sunarto, Sunarto; Jayasilan, Mohd-Azlan; Ross, Joanna; Shapiro, Aurélie C; Sebastian, Anthony; Dech, Stefan; Breitenmoser, Christine; Sanderson, Jim; Duckworth, J W; Hofer, Heribert

2010-03-17

The flat-headed cat (Prionailurus planiceps) is one of the world's least known, highly threatened felids with a distribution restricted to tropical lowland rainforests in Peninsular Thailand/Malaysia, Borneo and Sumatra. Throughout its geographic range large-scale anthropogenic transformation processes, including the pollution of fresh-water river systems and landscape fragmentation, raise concerns regarding its conservation status. Despite an increasing number of camera-trapping field surveys for carnivores in South-East Asia during the past two decades, few of these studies recorded the flat-headed cat. In this study, we designed a predictive species distribution model using the Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) algorithm to reassess the potential current distribution and conservation status of the flat-headed cat. Eighty-eight independent species occurrence records were gathered from field surveys, literature records, and museum collections. These current and historical records were analysed in relation to bioclimatic variables (WorldClim), altitude (SRTM) and minimum distance to larger water resources (Digital Chart of the World). Distance to water was identified as the key predictor for the occurrence of flat-headed cats (>50% explanation). In addition, we used different land cover maps (GLC2000, GlobCover and SarVision LLC for Borneo), information on protected areas and regional human population density data to extract suitable habitats from the potential distribution predicted by the MaxEnt model. Between 54% and 68% of suitable habitat has already been converted to unsuitable land cover types (e.g. croplands, plantations), and only between 10% and 20% of suitable land cover is categorised as fully protected according to the IUCN criteria. The remaining habitats are highly fragmented and only a few larger forest patches remain. Based on our findings, we recommend that future conservation efforts for the flat-headed cat should focus on the identified remaining key localities and be implemented through a continuous dialogue between local stakeholders, conservationists and scientists to ensure its long-term survival. The flat-headed cat can serve as a flagship species for the protection of several other endangered species associated with the threatened tropical lowland forests and surface fresh-water sources in this region.

Home range and space use patterns of flathead catfish during the summer-fall period in two Missouri streams

USGS Publications Warehouse

Vokoun, Jason C.; Rabeni, Charles F.

2005-01-01

Flathead catfish Pylodictis olivaris were radio-tracked in the Grand River and Cuivre River, Missouri, from late July until they moved to overwintering habitats in late October. Fish moved within a definable area, and although occasional long-distance movements occurred, the fish typically returned to the previously occupied area. Seasonal home range was calculated with the use of kernel density estimation, which can be interpreted as a probabilistic utilization distribution that documents the internal structure of the estimate by delineating portions of the range that was used a specified percentage of the time. A traditional linear range also was reported. Most flathead catfish (89%) had one 50% kernel-estimated core area, whereas 11% of the fish split their time between two core areas. Core areas were typically in the middle of the 90% kernel-estimated home range (58%), although several had core areas in upstream (26%) and downstream (16%) portions of the home range. Home-range size did not differ based on river, sex, or size and was highly variable among individuals. The median 95% kernel estimate was 1,085 m (range, 70– 69,090 m) for all fish. The median 50% kernel-estimated core area was 135 m (10–2,260 m). The median linear range was 3,510 m (150–50,400 m). Fish pairs with core areas in the same and neighboring pools had static joint space use values of up to 49% (area of intersection index), indicating substantial overlap and use of the same area. However, all fish pairs had low dynamic joint space use values (<0.07; coefficient of association), indicating that fish pairs were temporally segregated, rarely occurring in the same location at the same time.

Blue Bay: A Tribal Approach to Fighting Alcohol and Drug Abuse. Our Way of Healing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Native American Development Corp., Washington, DC.

The best means for fighting alcohol abuse in a Native American community is one that has been developed by the community itself. The Blue Bay Healing Center of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (Flathead Indian Reservation, Montana) is an example of two tribes taking responsibility for alcoholism and its control. In designing and…

Preservice Teachers' Perceptions of Culture in Early Care and Education Programs on a Native American Indian Reservation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, Rita; Gilliard, Jennifer L.

2007-01-01

Four early childhood preservice teachers interviewed and observed teachers and children in early learning centers on the Salish and Kootenai Flathead Indian Reservation in Montana. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of preservice teachers versus those of the caregivers (in-service teachers) regarding the presence of family…

The goldspotted oak borer: revisiting the status of an invasive pest six years after its discovery

Treesearch

Steve Seybold; Tom W. Coleman

2015-01-01

The goldspotted oak borer, Agrilus auroguttatus (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), was first associated with oak mortality in San Diego County, California in May of 2008. Since that time, a research and survey program has outlined the biology of this flatheaded borer in the invaded and native habitats; delimited the invaded range; and developed the...

Analysis and Interpretation of Artifact Collections from Site 3CT271, Randolph Estate Development, Crittenden County, Arkansas

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-02-01

The county has many streams, bayous, and lakes . Major drainages in Crittenden County include the Tyronza River, Fifteenmile Bayou, Tenmile Bayou, and...and canadian geese (Bra nta canadensis). -Fish from the larger streams, oxbow lakes , and beaver ponds, U such as the flathead catfish, alligator gar...type site for the Big Lake phase., Similar components have been recently recognized along the Mississippi River drainage just east of the project area

Spatial and temporal spawning dynamics of native westslope cutthroat trout, Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi, introduced rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss, and their hybrids

USGS Publications Warehouse

Muhlfeld, C.C.; McMahon, T.E.; Belcer, D.; Kershner, J.L.

2009-01-01

We used radiotelemetry to assess spatial and temporal spawning distributions of native westslope cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi; WCT), introduced rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss; RBT), and their hybrids in the upper Flathead River system, Montana (USA) and British Columbia (Canada), from 2000 to 2007. Radio-tagged trout (N = 125) moved upriver towards spawning sites as flows increased during spring runoff and spawned in 29 tributaries. WCT migrated greater distances and spawned in headwater streams during peak flows and as flows declined, whereas RBT and RBT hybrids (backcrosses to RBT) spawned earlier during increasing flows and lower in the system. WCT hybrids (backcrosses to WCT) spawned intermediately in time and space to WCT and RBT and RBT hybrids. Both hybrid groups and RBT, however, spawned over time periods that produced temporal overlap with spawning WCT in most years. Our data indicate that hybridization is spreading via long-distance movements of individuals with high amounts of RBT admixture into WCT streams and stepping-stone invasion at small scales by later generation backcrosses. This study provides evidence that hybridization increases the likelihood of reproductive overlap in time and space, promoting extinction by introgression, and that the spread of hybridization is likely to continue if hybrid source populations are not reduced or eliminated.

BIONETS (THREE STACKED HYDRAULIC FRACTURES) CONTAINING SOLID OXYGEN SOURCE (SOS), ISOLITE (FIRED DIATOMACIOUS EARTH) AND BACTERIAL STRAIN PM1 TO STIMULATE IN SITU BIOREMEDIATION OF MTBE AND BTEX IN SOILS AND GROUNDWATER

EPA Science Inventory

Collaboration with Office of Research and Development, Region 8, Foremost Solutions, University of California, and Native American Flathead Tribe lead to the development and demonstration of this treatment technology. In place BioNetsTM were developed, initiated, studied and used...

A Research Experience for Undergraduates on Sustainable Land and Water Resources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dalbotten, D. M.; Berthelote, A. R.; Myrbo, A.; Ito, E.; Howes, T.

2011-12-01

A new research experience for undergraduates is being piloted which supports student involvement in management of land and water resources with sustainability as the major focus. Working on two Native American reservations (Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, and Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of Flathead Reservation) and in conjunction with local tribal colleges, we particularly focus on management of tribal land and water resources. In this way we work to both increase the involvement of Native American students in the geosciences and support ethical partnerships for research on Native lands. Students also have the opportunity to work experimentally at the St. Anthony Falls Laboratory in conjunction with the National Center for Earth-surface Dynamics.

An Investigation of How Culture Shapes Curriculum in Early Care and Education Programs on a Native American Indian Reservation: "The Drum Is Considered the Heartbeat of the Community"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gilliard, Jennifer L.; Moore, Rita A.

2007-01-01

This article investigates how culture shapes instruction in three early care and education programs on the Flathead Indian Reservation. Interviews with eight early childhood teachers as well as classroom observations were conducted. The investigation is framed by the following research question: How does the culture of the family and community…

The Federal Cylinder Project: A Guide to Field Cylinder Collections in Federal Agencies. Volume 3, Great Basin/Plateau Indian Catalog, Northwest Coast/Arctic Indian Catalog.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gray, Judith A., Ed.

Two catalogs inventory wax cylinder collections, field recorded among Native American groups, 1890-1942. The catalog for Great Basin and Plateau Indian tribes contains entries for 174 cylinders in 7 collections from the Flathead, Nez Perce, Thompson/Okanagon, Northern Ute, and Yakima tribes. The catalog for Northwest Coast and Arctic Indian tribes…

Economic Analysis of Energy-Efficiency Measures: Tribal Case Studies with the Yurok Tribe, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation, and the Pascua Yaqui Tribe

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Acker, Thomas L.; Auberle, William M.; Eastwood, John D.; Laroche, David R.; Slack, Robert P.; Smith, Dean H.; Ormond, Amanda S.

2005-01-01

The results of three energy-efficiency case studies conducted with three different Native American tribes in the western United States is presented. The case studies demonstrate that energy-efficiency is economically feasible and has the potential to reduce air pollution, and can potentially help tribes meet other important tribal objectives.

Assessing distribution of migratory fishes and connectivity following complete and partial dam removals in a North Carolina River

USGS Publications Warehouse

Raabe, Joshua K.; Hightower, Joseph E.

2014-01-01

Fish, especially migratory species, are assumed to benefit from dam removals that restore connectivity and access to upstream habitat, but few studies have evaluated this assumption. Therefore, we assessed the movement of migratory fishes in the springs of 2008 through 2010 and surveyed available habitat in the Little River, North Carolina, a tributary to the Neuse River, after three complete dam removals and one partial (notched) dam removal. We tagged migratory fishes with PIT tags at a resistance-board weir located at a dam removal site (river kilometer [rkm] 3.7) and followed their movements with an array of PIT antennas. The river-wide distribution of fish following removals varied by species. For example, 24–31% of anadromous American Shad Alosa sapidissima, 45–49% of resident Gizzard Shad Dorosoma cepedianum, and 4–11% of nonnative Flathead CatfishPylodictis olivaris passed the dam removal site at rkm 56 in 2009 and 2010. No preremoval data were available for comparison, but reach connectivity appeared to increase as tagged individuals passed former dam sites and certain individuals moved extensively both upstream and downstream. However, 17–28% did not pass the partially removed dam at rkm 7.9, while 20–39% of those that passed remained downstream for more than a day before migrating upstream. Gizzard Shad required the deepest water to pass this notched structure, followed by American Shad then Flathead Catfish. Fish that passed the notched dam accessed more complex habitat (e.g., available substrate size-classes) in the middle and upper reaches. The results provide strong support for efforts to restore currently inaccessible habitat through complete removal of derelict dams.

A reconnaissance study of halogenated organic compounds in catfish from the lower Mississippi river and its major tributaries

USGS Publications Warehouse

Leiker, T.J.; Rostad, C.E.; Barnes, C.R.; Pereira, W.E.

1991-01-01

Blue catfish, (Ictarurus furcatus), black bullhead catfish, (Ictalurus melas), channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus), and flathead catfish (Pylodictus olivaris), were collected along a 1200 mile river reach of the Mississippi River and its major tributaries. Tissue samples were extracted and analyzed by fused silica capillary gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) to determine the concentrations of hydrophobic organic halogenated contaminants that have bioconcentrated within the tissues. The compounds identified in the tissue include chlordane, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), DDT and its metabolites along with several other chlorinated pesticides. The data indicates that the southern reach of the river system appears to be more contaminated than the middle and upper reaches of the study area.

CCE fire regimes and their management

Treesearch

Robert E. Keane; Carl Key

2007-01-01

A spectacular forest in the center of the CCE cuts a 15- by 5-km swath along the Flathead River's South Fork around Big Prairie in the middle of the Bob Marshall Wilderness Area in Montana (Figure 13- 1). This wide valley bottom, which contains two patches (of about 1,000 ha each) of the last vestiges of the historic ponderosa pine ecosystem in the CCE, provides a...

Behaviors of southwestern native fishes in response to introduced catfish predators

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ward, David L.; Figiel, Chester R.

2013-01-01

Native fishes reared in hatcheries typically suffer high predation mortality when stocked into natural environments. We evaluated the behavior of juvenile bonytail Gila elegans, roundtail chub Gila robusta, razorback sucker Xyrauchen texanus, and Sonora sucker Catostomus insignis in response to introduced channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus and flathead catfish Pylodictis olivaris. Our laboratory tests indicate these species did not inherently recognize catfish as a threat, but they can quickly (within 12 h) change their behavior in response to a novel predator paired with the sight and scent of a dead conspecific. Chubs appear to avoid predation by swimming away from the threat, whereas suckers reduced movement. Effects of antipredator conditioning on survival of fish reared in hatcheries is unknown; however, our results suggest some native fish can be conditioned to recognize introduced predators, which could increase poststocking survival.

Geology of Glacier National Park and the Flathead Region, Northwestern Montana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ross, Clyde P.

1959-01-01

This report summarizes available data on two adjacent and partly overlapping regions in northwestern Montana. The first of these is Glacier National Park plus small areas east and west of the park. The second is here called, for convenience, the Flathead region; it embraces the mountains from the southern tip of Glacier Park to latitude 48 deg north and between the Great Plains on the east and Flathead Valley on the west. The fieldwork under the direction of the writer was done in 1948, 1949, 1950, and 1951, with some work in 1952 and 1953. The two regions together include parts of the Swan, Flathead, Livingstone, and Lewis Ranges. They are drained largely by branches of the Flathead River. On the east and north, however, they are penetrated by tributaries of the Missouri River and in addition by streams that flow into Canada. Roads and highways reach the borders of the regions; but there are few roads in the regions and only two highways cross them. The principal economic value of the assemblage of mountains described in the present report is as a collecting ground for snow to furnish the water used in the surrounding lowlands and as a scenic and wildlife recreation area. A few metallic deposits and lignitic coal beds are known, but these have not proved to be important and cannot, as far as can now be judged, be expected to become so. No oil except minor seeps has yet been found, and most parts of the two regions covered do not appear geologically favorable to the presence of oil in commercial quantities. The high, Hungry Horse Dam on which construction was in progress during the fieldwork now floods part of the Flathead region and will greatly influence the future of that region. The rocks range in age from Precambrian to Recent. The thickest units belong to the Belt series of Precambrian age, and special attention was paid to them. As a result, it is clear that at least the upper part of the series shows marked lateral changes within short distances. This fact introduces complexities into stratigraphic correlation and should be remembered wherever the series is studied. The stromatolites, or fossil algae, in the Belt series, although still imperfectly understood, give clues with respect to problems of ecology and stratigraphy. The subdivisions of the Belt series within the areas covered by the present report are, in ascending order, Altyn limestone, Appekunny argillite, Grinnell argillite, Siyeh limestone, and Missoula group. Local subdivisions of the Missoula group are possible in certain areas, and all the units just named are expected to be subdivided when detailed studies are undertaken. In the Glacier National Park and Flathead regions together, it is probable that between 25,000 and 30,000 feet of beds belonging to the Belt series, possibly more, are present. These consist largely of quartzitic argillite, quartzite, and carbonate rocks, mostly dolomitic. Small gabbroic and diabasic intrusive bodies and, at one horizon, basaltic lava are associated with the Belt series. Above the Belt series is a thick sequence of Cambrian, Devonian, and Carboniferous strata, in which limestone is dominant, followed by strata of Jurassic and Cretaceous age, largely limestone and shale and partly of terrestrial origin. Slightly consolidated gravel, sand, and silt of Tertiary age are preserved in some valleys and as erosional remnants on the plains close to the mountain border. Pleistocene and Recent glacial and fluviatile deposits are plentiful in mountain valleys and on the plains east of the mountains. Sufficient crustal movements took place during the latter part of Belt time to produce tension cracks that permitted some intrusion and related extrusion to occur. Broad crustal warping probably took place at intervals during the Paleozoic era, but these successive movements left little record other than the absence of sedimentary rock units that might otherwise have been deposited. The same can be said of much of the Me

The role of multispectral scanners as data sources for EPA hydrologic models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Slack, R.; Hill, D.

1982-01-01

An estimated cost savings of 30% to 50% was realized from using LANDSAT-derived data as input into a program which simulates hydrologic and water quality processes in natural and man-made water systems. Data from the satellite were used in conjunction with EPA's 11-channel multispectral scanner to obtain maps for characterizing the distribution of turbidity plumes in Flathead Lake and to predict the effect of increasing urbanization in Montana's Flathead River Basin on the lake's trophic state. Multispectral data are also being studied as a possible source of the parameters needed to model the buffering capability of lakes in an effort to evaluate the effect of acid rain in the Adirondacks. Water quality in Lake Champlain, Vermont is being classified using data from the LANDSAT and the EPA MSS. Both contact-sensed and MSS data are being used with multivariate statistical analysis to classify the trophic status of 145 lakes in Illinois and to identify water sampling sites in Appalachicola Bay where contaminants threaten Florida's shellfish.

Isolation and Identification of Mosquito (Aedes aegypti) Biting-Deterrent Compounds from the Native American Ethnobotanical Remedy Plant Hierochloë odorata (Sweetgrass).

PubMed

Cantrell, Charles L; Jones, A Maxwell P; Ali, Abbas

2016-11-09

Hierochloë odorata (L.) P. Beauv. (Poaceae), commonly known as sweetgrass, has documented use as an insect repellent by the Flatheads of Montana and Blackfoot of Alberta. Both the Flatheads of Montana and Blackfoot of Alberta would use braided plant material in a sachet in clothing or burn them from one end as incense, air/clothing freshener, and insect repellent. This study evaluated the insect-repellent properties of this plant using an in vitro mosquito Aedes aegypti feeding bioassay-directed approach to identify the compound(s) responsible for the observed activities. Evaluation of crude extracts produced from H. odorata revealed that the hydrodistillate had the highest level of mosquito biting deterrence. Fractionation of this extract, followed by re-evaluation for mosquito biting deterrence, produced many active fractions, which were evaluated by spectroscopic techniques and determined to contain phytol, coumarin, and 2-methoxy-4-vinylphenol. Phytol and coumarin were both determined to be responsible for the Ae. aegypti biting deterrency. Scientific evidence reported here validates its traditional use as a biting-insect deterrent.

77 FR 48126 - Flathead Resource Advisory Committee

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-13

... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service Flathead Resource Advisory Committee AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice of meetings. SUMMARY: The Flathead Resource Advisory Committee will meet in Kalispell, Montana. The committee is authorized under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self...

78 FR 45496 - Flathead Resource Advisory Committee

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-29

... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service Flathead Resource Advisory Committee AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice of meetings. SUMMARY: The Flathead Resource Advisory Committee will meet in.... September 24, 2013--4:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. All Resource Advisory Committee meetings are subject to change or...

Delphi Research Methodology Applied to Place-Based Watershed Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vallor, Rosanna R.; Yates, Kimberly A.; Brody, Michael

2016-01-01

This research focuses on the results of the Flathead Watershed Delphi survey, a consensus-building methodology used to establish foundational knowledge, skills and dispositions for the Flathead Watershed Educators Guide, a place-based watershed curriculum for middle school grades based on the Flathead Watershed Sourcebook. Survey participants (n =…

A Brief History of the Flathead Tribes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woodcock, Clarence; And Others

A source document, illustrated with many black and white photographs of tribe members and activities, provides a brief history of the American Indian tribes, now called the Flatheads, living on the Flathead Indian Reservation in Montana and describes some of their cultural traditions, particularly their ceremonial dances. The booklet traces the…

Analysis and Interpretation of Artifact Collections from four Archaeological Sites within the Country Club Gardens Permit Area, West Memphis, Crittenden County, Arkansas

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-12-01

Excavation at Chucallssa (40SY1). Laboratory work at C.H. Nash Museum. Testing of suspected mound site near Reelfoot Lake , Obion County, Tennessee...Ferguson 1974:2). The county has many streams, bayov s, and lakes . Major drainages in Crittenden County include the Tyronza River, Fifteenmile Bayou...Branta canadensis). Fish from the larger streams, oxbow lakes and beaver ponds, such as the flathead catfish, alligator gar, drum, buffalo, largemouth

75 FR 31321 - Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Rock Sole, Flathead Sole, and “Other...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-03

.... 0910131363-0087-02] RIN 0648-XW74 Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Rock Sole, Flathead... participating in the Amendment 80 limited access fishery in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area... the trawl rock sole, flathead sole, and ``other flatfish'' fishery category by vessels participating...

Subsurface geology and porosity distribution, Madison Limestone and underlying formations, Powder River basin, northeastern Wyoming and southeastern Montana and adjacent areas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Peterson, James A.

1978-01-01

To evaluate the Madison Limestone and associated rocks as potential sources for water supplies in the Powder River Basin and adjacent areas, an understanding of the geologic framework of these units, their lithologic facies patterns, the distribution of porosity zones, and the relation between porosity development and stratigraphic facies is necessary. Regionally the Madison is mainly a fossiliferous limestone. However, in broad areas of the eastern Rocky Mountains and western Great Plains, dolomite is a dominant constituent and in places the Madison is almost entirely dolomite. Within these areas maximum porosity development is found and it seems to be related to the coarser crystalline dolomite facies. The porosity development is associated with tabular and fairly continuous crystalline dolomite beds separated by non-porous limestones. The maximum porosity development in the Bighorn Dolomite, as in the Madison, is directly associated with the occurrence of a more coarsely crystalline sucrosic dolomite facies. Well data indicate, however, that where the Bighorn is present in the deeper parts of the Powder River Basin, it may be dominated by a finer crystalline dolomite facies of low porosity. The 'Winnipeg Sandstone' is a clean, generally well-sorted, medium-grained sandstone. It shows good porosity development in parts of the northern Powder River Basin and northwestern South Dakota. Because the sandstone is silica-cemented and quartzitic in areas of deep burial, good porosity is expected only where it is no deeper than a few thousand feet. The Flathead Sandstone is a predominantly quartzose, slightly feldspathic sandstone, commonly cemented with iron oxide. Like the 'Winnipeg Sandstone,' it too is silica-cemented and quartzitic in many places so that its porosity is poor in areas of deep burial. Illustrations in this report show the thickness, percent dolomite, and porosity-feet for the Bighorn Dolomite and the Madison Limestone and its subdivisions. The porosity-feet for the 'Winnipeg' and Flathead Sandstones and four regional geologic sections are also shown.

77 FR 41332 - Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Arrowtooth Flounder, Flathead Sole, Rex Sole...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-13

...NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for arrowtooth flounder, flathead sole, rex sole, deep-water flatfish, and shallow-water flatfish in the Western Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to limit incidental catch of Pacific ocean perch by vessels fishing for arrowtooth flounder, flathead sole, rex sole, deep-water flatfish, and shallow-water flatfish in the Western Regulatory Area of the GOA.

Lower Flathead System Fisheries Study, South Bay of Flathead Lake, Volume III, 1983-1987 Final Report.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cross, David; Waite, Ian

1988-06-01

The Lower Flathead System Fisheries Study assessed the effects of Kerr Dam operation on the fisheries of the lower Flathead ecosystem. South Bay, the southern most lobe of Flathead Lake, is the most extensive area of shallow water, and therefore, most effected by changes in lake levels. This study began in January of 1984 and was completed in early 1987. Vegetative and structural cover are relatively limited in South Bay, a condition which could contribute to lower recruitment for some fish species. Our data show that the study area contained 0.04% structural and 5.4% vegetative cover in June at fullmore » pool. Both figures are less than 1.0% at minimum pool. Structural complexity mediates the ecological interactions between littoral zone fish and their prey, and can affect local productivity and growth in fish. Structural complexity may also be important to overwinter survival of young perch in Flathead Lake. Winter conditions, including ice cover and fall drawdown, seasonally eliminate the vegetative portion of most rooted macrophytes in South Bay. This results in substantial loss of what little structural cover exists, depriving the perch population of habitat which has been occupied all summer. The loss of cover from draw-down concentrates and probably exposes perch to greater predation, including cannibalism, than would occur if structural complexity were greater. 33 refs., 10 figs., 5 tabs.« less

Estimating thermal regimes of bull trout and assessing the potential effects of climate warming on critical habitats

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jones, Leslie A.; Muhlfeld, Clint C.; Marshall, Lucy A.; McGlynn, Brian L.; Kershner, Jeffrey L.

2013-01-01

Understanding the vulnerability of aquatic species and habitats under climate change is critical for conservation and management of freshwater systems. Climate warming is predicted to increase water temperatures in freshwater ecosystems worldwide, yet few studies have developed spatially explicit modelling tools for understanding the potential impacts. We parameterized a nonspatial model, a spatial flow-routed model, and a spatial hierarchical model to predict August stream temperatures (22-m resolution) throughout the Flathead River Basin, USA and Canada. Model comparisons showed that the spatial models performed significantly better than the nonspatial model, explaining the spatial autocorrelation found between sites. The spatial hierarchical model explained 82% of the variation in summer mean (August) stream temperatures and was used to estimate thermal regimes for threatened bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) habitats, one of the most thermally sensitive coldwater species in western North America. The model estimated summer thermal regimes of spawning and rearing habitats at <13 C° and foraging, migrating, and overwintering habitats at <14 C°. To illustrate the useful application of such a model, we simulated climate warming scenarios to quantify potential loss of critical habitats under forecasted climatic conditions. As air and water temperatures continue to increase, our model simulations show that lower portions of the Flathead River Basin drainage (foraging, migrating, and overwintering habitat) may become thermally unsuitable and headwater streams (spawning and rearing) may become isolated because of increasing thermal fragmentation during summer. Model results can be used to focus conservation and management efforts on populations of concern, by identifying critical habitats and assessing thermal changes at a local scale.

Hungry Horse Dam Fisheries Mitigation; Kokanee Stocking and Monitoring in Flathead Lake, 1996 Progress Report.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Carty, Daniel; Knoetek, W. Ladd

1997-06-01

Kokanee salmon Oncorhynchus nerka were introduced into Flathead Lake in 1916. The kokanee population declined in the 1960s and 1970s, and kokanee disappeared from Flathead Lake in the late 1980s. Their disappearance has been attributed to the long-term effects of the construction and operation of Hungry Horse and Kerr dams, excessive harvest by anglers, and changes in the lake food web induced by the introduction of opossum shrimp Mysis relicta. Attempts to reestablish kokanee in the Flathead Lake ecosystem between 1988 and 1991 were unsuccessful. In 1991, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (MFWP) and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribesmore » (CSKT) wrote a mitigation plan to restore kokanee to Flathead Lake. In 1993, MFWP, CSKT, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wrote a mitigation implementation plan that initiated a 5-year test program to use hatchery-reared fish to reintroduce kokanee to the lake. Stocking hatchery-reared kokanee into Flathead Lake began in 1993; the 5-year {open_quotes}kokanee test{close_quotes} started in 1994 and is scheduled to continue through 1998. The annual stocking objective is 1 million yearling kokanee (6-8 in long). Criteria used to evaluate the success of the 5-year test are (1) 30% survival of kokanee 1 year after stocking, (2) yearling-to-adult survival of 10%, and (3) annual harvest of 50,000 kokanee ({ge} 11 in) and fishing effort {ge} 100,000 angler hours.« less

Environmental contaminants and biomarker responses in fish from the Columbia River and its tributaries: spatial and temporal trends.

PubMed

Hinck, Jo Ellen; Schmitt, Christopher J; Blazer, Vicki S; Denslow, Nancy D; Bartish, Timothy M; Anderson, Patrick J; Coyle, James J; Dethloff, Gail M; Tillitt, Donald E

2006-08-01

Fish were collected from 16 sites on rivers in the Columbia River Basin (CRB) from September 1997 to April 1998 to document temporal and spatial trends in the concentrations of accumulative contaminants and to assess contaminant effects on the fish. Sites were located on the mainstem of the Columbia River and on the Snake, Willamette, Yakima, Salmon, and Flathead Rivers. Common carp (Cyprinus carpio), black bass (Micropterus sp.), and largescale sucker (Catostomus macrocheilus) were the targeted species. Fish were field-examined for external and internal lesions, selected organs were weighed to compute somatic indices, and tissue and fluid samples were preserved for fish health and reproductive biomarker analyses. Composite samples of whole fish, grouped by species and gender, from each site were analyzed for organochlorine and elemental contaminants using instrumental methods and for 2,3,7,8-tetrachloro dibenzo-p-dioxin-like activity (TCDD-EQ) using the H4IIE rat hepatoma cell bioassay. Overall, pesticide concentrations were greatest in fish from lower CRB sites and elemental concentrations were greatest in fish from upper CRB sites. These patterns reflected land uses. Lead (Pb) concentrations in fish from the Columbia River at Northport and Grand Coulee, Washington (WA) exceeded fish and wildlife toxicity thresholds (>0.4 microg/g). Selenium (Se) concentrations in fish from the Salmon River at Riggins, Idaho (ID), the Columbia River at Vernita Bridge, WA, and the Yakima River at Granger, WA exceeded toxicity thresholds for piscivorous wildlife (>0.6 microg/g). Mercury (Hg) concentrations in fish were elevated throughout the basin but were greatest (>0.4 microg/g) in predatory fish from the Salmon River at Riggins, ID, the Yakima River at Granger, WA, and the Columbia River at Warrendale, Oregon (OR). Residues of p,p'-DDE were greatest (>0.8 microg/g) in fish from agricultural areas of the Snake, Yakima, and Columbia River basins but were not detected in upper CRB fish. Other organochlorine pesticides did not exceed toxicity thresholds in fish or were detected infrequently. Total polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs; >0.11 microg/g) and TCDD-EQs (>5 pg/g) exceeded wildlife guidelines in fish from the middle and lower CRB, and ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase (EROD) activity was also elevated at many of the same sites. Temporal trend analysis indicated decreasing or stable concentrations of Pb, Se, Hg, p,p'-DDE, and PCBs at most sites where historical data were available. Altered biomarkers were noted in fish throughout the CRB. Fish from some stations had responded to chronic contaminant exposure as indicated by fish health and reproductive biomarker results. Although most fish from some sites had grossly visible external or internal lesions, histopathological analysis determined these to be inflammatory responses associated with helminth or myxosporidian parasites. Many largescale sucker from the Columbia River at Northport and Grand Coulee, WA had external lesions and enlarged spleens, which were likely associated with infections. Intersex male smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) were found in the Snake River at Lewiston, ID and the Columbia River at Warrendale, OR. Male bass, carp, and largescale sucker containing low concentrations of vitellogenin were common in the CRB, and comparatively high concentrations (>0.3 mg/mL) were measured in male fish from the Flathead River at Creston, Montana, the Snake River at Ice Harbor Dam, WA, and the Columbia River at Vernita Bridge, WA and Warrendale, OR. Results from our study and other investigations indicate that continued monitoring in the CRB is warranted to identify consistently degraded sites and those with emerging problems.

Spatial and temporal genetic analysis of Walleyes in the Ohio River

USGS Publications Warehouse

Page, Kevin S.; Zweifela, Richard D.; Stott, Wendylee

2017-01-01

Previous genetic analyses have shown that Walleyes Sander vitreus in the upper Ohio River comprise two distinct genetic strains: (1) fish of Great Lakes origin that were stocked into the Ohio River basin and (2) a remnant native strain (Highlands strain). Resource agencies are developing management strategies to conserve and restore the native strain within the upper reaches of the Ohio River. Hybridization between strains has impacted the genetic integrity of the native strain. To better understand the extent and effects of hybridization on the native strain, we used mitochondrial DNA and microsatellite markers to evaluate the spatial (river sections) and temporal (pre- and poststocking) genetic diversity of Ohio River Walleyes. Contemporary Lake Erie Walleyes and archival museum specimens collected from the Ohio River basin were used for comparison to contemporary Ohio River samples. Although there was evidence of hybridization between strains, most of the genetic diversity within the Ohio River was partitioned by basin of origin (Great Lakes versus the Ohio River), with greater similarity among river sections than between strains within the same section. Results also suggested that the native strain has diverged from historical populations. Furthermore, notable decreases in measures of genetic diversity and increased relatedness among native-strain Walleyes within two sections of the Ohio River may be related to stocking aimed at restoration of the Highlands strain. Our results suggest that although the Highlands strain persists within the Ohio River, it has diverged over time, and managers should consider the potential impacts of future management practices on the genetic diversity of this native strain.

Montana Valley and Foothill Prairies Ecoregion: Chapter 6 in Status and trends of land change in the Western United States--1973 to 2000

USGS Publications Warehouse

Taylor, Janis L.

2012-01-01

The Montana Valley and Foothill Prairies Ecoregion comprises numerous intermountain valleys and low-elevation foothill prairies spread across the western half of Montana, on both sides of the Continental Divide (Omernik, 1987; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1997). The ecoregion, which covers approximately 64,658 km2 (24,965 mi2), includes the Flathead Valley and the valleys surrounding Helena, Missoula, Bozeman, Billings, Anaconda, Dillon, and Lewistown (fig. 1). These valleys are generally characterized by shortgrass prairie vegetation and are flanked by forested mountains (Woods and others, 1999); thus, the valleys’ biotas with regards to fish and insects are comparable. In many cases, the valleys are conduits for some of the largest rivers in the state, including Clark Fork and the Missouri, Jefferson, Madison, Flathead, Yellowstone, Gallatin, Smith, Big Hole, Bitterroot, and Blackfoot Rivers (fig. 2). The Montana Valley and Foothill Prairies Ecoregion also includes the “Rocky Mountain front,” an area of prairies along the eastern slope of the northern Rocky Mountains. Principal land uses within the ecoregion include farming, grazing, and mining. The valleys serve as major transportation and utility corridors and also contain the majority of Montana’s human population. The Montana Valley and Foothill Prairies Ecoregion extends into 17 mostly rural counties throughout western Montana. Only three of the counties—Carbon, Yellowstone, and Missoula—are part of a metropolitan statistical area with contiguous built-up areas tied to an employment center. Nearly two-thirds of Montana residents live in nonmetropolitan counties (Albrecht, 2008). Ten of the counties within the ecoregion had population growth rates greater than national averages (9–13 percent) between 1970 and 2000 (table 1). Ravalli and Gallatin Counties had the highest growth rates. Population growth was largely due to amenity-related inmigration and an economy dependent on tourism, health care, and services. Counties that had population declines, such as Deer Lodge, Silver Bow, and Meagher Counties, also had declines in agriculture and mining activity, and they had railroad closures as well. Climate varies from north to south and from the east side of the Continental Divide to the west side. However, all areas are semiarid with long cold winters and short growing seasons. In the western part of the ecoregion, Beaverhead, Bitterroot, Flathead, and Lolo National Forests provide the natural resources, particularly timber, that form the economic base for towns within nearby valleys. Mineral resources from mines in and around Anaconda, Deer Lodge, and Butte have long provided an economic base for these towns (fig. 3).

75 FR 19989 - Final Environmental Impact Statement for Drought Management Planning at the Kerr Hydroelectric...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-16

... Drought Management Planning at the Kerr Hydroelectric Project, Flathead Lake, MT AGENCY: Bureau of Indian... Impact Statement (FEIS) for Drought Management Planning at the Kerr Hydroelectric Project, Flathead Lake... drought management planning at the Kerr Hydroelectric Project no sooner than 30 days following the...

A fish survey of the White River, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Scoppettone, G. Gary; Rissler, Peter H.; Shea, Sean

2004-01-01

In spring and summer 1991 and 1992, we surveyed fishes of the White River system, Nye and White Pine Counties, Nevada, to determine the status of natives. There are 5 known native fishes to the White River: Lepidomeda albivallis (White River spinedace), Crenichthys baileyi albivallis (Preston White River springfish), Crenichthys baileyi thermophilus (Moorman White River springfish), Catostomus clarki intermedius (White River desert sucker), and Rhinichthys osculus ssp. (White River speckled dace). All 5 had declined in range. Lepidomeda albivallis had experienced the greatest decline, with less than 50 remaining, and these were restricted to a 70-m stream reach. Rhinichthys osculus spp. was most widespread, found in 18 spring systems. Cottus bairdi (mottled sculpin) was collected for the 1st time from the White River system, where it was probably native. Protective measures should be implemented to conserve all native White River fishes to include C. bairdi.

US 93 North post-construction wildlife-vehicle collision and wildlife crossing monitoring on the Flathead Indian reservation between Evaro and Polson, Montana : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-12-01

The US Highway 93 North reconstruction project on the Flathead Indian Reservation in northwest Montana represents one of the most extensive wildlife-sensitive highway design efforts to date in North America. The reconstruction of the 56 mile (90 km) ...

Evaluation of a single application of Neonicotnoid and multi-application contact insecticides for flatheaded borer management in field grown Acer rubrum L. cultivars

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Two trials evaluated insecticides for flatheaded borer (Chrysobothris femorata [Olivier]) control and red maple (Acer rubrum L.) cultivar growth over a 4-year period. Soil-applied systemic insecticides (acephate, imidacloprid, clothianidin, dinotefuran, and thiamethoxam) and trunk-applied contact i...

Depth and substrate as determinants of distribution of juvenile flathead sole (Hippoglossoides elassodon) and rock sole (Pleuronectes bilineatus), in Kachemak Bay, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Abookire, Alisa A.; Norcross, Brenda L.

1998-01-01

Three transects in Kachemak Bay, Alaska, were sampled in September 1994, May and August 1995, and February, May, and August 1996. Juvenile flathead sole, Hippoglossoides elassodon, and rock sole, Pleuronectes bilineatus, were the most abundant flatfishes, comprising 65-85% of all fiatfishes captured at any period. Collections of fish and sediments were made at regular depth contour intervals of l0 m. Habitat distribution was described by depth at 10 m increments and sediment percent weights of gravel, sand, and mud. Year-round habitat of flathead sole age-0 was primarily from 40 to 60 m, and age-1 habitat was primarily from 40 to 80 m. Summer habitat of rock sole age-0 and -1 was from 10 to 30 m, and in winter they moved offshore to depths of up to 150 m. Both age classes of flathead sole were most abundant on mixed mud sediments, while age-1 were also in high abundance on muddy sand sediments. Rock sole age-0 and -1 were most abundant on sand, though age-1 were also found on a variety of sediments both finer and coarser grained than sand. Flathead sole and rock sole had distinctive depth and sediment habitats. When habitat overlap occurred between the species, it was most often due to rock sole moving offshore in the winter. Abundances were not significantly different among seasons for age-1 flatfishes.

Examining Suitable Soil Regimes for Reestablishment of Camassia Quamash (Blue Camas), Flathead Indian Reservation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bald, A. M.; Davis, J. M.

2014-12-01

Soils are the foundation of all biotic communities and play a substantial role in facilitating the uptake of water and nutrients in many terrestrial plants. Plants can grow to their potential only if the soil supports an environment conducive to growth. Soil chemical composition and texture directly influence the rate of water and nutrient ion uptake in vegetation. Prairie Wetlands have experienced the most dramatic land use changes within the United States throughout the last century. Soils deteriorate from erosion, compaction, use of pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers associated with agriculture and urbanization. Transitioning soil regimes in the US have been the impetus for numerous restoration activities that attempt to protect or remediate loss to native or functional plant groups. Success of plant restoration efforts is dependent on knowledge about regional soil regimes. Camassia Quamash (Blue Camas), an ephemeral wetland bulbaceous herb is a culturally significant edible plant to the Pacific Northwest tribes and was only surpassed as a subsistence trade commodity by Salmon. The literature about camas and suitable soil types for it to grow is limited. The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes interest in restoring the plant to the Flathead Indian Reservation (FIR) prompted a series of research initiatives to document baseline parameters of remaining camas stands. Baseline soil conditions examining chemical regimes and soil textures on four FIR observed camas sites were analyzed. Samples indicated that remaining camas stands occurred in loamy nutrient rich prairie wetland to lightly forested soil regimes.

75 FR 76352 - Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Gulf of Alaska; Proposed 2011 and 2012...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-08

... for 2011 and 2012 that are equal to proposed ABCs for pollock, deep-water flatfish, rex sole... certain species: Pacific cod, flathead sole, shallow-water flatfish, arrowtooth flounder, and other... that the ABC is not exceeded. The flathead sole, shallow-water flatfish, and arrowtooth flounder TACs...

Tests with DDT foliar sprays to control the California flatheaded borer

Treesearch

Robert L. Lyon

1959-01-01

The California flatheaded borer (Melanophila californica Van Dyke) kills an estimated 30 million board-feet of pine timber in California each year. The insect is especially troublesome on ponderosa and Jeffrey pines growing on dry sites, and it has caused serious losses in Jeffrey pine stands on valuable , watershed and recreational lands of...

Environmental contaminants and biomarker responses in fish from the Columbia River and its tributaries: spatial and temporal trends

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hinck, J.E.; Schmitt, C.J.; Blazer, V.S.; Denslow, N.D.; Bartish, T.M.; Anderson, P.J.; Coyle, J.J.; Dethloff, G.M.; Tillitt, D.E.

2006-01-01

Fish were collected from 16 sites on rivers in the Columbia River Basin (CRB) from September 1997 to April 1998 to document temporal and spatial trends in the concentrations of accumulative contaminants and to assess contaminant effects on the fish. Sites were located on the mainstem of the Columbia River and on the Snake, Willamette, Yakima, Salmon, and Flathead Rivers. Common carp (Cyprinus carpio), black bass (Micropterus sp.), and largescale sucker (Catostomus macrocheilus) were the targeted species. Fish were field-examined for external and internal lesions, selected organs were weighed to compute somatic indices, and tissue and fluid samples were preserved for fish health and reproductive biomarker analyses. Composite samples of whole fish, grouped by species and gender, from each site were analyzed for organochlorine and elemental contaminants using instrumental methods and for 2,3,7,8-tetrachloro dibenzo-p-dioxin-like activity (TCDD-EQ) using the H4IIE rat hepatoma cell bioassay. Overall, pesticide concentrations were greatest in fish from lower CRB sites and elemental concentrations were greatest in fish from upper CRB sites. These patterns reflected land uses. Lead (Pb) concentrations in fish from the Columbia River at Northport and Grand Coulee, Washington (WA) exceeded fish and wildlife toxicity thresholds (> 0.4 ??g/g). Selenium (Se) concentrations in fish from the Salmon River at Riggins, Idaho (ID), the Columbia River at Vernita Bridge, WA, and the Yakima River at Granger, WA exceeded toxicity thresholds for piscivorous wildlife (> 0.6 ??g/g). Mercury (Hg) concentrations in fish were elevated throughout the basin but were greatest (> 0.4 ??g/g) in predatory fish from the Salmon River at Riggins, ID, the Yakima River at Granger, WA, and the Columbia River at Warrendale, Oregon (OR). Residues of p,p???-DDE were greatest (> 0.8 ??g/g) in fish from agricultural areas of the Snake, Yakima, and Columbia River basins but were not detected in upper CRB fish. Other organochlorine pesticides did not exceed toxicity thresholds in fish or were detected infrequently. Total polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs; > 0.11 ??g/g) and TCDD-EQs (> 5 pg/g) exceeded wildlife guidelines in fish from the middle and lower CRB, and ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase (EROD) activity was also elevated at many of the same sites. Temporal trend analysis indicated decreasing or stable concentrations of Pb, Se, Hg, p,p???-DDE, and PCBs at most sites where historical data were available. Altered biomarkers were noted in fish throughout the CRB. Fish from some stations had responded to chronic contaminant exposure as indicated by fish health and reproductive biomarker results. Although most fish from some sites had grossly visible external or internal lesions, histopathological analysis determined these to be inflammatory responses associated with helminth or myxosporidian parasites. Many largescale sucker from the Columbia River at Northport and Grand Coulee, WA had external lesions and enlarged spleens, which were likely associated with infections. Intersex male smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) were found in the Snake River at Lewiston, ID and the Columbia River at Warrendale, OR. Male bass, carp, and largescale sucker containing low concentrations of vitellogenin were common in the CRB, and comparatively high concentrations (> 0.3 mg/mL) were measured in male fish from the Flathead River at Creston, Montana, the Snake River at Ice Harbor Dam, WA, and the Columbia River at Vernita Bridge, WA and Warrendale, OR. Results from our study and other investigations indicate that continued monitoring in the CRB is warranted to identify consistently degraded sites and those with emerging problems. ?? 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Collective Bargaining Agreement between Flathead Valley Community College Board of Trustees and the FVCC Education Association.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flathead Valley Community Coll., Kalispell, MT.

This collective bargaining agreement between the Flathead Valley Community College (FVCC) Board of Trustees and the FVCC Education Association establishes management rights, rights of members, and terms of employment for the period July 1, 1989 through June 30, 1991. The 22 articles in the agreement include the following: (1) preamble; (2)…

Indigenous Knowledge and Geoscience on the Flathead Indian Reservation, Northwest Montana: Implications for Place-Based and Culturally Congruent Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Adam N.; Sievert, Regina; Durglo, Michael, Sr.; Finley, Vernon; Adams, Louis; Hofmann, Michael H.

2014-01-01

We investigated connections between the natural and the cultural history of the Flathead Indian Reservation through the integration of geoscience, traditional tribal knowledge, and oral narratives for the purpose of improving Earth Science education in the tribal community. The project served as an avenue for the incorporation of indigenous…

Gila River Basin Native Fishes Conservation Program

Treesearch

Doug Duncan; Robert W. Clarkson

2013-01-01

The Gila River Basin Native Fishes Conservation Program was established to conserve native fishes and manage against nonnative fishes in response to several Endangered Species Act biological opinions between the Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Central Arizona Project (CAP) water transfers to the Gila River basin. Populations of some Gila...

Discharge, water quality, and native fish abundance in the Virgin River, Utah, Nevada, and Arizona, in support of Pah Tempe Springs discharge remediation efforts

USGS Publications Warehouse

Miller, Matthew P.; Lambert, Patrick M.; Hardy, Thomas B.

2014-01-01

Pah Tempe Springs discharge hot, saline, low dissolved-oxygen water to the Virgin River in southwestern Utah, which is transported downstream to Lake Mead and the Colorado River. The dissolved salts in the Virgin River negatively influence the suitability of this water for downstream agricultural, municipal, and industrial use. Therefore, various remediation scenarios to remove the salt load discharged from Pah Tempe Springs to the Virgin River are being considered. One concern about this load removal is the potential to impact the ecology of the Virgin River. Specifically, information is needed regarding possible impacts of Pah Tempe Springs remediation scenarios on the abundance, distribution, and survival of native fish in the Virgin River. Future efforts that aim to quantitatively assess how various remediation scenarios to reduce the load of dissolved salts from Pah Tempe Springs into the Virgin River may influence the abundance, distribution, and survival of native fish will require data on discharge, water quality, and native fish abundance. This report contains organized accessible discharge, water quality, and native fish abundance data sets from the Virgin River, documents the compilation of these data, and discusses approaches for quantifying relations between abiotic physical and chemical conditions, and fish abundance.

The Paradox of Restoring Native River Landscapes and Restoring Native Ecosystems in the Colorado River System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmidt, J. C.

2014-12-01

Throughout the Colorado River basin (CRb), scientists and river managers collaborate to improve native ecosystems. Native ecosystems have deteriorated due to construction of dams and diversions that alter natural flow, sediment supply, and temperature regimes, trans-basin diversions that extract large amounts of water from some segments of the channel network, and invasion of non-native animals and plants. These scientist/manager collaborations occur in large, multi-stakeholder, adaptive management programs that include the Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program, the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program, and the Upper Colorado River Endangered Species Recovery Program. Although a fundamental premise of native species recovery is that restoration of predam flow regimes inevitably leads to native species recovery, such is not the case in many parts of the CRb. For example, populations of the endangered humpback chub (Gila cypha) are largest in the sediment deficit, thermally altered conditions of the Colorado River downstream from Glen Canyon Dam, but these species occur in much smaller numbers in the upper CRb even though the flow regime, sediment supply, and sediment mass balance are less perturbed. Similar contrasts in the physical and biological response of restoration of predam flow regimes occurs in floodplains dominated by nonnative tamarisk (Tamarix spp.) where reestablishment of floods has the potential to exacerbate vertical accretion processes that disconnect the floodplain from the modern flow regime. A significant challenge in restoring segments of the CRb is to describe this paradox of physical and biological response to reestablishment of pre-dam flow regimes, and to clearly identify objectives of environmentally oriented river management. In many cases, understanding the nature of the perturbation to sediment mass balance caused by dams and diversions and understanding the constraints imposed by societal commitments to provide assured water supplies and hydroelectricity constrains the opportunities for rehabilitation and limits the management objectives to focus either on restoring predam physical processes or recovering native fish fauna and/or recovering native plant communities.

Comparison of burbot populations across adjacent native and introduced ranges

USGS Publications Warehouse

Walters, Annika W.; Mandeville, Elizabeth G.; Saunders, W. Carl; Gerrity, Paul C.; Skorupski, Joseph A.; Underwood, Zachary E.; Gardunio, Eric I.

2017-01-01

Introduced species are a threat to biodiversity. Burbot, Lota lota, a fish native to the Wind River Drainage, Wyoming and a species of conservation concern, have been introduced into the nearby Green River Drainage, Wyoming, where they are having negative effects on native fish species. We compared these native and introduced burbot populations to evaluate potential mechanisms that could be leading to introduction success. We examined genetic ancestry, physical habitat characteristics, community composition, and burbot abundance, relative weight, and size structure between the native and introduced range to elucidate potential differences. The origin of introduced burbot in Flaming Gorge Reservoir is most likely Boysen Reservoir and several nearby river populations in the native Wind River Drainage. Burbot populations did not show consistent differences in abundance, size structure, and relative weight between drainages, though Fontenelle Reservoir, in the introduced drainage, had the largest burbot. There were also limited environmental and community composition differences, though reservoirs in the introduced drainage had lower species richness and a higher percentage of non-native fish species than the reservoir in the native drainage. Burbot introduction in the Green River Drainage is likely an example of reservoir construction creating habitat with suitable environmental conditions to allow a southwards range expansion of this cold-water species. An understanding of the factors driving introduction success can allow better management of species, both in their introduced and native range.

Use of benthic invertebrate community structure and the sediment quality triad to evaluate metal-contaminated sediment in the upper Clark Fork River, Montana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Canfield, Timothy J.; Kemble, Nile E.; Brumbaugh, William G.; Dwyer, F. James; Ingersoll, Christopher G.; Fairchild, James F.

1994-01-01

The upper Clark Fork River, above Flathead River, is contaminated with large amounts of As, Cd, Cu, Pb, Mn, and Zn ores from past mining activities. The contaminated area extends from the Butte and Anaconda area to at least 230 km downstream to Milltown Reservoir. Both the upper Clark Fork River and Milltown Reservoir have been designated as U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Superfund sites because of metal-contaminated bottom sediments. We evaluated the impacts of past mining activities on the Clark Fork River ecosystem using benthic invertebrate community assessment, residue chemistry, and toxicity testing. Oligochaeta and Chironomidae generally accounted for over 90% of the benthic invertebrate community in the soft sediment depositional areas. Taxa of Oligochaeta and Chironomidae were predominantly pollution tolerant. Higher numbers of Chironomidae genera were present at stations with higher concentrations of metals in sediment identified as toxic by the amphipod Hyalella azteca in 28-d exposures. Frequency of mouthpart deformities in genera of Chironomidae was low and did not correspond to concentrations of metals in sediment. Total abundance of organisms/m2 did not correspond to concentrations of metals in the sediment samples. Chemical analyses, laboratory toxicity tests, and benthic community evaluations all provide evidence of metal-induced degradation to aquatic communities in both the reservoir and the river. Using a weight-of-evidence approach-the Sediment Quality Triad - provided good concurrence among measures of benthic community structure, sediment chemistry, and laboratory toxicity.

Wildlife Loss Estimates and Summary of Previous Mitigation Related to Hydroelectric Projects in Montana, Volume Three, Hungry Horse Project.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Casey, Daniel

1984-10-01

This assessment addresses the impacts to the wildlife populations and wildlife habitats due to the Hungry Horse Dam project on the South Fork of the Flathead River and previous mitigation of theses losses. In order to develop and focus mitigation efforts, it was first necessary to estimate wildlife and wildlife hatitat losses attributable to the construction and operation of the project. The purpose of this report was to document the best available information concerning the degree of impacts to target wildlife species. Indirect benefits to wildlife species not listed will be identified during the development of alternative mitigation measures. Wildlifemore » species incurring positive impacts attributable to the project were identified.« less

The 'Ahakhav Native Plant Nursery on the Colorado River Indian Reservation: Growing trees and shrubs for southwest restoration

Treesearch

Jennifer Kleffner

2002-01-01

The Colorado River Indian Reservation is located in southwestern Arizona on the California/Arizona border. On the reservation is the 'Ahakhav Tribal Preserve, located on the banks of the Lower Colorado River. On the preserve is the 'Ahakhav Native Plant Nursery, specializing in plants used for southwest riparian restoration. The nursery primarily grows native...

An experiment to control nonnative fish in the Colorado River, Grand Canyon, Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Coggins,, Lewis G.; Yard, Michael D.

2011-01-01

The humpback chub (Gila cypha) is an endangered native fish found only in the Colorado River Basin. In Grand Canyon, most humpback chub are found in the Little Colorado River and its confluence with the Colorado River. For decades, however, nonnative rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and brown trout (Salmo trutta), which prey on and compete with native fish, have dominated the Grand Canyon fish community. Between 2003 and 2006, scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey and Arizona Game and Fish Department experimentally removed 23,266 nonnative fish from a 9.4-mile-long reach of the Colorado River near where it joins the Little Colorado River. During the experiment, rainbow trout were reduced by as much as 90% and native fish abundance apparently increased in the reach. Concurrent environmental changes and a decrease in rainbow trout throughout the river make it difficult to determine if the apparent increase in native fish was the result of the experiment.

Seismic reflection study of Flathead Lake, Montana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wold, Richard J.

1982-01-01

A seismic reflection survey of Flathead Lake, Montana, was carried out in 1970 to study the geologic structure underlying the lake. Approximately 200 km of track lines were surveyed resulting in about 140 km of useable data (Fig. 1). A one cu. in. air gun was used as the energy source. Navigation was by a series of theodolite sitings of the boat from pairs of shore-based control points. 

Taxonomic status of Ligophorus mugilinus (Hargis, 1955) (Monogenea: Ancyrocephalidae), with a description of a new species of Ligophorus from Mugil cephalus (Teleostei: Mugilidae) in the Mediterranean Basin.

PubMed

Sarabeev, Volodimir Leonidovich; Balbuena, Juan Antonio; Euzet, Louis

2005-12-01

Ligophorus mugilinus was originally described on the flathead mullet Mugil cephalus from the Gulf of Mexico. The species was later recorded in the Mediterranean Sea on the flathead mullet and in the Caribbean Sea on the white mullet Mugil curema. After examination of the type material and additional specimens of Ligophorus from the northwest Atlantic coast, the Caribbean Sea, and the Mediterranean and Black Sea, we observed morphological differences concerning haptoral and male copulatory structures between L. mugilinus from the northwest Atlantic and the forms from the Mediterranean and Black Seas. Accordingly, the latter specimens are described as a new species, Ligophorus mediterraneus n. sp. A redescription of L. mugilinus, including new morphometric data, is also given. The morphometric analysis of the Caribbean specimens suggested that their ascription to L. mugilinus is uncertain, but additional material is needed to clarify their specific identity. The results of this study, together with previous zoogeographical evidence, indicate that flathead mullets from different seas harbor different species complexes of Ligophorus. Given the coastal habits of the host, it is suggested that open oceans could act as geographical barriers favoring speciation within disjointed flathead mullet populations.

Microsatellite genetic diversity and differentiation of native and introduced grass carp populations in three continents

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chapman, Duane C.; Chen, Qin; Wang, Chenghui; Zhao, Jinlian; Lu, Guoqing; Zsigmond, Jeney; Li, Si-Fa

2012-01-01

Grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella), a freshwater species native to China, has been introduced to about 100 countries/regions and poses both biological and environmental challenges to the receiving ecosystems. In this study, we analyzed genetic variation in grass carp from three introduced river systems (Mississippi River Basin in US, Danube River in Hungary, and Tone River in Japan) as well as its native ranges (Yangtze, Pearl, and Amur Rivers) in China using 21 novel microsatellite loci. The allelic richness, observed heterozygosity, and within-population gene diversity were found to be lower in the introduced populations than in the native populations, presumably due to the small founder population size of the former. Significant genetic differentiation was found between all pairwise populations from different rivers. Both principal component analysis and Bayesian clustering analysis revealed obvious genetic distinction between the native and introduced populations. Interestingly, genetic bottlenecks were detected in the Hungarian and Japanese grass carp populations, but not in the North American population, suggesting that the Mississippi River Basin grass carp has experienced rapid population expansion with potential genetic diversification during the half-century since its introduction. Consequently, the combined forces of the founder effect, introduction history, and rapid population expansion help explaining the observed patterns of genetic diversity within and among both native and introduced populations of the grass carp.

Fish stocking in protected areas: Summary of a workshop

USGS Publications Warehouse

Corn, Paul Stephen; Knapp, Roland A.

2000-01-01

Native and nonnative sport fish have been introduced into the majority of historically fishless lakes in wilderness, generating conflicts between managing wilderness as natural ecosystems and providing opportunities for recreation. Managers faced with controversial and difficult decisions about how to manage wilderness lakes may not always have ready access to research relevant to these decisions. To address this problem, and to expose scientists to the concerns and constraints of managers and wilderness users, a workshop was held in October 1998 at the Flathead Lake Biological Station in Polson, Montana. Participants included 43 scientists, state and federal managers, wilderness users and advocates and students. Four subject areas were addressed: federal, state, tribal and user perspectives, community and ecosystem effects, species effects and management recommendations. Papers from the workshop are being developed for an issue of the journal Ecosystems.

Next generation sequencing yields the complete mitochondrial genome of the flathead mullet, Mugil cephalus cryptic species NWP2 (Teleostei: Mugilidae).

PubMed

Shen, Kang-Ning; Yen, Ta-Chi; Chen, Ching-Hung; Li, Huei-Ying; Chen, Pei-Lung; Hsiao, Chung-Der

2016-05-01

In this study, the complete mitogenome sequence of Northwestern Pacific 2 (NWP2) cryptic species of flathead mullet, Mugil cephalus (Teleostei: Mugilidae) has been amplified by long-range PCR and sequenced by next-generation sequencing method. The assembled mitogenome, consisting of 16,686 bp, had the typical vertebrate mitochondrial gene arrangement, including 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNAs, 2 ribosomal RNAs genes and a non-coding control region of D-loop. D-loop was 909 bp length and was located between tRNA-Pro and tRNA-Phe. The overall base composition of NWP2 M. cephalus was 28.4% for A, 29.8% for C, 26.5% for T and 15.3% for G. The complete mitogenome may provide essential and important DNA molecular data for further phylogenetic and evolutionary analysis for flathead mullet species complex.

Significant genetic differentiation between native and introduced silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) inferred from mtDNA analysis

USGS Publications Warehouse

Li, S.-F.; Xu, J.-W.; Yang, Q.-L.; Wang, C.H.; Chapman, D.C.; Lu, G.

2011-01-01

Silver carp Hypophthalmichthys molitrix (Cyprinidae) is native to China and has been introduced to over 80 countries. The extent of genetic diversity in introduced silver carp and the genetic divergence between introduced and native populations remain largely unknown. In this study, 241 silver carp sampled from three major native rivers and two non-native rivers (Mississippi River and Danube River) were analyzed using nucleotide sequences of mitochondrial COI gene and D-loop region. A total of 73 haplotypes were observed, with no haplotype found common to all the five populations and eight haplotypes shared by two to four populations. As compared with introduced populations, all native populations possess both higher haplotype diversity and higher nucleotide diversity, presumably a result of the founder effect. Significant genetic differentiation was revealed between native and introduced populations as well as among five sampled populations, suggesting strong selection pressures might have occurred in introduced populations. Collectively, this study not only provides baseline information for sustainable use of silver carp in their native country (i.e., China), but also offers first-hand genetic data for the control of silver carp in countries (e.g., the United States) where they are considered invasive.

Invasion by stages in the St Louis River estuary

EPA Science Inventory

The St. Louis River estuary is recognized as an invasive species “hotspot” - the harbor ranks among the top locations in the Great Lakes reporting the first occurrence of new, aquatic non-native species. To date, 18 non-native benthic invertebrate, 4 non-native crusta...

Impacts of golden alga Prymnesium parvum on fish populations in reservoirs of the upper Colorado River and Brazos River basins, Texas

USGS Publications Warehouse

VanLandeghem, Matthew M.; Farooqi, Mukhtar; Farquhar, B.; Patino, Reynaldo

2013-01-01

Several reservoirs in the upper Colorado River and Brazos River basins in Texas have experienced toxic blooms of golden alga Prymnesium parvum and associated fish kills since 2001. There is a paucity of information, however, regarding the population-level effects of such kills in large reservoirs, species-specific resistance to or recovery from kills, or potential differences in the patterns of impacts among basins. We used multiple before-after, control-impact analysis to determine whether repeated golden alga blooms have led to declines in the relative abundance and size structure of fish populations. Sustained declines were noted for 9 of 12 fish species surveyed in the upper Colorado River, whereas only one of eight species was impacted by golden alga in the Brazos River. In the upper Colorado River, White Bass Morone chrysops, White Crappie Pomoxis annularis, Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides, Bluegill Lepomis macrochirus, River Carpsucker Carpiodes carpio, Freshwater Drum Aplodinotus grunniens, Channel Catfish Ictalurus punctatus, Flathead Catfish Pylodictis olivaris, and Blue Catfish I. furcatus exhibited sustained declines in relative abundance, size structure, or both; Gizzard Shad Dorosoma cepedianum, Longnose Gar Lepisosteus osseus, and Common Carp Cyprinus carpio did not exhibit those declines. In the Brazos River, only the relative abundance of Blue Catfish was impacted. Overall, toxic golden alga blooms can negatively impact fish populations over the long-term, but the patterns of impact can vary considerably among river basins and species. In the Brazos River, populations of most fish species appear to be healthy, suggesting a positive angling outlook for this basin. In the upper Colorado River, fish populations have been severely impacted, and angling opportunities have been reduced. Basin-specific management plans aimed at improving water quality and quantity will likely reduce bloom intensity and allow recovery of fish populations to the abundances and size structures present before golden alga. Received August 26, 2011; accepted November 25, 2012

Hematologic, cytochemical, ultrastructural, and molecular findings of Hepatozoon-infected flat-headed cats (Prionailurus planiceps).

PubMed

Salakij, Chaleow; Salakij, Jarernsak; Narkkong, Nual-Anong; Sirinarumitr, Theerapol; Pattanarangsan, Rattapan

2008-03-01

The flat-headed cat (Prionailurus planiceps) is a small wild cat of Southeast Asia and is considered extremely endangered. Little is known about the hematologic values, blood cell morphology, or hemoparasites of this species in relation to other Felidae. The objective of this study was to report basic hematologic values and describe the light microscopic, cytochemical, and ultrastructural characteristics of blood cells in 2 wild-caught flat-headed cats. In addition, molecular analysis was done of a Hepatozoon organism found in the neutrophils of both cats. Blood samples were collected into EDTA from the cephalic vein. A CBC, manual differential count, manual reticulocyte count, cytochemical stains (Sudan black B [SBB], alpha-naphthyl acetate esterase [ANAE], and beta-glucuronidase), and scanning and transmission electron microscopy were done using standard methods. HCT was slightly lower and reticulocyte counts and red cell distribution width were higher than the expected values for other species of cats. Hepatozoon organisms were found in the cytoplasm of neutrophils in both cats, but the number of infected neutrophils was very low (1%-2%). Neutrophils stained strongly positive for SBB, but were negative for ANAE and beta-glucuronidase. Hepatozoon-infected neutrophils were negative for SBB, but focally positive for ANAE and beta-glucuronidase. By transmission electron microscopy, gamonts of Hepatozoon sp were observed in neutrophils, and rarely free in plasma. Infected neutrophils had fewer specific granules and more mitochondria compared with noninfected neutrophils. PCR products of partial 18S rRNA revealed that the isolate of Hepatozoon in the flat-headed cats was closely related to that of the frog Hepatozoon sp. These results add to our understanding of hematologic values and blood cell morphology in Hepatozoon-infected flat-headed cats as well as the molecular analysis of the Hepatozoon organism, and may be useful for the health management and evaluation of hemoparasitic disease in this species.

Hybridization threatens shoal bass populations in the Upper Chattahoochee River Basin: Chapter 37

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dakin, Elizabeth E; Porter, Brady A.; Freeman, Byron J.; Long, James M.; Tringali, Michael D.; Long, James M.; Birdsong, Timothy W.; Allen, Micheal S.

2015-01-01

Shoal bass are native only to the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint river system of Georgia, Alabama, and Florida, and are vulnerable to extinction as a result of population fragmentation and introduction of non-native species. We assessed the genetic integrity of isolated populations of shoal bass in the upper Chattahoochee River basin (above Lake Lanier, Big Creek, and below Morgan Falls Dam) and sought to identify rates of hybridization with non-native, illegally stocked smallmouth bass and spotted bass.

Ground-water resources of Sheridan County, Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lowry, Marlin E.; Cummings, T. Ray

1966-01-01

Sheridan County is in the north-central part of Wyoming and is an area of about 2,500 square miles. The western part of the county is in the Bighorn Mountains, and the eastern part is in the Powder River structural basin. Principal streams are the Powder and Tongue Rivers, which are part of the Yellowstone River system. The climate is semiarid, and the mean annual precipitation at Sheridan is about 16 inches. Rocks of Precambrian age are exposed in the central part of the Bighorn Mountains, and successively younger rocks are exposed eastward. Rocks of Tertiary age, which are the most widespread, are exposed throughout a large part of the Powder River structural basin. Deposits of Quaternary age underlie the flood plains and terraces along the larger streams, particularly in the western part of the basin. Aquifers of pre-Tertiary age are exposed in the western part of the county, but they dip steeply and are deeply buried just a few miles east of their outcrop. Aquifers that might yield large supplies of water include the Bighorn Dolomite, Madison Limestone, Amsden Formation, and Tensleep Sandstone. The Flathead Sandstone, Sundance Formation, Morrison Formation, Cloverly Formation,. Newcastle Sandstone, Frontier Formation, Parkman Sandstone, Bearpaw Shale, .and Lance Formation may yield small or, under favorable conditions, moderate supplies of water. Few wells tap aquifers of pre-Tertiary age, and these are restricted to the outcrop area. The meager data available indicate that the water from the Lance Formation, Bearpaw Shale, Parkman Sandstone, Tensleep Sandstone and Amsden Formation, and Flathead Standstone is of suitable quality for domestic or stock purposes, and that water from the Tensleep Sandstone and Amsden Formation and the Flathead Sandstone is of good quality for irrigation. Samples could not be obtained from other aquifers of pre-Tertiary age; so the quality of water in these aquifers could not be determined. Adequate supplies of ground water for stock or domestic use can be developed throughout much of the report area from the Fort Union and Wasatch Formations of Tertiary age; larger supplies might be obtained from the coarse-grained sandstone facies of the Wasatch Formation near Moncreiffe Ridge. Four aquifer tests were made at wells tapping formations of Tertiary age, and the coefficients of permeability determined ranged from 2.5 to 7.9 gallons per day per square foot. The depths to which wells must be drilled to penetrate an aquifer differ within relatively short distances because of the lenticularity of the aquifers. Water in aquifers of Tertiary age may occur under water-table, artesian, or a combination of artesian and gas-lift conditions. Water from the Fort Union is usable for domestic purposes, but the iron and dissolved-solids content impair the quality at some localities. Water from the Fort Union Formation is not recommended for irrigation because of sodium and bicarbonate content. The water is regarded as good to fair for stock use. Water from the Wasatch Formation generally contains dissolved solids in excess of the suggested domestic standards, but this water is usable in the absence of other supplies. The development of irrigation supplies from the Wasatch Formation may be possible in some areas, but the water quality should be carefully checked. Water of good to very poor quality for stock supplies is obtained, depending upon the location. Hydrogen sulfide, commonly present in water of the Fort Union and Wasatch Formations, becomes an objectionable characteristic when the water is used for human consumption. Deposits of Quaternary age generally yield small to moderate supplies of water to wells. Two pumping tests were conducted, and the coefficients of permeability of the aquifers tested were 380 and 1,100 gallons per day per square foot. Usable supplies of ground water can be developed from the deposits of Quaternary age, principally along the valleys of perennial strea

South Fork Flathead Watershed Westslope Cutthroat Trout Conservation Program, Annual Report 2002.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Grisak, Grant; Marotz, Brian

2003-06-01

In 1999, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (MFWP) began a program aimed at conserving the genetically pure populations of westslope cutthroat trout in the South Fork Flathead River drainage. The objective of this program is to eliminate all of the exotic and hybrid trout that threaten the genetically pure westslope cutthroat populations in the South Fork Flathead. The exotic and hybrid trout populations occur in several headwater lakes and their outflow streams. In 2001 MFWP released a draft environmental assessment, pursuant to the Montana Environmental Policy Act (MEPA), that addressed the use of motorized equipment to deliver personnel and materialsmore » to some of these lakes in the Bob Marshall and Great Bear Wildernesses (Grisak 2001). After a 30-day public comment period, MFWP determined that the complexity of issues was too great and warranted a more detailed analysis. These issues included transportation options for personnel, equipment and materials, the use of motorized equipment in wilderness, fish removal methods, fish stocking, and the status and distribution of amphibian populations in the project area. Because the program also involves the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), the environmental analysis needs to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). In October 2001, pursuant to NEPA, MFWP, along with the USFS and BPA initiated an environmental assessment to address these issues. In June 2002, the three agencies determined that the scope of these issues warranted an Environmental Impact Statement. This specialist report describes the logistical, technical and biological issues associated with this project and provides an analysis of options for fish removal, transportation and fish stocking. It further analyzes issues and concerns associated with amphibian populations and creating new domesticated stocks of westslope cutthroat trout. Finally, this document provides a description of each lake, the best method of fish removal that would achieve the goals of the project, logistics for carrying out the fish removal, and the immediate management direction for each lake following fish removal. The USFS is preparing a specialist report detailing land management issues that relate to National Forest, designated Hiking Areas, and Wilderness. Information from these two documents will be used by BPA to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement.« less

Analyses of native water, bottom material, and elutriate samples of southern Louisiana waterways, 1977-78

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dupuy, Alton J.; Couvillion, Nolan P.

1979-01-01

From March 1977 to July 1978 the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers conducted a series of elutriate studies to determine water quality in selected reaches of major navigable waterways of southern Louisiana. Sample were collected from the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet areas; Mississippi River, South Pass; Baptiste Collette Bayou; Tiger Pass area; Baou Long; Bayou Barataria and Barataria Bay Waterway area (gulf section); Bayou Segnette Waterway, Lake Pontchartrain near Tangipahoa River mouth; Bayou Grand Caillou; Bayou la Carpe at Homa; Houma Navigation Canal and Terrebonne Bay; Bayou Boeuf, Bayou Chene, and Baou Black, Atchafalaya River Channel, Atchafalaya Bay; Old River Lock tailbay; Red River below mouth of Black River; Freshwaer Canal; Mermentau River and Lake Arthur Mermentau River outlet; and Calcasieu Ship Channel. The studies were initiated at the request of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to evaluate possible environmental effects of proposed dredging activities in those waterways. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. Geological Survey collected 189 samples of native water and 172 samples of bottom (bed) material from 163 different sites. A total of 117 elutriates (Mixtures of native water and bottom material) were prepared. The native water and elutriate samples were analyzed for selected metals, pesticides, nutrients organics, and pysical constituents. Particle-size determinations were made on bottom-material samples. (Kosco-USGS)

The Influence of the Disturbed Continuity of the River and the Invasive Species--Potamopyrgus antipodarum (Gray, 1843), Gammarus tigrinus (Sexton, 1939) on Benthos Fauna: A Case Study on Urban Area in the River Ruda (Poland).

PubMed

Spyra, Aneta; Kubicka, Justyna; Strzelec, Małgorzata

2015-07-01

The progressive degradation of aquatic ecosystems and ecohydrological role of rivers is one of the most important global environmental issues. The loss of the ability of rivers to self-purify waters due to the disturbances of river continuity cause a lack of biological life in parts of rivers or even in an entire river. The appearance of alien species in degraded aquatic environments is an increasingly common phenomenon and constitutes one of the threats to biodiversity. The aim of the study was to evaluate the possible impact of alien species Potamopyrgus antipodarum (Gray, 1843) and Gammarus tigrinus (Sexton, 1939) on native invertebrates as well as the influence of environmental factors on the occurrence benthos fauna including also alien species. The study conducted in industrial area, in the River Ruda (Poland), showed that at the sites at which the occurrence of the two alien species was observed, the density of native benthos and diversity decreased significantly. CCA analysis showed that non-native species occurred in fast water velocity and that their presence was associated with high values of conductivity, hardness, and a high chloride content. The arrival of new species from other geographical areas is one of the factors that influences the species balance in native aquatic fauna. The number of alien species in freshwater ecosystems probably will increase in the future as new aliens are moved outside of their native ranges.

The Influence of the Disturbed Continuity of the River and the Invasive Species— Potamopyrgus antipodarum (Gray, 1843), Gammarus tigrinus (Sexton, 1939) on Benthos Fauna: A Case Study on Urban Area in the River Ruda (Poland)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spyra, Aneta; Kubicka, Justyna; Strzelec, Małgorzata

2015-07-01

The progressive degradation of aquatic ecosystems and ecohydrological role of rivers is one of the most important global environmental issues. The loss of the ability of rivers to self-purify waters due to the disturbances of river continuity cause a lack of biological life in parts of rivers or even in an entire river. The appearance of alien species in degraded aquatic environments is an increasingly common phenomenon and constitutes one of the threats to biodiversity. The aim of the study was to evaluate the possible impact of alien species Potamopyrgus antipodarum (Gray, 1843) and Gammarus tigrinus (Sexton, 1939) on native invertebrates as well as the influence of environmental factors on the occurrence benthos fauna including also alien species. The study conducted in industrial area, in the River Ruda (Poland), showed that at the sites at which the occurrence of the two alien species was observed, the density of native benthos and diversity decreased significantly. CCA analysis showed that non-native species occurred in fast water velocity and that their presence was associated with high values of conductivity, hardness, and a high chloride content. The arrival of new species from other geographical areas is one of the factors that influences the species balance in native aquatic fauna. The number of alien species in freshwater ecosystems probably will increase in the future as new aliens are moved outside of their native ranges.

River flooding and its impacts on large-scale biocontrol of Tamarix in the Colorado and Virgin River system: Moving targets and trajectories

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Along riparian corridors throughout the arid and semiarid regions of the western United States, non-native shrubs and trees in the genus Tamarix have replaced native vegetation. Plant communities along rivers with altered flow regimes and flood control have become particularly vulnerable to widespre...

Saltcedar control and water salvage on the Pecos River, Texas, 1999 to 2003

Treesearch

Charles R. Hart; Larry D. White; Alyson McDonald; Zhuping Sheng

2007-01-01

A large scale ecosystem restoration program was initiated in 1997 on the Pecos River in western Texas. Saltcedar (Tamarix spp.), a non-native invasive tree, had created a near monoculture along the banks of the river by replacing most native vegetation. Local irrigation districts, private landowners, federal and state agencies, and private industry...

Proceedings of the Colorado River Basin Science and Resource Management Symposium, November 18-20, 2008, Scottsdale, Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Melis, Theodore S.; Hamill, John F.; Bennett, Glenn E.; Coggins,, Lewis G.; Grams, Paul E.; Kennedy, Theodore A.; Kubly, Dennis M.; Ralston, Barbara E.

2010-01-01

Since the 1980s, four major science and restoration programs have been developed for the Colorado River Basin to address primarily the conservation of native fish and other wildlife pursuant to the Endangered Species Act (ESA): (1) Recovery Implementation Program for Endangered Fish Species in the Upper Colorado River Basin (commonly called the Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program) (1988); (2) San Juan River Basin Recovery Implementation Program (1992); (3) Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program (1997); and (4) Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program (2005). Today, these four programs, the efforts of which span the length of the Colorado River, have an increasingly important influence on water management and resource conservation in the basin. The four efforts involve scores of State, Federal, and local agencies; Native American Tribes; and diverse stakeholder representatives. The programs have many commonalities, including similar and overlapping goals and objectives; comparable resources and threats to those resources; and common monitoring, research, and restoration strategies. In spite of their commonalities, until recently there had been no formal opportunity for information exchange among the programs. To address this situation, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) worked in coordination with the four programs and numerous Federal and State agencies to organize the first Colorado River Basin Science and Resource Management Symposium, which took place in Scottsdale, AZ, in November 2008. The symposium's primary purpose was to promote an exchange of information on research and management activities related to the restoration and conservation of the Colorado River and its major tributaries. A total of 283 managers, scientists, and stakeholders attended the 3-day symposium, which included 87 presentations and 27 posters. The symposium featured plenary talks by experts on a variety of topics, including overviews of the four restoration programs, water-management actions aimed at restoring native fish habitat, climate change, assessments of the status of native and nonnative fish populations, and Native American perspectives. Intermixed with plenary talks were four concurrent technical sessions that addressed the following important topics: (1) effects of dam and reservoir operations on downstream physical and biological resources; (2) native fish propagation and genetic management and associated challenges in co-managing native and nonnative fish in the Colorado River; (3) monitoring program design, case studies, and links to management; and (4) riparian system restoration, monitoring, and exotic species control efforts.

A screening-level assessment of lead, cadmium, and zinc in fish and crayfish from northeastern Oklahoma, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schmitt, C.J.; Brumbaugh, W.G.; Linder, G.L.; Hinck, J.E.

2006-01-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate potential human and ecological risks associated with metals in fish and crayfish from mining in the Tri-States Mining District (TSMD). Crayfish (Orconectes spp.) and fish of six frequently consumed species (common carp, Cyprinus carpio; channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus; flathead catfish, Pylodictis olivaris; largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides; spotted bass, M. punctulatus; and white crappie, Pomoxis annularis) were collected in 2001-2002 from the Oklahoma waters of the Spring River (SR) and Neosho River (NR), which drain the TSMD. Samples from a mining-contaminated site in eastern Missouri and from reference sites were also analyzed. Individual fish were prepared for human consumption in the manner used locally by Native Americans (headed, eviscerated, and scaled) and analyzed for lead, cadmium, and zinc. Whole crayfish were analyzed as composite samples of 5-60 animals. Metals concentrations were typically higher in samples from sites most heavily affected by mining and lowest in reference samples. Within the TSMD, most metals concentrations were higher at sites on the SR than on the NR and were typically highest in common carp and crayfish than in other taxa. Higher concentrations and greater risk were associated with fish and crayfish from heavily contaminated SR tributaries than the SR or NR mainstems. Based on the results of this and previous studies, the human consumption of carp and crayfish could be restricted based on current criteria for lead, cadmium, and zinc, and the consumption of channel catfish could be restricted due to lead. Metals concentrations were uniformly low in Micropterus spp. and crappie and would not warrant restriction, however. Some risk to carnivorous avian wildlife from lead and zinc in TSMD fish and invertebrates was also indicated, as was risk to the fish themselves. Overall, the wildlife assessment is consistent with previously reported biological effects attributed to metals from the TSMD. The results demonstrate the potential for adverse effects in fish, wildlife, and humans and indicate that further investigation of human health and ecological risks, to include additional exposure pathways and endpoints, is warranted. ?? Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2006.

Fish assemblage structure and habitat associations in a large western river system

USGS Publications Warehouse

Smith, C.D.; Quist, Michael C.; Hardy, R. S.

2016-01-01

Longitudinal gradients of fish assemblage and habitat structure were investigated in the Kootenai River of northern Idaho. A total of 43 500-m river reaches was sampled repeatedly with several techniques (boat-mounted electrofishing, hoop nets and benthic trawls) in the summers of 2012 and 2013. Differences in habitat and fish assemblage structure were apparent along the longitudinal gradient of the Kootenai River. Habitat characteristics (e.g. depth, substrate composition and water velocity) were related to fish assemblage structure in three different geomorphic river sections. Upper river sections were characterized by native salmonids (e.g. mountain whitefish Prosopium williamsoni), whereas native cyprinids (peamouth Mylocheilus caurinus, northern pikeminnow Ptychocheilus oregonensis) and non-native fishes (pumpkinseed Lepomis gibbosus, yellow perch Perca flavescens) were common in the downstream section. Overall, a general pattern of species addition from upstream to downstream sections was discovered and is likely related to increased habitat complexity and additions of non-native species in downstream sections. Assemblage structure of the upper sections were similar, but were both dissimilar to the lower section of the Kootenai River. Species-specific hurdle regressions indicated the relationships among habitat characteristics and the predicted probability of occurrence and relative abundance varied by species. Understanding fish assemblage structure in relation to habitat could improve conservation efforts of rare fishes and improve management of coldwater river systems.

Natural flow regimes, nonnative fishes, and native fish persistence in arid-land river systems.

PubMed

Propst, David L; Gido, Keith B; Stefferud, Jerome A

2008-07-01

Escalating demands for water have led to substantial modifications of river systems in arid regions, which coupled with the widespread invasion of nonnative organisms, have increased the vulnerability of native aquatic species to extirpation. Whereas a number of studies have evaluated the role of modified flow regimes and nonnative species on native aquatic assemblages, few have been conducted where the compounding effects of modified flow regimes and established nonnatives do not confound interpretations, particularly at spatial and temporal scales that are relevant to conservation of species at a range-wide level. By evaluating a 19-year data set across six sites in the relatively unaltered upper Gila River basin, New Mexico, USA, we tested how natural flow regimes and presence of nonnative species affected long-term stability of native fish assemblages. Overall, we found that native fish density was greatest during a wet period at the beginning of our study and declined during a dry period near the end of the study. Nonnative fishes, particularly predators, generally responded in opposite directions to these climatic cycles. Our data suggested that chronic presence of nonnative fishes, coupled with naturally low flows reduced abundance of individual species and compromised persistence of native fish assemblages. We also found that a natural flow regime alone was unlikely to ensure persistence of native fish assemblages. Rather, active management that maintains natural flow regimes while concurrently suppressing or excluding nonnative fishes from remaining native fish strongholds is critical to conservation of native fish assemblages in a system, such as the upper Gila River drainage, with comparatively little anthropogenic modification.

Modeling the response of native steelhead to hatchery supplementation programs in an Idaho River

USGS Publications Warehouse

Byrne, Alan; Bjornn, T.C.; McIntyre, J.D.

1993-01-01

A life history model was used to predict the response of native steelhead Oncorhynchus mykiss in the Lochsa River, Idaho, to long-term supplementation with hatchery fry and smolts. The four key factors affecting the response of the native fish to a stocking program were (1) the number of native spawners, (2) the number of stocked fish, (3) the number and fitness of progeny from stocked fish, and (4) the amount of mating between hatchery and native fish. Long-term stocking of fry or smolts led to the extinction of native fish in some scenarios. The model can be used to help assess the risks and benefits of proposed stocking programs.

Artesian pressures and water quality in Paleozoic aquifers in the Ten Sleep area of the Bighorn Basin, north-central Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cooley, Maurice E.

1986-01-01

The major Paleozoic artesian aquifers, the aquifers most favorable for continued development, in the Ten Sleep area of the Bighorn Basin of Wyoming are the Tensleep Sandstone, the Madison Limestone and Bighorn Dolomite (Madison-Bighorn aquifer), and the Flathead Sandstone. The minor aquifers include the Goose Egg and Park City Formations (considered in the Ten Sleep area to be the lateral equivalent of the Phosphoria Formation) and the Amsden Formation. Most wells completed in the major and minor aquifers flow at the land surface. Wellhead pressures generally are less than 50 pounds per square inch for the Tensleep Sandstone, 150-250 pounds per square inch for the Madison-Bighorn aquifer, and more than 400 pounds per square inch for the Flathead Sandstone. Flowing wells completed in the Madison-Bighorn aquifer and the Flathead Sandstone yield more than 1,000 gallons per minute. The initial test of one well completed in the Madison-Bighorn aquifer indicated a flow rate of 14,000 gallons per minute. Transmissivities range from 500 to 1,900 feet squared per day for the Madison-Bighorn aquifer and from about 90 to 325 feet squared per day for the Tensleep and Flathead Sandstones. Significant secondary permeability from fracturing in the Paleozoic aquifers allows local upward interformational movement of water, and this affects the altitude of the potentiometric surfaces of the Tensleep Sandstone and the Madison-Bighorn aquifer. Water moves upward from the Tensleep and other formations, through the Goose Egg Formation, to discharge at the land surface as springs. Much of the spring flow is diverted for irrigation or is used for rearing fish. Decreases from original well pressures were not apparent in wells completed in the Tensleep Sandstone or in the Madison-Bighorn aquifer in the study area except for a few wells in or near the town of Ten Sleep. Most wells completed in the Flathead Sandstone, which also are open to the Madison-Bighorn aquifer, show a decrease of pressure from the time of completion to 1978. The decrease of pressure is partly the result of water moving from the Flathead Sandstone into the Madison-Bighorn aquifer, which has a lower potentiometric surface than does the Flathead Sandstone, even during the time the wells are not in operation. Pressure in some small-capacity wells completed in the Goose Egg Formation also has decreased near Ten Sleep. Most of the wells, particularly the irrigation wells, show a progressive decrease in pressure during the irrigation season but recover during periods of nonuse. Measurements of the pressure were made principally in 1953, 1962, 1970, and 1975-78. Well water from the Paleozoic aquifers generally contains minimal concentrations of dissolved solids and individual constituents but excessive hardness. Dissolved-solids concentrations of water are less than 300 milligrams per liter in the Tensleep Sandstone and the Madison-Bighorn aquifer, less than 200 milligrams per liter in the Flathead Sandstone, and as much as 450 milligrams per liter in the Goose Egg Formation. Bicarbonate is the major constituent, followed by calcium and magnesium. Relatively large concentrations of sulfate, as much as 490 milligrams per liter, were found, mainly in water from the Goose Egg Formation. The water has low sodium (alkali) and medium salinity; therefore, the water is satisfactory for irrigation and most other uses, if excessive hardness is not a detrimental factor. Wellhead temperatures range from 11 ? to 27.5 ? Celsius (51 ? to 81.5 ? Fahrenheit) within a range in depth of approximately 250 to 4,000 feet. This gives a geothermal gradient of about 0.44 ? Celsius per 100 feet (0.79 ? Fahrenheit per 100 feet).

Genomic replacement of native Cobitis lutheri with introduced C. tetralineata through a hybrid swarm following the artificial connection of river systems

PubMed Central

Kwan, Ye-Seul; Ko, Myeong-Hun; Won, Yong-Jin

2014-01-01

River connections via artificial canals will bring about secondary contacts between previously isolated fish species. Here, we present a genetic consequence of such a secondary contact between Cobitis fish species, C. lutheri in the Dongjin River, and C. tetralineata in the Seomjin River in Korea. The construction of water canals about 80 years ago has unidirectionally introduced C. tetralineata into the native habitat of C. lutheri, and then these species have hybridized in the main stream section of the Dongjin River. According to the divergence population genetic analyses of DNA sequence data, the two species diverged about 3.3 million years ago, which is interestingly coincident with the unprecedented paleoceanographic change that caused isolations of the paleo-river systems in northeast Asia due to sea-level changes around the late Pliocene. Multilocus genotypic data of nine microsatellites and three nuclear loci revealed an extensively admixed structure in the hybrid zone with a high proportion of various post-F1 hybrids. Surprisingly, pure native C. lutheri was absent in the hybrid zone in contrast to the 7% of pure C. tetralineata. Such a biased proportion must have resulted from the dominant influence of continually introducing C. tetralineata on the native C. lutheri which has no supply of natives from other tributaries to the hybrid zone due to numerous low-head dams. In addition, mating experiments indicated that there is no discernible reproductive isolation between them. All the results suggest that the gene pool of native C. lutheri is being rapidly replaced by that of continually introducing C. tetralineata through a hybrid swarm for the last 80 years, which will ultimately lead to the genomic extinction of natives in this hybrid zone. PMID:24834340

RED SHINER INVASION OF THE UPPER COOSA RIVER SYSTEM: DYNAMICS AND ECOLOGICAL CONSEQUENCES

EPA Science Inventory

The red shiner (Cyprinella lutrensis) has been widely introduced across 11 states outside its native range, presumably through bait-bucket and aquarium releases. Its native range includes Great Plain and Central Lowland tributaries of the Mississippi River and western Coastal Pla...

Ecohydrological index, native fish, and climate trends and relationships in the Kansas River basin

EPA Science Inventory

This study sought to quantify climatological and hydrological trends and their relationship to presence and distribution of two native aquatic species in the Kansas River Basin over the past half century. Trend analyses were applied to indicators of hydrologic alteration (IHAs) ...

Native and European haplotypes of Phragmites Australis (common reed) in the central Platte River, Nebraska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Larson, D.L.; Galatowitsch, S.M.; Larson, J.L.

2011-01-01

Phragmites australis (common reed) is known to have occurred along the Platte River historically, but recent rapid increases in both distribution and density have begun to impact habitat for migrating sandhill cranes and nesting piping plovers and least terns. Invasiveness in Phragmites has been associated with the incursion of a European genotype (haplotype M) in other areas; determining the genotype of Phragmites along the central Platte River has implications for proper management of the river system. In 2008 we sampled Phragmites patches along the central Platte River from Lexington to Chapman, NE, stratified by bridge segments, to determine the current distribution of haplotype E (native) and haplotype M genotypes. In addition, we did a retrospective analysis of historical Phragmites collections from the central Platte watershed (1902-2006) at the Bessey Herbarium. Fresh tissue from the 2008 survey and dried tissue from the herbarium specimens were classified as haplotype M or E using the restriction fragment length polymorphism procedure. The European haplotype was predominant in the 2008 samples: only 14 Phragmites shoots were identified as native haplotype E; 224 were non-native haplotype M. The retrospective analysis revealed primarily native haplotype individuals. Only collections made in Lancaster County, near Lincoln, NE, were haplotype M, and the earliest of these was collected in 1973. ?? 2011 Copyright by the Center for Great Plains Studies, University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Antibiotic resistance of native and faecal bacteria isolated from rivers, reservoirs and sewage treatment facilities in Victoria, south-eastern Australia.

PubMed

Boon, P I; Cattanach, M

1999-03-01

The incidence of resistance to ampicillin, chloramphenicol, kanamycin, nalidixic acid, neomycin and streptomycin was significantly greater (P < 0.001) in native heterotrophic bacteria than in Escherichia coli isolated from a range of sites along the Yarra River in south-eastern Australia. There was no significant difference in the incidence of resistance between native and faecal bacteria to tetracycline. Both groups were almost totally resistant to penicillin. Multivariate analyses indicated little clear spatial pattern in the incidence of resistance in native bacteria from upstream vs downstream sites along the Yarra River. In contrast, E. coli isolated from upstream (rural) sites tended to have a lower incidence of resistance than isolates from downstream (urban) sites. These findings have implications for the use of antibiotic resistance as a bacteriological water quality parameter.

Genetic and Phenotypic Catalog of Native Resident Trout of the interior Columbia River Basin : FY-2001 Report : Populations in the Wenatchee, Entiat, Lake Chelan and Methow River Drainages.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Trotter, Patrick C.

2001-10-01

The 1994 Fish and Wildlife Program of the Northwest Power Planning Council specifies the recovery and preservation of population health of native resident fishes of the Columbia River Basin. Among the native resident species of concern are interior rainbow trout of the Columbia River redband subspecies Oncorhynchus mykiss gairdneri 1 and westslope cutthroat trout O. clarki lewisi. The westslope cutthroat trout has been petitioned for listing under the U. S. Endangered Species Act (American Wildlands et al. 1997). Before at-risk populations can be protected, their presence and status must be established. Where introgression from introduced species is a concern, asmore » in the case of both westslope cutthroat trout and redband rainbow trout, genetic issues must be addressed as well. As is true with native trout elsewhere in the western United States (Behnke 1992), most of the remaining pure populations of these species in the Columbia River Basin are in relatively remote headwater reaches. The objective of this project was to photo-document upper Columbia Basin native resident trout populations in Washington, and to ascertain their species or subspecies identity and relative genetic purity using a nonlethal DNA technique. FY-2001 was year three (and final year) of a project in which we conducted field visits to remote locations to seek out and catalog these populations. In FY-2001 we worked in collaboration with the Wenatchee National Forest to catalog populations in the Wenatchee, Entiat, Lake Chelan, and Methow River drainages of Washington State.« less

Effect of the Operation of Kerr and Hungry Horse Dams on the Reproductive Success of Kokanee in the Flathead System; Technical Addendum to the Final Report.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Beattie, Will; Tohtz, Joel

1990-03-01

This addendum to the Final Report presents results of research on the zooplankton and fish communities of Flathead Lade. The intent of the Study has been to identify the impacts of hydroelectric operations at Kerr and Hungry Horse Dam on the reproductive success of kokanee an to propose mitigation for these impacts. Recent changes in the trophic ecology of the lake, have reduced the survival of kokanee. In the last three year the Study has been redirected to identify, if possible, the biological mechanisms which now limit kokanee survival, and to test methods of enhancing the kokanee fishery by artificialmore » supplementation. These studies were necessary to the formulation of mitigation plans. The possibility of successfully rehabilitating the kokanee population, is the doubt because of change in the trophic ecology of the system. This report first presents the results of studies of the population dynamics of crustacean zooplankton, upon which planktivorous fish depend. A modest effort was directed to measuring the spawning escapement of kokanee in 1988. Because of its relevance to the study, we also report assessments of 1989 kokanee spawning escapement. Hydroacoustic assessment of the abundance of all fish species in Flathead Lake was conducted in November, 1988. Summary of the continued efforts to document the growth rates and food habits of kokanee and lake whitefish are included in this report. Revised kokanee spawning and harvest estimates, and management implications of the altered ecology of Flathead Lake comprise the final sections of this addendum. 83 refs., 20 figs., 25 tabs.« less

An evaluation of agreement between pectoral spines and otoliths for estimating ages of catfishes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Olive, J.A.; Schramm, Harold; Gerard, Patrick D.; Irwin, E.

2011-01-01

Otoliths have been shown to provide more accurate ages than pectoral spine sections for several catfish populations; but sampling otoliths requires euthanizing the specimen, whereas spines can be sampled non-lethally. To evaluate whether, and under what conditions, spines provide the same or similar age estimates as otoliths, we examined data sets of individual fish aged from pectoral spines and otoliths for six blue catfish Ictalurus furcatus populations (n=420), 14 channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus populations (n=997), and 10 flathead catfish Pylodictus olivaris populations (n=947) from lotic and lentic waters throughout the central and eastern U.S. Logistic regression determined that agreement between ages estimated from otoliths and spines was consistently related to age, but inconsistently related to growth rate. When modeled at mean growth rate, we found at least 80% probability of no difference in spine- and otolith-assigned ages up to ages 4 and 5 for blue and channel catfish, respectively. For flathead catfish, an 80% probability of agreement between spine- and otolith-assigned ages did not occur at any age due to high incidence of differences in assigned ages even for age-1 fish. Logistic regression models predicted at least 80% probability that spine and otolith ages differed by ≤1 year up to ages 13, 16, and 9 for blue, channel, and flathead catfish, respectively. Age-bias assessment found mean spine-assigned age differed by less than 1 year from otolith-assigned age up to ages 19, 9, and 17 for blue catfish, channel catfish, and flathead catfish, respectively. These results can be used to help guide decisions about which structure is most appropriate for estimating catfish ages for particular populations and management objectives.

Preliminary synthesis and assessment of environmental flows in the middle Verde River watershed, Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Paretti, Nicholas; Brasher, Anne M. D.; Pearlstein, Susanna L.; Skow, Dena M.; Gungle, Bruce W.; Garner, Bradley D.

2018-05-15

A 3-year study was undertaken to evaluate the suitability of the available modeling tools for characterizing environmental flows in the middle Verde River watershed of central Arizona, describe riparian vegetation throughout the watershed, and estimate sediment mobilization in the river. Existing data on fish and macroinvertebrates were analyzed in relation to basin characteristics, flow regimes, and microhabitat, and a pilot study was conducted that sampled fish and macroinvertebrates and the microhabitats in which they were found. The sampling for the pilot study took place at five different locations in the middle Verde River watershed. This report presents the results of this 3-year study. The Northern Arizona Groundwater Flow Model (NARGFM) was found to be capable of predicting long-term changes caused by alteration of regional recharge (such as may result from climate variability) and groundwater pumping in gaining, losing, and dry reaches of the major streams in the middle Verde River watershed. Over the period 1910 to 2006, the model simulated an increase in dry reaches, a small increase in reaches losing discharge to the groundwater aquifer, and a concurrent decrease in reaches gaining discharge from groundwater. Although evaluations of the suitability of using the NARGFM and Basin Characteristic Model to characterize various streamflow intervals showed that smallerscale basin monthly runoff could be estimated adequately at locations of interest, monthly stream-flow estimates were found unsatisfactory for determining environmental flows.Orthoimagery and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer data were used to quantify stream and riparian vegetation properties related to biotic habitat. The relative abundance of riparian vegetation varied along the main channel of the Verde River. As would be expected, more upland plant species and fewer lowland species were found in the upper-middle section compared to the lower-middle section, and vice-versa. Vegetation changes within the upper-middle and lower-middle reaches are related to differences in climate and hydrology. In general, the riparian vegetation of the middle Verde River watershed is that of a healthy ecosystem’s mixed age, mixed patch structure, likely a result of the mostly unaltered disturbance regime.The frequency of in-river hydrogeomorphic features (pool, riffle, run) varied along the middle Verde River channel. There was a greater abundance of riffle habitat in the upper-middle reach; the lower-middle reach included more pool habitat. The Oak Creek tributary was more homogenous in geomorphic stream habitat composition than West Clear Creek, where runs dominated the upper reaches and pools dominated many of the lower reaches.On the basis of the period of record and discharges recorded at 15-minute intervals, five flows were found to reach the gravel-transport threshold. Sediment mobilization computed with flows averaged over daily time steps yielded just three flows that reached the gravel-transport threshold, and monthly averaged flows yielded none. In the middle Verde River watershed, 15-minute data should be used when possible to evaluate sediment transport in the river system.Data from more than 300 fish surveys conducted from 1992 to 2011 were analyzed using two schemes, one that divided the river into five reaches based on basin characteristics, and a second that divided the river into five reaches based on degree of flow alteration (specifically, diversions). Fish community metrics and assemblage data were used to analyze patterns of species composition and abundance in the two approaches. Overall, native and non-native species were regularly interacting and probably competing for similar resources. Fish abundances were also analyzed in response to floods and other flow metrics. Although the data are limited, native fish abundances increased more rapidly than non-native fish abundances in response to large floods. The basin-characteristic reach analysis showed native fish in greater abundance in the upper-middle reaches of the Verde River watershed and generally decreasing with downstream distance. The median relative abundance of native fish decreased by 50 percent from reach 1 to reach 5. Using the reach scheme based on degree of flow alteration, nondiverted reaches were found to have a greater abundance of native fish than diverted reaches. In heavily diverted reaches, non-native species outnumbered native species.Fish metrics and stream-flow metrics for the 30, 90, and 365-day periods before collection were computed and the results analyzed statistically. Only abundance of all fish species was associated with the 30-day flow metrics. The 90-day flow metrics were generally positively associated with fish metrics, whereas the 365-day flow metrics had more negative correlations. In particular, significant relations were found between fish metrics and the magnitude and frequency of high flows, including maximum monthly flow, median annual number of high-flow events, and median annual maximum streamflow. Native sucker (Catostomidae) populations tended to decrease in periods of extended base flow, and fish in the non-native sunfish family (Centrarchidae) decreased in periods of flashy, high magnitude flows.A pilot study surveyed fish at five locations in the upper part of the middle Verde River watershed as a means to measure microhabitat availability and quantify native and non-native fish use of that available microhabitat. Results indicated that native and non-native species exhibit some clear differences in microhabitat use. Although at least some native and non-native fish were found in each velocity, depth, and substrate category, preferential microhabitat use was common. On a percentage basis, non-native species had a strong preference for slow-moving and deeper water with silt and sand substrate, with a secondary preference for faster moving and very shallow water and a coarse gravel substrate. Native species showed a general preference for somewhat faster, moderate depth water over coarse gravel and had no clear secondary preference.Macroinvertebrate-variables index period, high-flow year, and collection location (upper-middle Verde River, lowermiddle Verde River, or Verde River tributaries) were found to be important explanatory variables in differentiating among community metrics. Overall richness (number of unique taxa), Shannon’s diversity index, and the percent of the most dominant taxa were all highly correlated, but their response to each macroinvertebrate variable was different. The percentage of mayfly (order Ephemeroptera) taxa was significantly higher in Oak Creek and the upper-middle and lower-middle Verde River reaches, locations which have higher flows and more urbanization than other reaches. When community metrics were related to hydrologic metrics, caddisfly (order Trichoptera) populations appeared to increase and mayfly populations to decrease in response to less flashy and more stable streamflows. Conversely, caddisfly populations appeared to decrease and mayfly populations to increase in response to greater flow variability.Six locations along the Verde River were sampled for macroinvertebrates as part of a pilot study associated with this report—(1) below Granite Creek, (2) near Campbell Ranch, (3) at the U.S. Geological Survey Paulden gage, (4) at the Perkinsville Bridge, (5) at the USGS Clarkdale gage, and (6) near the Reitz Ranch property. A nonmetric multidimensional scaling ordination of macroinvertebrate assemblages showed that the Verde River below Granite Creek site was different from the five other sites and that the Perkinsville Bridge and near Reitz Ranch samples had similar community structure. The near Campbell Ranch and Paulden gage locations had similar microhabitat characteristics, with the exception of riparian cover, yet the assemblage structure was very different. The different community composition at Verde River below Granite Creek was likely due to it having the smallest substrate sizes, lowest velocities, shallowest depths, and most riparian cover of the six sites.

Lost, a desert river and its native fishes: A historical perspective of the lower Colorado River

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mueller, Gordon A.; Marsh, Paul C.

2002-01-01

The Colorado River had one of the most unique fish communities in the world. Seventy-five percent of those species were found no where else in the world. Settlement of the lower basin brought dramatic changes to both the river and its native fish. Those changes began more than 120 years ago as settlers began stocking nonnative fishes. By 1930, nonnative fish had spread throughout the lower basin and replaced native communities. All resemblance of historic river conditions faded with the construction of Hoover Dam in 1935 and other large water development projects. Today, few remember what the Colorado River was really like. Seven of the nine mainstream fishes are now federally protected as endangered. Federal and state agencies are attempting to recover these fish; however, progress has been frustrated due to the severity of human impact. This report presents testimony, old descriptions, and photographs describing the changes that have taken place in hopes that it will provide managers, biologists, and the interested public a better appreciation of the environment that shaped these unique fish.

Invasive sweetclover (Melilotus alba) impacts native seeding recruitment along floodplains of interior Alaska

Treesearch

Blaine T. Spellman; Tricia L. Wurtz

2011-01-01

Sweetclover (Melilotus alba) is a nonnative legume that has formed dense and extensive patches along several rivers in Alaska. Our research objective was to determine if sweetclover impacts recruitment of native seedlings in floodplain habitats. To determine if sweetclover impacted recruitment, we conducted a removal experiment along two rivers in...

Summer distribution and species richness of non-native fishes in the mainstem Willamette River, oregon, 1944-2006

EPA Science Inventory

We reviewed the results of seven extensive and two reach-specific fish surveys conducted on the mainstem Willamette River between 1944 and 2006 to document changes in the summer distribution and species richness of non-native fishes through time and the relative abundances of the...

Changes in native bull trout and non-native brook trout distributions in the upper Powder River basin after 20 years, relationships to water temperature and implications of climate change

Treesearch

Philip J. Howell

2017-01-01

Many bull trout populations have declined from non-native brook trout introductions, habitat changes (e.g. water temperature) and other factors. We systematically sampled the distribution of bull trout and brook trout in the upper Powder River basin in Oregon in the 1990s and resampled it in 2013–2015, examined temperature differences in the habitats of the two species...

Species- and tissue-specific mercury bioaccumulation in five fish species from Laizhou Bay in the Bohai Sea of China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Jinhu; Cao, Liang; Huang, Wei; Dou, Shuozeng

2013-05-01

Mercury (Hg) concentrations in the tissues (muscle, stomach, liver, gills, skin, and gonads) of five fish species (mullet Liza ha em atocheil us, flathead fish Platycephalus indicus, sea bass Lateolabrax japonic u s, mackerel Scomberomorus niphonius and silver pomfret Pampus argenteus) collected from Laizhou Bay in the Bohai Sea of China were investigated. The results indicate that Hg bioaccumulation in the five fish was tissue-specific, with the highest levels in the muscle and liver, followed by the stomach and gonads. The lowest levels were found in the gills and skin. Fish at higher trophic levels (flathead fish and sea bass) exhibited higher Hg concentrations than consumers at lower trophic levels. Mercury bioaccumulation tended to be positively correlated with fish length in mullet, silver pomfret, mackerel, and flathead fish, but was negatively correlated with fish length in sea bass. The Hg concentrations in the muscles of all fish species in Laizhou Bay were within the permissible limits of food safety set by national and international criteria. However, the suggesting maximum consumption of sea bass is 263 g per week for human health.

Comparing ecohydrological processes in alien vs. native ranges: perspectives from the endangered shrub Myricaria germanica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michielon, Bruno; Campagnaro, Thomas; Porté, Annabel; Hoyle, Jo; Picco, Lorenzo; Sitzia, Tommaso

2017-04-01

Comparing the ecology of woody species in their alien and native ranges may provide interesting insights for theoretical ecology, invasion biology, restoration ecology and forestry. The literature which describes the biological evolution of successful plant invaders is rich and increasing. However, no general theories have been developed about the geomorphic settings which may limit or favour the alien woody species expansion along rivers. The aim of this contribution is to explore the research opportunities in the comparison of ecohydrological processes occurring in the alien vs. the native ranges of invasive tree and shrub species along the riverine corridor. We use the endangered shrub Myricaria germanica as an example. Myricaria germanica is an Euro-Asiatic pioneer species that, in the native range, develops along natural rivers, wide and dynamic. These conditions are increasingly limited by anthropogenic constraints in most European rivers. This species has been recently introduced in New Zealand, where it is spreading in some natural rivers of the Canterbury region (South Island). We present the current knowledge about the natural and anthropogenic factors influencing this species in its native range. We compare this information with the current knowledge about the same factors influencing M. germanica invasiveness and invasibility of riparian habitats in New Zealand. We stress the need to identify potential factors which could drive life-traits and growing strategies divergence which may hinder the application to the alien ranges of existing ecohydrological knowledge from native ranges. Moreover, the pattern of expansion of the alien range of species endangered in their native ranges opens new windows for research.

Patterns and drivers of fish extirpations in rivers of the American Southwest and Southeast.

PubMed

Kominoski, John S; Ruhí, Albert; Hagler, Megan M; Petersen, Kelly; Sabo, John L; Sinha, Tushar; Sankarasubramanian, Arumugam; Olden, Julian D

2018-03-01

Effective conservation of freshwater biodiversity requires spatially explicit investigations of how dams and hydroclimatic alterations among climate regions may interact to drive species to extinction. We investigated how dams and hydroclimatic alterations interact with species ecological and life history traits to influence past extirpation probabilities of native freshwater fishes in the Upper and Lower Colorado River (CR), Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa (ACT), and Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint (ACF) basins. Using long-term discharge data for continuously gaged streams and rivers, we quantified streamflow anomalies (i.e., departure "expected" streamflow) at the sub-basin scale over the past half-century. Next, we related extirpation probabilities of native fishes in both regions to streamflow anomalies, river basin characteristics, species traits, and non-native species richness using binomial logistic regression. Sub-basin extirpations in the Southwest (n = 95 Upper CR, n = 130 Lower CR) were highest in lowland mainstem rivers impacted by large dams and in desert springs. Dampened flow seasonality, increased longevity (i.e., delayed reproduction), and decreased fish egg sizes (i.e., lower parental care) were related to elevated fish extirpation probability in the Southwest. Sub-basin extirpations in the Southeast (ACT n = 46, ACF n = 22) were most prevalent in upland rivers, with flow dependency, greater age and length at maturity, isolation by dams, and greater distance upstream. Our results confirm that dams are an overriding driver of native fish species losses, irrespective of basin-wide differences in native or non-native species richness. Dams and hydrologic alterations interact with species traits to influence community disassembly, and very high extirpation risks in the Southeast are due to interactions between high dam density and species restricted ranges. Given global surges in dam building and retrofitting, increased extirpation risks should be expected unless management strategies that balance flow regulation with ecological outcomes are widely implemented. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Trace elements in native and transplanted Fontinalis antipyretica and Platyhypnidium riparioides from rivers polluted by uranium mining.

PubMed

Kosior, Grzegorz; Steinnes, Eiliv; Samecka-Cymerman, Aleksandra; Lierhagen, Syverin; Kolon, Krzysztof; Dołhańczuk-Śródka, Agnieszka; Ziembik, Zbigniew

2017-03-01

The past uranium/polymetallic mining activities in the Sudety (SW Poland) left abandoned mines, pits, and dumps of waste rocks with trace elements and radionuclides which may erode or leach out and create a potential risk for the aquatic ecosystem, among others. In the present work four rivers affected by effluents from such mines were selected to evaluate the application of aquatic mosses for the bioindication of 56 elements. Naturally growing F. antipyretica and P. riparioides were compared with transplanted samples of the same species. The results demonstrate serious pollution of the examined rivers, especially with As, Ba, Fe, Mn, Pb, Ti, U and Zn, reaching extremely high concentrations in native moss samples. In the most polluted rivers native F. antipyretica and P. riparioides samples showed significantly higher concentrations of As, Ba, Cu, Fe, La, Nd, Ni, Pb, U and Zn than corresponding transplanted samples, whereas at less polluted sites a reverse situation was sometimes observed. Transplanted moss moved from clean to extremely polluted rivers probably protects itself against the accumulation of toxic elements by reducing their uptake. Selection of native or transplanted F. antipyretica and P. riparioides depended on the pollution load. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Ecology of invasive Melilotus albus on Alaskan glacial river floodplains

USGS Publications Warehouse

Conn, Jeff S.; Werdin-Pfisterer, Nancy R.; Beattie, Katherine L.; Densmore, Roseann V.

2011-01-01

Melilotus albus (white sweetclover) has invaded Alaskan glacial river floodplains. We measured cover and density of plant species and environmental variables along transects perpendicular to the Nenana, Matanuska, and Stikine Rivers to study interactions between M. albus and other plant species and to characterize the environment where it establishes. Melilotus albus was a pioneer species on recently disturbed sites and did not persist into closed canopy forests. The relationships between M. albus cover and density and other species were site-specific.Melilotus albus was negatively correlated with native species Elaeagnus commutata at the Nenana River, but not at the Matanuska River. Melilotus albus was positively correlated with the exotic species Crepis tectorumand Taraxacum officinale at the Matanuska River and T. officinale on the upper Stikine River. However, the high density of M. albus at a lower Stikine River site was negatively correlated with T. officinale and several native species including Lathyrus japonicus var. maritimus and Salix alaxensis. Glacial river floodplains in Alaska are highly disturbed and are corridors for exotic plant species movement. Melilotus albus at moderate to low densities may facilitate establishment of exotic species, but at high densities can reduce the cover and density of both exotic and native species.

Development of a precipitation-runoff model to simulate unregulated streamflow in the South Fork Flathead River Basin, Montana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chase, K.J.

2011-01-01

This report documents the development of a precipitation-runoff model for the South Fork Flathead River Basin, Mont. The Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System model, developed in cooperation with the Bureau of Reclamation, can be used to simulate daily mean unregulated streamflow upstream and downstream from Hungry Horse Reservoir for water-resources planning. Two input files are required to run the model. The time-series data file contains daily precipitation data and daily minimum and maximum air-temperature data from climate stations in and near the South Fork Flathead River Basin. The parameter file contains values of parameters that describe the basin topography, the flow network, the distribution of the precipitation and temperature data, and the hydrologic characteristics of the basin soils and vegetation. A primary-parameter file was created for simulating streamflow during the study period (water years 1967-2005). The model was calibrated for water years 1991-2005 using the primary-parameter file. This calibration was further refined using snow-covered area data for water years 2001-05. The model then was tested for water years 1967-90. Calibration targets included mean monthly and daily mean unregulated streamflow upstream from Hungry Horse Reservoir, mean monthly unregulated streamflow downstream from Hungry Horse Reservoir, basin mean monthly solar radiation and potential evapotranspiration, and daily snapshots of basin snow-covered area. Simulated streamflow generally was in better agreement with observed streamflow at the upstream gage than at the downstream gage. Upstream from the reservoir, simulated mean annual streamflow was within 0.0 percent of observed mean annual streamflow for the calibration period and was about 2 percent higher than observed mean annual streamflow for the test period. Simulated mean April-July streamflow upstream from the reservoir was about 1 percent lower than observed streamflow for the calibration period and about 4 percent higher than observed for the test period. Downstream from the reservoir, simulated mean annual streamflow was 17 percent lower than observed streamflow for the calibration period and 12 percent lower than observed streamflow for the test period. Simulated mean April-July streamflow downstream from the reservoir was 13 percent lower than observed streamflow for the calibration period and 6 percent lower than observed streamflow for the test period. Calibrating to solar radiation, potential evapotranspiration, and snow-covered area improved the model representation of evapotranspiration, snow accumulation, and snowmelt processes. Simulated basin mean monthly solar radiation values for both the calibration and test periods were within 9 percent of observed values except during the month of December (28 percent different). Simulated basin potential evapotranspiration values for both the calibration and test periods were within 10 percent of observed values except during the months of January (100 percent different) and February (13 percent different). The larger percent errors in simulated potential evaporation occurred in the winter months when observed potential evapotranspiration values were very small; in January the observed value was 0.000 inches and in February the observed value was 0.009 inches. Simulated start of melting of the snowpack occurred at about the same time as observed start of melting. The simulated snowpack accumulated to 90-100 percent snow-covered area 1 to 3 months earlier than observed snowpack. This overestimated snowpack during the winter corresponded to underestimated streamflow during the same period. In addition to the primary-parameter file, four other parameter files were created: for a "recent" period (1991-2005), a historical period (1967-90), a "wet" period (1989-97), and a "dry" period (1998-2005). For each data file of projected precipitation and air temperature, a single parameter file can be used to simulate a s

Effects of an introduced piscivorous fish on native benthic fishes in a coastal river

Treesearch

Jason L. White; Bret C. Harvey

2001-01-01

We used field surveys to compare the density and mesohabitat-scale distribution of the native coastrange sculpin (Cottus aleuticus) and the prickly sculpin (C. asper) in coastal rivers in northwestern California, U.S.A., with and without an introduced piscivorous fish, the Sacramento pikeminnow, Ptychocheilus grandis. We also measured mortality of tethered prickly...

Establishment patterns of non-native fishes in the lower St. Louis River, a Great Lakes invasion “hotspot”

EPA Science Inventory

Establishment success (numerically or spatially) of an introduced non-native fish species is difficult to predict and its relative status in a fish community can be difficult to measure. We conducted a 2-year, multi-gear survey in the lower St. Louis River, including the DuluthSu...

Anomalous droughts, not invasion, decrease persistence of native fishes in a desert river.

PubMed

Ruhí, Albert; Holmes, Elizabeth E; Rinne, John N; Sabo, John L

2015-04-01

Changing climate extremes and invasion by non-native species are two of the most prominent threats to native faunas. Predicting the relationships between global change and native faunas requires a quantitative toolkit that effectively links the timing and magnitude of extreme events to variation in species abundances. Here, we examine how discharge anomalies--unexpected floods and droughts--determine covariation in abundance of native and non-native fish species in a highly variable desert river in Arizona. We quantified stochastic variation in discharge using Fourier analyses on >15,000 daily observations. We subsequently coupled maximum annual spectral anomalies with a 15-year time series of fish abundances (1994-2008), using Multivariate Autoregressive State-Space (MARSS) models. Abiotic drivers (discharge anomalies) were paramount in determining long-term fish abundances, whereas biotic drivers (species interactions) played only a secondary role. As predicted, anomalous droughts reduced the abundances of native species, while floods increased them. However, in contrast to previous studies, we observed that the non-native assemblage was surprisingly unresponsive to extreme events. Biological trait analyses showed that functional uniqueness was higher in native than in non-native fishes. We also found that discharge anomalies influenced diversity patterns at the meta-community level, with nestedness increasing after anomalous droughts due to the differential impairment of native species. Overall, our results advance the notion that discharge variation is key in determining community trajectories in the long term, predicting the persistence of native fauna even in the face of invasion. We suggest this variation, rather than biotic interactions, may commonly underlie covariation between native and non-native faunas, especially in highly variable environments. If droughts become increasingly severe due to climate change, and floods increasingly muted due to regulation, fish assemblages in desert rivers may become taxonomically and functionally impoverished and dominated by non-native taxa. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Edaphic, salinity, and stand structural trends in chronosequences of native and non-native dominated riparian forests along the Colorado River, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Merritt, David M.; Shafroth, Patrick B.

2012-01-01

Tamarix spp. are introduced shrubs that have become among the most abundant woody plants growing along western North American rivers. We sought to empirically test the long-held belief that Tamarix actively displaces native species through elevating soil salinity via salt exudation. We measured chemical and physical attributes of soils (e.g., salinity, major cations and anions, texture), litter cover and depth, and stand structure along chronosequences dominated by Tamarix and those dominated by native riparian species (Populus or Salix) along the upper and lower Colorado River in Colorado and Arizona/California, USA. We tested four hypotheses: (1) the rate of salt accumulation in soils is faster in Tamarix-dominated stands than stands dominated by native species, (2) the concentration of salts in the soil is higher in mature stands dominated by Tamarix compared to native stands, (3) soil salinity is a function of Tamarix abundance, and (4) available nutrients are more concentrated in native-dominated stands compared to Tamarix-dominated stands. We found that salt concentration increases at a faster rate in Tamarix-dominated stands along the relatively free-flowing upper Colorado but not along the heavily-regulated lower Colorado. Concentrations of ions that are known to be preferentially exuded by Tamarix (e.g., B, Na, and Cl) were higher in Tamarix stands than in native stands. Soil salt concentrations in older Tamarix stands along the upper Colorado were sufficiently high to inhibit germination, establishment, or growth of some native species. On the lower Colorado, salinity was very high in all stands and is likely due to factors associated with floodplain development and the hydrologic effects of river regulation, such as reduced overbank flooding, evaporation of shallow ground water, higher salt concentrations in surface and ground water due to agricultural practices, and higher salt concentrations in fine-textured sediments derived from naturally saline parent material.

Integrated assessment of wastewater treatment plant effluent estrogenicity in the Upper Murray River, Australia, using the native Murray rainbowfish (Melanotaenia fluviatilis)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Vajda, Alan M.; Kumar, Anupama; Woods, Marianne; Williams, Mike; Doan, Hai; Tolsher, Peter; Kookana, Rai S.; Barber, Larry B.

2016-01-01

The contamination of major continental river systems by endocrine-active chemicals (EACs) derived from the discharge of wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents can affect human and ecosystem health. As part of a long-term effort to develop a native fish model organism for assessment of endocrine disruption in Australia's largest watershed, the Murray-Darling River Basin, the present study evaluated endocrine disruption in adult males of the native Australian Murray rainbowfish (Melanotaenia fluviatilis) exposed to effluent from an activated sludge WWTP and water from the Murray River during a 28-d, continuous-flow, on-site experiment. Analysis of the WWTP effluent and river water detected estrone and 17β-estradiol at concentrations up to approximately 25 ng L−1. Anti-estrogenicity of effluent samples was detected in vitro using yeast-based bioassays (yeast estrogen screen) throughout the experiment, but estrogenicity was limited to the first week of the experiment. Histological evaluation of the testes indicated significant suppression of spermatogenesis by WWTP effluent after 28 d of exposure. Plasma vitellogenin concentrations and expression of vitellogenin messenger RNA in liver were not significantly affected by exposure to WWTP effluent. The combination of low contaminant concentrations in the WWTP effluent, limited endocrine disrupting effects in the Murray rainbowfish, and high in-stream dilution factors (>99%) suggest minimal endocrine disruption impacts on native Australian fish in the Murray River downstream from the WWTP outfall. 

A legacy of change: The lower Colorado River, Arizona-California-Nevada, USA, and Sonora-Baja California Norte, Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mueller, G.A.; Marsh, P.C.; Minckley, W.L.

2005-01-01

The lower Colorado is among the most regulated rivers in the world. It ranks as the fifth largest river in volume in the coterminous United States, but its flow is fully allocated and no longer reaches the sea. Lower basin reservoirs flood nearly one third of the river channel and store 2 years of annual flow. Diverted water irrigates 1.5 million ha of cropland and provides water for industry and domestic use by 22 million people in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The native fish community of the lower Colorado River was among the most unique in the world, and the main stem was home to nine freshwater species, all of which were endemic to the basin. Today, five are extirpated, seven are federally endangered, and three are being reintroduced through stocking. Decline of the native fauna is attributed to predation by nonnative fishes and physical habitat degradation. Nearly 80 alien species have been introduced, and more than 20 now are common. These nonnative species thrived in modified habitats, where they largely eliminated the native kinds. As a result, the lower Colorado River has the dubious distinction of being among the few major rivers of the world with an entirely introduced fish fauna. ?? 2005 by the American Fisheries Society.

Potential for water salvage by removal of non-native woody vegetation from dryland river systems

USGS Publications Warehouse

Doody, T.M.; Nagler, P.L.; Glenn, E.P.; Moore, G.W.; Morino, K.; Hultine, K.R.; Benyon, R.G.

2011-01-01

Globally, expansion of non-native woody vegetation across floodplains has raised concern of increased evapotranspiration (ET) water loss with consequent reduced river flows and groundwater supplies. Water salvage programs, established to meet water supply demands by removing introduced species, show little documented evidence of program effectiveness. We use two case studies in the USA and Australia to illustrate factors that contribute to water salvage feasibility for a given ecological setting. In the USA, saltcedar (Tamarix spp.) has become widespread on western rivers, with water salvage programs attempted over a 50-year period. Some studies document riparian transpiration or ET reduction after saltcedar removal, but detectable increases in river base flow are not conclusively shown. Furthermore, measurements of riparian vegetation ET in natural settings show saltcedar ET overlaps the range measured for native riparian species, thereby constraining the possibility of water salvage by replacing saltcedar with native vegetation. In Australia, introduced willows (Salix spp.) have become widespread in riparian systems in the Murray-Darling Basin. Although large-scale removal projects have been undertaken, no attempts have been made to quantify increases in base flows. Recent studies of ET indicate that willows growing in permanently inundated stream beds have high transpiration rates, indicating water savings could be achieved from removal. In contrast, native Eucalyptus trees and willows growing on stream banks show similar ET rates with no net water salvage from replacing willows with native trees. We conclude that water salvage feasibility is highly dependent on the ecohydrological setting in which the non-native trees occur. We provide an overview of conditions favorable to water salvage. Copyright ?? 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Genetic and Phenotype [Phenotypic] Catalog of Native Resident Trout of the interior Columbia River Basin : FY-99 Report : Populations of the Pend Oreille, Kettle, and Sanpoil River Basins of Colville National Forest.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Trotter, Patrick C.

2001-05-01

The 1994 Fish and Wildlife Program of the Northwest Power Planning Council specifies the recovery and preservation of population health of native resident fishes of the Columbia River Basin. Among the native resident species of concern are interior rainbow trout of the Columbia River redband subspecies Oncorhynchus mykiss gairdneri 1 and westslope cutthroat trout O. clarki lewisi. The westslope cutthroat trout has been petitioned for listing under the U. S. Endangered Species Act (American Wildlands et al. 1997). Before at-risk populations can be protected, their presence and status must be established. Where introgression from introduced species is a concern, asmore » in the case of both westslope cutthroat trout and redband rainbow trout, genetic issues must be addressed as well. As is true with native trout elsewhere in the western United States (Behnke 1992), most of the remaining pure populations of these species in the Columbia River Basin are in relatively remote headwater reaches. The objective of this project is to photo-document upper Columbia Basin native resident trout populations in Washington, and to ascertain their species or subspecies identity and relative genetic purity using a nonlethal DNA technique. FY-99 was year two of a five-year project in which we conducted field visits to remote locations to seek out and catalog these populations. In FY-99 we worked in collaboration with the Colville National Forest and Kalispel Indian Tribe to catalog populations in the northeastern corner of Washington State.« less

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT OF NON-NATIVE FISH IN WESTERN STREAMS AND RIVERS

EPA Science Inventory

Introduced species can produce a variety of impacts on native assemblages and ecosystems. Reliable knowledge about the extent of non-native species should be a useful tool for effective management of fisheries and aquatic ecosystems. It is well known that many non-native fish s...

Preliminary bedrock geologic map of part of the northern disturbed belt, Lewis and Clark, Teton, Pondera, Glacier, Flathead, and Powell Counties, Montana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mudge, Melville R.; Earhart, Robert L.; Rice, Dudley D.; Heisey, E.L.

1977-01-01

The geologic map covers the Sawtooth and Lewis and Clark Ranges and part of the Flathead Range. It includes most of the disturbed belt in northwestern Moutana except the area east of the northern Rocky Mountains and the norhtern and southern parts of the belt. Most data are from an unpublished map of the Bob Marshall Wilderness and of the many proposed additions to the Wilderness. Strike and dip symbols are omitted from the map, and all contacts are shown in solid lines, alhough locally they are inferred beneath a Quaternary cover. Future studies will complete mapping of the northern disturbed belt in Montana.

Establishment Patterns of Non-native Fishes: Lessons from the Duluth-Superior Harbor and Lower St. Louis River, an Invasion-prone Great Lakes Freshwater Estuary

EPA Science Inventory

The St. Louis River freshwater estuary which drains into western Lake Superior and includes the Duluth-Superior (MN-WI) harbor, has a long history of non-native fish introductions. From 1985 to 2002, seven new fishes were identified in the estuary, an unprecedented rate of non-n...

Status Changes of Bird Species Using Revegetated Riparian Habitats on the Lower Colorado River from 1977 to 1984

Treesearch

Bertin W. Anderson; William C. Hunter; Robert D. Ohmart

1989-01-01

Two dredge-spoil sites were revegetated on the lower Colorado River with native riparian trees. Another site was cleared of exotic saltcedar (Tamarix chinensis) and revegetated with native shrubs. Sites were censused for birds through all phases of revegetation. Bird species were grouped by natural-history characteristics to determine changes in the...

Distribution and status of seven native salmonids in the interior Columbia River basin and portions of the Klamath River and Great basins

Treesearch

Russell F. Thurow; Danny C. Lee; Bruce E. Rieman

1997-01-01

We summarized presence, absence, current status, and potential historical distribution of seven native salmonid taxa - bull trout Salvelinus confluentus, Yellowstone cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarki bouvieri, westslope cutthroat trout O. c. lewisi, redband trout and steelhead O. mykiss gairdneri, stream type (age-1 migrant) chinook salmon O. tshawytscha. and ocean...

A model to forecast short-term snowmelt runoff using synoptic observations of streamflow, temperature, and precipitation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tangborn, Wendell V.

1980-01-01

Snowmelt runoff is forecast with a statistical model that utilizes daily values of stream discharge, gaged precipitation, and maximum and minimum observations of air temperature. Synoptic observations of these variables are made at existing low- and medium-altitude weather stations, thus eliminating the difficulties and expense of new, high-altitude installations. Four model development steps are used to demonstrate the influence on prediction accuracy of basin storage, a preforecast test season, air temperature (to estimate ablation), and a prediction based on storage. Daily ablation is determined by a technique that employs both mean temperature and a radiative index. Radiation (both long- and short-wave components) is approximated by using the range in daily temperature, which is shown to be closely related to mean cloud cover. A technique based on the relationship between prediction error and prediction season weather utilizes short-term forecasts of precipitation and temperature to improve the final prediction. Verification of the model is accomplished by a split sampling technique for the 1960–1977 period. Short- term (5–15 days) predictions of runoff throughout the main snowmelt season are demonstrated for mountain drainages in western Washington, south-central Arizona, western Montana, and central California. The coefficient of prediction (Cp) based on actual, short-term predictions for 18 years is for Thunder Creek (Washington), 0.69; for South Fork Flathead River (Montana), 0.45; for the Black River (Arizona), 0.80; and for the Kings River (California), 0.80.

Modeling invasive alien plant species in river systems: Interaction with native ecosystem engineers and effects on hydro-morphodynamic processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Oorschot, M.; Kleinhans, M. G.; Geerling, G. W.; Egger, G.; Leuven, R. S. E. W.; Middelkoop, H.

2017-08-01

Invasive alien plant species negatively impact native plant communities by out-competing species or changing abiotic and biotic conditions in their introduced range. River systems are especially vulnerable to biological invasions, because waterways can function as invasion corridors. Understanding interactions of invasive and native species and their combined effects on river dynamics is essential for developing cost-effective management strategies. However, numerical models for simulating long-term effects of these processes are lacking. This paper investigates how an invasive alien plant species affects native riparian vegetation and hydro-morphodynamics. A morphodynamic model has been coupled to a dynamic vegetation model that predicts establishment, growth and mortality of riparian trees. We introduced an invasive alien species with life-history traits based on Japanese Knotweed (Fallopia japonica), and investigated effects of low- and high propagule pressure on invasion speed, native vegetation and hydro-morphodynamic processes. Results show that high propagule pressure leads to a decline in native species cover due to competition and the creation of unfavorable native colonization sites. With low propagule pressure the invader facilitates native seedling survival by creating favorable hydro-morphodynamic conditions at colonization sites. With high invader abundance, water levels are raised and sediment transport is reduced during the growing season. In winter, when the above-ground invader biomass is gone, results are reversed and the floodplain is more prone to erosion. Invasion effects thus depend on seasonal above- and below ground dynamic vegetation properties and persistence of the invader, on the characteristics of native species it replaces, and the combined interactions with hydro-morphodynamics.

Exotic plant species associations with horse trails, old roads, and intact native communities in the Missouri Ozarks

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stroh, E.D.; Struckhoff, M.A.

2009-01-01

We compared the extent to which exotic species are associated with horse trails, old roads, and intact communities within three native vegetation types in Ozark National Scenic Riverways, Missouri. We used a general linear model procedure and a Bonferroni multiple comparison test to compare exotic species richness, exotic to native species ratios, and exotic species percent cover across three usage types (horse trails, old roads, and intact communities) and three community types (river bottoms, upland waterways, and glades). We found that both exotic species richness and the ratio of exotic species to native species were greater in plots located along horse trails than in plots located either in intact native communities or along old roads. Native community types did not differ in the number of exotic species present, but river bottoms had a significantly higher exotic to native species ratio than glades. Continued introduction of exotic plant propagules may explain why horse trails contain more exotic species than other areas in a highly disturbed landscape.

Experimental study to control the upstream migration of invasive alien fish species by submerged weir

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sakuma, Masami; Kunimatsu, Fumihiro; Tsuchiya, Taku; Kawamura, Makiko; Fujita, Hiroshi

Largemouth bass and Bluegill, major invasive alien fish species in Japan, have been extending their habitat ranges over not only Lake Biwa and the lagoons but also surrounding waters connected to them through small rivers and canals. Their increasing number is bringing about the reduction in the number of native fish species. To prevent the spread of these alien species through small rivers and canals during breeding season of the native fish (crucian carp), this study experimentally examined the effect of a submerged weir on controlling upstream migration of the alien species and the native fish. As a result of the experiment, the ratio of the alien species migrating upstream decreased as the weir height rose, whereas the ratio did not show the same trend in the case of the native fish. The ratio of the alien species also decreased as the overflow velocity over the weir rose. On the other hand, the ratio of the native fish increased as the overflow velocity rose up to 1.0m/s and decreased thereafter. These results suggest that the submerged weir may control upstream migration of the alien species to surrounding waters through small rivers and canals without interfering with the reproductive migration of the native fish.

Fish community changes in the St. Louis River estuary, Lake Superior, 1989-1996: Is it ruffe or population dynamics?

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bronte, Charles R.; Evrard, Lori M.; Brown, William P.; Mayo, Kathleen R.; Edwards, Andrew J.

1998-01-01

Ruffe (Gymnocephalus cernuus) have been implicated in density declines of native species through egg predation and competition for food in some European waters where they were introduced. Density estimates for ruffe and principal native fishes in the St. Louis River estuary (western Lake Superior) were developed for 1989 to 1996 to measure changes in the fish community in response to an unintentional introduction of ruffe. During the study, ruffe density increased and the densities of several native species decreased. The reductions of native stocks to the natural population dynamics of the same species from Chequamegon Bay, Lake Superior (an area with very few ruffe) were developed, where there was a 24-year record of density. Using these data, short- and long-term variations in catch and correlations among species within years were compared, and species-specific distributions were developed of observed trends in abundance of native fishes in Chequamegon Bay indexed by the slopes of densities across years. From these distributions and our observed trend-line slopes from the St. Louis River, probabilities of measuring negative change at the magnitude observed in the St. Louis River were estimated. Compared with trends in Chequamegon Bay, there was a high probability of obtaining the negative slopes measured for most species, which suggests natural population dynamics could explain, the declines rather than interactions with ruffe. Variable recruitment, which was not related to ruffe density, and associated density-dependent changes in mortality likely were responsible for density declines of native species.

Predation on the Invasive Copepod, Pseudodiaptomus forbesi, and Native Zooplankton in the Lower Columbia River: An Experimental Approach to Quantify Differences in Prey-Specific Feeding Rates

PubMed Central

Adams, Jesse B.; Bollens, Stephen M.; Bishop, John G.

2015-01-01

Invasive planktonic crustaceans have become a prominent feature of aquatic communities worldwide, yet their effects on food webs are not well known. The Asian calanoid copepod, Pseudodiaptomus forbesi, introduced to the Columbia River Estuary approximately 15 years ago, now dominates the late-summer zooplankton community, but its use by native aquatic predators is unknown. We investigated whether three species of planktivorous fishes (chinook salmon, three-spined stickleback, and northern pikeminnow) and one species of mysid exhibited higher feeding rates on native copepods and cladocerans relative to P. forbesi by conducting `single-prey’ feeding experiments and, additionally, examined selectivity for prey types with `two-prey’ feeding experiments. In single-prey experiments individual predator species showed no difference in feeding rates on native cyclopoid copepods (Cyclopidae spp.) relative to invasive P. forbesi, though wild-collected predators exhibited higher feeding rates on cyclopoids when considered in aggregate. In two-prey experiments, chinook salmon and northern pikeminnow both strongly selected native cladocerans (Daphnia retrocurva) over P. forbesi, and moreover, northern pikeminnow selected native Cyclopidae spp. over P. forbesi. On the other hand, in two-prey experiments, chinook salmon, three-spined stickleback and mysids were non- selective with respect to feeding on native cyclopoid copepods versus P. forbesi. Our results indicate that all four native predators in the Columbia River Estuary can consume the invasive copepod, P. forbesi, but that some predators select for native zooplankton over P. forbesi, most likely due to one (or both) of two possible underlying casual mechanisms: 1) differential taxon-specific prey motility and escape responses (calanoids > cyclopoids > daphnids) or 2) the invasive status of the zooplankton prey resulting in naivety, and thus lower feeding rates, of native predators feeding on invasive prey. PMID:26618851

Flathead Lake Angler Survey; Monitoring Activities for the Hungry Horse Fisheries Mitigation Plan, 1992-1993 Final Report.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Evarts, Les; Hansen, Barry; DosSantos, Joe

1994-02-01

A roving creel survey was conducted on Flathead Lake in northwestern Montana from May 17, 1992 to May 19, 1993. The primary objective of the survey was to quantify the baseline fishery and exploitation rates existing prior to Hungry Horse Dam mitigation efforts. Anglers were counted on 308 occasions, comprising 5,618 fishing boats, 515 shore anglers, and 2,191 ice anglers. The party interviews represented 4,410 anglers, made up of 2,613 boat anglers, 787 shore anglers, and 1,010 ice anglers. A total of 47,883 angler days (190,108 angler hours) of pressure and a harvest of 42,979 fish (including lake trout, lakemore » whitefish, yellow perch, bull trout, and westslope cutthroat trout) were estimated. Pressure was distributed between shore, boat, and ice anglers as 4%, 87%, and 9%, respectively. Seventynine percent of the total effort was directed at lake trout during the study period. Limited comparisons were made to previous creel surveys on Flathead Lake due to differences in methods and radical changes in the fishery. Potential sources of bias are explained in detail. Future creel surveys must employ methods consistent with this survey to obtain estimates that are statistically distinguishable.« less

Three new species of Ligophorus (Monogenea: Dactylogyridae) on the gills of Mugil cephalus (Teleostei: Mugilidae) from the Japan Sea.

PubMed

Rubtsova, Nataliya Y; Balbuena, Juan A; Sarabeev, Volodimir L

2007-08-01

Comparative morphology and multivariate morphometric analysis of monogeneans collected on flathead mullets Mugil cephalus from 2 Russian localities of the Japan Sea revealed the presence of 3 new species of Ligophorus, namely, L. domnichi n. sp., L. pacificus n. sp., and L. cheleus n. sp., which are described herein. So far, only 1 species of dactylogyrid monogenean identified as Ligophorus chabaudi was known on flathead mullets in this sea, but after comparison with the present material, we propose that this form actually represents L. domnichi n. sp. Results support previous zoogeographical evidence, suggesting that flathead mullets from different seas harbor different species complexes of Ligophorus. One interesting finding is that the 3 new species have a U-shaped ovary, whereas ovate ovaries have been reported in previous descriptions of species of the genus, e.g., L. vanbenedenii, L. parvicirrus, L. imitans, and L. chongmingensis. The U-shaped ovary was revealed only when the worms were observed in lateral view. The additional examination of L. vanbenedenii, L. parvicirrus, L. imitans, and L. pilengas specimens from our collections also revealed a U-shaped ovary in these forms as well. Further studies should establish whether or not this character is shared by all members of the genus.

Multivariate Analysis and Prediction of Dioxin-Furan ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Peer Review Draft of Regional Methods Initiative Final Report Dioxins, which are bioaccumulative and environmentally persistent, pose an ongoing risk to human and ecosystem health. Fish constitute a significant source of dioxin exposure for humans and fish-eating wildlife. Current dioxin analytical methods are costly, time-consuming, and produce hazardous by-products. A Danish team developed a novel, multivariate statistical methodology based on the covariance of dioxin-furan congener Toxic Equivalences (TEQs) and fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) and applied it to North Atlantic Ocean fishmeal samples. The goal of the current study was to attempt to extend this Danish methodology to 77 whole and composite fish samples from three trophic groups: predator (whole largemouth bass), benthic (whole flathead and channel catfish) and forage fish (composite bluegill, pumpkinseed and green sunfish) from two dioxin contaminated rivers (Pocatalico R. and Kanawha R.) in West Virginia, USA. Multivariate statistical analyses, including, Principal Components Analysis (PCA), Hierarchical Clustering, and Partial Least Squares Regression (PLS), were used to assess the relationship between the FAMEs and TEQs in these dioxin contaminated freshwater fish from the Kanawha and Pocatalico Rivers. These three multivariate statistical methods all confirm that the pattern of Fatty Acid Methyl Esters (FAMEs) in these freshwater fish covaries with and is predictive of the WHO TE

Effects of hydrologic infrastructure on flow regimes of California's Central Valley rivers: Implications for fish populations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brown, Larry R.; Bauer, Marissa L.

2010-01-01

Alteration of natural flow regimes is generally acknowledged to have negative effects on native biota; however, methods for defining ecologically appropriate flow regimes in managed river systems are only beginning to be developed. Understanding how past and present water management has affected rivers is an important part of developing such tools. In this paper, we evaluate how existing hydrologic infrastructure and management affect streamflow characteristics of rivers in the Central Valley, California and discuss those characteristics in the context of habitat requirements of native and alien fishes. We evaluated the effects of water management by comparing observed discharges with estimated discharges assuming no water management ("full natural runoff"). Rivers in the Sacramento River drainage were characterized by reduced winter–spring discharges and augmented discharges in other months. Rivers in the San Joaquin River drainage were characterized by reduced discharges in all months but particularly in winter and spring. Two largely unaltered streams had hydrographs similar to those based on full natural runoff of the regulated rivers. The reduced discharges in the San Joaquin River drainage streams are favourable for spawning of many alien species, which is consistent with observed patterns of fish distribution and abundance in the Central Valley. However, other factors, such as water temperature, are also important to the relative success of native and alien resident fishes. As water management changes in response to climate change and societal demands, interdisciplinary programs of research and monitoring will be essential for anticipating effects on fishes and to avoid unanticipated ecological outcomes.

Fish assemblages at engineered and natural channel structures in the lower Missouri river: implications for modified dike structures

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schloesser, J.T.; Paukert, Craig P.; Doyle, W.J.; Hill, T.; Steffensen, K.D.; Travnichek, Vincent H.

2012-01-01

Large rivers throughout the world have been modified by using dike structures to divert water flows to deepwater habitats to maintain navigation channels. These modifications have been implicated in the decline in habitat diversity and native fishes. However, dike structures have been modified in the Missouri River USA to increase habitat diversity to aid in the recovery of native fishes. We compared species occupancy and fish community composition at natural sandbars and at notched and un-notched rock dikes along the lower Missouri River to determine if notching dikes increases species diversity or occupancy of native fishes. Fish were collected using gill nets, trammel nets, otter trawls, and mini fyke nets throughout the lower 1212 river km of the Missouri River USA from 2003 to 2006. Few differences in species richness and diversity were evident among engineered dike structures and natural sandbars. Notching a dike structure had no effect on proportional abundance of fluvial dependents, fluvial specialists, and macrohabitat generalists. Occupancy at notched dikes increased for two species but did not differ for 17 other species (81%). Our results suggest that dike structures may provide suitable habitats for fluvial species compared with channel sand bars, but dike notching did not increase abundance or occupancy of most Missouri River fishes. Published in 2011 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Invasive species and coal bed methane development in the Powder River Basin, Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bergquist, E.; Evangelista, P.; Stohlgren, T.J.; Alley, N.

2007-01-01

One of the fastest growing areas of natural gas production is coal bed methane (CBM) due to the large monetary returns and increased demand for energy from consumers. The Powder River Basin, Wyoming is one of the most rapidly expanding areas of CBM development with projections of the establishment of up to 50,000 wells. CBM disturbances may make the native ecosystem more susceptible to invasion by non-native species, but there are few studies that have been conducted on the environmental impacts of this type of resource extraction. To evaluate the potential effects of CBM development on native plant species distribution and patterns of non-native plant invasion, 36 modified Forest Inventory and Analysis plots (each comprised of four 168-m2 subplots) were established in the Powder River Basin, Wyoming. There were 73 168-m2 subplots on control sites; 42 subplots on secondary disturbances; 14 on major surface disturbances; eight on well pads; and seven on sites downslope of CBM wells water discharge points. Native plant species cover ranged from 39.5 ?? 2.7% (mean ?? 1 SE) in the secondary disturbance subplots to 17.7 ?? 7.5% in the pad subplots. Non-native plant species cover ranged from 31.0 ?? 8.4% in the discharge areas to 14.7 ?? 8.9% in the pad subplots. The control subplots had significantly less non-native species richness than the combined disturbance types. The combined disturbance subplots had significantly greater soil salinity than the control sites. These results suggest that CBM development and associated disturbances may facilitate the establishment of non-native plants. Future research and management decisions should consider the accumulative landscape-scale effects of CBM development on preserving native plant diversity. ?? Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2006.

Evaluating the conservation potential of tributaries for native fishes in the Upper Colorado River Basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Laub, Brian G.; Thiede, Gary P.; Macfarlane, William W.; Budy, Phaedra

2018-01-01

We explored the conservation potential of tributaries in the upper Colorado River basin by modeling native fish species richness as a function of river discharge, temperature, barrier‐free length, and distance to nearest free‐flowing main‐stem section. We investigated a historic period prior to large‐scale water development and a contemporary period. In the historic period, species richness was log‐linearly correlated to variables capturing flow magnitude, particularly mean annual discharge. In the contemporary period, the log‐linear relationship between discharge and species richness was still evident but weaker. Tributaries with lower average temperature and separated from free‐flowing main‐stem sections often had fewer native species compared to tributaries with similar discharge but with warmer temperature and directly connected to free‐flowing main stems. Thus, tributaries containing only a small proportion of main‐stem discharge, especially those at lower elevations with warmer temperatures and connected to free‐flowing main stems, can support a relatively high species richness. Tributaries can help maintain viable populations by providing ecological processes disrupted on large regulated rivers, such as natural flow and temperature regimes, and may present unique conservation opportunities. Efforts to improve fish passage, secure environmental flows, and restore habitat in these tributaries could greatly contribute to conservation of native fish richness throughout the watershed.

Predatory fish removal and native fish recovery in the Colorado River mainstem: What have we learned?

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mueller, Gordon A.

2005-01-01

Mechanical predator removal programs have gained popularity in the United States and have benefited the recovery of several native trout and spring fish. These successes have been limited to headwater streams and small, isolated ponds or springs. Nevertheless, these same approaches are being applied to large river systems on the belief that any degree of predator removal will somehow benefit natives. This attitude is prevalent in the Colorado River mainstem where recovery and conservation programs are struggling to reverse the decline of four endangered fish species. Predator removal and prevention are major thrusts of that work but unfortunately, after 10 years and the removal of >1.5 million predators, we have yet to see a positive response from the native fish community. This leads to the obvious question: is mechanical removal or control in large (>100 cfs base flow) western streams technically or politically feasible? If not, recovery for some mainstem fishes may not be practical in the conventional sense, but require innovative management strategies to prevent their extirpation or possible extinction. This article examines (1) what has been attempted, (2) what has worked, and (3) what has not worked in the Colorado River mainstem and provides recommendations for future efforts in this critical management area.

Conserving large-river fishes: Is the highway analogy an appropriate paradigm

USGS Publications Warehouse

Galat, D.L.; Zweimuller, I.

2001-01-01

A tenet of the flood pulse concept, the highway analogy, states that the mare channel of large floodplain rivers is used by fishes mainly as a route for gaining access to floodplain habitats. We examined this proposition by analyzing habitat use for freshwater fishes in 4 large rivers in the United States (Colorado, Columbia, Mississippi, Missouri) and 4 in Europe (Danube, Rhine, Rho??ne, Volga). Fish species from floodplain segments of each river were classified as fluvial specialist, fluvial dependent, and macrohabitat generalist based on literature and expert opinion. We also summarized the proportion of imperiled and introduced fishes present in each of these categories. The high proportion (mean ?? 1 SD = 29 ?? 17.5%) of fluvial specialist fishes inhabiting north-temperate large rivers was inconsistent with the highway analogy. Most members of the families Petromyzontidae, Acidpenseridae, Hiodontidae, Osmeridae, Salmonidae, and Gobiidae require flowing water during some life stage. Between 29 and 100% of the native fish assemblage was of conservation concern, and from 50 to 85% of these fishes required riverine habitats to complete their life cycles. Macrohabitat generalists are adapted to capitalize on floodplain habitats and composed from 44 to 96% of introduced fishes in the rivers studied. Habitat diversity inherent in main-channel complexes of unaltered large rivers and reestablished in regulated large rivers is essential to meet life-history needs of native fluvial fishes while discouraging expansion of introduced species. Restoration of north-temperate large rivers and their native fish fauna should incorporate the dynamic interplay among main channel, floodplain, and tributary habitats and processes.

Relative distribution and abundance of fishes and crayfish in 2010 and 2014 prior to saltcedar (Tamarix ssp.) removal in the Amargosa River Canyon, southeastern California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hereford, Mark E.

2016-07-22

The Amargosa River Canyon, located in the Mojave Desert of southeastern California, contains the longest perennial reach of the Amargosa River. Because of its diverse flora and fauna, it has been designated as an Area of Critical Environmental Concern and a Wild and Scenic River by the Bureau of Land Management. A survey of fishes conducted in summer 2010 indicated that endemic Amargosa River pupfish (Cyprinodon nevadensis amargosae) and speckled dace (Rhinichthys osculus spp.) were abundant and occurred throughout the Amargosa River Canyon. The 2010 survey reported non-native red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) and western mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) captures were significantly higher, whereas pupfish captures were lower, in areas dominated by non-native saltcedar (Tamarix ssp.). Based on the 2010 survey, it was hypothesized that the invasion of saltcedar could result in a decrease in native species. In an effort to maintain and enhance native fish populations, the Bureau of Land Management removed saltcedar from a 1,550 meter reach of stream on the Amargosa River in autumn 2014 and autumn 2015. Prior to the removal of saltcedar, a survey of fishes and crayfish using baited minnow traps was conducted in the treatment reach to serve as a baseline for future comparisons with post-saltcedar removal surveys. During the 2014 survey, 1,073 pupfish and 960 speckled dace were captured within the treatment reach. Catch per unit effort of pupfish and speckled dace in the treatment reach was less in 2014 than in 2010, although differences could be owing to seasonal variation in capture probability. Non-native mosquitofish catch per unit effort decreased from 2010 to 2014; however, the catch per unit effort of crayfish increased from 2010 to 2014. Future monitoring efforts of this reach should be conducted at the same time period to account for potential seasonal fluctuations of abundance and distribution of fishes and crayfish. A more robust study design that accounts for variation in capture probability could be implemented to quantify the effects of habitat modifications on abundance of fishes and crayfish.

The Middle Sacramento River: Human Impacts on Physical and Ecological Processes Along a Meandering River

Treesearch

Koll Buer; Dave Forwalter; Mike Kissel; Bill Stohlert

1989-01-01

Native plant and wildlife communities along Northern California's middle Sacramento River (Red Bluff to Colusa) originally adapted to a changing pattern of erosion and deposition across a broad meander belt. The erosion-deposition process was in balance, with the river alternately building and eroding terraces. Human-induced changes to the Sacramento River,...

Do management actions to restore rare habitat benefit native fish conservation? Distribution of juvenile native fish among shoreline habitats of the Colorado River

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dodrill, Michael J.; Yackulic, Charles B.; Gerig, Brandon; Pine, William E.; Korman, Josh; Finch, Colton

2015-01-01

Many management actions in aquatic ecosystems are directed at restoring or improving specific habitats to benefit fish populations. In the Grand Canyon reach of the Colorado River, experimental flow operations as part of the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program have been designed to restore sandbars and associated backwater habitats. Backwaters can have warmer water temperatures than other habitats, and native fish, including the federally endangered humpback chub Gila cypha, are frequently observed in backwaters, leading to a common perception that this habitat is critical for juvenile native fish conservation. However, it is unknown how fish densities in backwaters compare with that in other habitats or what proportion of juvenile fish populations reside in backwaters. Here, we develop and fit multi-species hierarchical models to estimate habitat-specific abundances and densities of juvenile humpback chub, bluehead suckerCatostomus discobolus, flannelmouth sucker Catostomus latipinnis and speckled dace Rhinichthys osculus in a portion of the Colorado River. Densities of all four native fish were greatest in backwater habitats in 2009 and 2010. However, backwaters are rare and ephemeral habitats, so they contain only a small portion of the overall population. For example, the total abundance of juvenile humpback chub in this study was much higher in talus than in backwater habitats. Moreover, when we extrapolated relative densities based on estimates of backwater prevalence directly after a controlled flood, the majority of juvenile humpback chub were still found outside of backwaters. This suggests that the role of controlled floods in influencing native fish population trends may be limited in this section of the Colorado River. 

Analysis of native water, bed material, and elutriate samples of major Louisiana waterways, 1975

USGS Publications Warehouse

Demas, Charles R.

1976-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, conducted a series of elutriate studies in selected reaches of major navigable waterways of Louisiana. As defined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, an elutriate is the supernatant resulting from the vigorous 30-minute shaking of one part bottom sediment from the dredging site with four parts water (vol/vol) collected from the dredging site followed by one hour settling time and appropriate centrifugation and a 0.45-micron filtration. The elutriate studies were initiated to evaluate possible environmental effects of proposed dredging activities in selected reaches of Louisiana waterways. The waterways investigated were the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet, Breton Sound, Mississippi River downstream from Baton Rouge, Bayou Long, Intracoastal Waterway (east and west of the Harvey Canal), Three Rivers area, Ouachita River, Barataria Bay, Houma Navigation Canal, Atchafalaya Bay (Ship Channel), Berwick Bay, Intracoastal Waterway (Port Allen to Morgan City), Petite Anse area, and Calcasieu River and Ship Channel. The Geological Survey collected 227 samples of native water and bed (bottom) material from 130 different sites. These samples (as well as elutriates prepared from mixtures of native water and bed material) were analyzed for selected metal, pesticide, nutrient, and organic constituents. An additional 116 bed samples collected at 58 sites were analyzed for selected pesticides; and 4 additional native-water samples from 2 sites were analyzed for selected metal pesticide, nutrient, and organic constituents. (Woodard-USGS)

Temporal genetic monitoring of hybridization between native westslope cutthroat trout and introduced rainbow trout in the Stehekin River, Washington

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ostberg, Carl O.; Chase, Dorothy M.

2012-01-01

Introgressive hybridization with introduced rainbow trout (RBT) (Oncorhynchus mykiss) has led to the loss of native cutthroat trout species (O. clarkii) throughout their range, creating conservation concerns. Monitoring temporal hybridization trends provides resource managers with a tool for determining population status and information for establishing conservation goals for native cutthroat trout. In this study, we re-sampled six locations in 2010 within the Stehekin River watershed, North Cascades National Park, which were originally sampled between 1999 and 2003. We used genetic markers to monitor changes in hybridization levels between sampling periods in the native westslope cutthroat trout (WCT) (O. c. lewisi) stemming from past RBT introductions. Additionally, two new locations from the lower Stehekin drainage were added to the baseline data. We found that the frequency of WCT, RBT, and their hybrids was not significantly different between monitoring periods, but that RBT allele frequencies decreased in two locations and increased in one location. We also found a consistent, substantial reduction in the frequency of RBT alleles over the monitoring period in the Stehekin River upstream of Bridge Creek (SR3) compared to the Stehekin River downstream of Bridge Creek (SR1 -2) and within lower Bridge Creek (BR1) although these three locations are confined to a small geographic area (approximately 5 km). Ecological and/or evolutionary processes likely restrict the dispersal of RBT alleles in the Stehekin River upstream of Bridge Creek.

Population assessment and potential functional roles of native mussels in the Upper Mississippi River

USGS Publications Warehouse

Newton, Teresa J.; Zigler, Steven J.; Rogala, James T.; Gray, Brian R.; Davis, Mike

2011-01-01

1. Despite a heightened global concern for native mussels, fundamental research on mussel ecology in large rivers is lacking. These gaps in knowledge about where mussels occur, and why, are limiting habitat restoration activities. 2. Large-scale systematic surveys for native mussels in three reaches of the Upper Mississippi River documented mussel communities composed of 16–23 species and ranging from 2.9–4.5 live mussels m-2 that were actively recruiting new cohorts into their populations (87–100% of the species were found as juveniles 5 years old). Estimates of mean tissue biomass and production in these reaches ranged from 2.1–3.1 g C m-2 and 0.4–0.6 g C m-2year-1, respectively. 3. Mussels filtered a significant amount of water (range, 0.05–0.07 m3m-2d-1) over a 480 km reach of the Upper Mississippi River — amounting to a filtration rate of 53.1 million m3day-1. The filtration rate of mussels as a percentage of river discharge ranged from 0.5–1.4% at high flows (5% exceedance), from 1.5–4.4% at moderate flows (50% exceedance) and from 4.4–12.2% during low flows (95% exceedance). 4. Collectively, these data suggest that native mussels play an integral role in this ecosystem by sequestering suspended materials that can be used by other benthic organisms.

Status of native stream fishes within selected protected areas of Niobrara River in western Nebraska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Spurgeon, Jonathan J.; Stasiak, Richard H.; Cunningham, George R.; Pope, Kevin L.; Pegg, Mark A.

2014-01-01

Lotic systems within the Great Plains are characterized by highly fluctuating conditions through both space and time. Fishes inhabiting these systems have adopted specific life-history strategies to survive in such environments; however, anthropogenic disturbance to prairie streams has resulted in declines and extirpation of many native stream fishes. Terrestrial protected areas (i.e., parks and reserves) are designated to support native flora and fauna and, it is assumed, to provide protection to native fishes. We assessed the presence and relative abundance of stream fish populations within protected areas along the Niobrara River in western Nebraska based on data collected during 1979, 1989, 2008, and 2011. The spatial extent of protection, landscape changes resulting in degraded physiochemical parameters, and introduced species may reduce the effectiveness of these terrestrial protected areas in protecting native fishes in Great Plains stream environments.

A cross-case analysis of three Native Science Field Centers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Augare, Helen J.; Davíd-Chavez, Dominique M.; Groenke, Frederick I.; Little Plume-Weatherwax, Melissa; Lone Fight, Lisa; Meier, Gene; Quiver-Gaddie, Helene; Returns From Scout, Elvin; Sachatello-Sawyer, Bonnie; St. Pierre, Nate; Valdez, Shelly; Wippert, Rachel

2017-06-01

Native Science Field Centers (NSFCs) were created to engage youth and adults in environmental science activities through the integration of traditional Native ways of knowing (understanding about the natural world based on centuries of observation including philosophy, worldview, cosmology, and belief systems of Indigenous peoples), Native languages, and Western science concepts. This paper focuses on the Blackfeet Native Science Field Center, the Lakota Native Science Field Center, and the Wind River Native Science Field Center. One of the long-term, overarching goals of these NSFCs was to stimulate the interest of Native American students in ways that encouraged them to pursue academic and career paths in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. A great deal can be learned from the experiences of the NSFCs in terms of effective educational strategies, as well as advantages and challenges in blending Native ways of knowing and Western scientific knowledge in an informal science education setting. Hopa Mountain—a Bozeman, Montana-based nonprofit—partnered with the Blackfeet Community College on the Blackfeet Reservation, Fremont County School District #21 on the Wind River Reservation, and Oglala Lakota College on the Pine Ridge Reservation to cooperatively establish the Native Science Field Centers. This paper presents a profile of each NSFC and highlights their program components and accomplishments.

Critical role of seasonal tributaries for native fish and aquatic biota in the Sacramento River

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marchetti, M.

2016-12-01

We examined the ecology of seasonal tributaries in California in terms of native fishes and aquatic macroinvertebrates. This talk summarizes data from five individual studies. Studying juvenile Chinook growth using otolith microstructure we find that fish grow faster and larger in seasonal tributaries. In a four-year study on the abundance of native fish larvae in tributaries of the Sacramento River we find certain tributaries produce an order of magnitude more native fish larvae than nearby permanent streams. In a study comparing the distribution and abundance of aquatic macroinvertebrates in a seasonal tributary with a permanent stream we find the seasonal tributary contains unique taxa, higher drift densities and ecologically distinct communities. In a cross-watershed comparison of larval fish drift we find that a seasonal tributary produces more larvae than all other streams/rivers we examined. In a comparison of juvenile Chinook growth morphology between seasonal and permanent streams using geometric morphometrics we find that salmon show phenotypic plasticity and their growth is characteristically different in seasonal tributaries. Taken together, this body of work highlights the critical ecological importance of this habitat.

The Glacier National Park: A popular guide to its geology and scenery

USGS Publications Warehouse

Campbell, Marius R.

1914-01-01

The Glacier National Park includes that part of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains lying just south of the Canadian line, in Teton and Flathead counties, Mont. It is bounded on the west by Flathead River (locally called North Fork), on the south by the Middle Fork of Flathead River and the Great Northern Railway, and on the east by the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. Although this part of the Rocky Mountains has been known since Lewis and Clark crossed the continent in 1805-6, the region later made a park appears not to have been visited by white men until 1853, when Cut Bank Pass was crossed by A. W. Tinkham, one of the Government engineers engaged in exploring a route for the Pacific railroad. Tinkham, who was encamped in the Bitterroot Valley, was ordered to examine Marias Pass, but in traversing Middle Fork of Flathead River along the line of the present railroad he was evidently misled by the large size of the valley of Nyack Creek and ascended that instead of keeping to the right up the main stream. He reported the pass impracticable for railroad construction, and so this region dropped out of public attention for a long time. The next explorers to enter the region were a group of surveyors who, under the direction of American and British commissioners, established the international boundary line along the forty-ninth parallel from the Pacific coast to the main summit of the Rocky Mountains. This party reached the area now included in the park in the summer of 1861, and the stone monument shown in Plate I, B, which they erected on the Continental Divide west of Waterton Lake, still marks a point on the boundary between the United States and Canada. The land on the west side of the range formed a part of the public domain which, until the erection of the park, was open to settlement, but the land on the east originally belonged to the Blackfeet Indians and the white men had no rights upon it. About 1890 copper ore was found near the heads of Quartz and Mineral creeks, and a great boom for this region followed. Many prospectors drifted in, expecting to reap rich rewards from the discovery of mineral deposits and the general development of the region. Several of the main trails were built about this time, and considerable money was spent in prospecting, in opening mines, and in providing machinery to handle the large output of copper ore that was expected. The copper-bearing veins were found to extend through the range to the east side, but prospecting in that part of the mountains was not possible, for the land was included in the Indian reservation. This situation produced a growing discontent among the prospectors, who began to have a strong feeling that the Government should come to their relief by acquiring the coveted land and placing it at their disposal. The urgent demand of the prospectors and promoters was felt in Congress, and a bill was passed providing for the purchase from the Indians of this supposed mineral land for $1,500,000. In accordance with this act, a treaty with the Blackfeet Indians was signed at Browning, Mont., September 26, 1895, and approved by the Senate on June 10, 1896, by which the west line of the reservation was removed from the Continental Divide and was fixed along the eastern points of the spurs of the mountain range, as shown on the accompanying map, and the land so acquired was thrown open to mineral entry only. Under the stimulus of the new territory acquired, active prospecting was carried on for a time, but copper ore was found only in small quantities, and gradually the prospectors and miners drifted away to newer or more promising fields, and the region reverted to its original condition. For a long time it was visited only by hunters in search of big game and by summer visitors who, in order to escape the heat of the plains, were willing to undergo the privations and discomforts of the rude hotels then to be found in the region. Although these mountains had ceased to interest prospectors in search of mineral wealth, they still possessed a fascination for the lovers of natural scenery and almost everyone who visited the region was impressed with its alpine beauty. Again it was brought to the attention of Congress, which was urged to secure it for the use of the people by setting it aside as a national park. On May 11, 1910, President Taft signed the bill creating the Glacier National Park, and this most interesting and beautiful region thus became a permanent playground for the American people.

Relative abundance and distribution of fishes within an established Area of Critical Environmental Concern, of the Amargosa River Canyon and Willow Creek, Inyo and San Bernardino Counties, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Scoppettone, G. Gary; Hereford, Mark E.; Rissler, Peter H.; Johnson, Danielle M.; Salgado, Antonio

2011-01-01

The Amargosa River Canyon of San Bernardino and Inyo County, California, has been designated by the Bureau of Land Management as an Area of Critical Environmental Concern, due in part to its unique flora and fauna. As a task of the Area of Critical Environmental Concern implementation plan, a survey of native fishes was conducted from June 21 to August 12, 2010. Geographic Information System tools were used to map sampling locations, which were spaced at 50-meter intervals. Global Positioning Systems were used to locate sampling stations, and stations with adequate water for successful trapping were sampled with baited minnow traps. Amargosa River pupfish (Cyprinodon nevadensis amargosae) and speckled dace (Rhinichthys osculus spp.) were widespread throughout Armargosa River Canyon. Throughout the study area 8,558 pupfish were captured at 194 stations; 3,472 speckled dace were captured at 210 stations; 238 red-swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkia) were captured at 83 stations; and 1,095 western mosquitofish (Gambusia affinus) were captured at 110 stations. Pupfish were most abundant in open water habitat with native riparian vegetation, and they were significantly less abundant where the stream was completely covered by cattails or where saltcedar (Tamarix sp.) dominated the riparian corridor. There was no relationship between stream cover and speckled dace distribution. Non-native western mosquitofish and red-swamp crayfish densities were significantly higher in stream reaches dominated by saltcedar. The continued spread of saltcedar threatens to negatively affect pupfish and potentially reduce speckled dace abundance throughout the Amargosa River Canyon. This study can serve as baseline information for observing native fish populations in the future, as related to potential changes to the Amargosa River Canyon ecosystem.

Longitudinal patterns of fish assemblages, aquatic habitat, and water temperature in the Lower Crooked River, Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Torgersen, Christian E.; Hockman-Wert, David P.; Bateman, Douglas S.; Leer, David W.; Gresswell, Robert E.

2007-01-01

The goal of this project was to examine longitudinal patterns in fish assemblages, aquatic habitat, and water temperature in the Lower Crooked River during summer conditions. Specific objectives were to (1) characterize the spatial distribution of native and non-native fishes, (2) describe variation in channel morphology, substrate composition, and water temperature, and (3) evaluate the associations between fishes, aquatic habitat, and water temperature.

Analyses of native water, core material, and elutriate samples collected from the Atchafalaya River and Atchafalaya Bay

USGS Publications Warehouse

Demas, Charles R.

1977-01-01

During October and November 1976 the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, collected native water and core material from 14 sites along the Atchafalya River in Louisiana (from the head of Whiskey Bay Pilot Channel to American Pass) and 5 sites in Atchafalya Bay for evaluation of possible environmental effects of a proposed channel-enlargement project. Core material from all river sites and one bay site was collected to a depth of 50 feet (15 meters). At the remaining bay sites, samples were collected to a depth of less than 6 inches (15 centimeters) using a pipe dredge. Core material and native water were analyzed (separately and as elutriate samples prepared from mixtures) for selected metals, nutrients, organic compounds, and physical characteristics. No interpretation of the data is given. (Woodard-USGS)

Role of origin and release location in pre-spawning distribution and movements of anadromous alewife

USGS Publications Warehouse

Frank, Holly J.; Mather, M. E.; Smith, Joseph M.; Muth, Robert M.; Finn, John T.

2011-01-01

Capturing adult anadromous fish that are ready to spawn from a self sustaining population and transferring them into a depleted system is a common fisheries enhancement tool. The behaviour of these transplanted fish, however, has not been fully evaluated. The movements of stocked and native anadromous alewife, Alosa pseudoharengus (Wilson), were monitored in the Ipswich River, Massachusetts, USA, to provide a scientific basis for this management tool. Radiotelemetry was used to examine the effect of origin (native or stocked) and release location (upstream or downstream) on distribution and movement during the spawning migration. Native fish remained in the river longer than stocked fish regardless of release location. Release location and origin influenced where fish spent time and how they moved. The spatial mosaic of available habitats and the entire trajectory of freshwater movements should be considered to restore effectively spawners that traverse tens of kilometres within coastal rivers.

Comparative swimming and station-holding ability of the threatened Rocky Mountain Sculpin (Cottus sp.) from four hydrologically distinct rivers

PubMed Central

Veillard, Marie F.; Ruppert, Jonathan L.W.; Tierney, Keith; Watkinson, Douglas A.

2017-01-01

Abstract Hydrologic alterations, such as dams, culverts or diversions, can introduce new selection pressures on freshwater fishes, where they are required to adapt to novel environmental conditions. Our study investigated how species adapt to natural and altered stream flow, where we use the threatened Rocky Mountain Sculpin (Cottus sp.) as a model organism. We compared the swimming and station-holding performance of Rocky Mountain Sculpin from four different hydrologic regimes in Alberta and British Columbia, including the North Milk River, a system that experiences increased flows from a large-scale diversion. We measured the slip (Uslip) and failure (Uburst) velocities over three constant acceleration test trials. Uslip was defined as the point at which individuals required the addition of bursting or swimming to maintain position. Uburst was defined as the point at which individuals were unable to hold position in the swimming chamber through swimming, bursting or holding techniques without fully or partially resting on the electrified back plate. We found individuals from the Flathead River in British Columbia (with the highest natural flow) failed at significantly higher Uburst velocities than fish from the southern Albertan populations. However, there was no relationship between peak hydrologic flow from the natal river and Uburst or Uslip. Further, Uburst velocities decreased from 51.8 cm s−1 (7.2 BL s−1) to 45.6 cm s−1 (6.3 BL s−1) by the third consecutive test suggesting the use of anaerobic metabolism. Uslip was not different between trials suggesting the use of aerobic metabolism in station-holding behaviours (Uslip). Moreover, we found no significant differences in individuals from the altered North Milk River system. Finally, individual caudal morphological characteristics were related to both slip and failure velocities. Our study contributes to the conservation of Rocky Mountain Sculpin by providing the first documentation of swimming and station-holding abilities of this benthic fish. PMID:28480038

Comparative swimming and station-holding ability of the threatened Rocky Mountain Sculpin (Cottus sp.) from four hydrologically distinct rivers.

PubMed

Veillard, Marie F; Ruppert, Jonathan L W; Tierney, Keith; Watkinson, Douglas A; Poesch, Mark

2017-01-01

Hydrologic alterations, such as dams, culverts or diversions, can introduce new selection pressures on freshwater fishes, where they are required to adapt to novel environmental conditions. Our study investigated how species adapt to natural and altered stream flow, where we use the threatened Rocky Mountain Sculpin ( Cottus sp.) as a model organism. We compared the swimming and station-holding performance of Rocky Mountain Sculpin from four different hydrologic regimes in Alberta and British Columbia, including the North Milk River, a system that experiences increased flows from a large-scale diversion. We measured the slip ( U slip ) and failure ( U burst ) velocities over three constant acceleration test trials. U slip was defined as the point at which individuals required the addition of bursting or swimming to maintain position. U burst was defined as the point at which individuals were unable to hold position in the swimming chamber through swimming, bursting or holding techniques without fully or partially resting on the electrified back plate. We found individuals from the Flathead River in British Columbia (with the highest natural flow) failed at significantly higher U burst velocities than fish from the southern Albertan populations. However, there was no relationship between peak hydrologic flow from the natal river and U burst or U slip . Further, U burst velocities decreased from 51.8 cm s -1 (7.2 BL s -1 ) to 45.6 cm s -1 (6.3 BL s -1 ) by the third consecutive test suggesting the use of anaerobic metabolism. U slip was not different between trials suggesting the use of aerobic metabolism in station-holding behaviours ( U slip ). Moreover, we found no significant differences in individuals from the altered North Milk River system. Finally, individual caudal morphological characteristics were related to both slip and failure velocities. Our study contributes to the conservation of Rocky Mountain Sculpin by providing the first documentation of swimming and station-holding abilities of this benthic fish.

Observations of environmental change in Grand Canyon, Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Webb, Robert H.; Melis, Theodore S.; Valdez, Richard A.

2002-01-01

Few scientific data have been collected on pre-dam conditions of the Colorado River corridor through Grand Canyon National Park. Using historical diaries, interviews with pre-dam river runners (referred to as the ?Old Timers?), and historical scientific data and observations, we compiled anecdotal information on environmental change in Grand Canyon. The most significant changes are the: lowering of water temperature in the river, near-elimination of heavily sediment-laden flows, erosion of sand bars, invasion of non-native tamarisk trees, reduction in driftwood, development of marshes, increase in non-native fish at the expense of native fishes, and increase in water bird populations. In addition, few debris flows were observed before closure of Glen Canyon Dam, which might suggests that the frequency of debris flows in Grand Canyon has increased. Other possible changes include decreases in bat populations and increases in swallow and bighorn sheep populations, although the evidence is anecdotal and inconclusive. These results provide a perspective on managing the Colorado River that may allow differentiation of the effects of Glen Canyon Dam from other processes of change.

Genetic improvement and diversity in Snake River wheatgrass (Elymus wawawaiensis) (Poaceae: Triticeae)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

With the increased emphasis to use native plant materials in range revegetation programs in the western US, it is critical to develop native grasses that are competitive with invasive weeds, easy to establish, persistent, and produce high seed yield. One such native grass species with appreciable d...

A Water Budget for Riparian Vegetation on the Lower Colorado River: the Myth of Water Salvage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nagler, P. L.; Glenn, E. P.; Webb, R. H.; Howard, K. A.

2007-05-01

For many years, river managers have envisaged large saving of water by clearing the exotic plant, saltcedar (Tamarix ramosissima) from western U.S. rivers. Early estimates of evapotranspiration (ET) by saltcedar ranged as high as 3-4 m/yr, and it was estimated that saltcedar on the Lower Colorado River used more water than Los Angeles. Furthermore, saltcedar was considered to have low habitat value, so clearing projects might enhance habitat value by allowing the return of more valuable native species. We have examined these assumptions based on recent evidence. Moisture flux towers set in dense saltcedar stands show that ET is moderate, ranging from 0.8-1.4 m/yr with a mean value of 1 m/yr over five studies on three rivers, similar to wide-area estimates from remote sensing studies. Projected over the 18,200 ha of dense saltcedar monocultures estimated for the Lower Colorado River riparian corridor in the U.S., the potential water saving would only be about 1 percent of the annual flow (assuming no replacement vegetation). A similar acreage of saltcedar monoculture exists in the Colorado River delta in Mexico, but these stands are supported by outflow of brackish water from the irrigation district rather than river water. The assumption of low habitat value is not supported by recent studies. For example, Hinojosa- Huerta (2006) found that saltcedar monocultures away from the river channel supported 65 percent as many bird numbers and 74 percent as many bird species as the best habitat type, mixed saltcedar and native trees in proximity to water, in the delta of the Colorado River in Mexico, and saltcedar provided equal habitat value as native trees for endangered willow flycatchers on Arizona and New Mexico rivers (Owen et al., 2005). Hence, the prospects for saving water without destroying habitat by clearing saltcedar are doubtful for this river system.

Walla Walla River Basin Fish Habitat Enhancement Project, 2002-2003 Annual Report.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Volkman, Jed

2005-12-01

In 2002 and 2003, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) Fisheries Habitat Program implemented stream habitat restoration and protection efforts on private properties in the Walla Walla River Basin with funding from Bonneville Power Administration (BPA). The objective of this effort is to protect and restore habitat critical to the recovery of weak or reintroduced populations of salmonid fish. The CTUIR has currently enrolled nine properties into this program: two on Couse Creek, two adjacent properties on Blue Creek, one on Patit Creek, and four properties on the mainstem Walla Walla River. Major accomplishments during the reportingmore » period include the following: (1) Secured approximately $229,000 in project cost share; (2) Purchase of 46 acres on the mainstem Walla Walla River to be protected perpetually for native fish and wildlife; (3) Developed three new 15 year conservation easements with private landowners; (4) Installed 3000 feet of weed barrier tarp with new plantings within project area on the mainstem Walla Walla River; (5) Expanded easement area on Couse Creek to include an additional 0.5 miles of stream corridor and 32 acres of upland habitat; (6) Restored 12 acres on the mainstem Walla Walla River and 32 acres on Couse Creek to native perennial grasses; and (7) Installed 50,000+ new native plants/cuttings within project areas.« less

A Three-Year Study of Ichyoplankton in Coastal Plains Reaches of the Savannah River Site and its Tributaries

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Martin, D.

2007-03-05

Altering flow regimes of rivers has large effects on native floras and faunas because native species are adapted to the natural flow regime, many species require lateral connectivity with floodplain habitat for feeding or spawning, and the change in regime often makes it possible for invasive species to replace natives (Bunn & Arthington 2002). Floodplain backwaters, both permanent and temporary, are nursery areas for age 0+ fish and stable isotope studies indicate that much of the productivity that supports fish larvae is autochthonous to these habitats (Herwig et al. 2004). Limiting access by fish to floodplain habitat for feeding, spawningmore » and nursery habitat is one of the problems noted with dams that regulate flow in rivers and is considered to be important as an argument to remove dams and other flow regulating structures from rivers (Shuman 1995; Bednarek 2001). While there have been a number of studies in the literature about the use of floodplain habitat for fish reproduction (Copp 1989; Killgore & Baker 1996; Humphries, et al. 1999; Humphries and Lake 2000; Crain et al. 2004; King 2004) there have been only a few studies that examined this aspect of stream ecology in more than a cursory way. The study reported here was originally designed to determine whether the Department of Energy's (DOE) Savannah River Site was having a negative effect on fish reproduction in the Savannah River but its experimental design allowed examination of the interactions between the river, the floodplain and the tributaries entering the Savannah River across this floodplain. This study is larger in length of river covered than most in the literature and because of its landscape scale may be in important indicator of areas where further study is required.« less

Effects of Coarse Legacy Sediment on Rivers of the Ozark Plateaus and Implications for Native Mussel Fauna

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Erwin, S. O.; Jacobson, R. B.; Eric, A. B.; Jones, J. C.; Anderson, B. W.

2015-12-01

Perturbations to sediment regimes due to anthropogenic activities may have long lasting effects, especially in systems dominated by coarse sediment where travel times are relatively long. Effectively evaluating management alternatives requires understanding the future trajectory of river response at both the river network and reach scales. The Ozark Plateaus physiographic province is a montane region in the interior US composed primarily of Paleozoic sedimentary rock. Historic land-use practices around the turn of the last century accelerated delivery of coarse sediment to river channels. Effects of this legacy sediment persist in two national parks, Ozark National Scenic Riverways, MO and Buffalo National River, AR, and are of special concern for management of native mussel fauna. These species require stable habitat, yet they occupy inherently dynamic environments: alluvial rivers. At the river-network scale, analysis of historical data reveals the signature of sediment waves moving through river networks in the Ozarks. Channel planform alternates between relatively stable, straight reaches, and wider, multithread reaches which have been more dynamic over the past several decades. These alternate planform configurations route and store sediment differently, and translate into different patterns of bed stability at the reach scale, which in turn affects the distribution and availability of habitat for native biota. Geomorphic mapping and hydrodynamic modeling reveal the complex relations between planform (in)stability, flow dynamics, bed mobility, and aquatic habitat in systems responding to increased sediment supply. Reaches that have a more dynamic planform may provide more hydraulic refugia and habitat heterogeneity compared to stable, homogeneous reaches. This research provides new insights that may inform management of sediment and mussel habitat in rivers subject to coarse legacy sediment.

Summary of information on synthetic organic compounds and trace elements in tissue of aquatic biota, Clark Fork-Pend Oreille and Spokane River basins, Montana, Idaho, and Washington, 1974-96

USGS Publications Warehouse

Maret, Terry R.; Dutton, DeAnn M.

1999-01-01

As part of the Northern Rockies Intermontane Basins study of the National Water-Quality Assessment Program, data collected between 1974 and 1996 were compiled to describe contaminants in tissue of riverine species. Tissue-contaminant data from 11 monitoring programs and studies representing 28 sites in the study area were summarized. Tissue-contaminant data for most streams generally were lacking. Many studies have focused on and around mining-affected areas on the Clark Fork and Coeur d'Alene Rivers and their major tributaries. DDT and PCBs and their metabolites and congeners were the synthetic organic contaminants most commonly detected in fish tissue. Fish collected from the Spokane River in Washington contained elevated concentrations of PCB arochlors, some of which exceeded guidelines for the protection of human health and predatory wildlife. Tissue samples of fish from the Flathead River watershed contained higher-than-expected concentrations of PCBs, which might have resulted from atmospheric transport. Trace element concentrations in fish and macroinvertebrates collected in and around mining areas were elevated compared with background concentrations. Some cadmium, copper, lead, and mercury concentrations in fish tissue were elevated compared with results from other studies, and some exceeded guidelines. Macroinvertebrates from the Coeur d'Alene River contained higher concentrations of cadmium, lead, and zinc than did macroinvertebrates from other river systems in mining-affected areas. A few sportfish fillet samples, most from the Spokane River in Washington, were collected to assess human health risk. Concentrations of PCBs in these fillets exceeded screening values for the protection of human health. At present, there is no coordinated, long-term fish tissue monitoring program for rivers in the study area, even though contaminants are present in fish at levels considered a threat to human health. Development of a coordinated, centralized national data base for contaminants in fish tissue is needed. The National Water-Quality Assessment Program can provide a framework for other agencies to evaluate tissue contaminants in the Northern Rockies Intermontane Basins study area. As of 1996, there are no fish consumption advisories or fishing restrictions as a result of elevated contaminants on any rivers within the study area.

Fish communities of the Sacramento River Basin: Implications for conservation of native fishes in the Central Valley, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

May, J.T.; Brown, L.R.

2002-01-01

The associations of resident fish communities with environmental variables and stream condition were evaluated at representative sites within the Sacramento River Basin, California between 1996 and 1998 using multivariate ordination techniques and by calculating six fish community metrics. In addition, the results of the current study were compared with recent studies in the San Joaquin River drainage to provide a wider perspective of the condition of resident fish communities in the Central Valley of California as a whole. Within the Sacramento drainage, species distributions were correlated with elevational and substrate size gradients; however, the elevation of a sampling site was correlated with a suite of water-quality and habitat variables that are indicative of land use effects on physiochemical stream parameters. Four fish community metrics - percentage of native fish, percentage of intolerant fish, number of tolerant species, and percentage of fish with external anomalies - were responsive to environmental quality. Comparisons between the current study and recent studies in the San Joaquin River drainage suggested that differences in water-management practices may have significant effects on native species fish community structure. Additionally, the results of the current study suggest that index of biotic integrity-type indices can be developed for the Sacramento River Basin and possibly the entire Central Valley, California. The protection of native fish communities in the Central Valley and other arid environments continues to be a conflict between human needs for water resources and the requirements of aquatic ecosystems; preservation of these ecosystems will require innovative management strategies.

The distribution of submersed aquatic vegetation and water lettuce in the fresh and oligohaline tidal Potomac River, 2007

USGS Publications Warehouse

Campbell, Sarah Hunter; Rybicki, Nancy B.; Schenk, Edward R.

2015-01-01

Surveys documenting the composition of species of submersed aquatic vegetation (SAV) have been conducted in the Potomac River for decades. These surveys can help managers assess the proportion of native and exotic plants in the river or can be used to determine relationships between native and exotic plants, environmental conditions, and wildlife. SAV coverage increased from 2005 to 2007 throughout the fresh and oligohaline study area. The 2007 survey documented here determined that eleven species of SAV were present. The abundance of the exotic species Hydrilla verticillata (hydrilla) was relatively low, and species diversity was relatively high compared to previous years. The survey also revealed a new population of the invasive, floating aquatic plant Pistia stratiotes (water lettuce). In 2007, water lettuce, the latest exotic aquatic plant to be found in the fresh to oligohaline portion of the Potomac River, was most abundant in Mattawoman Creek, Charles County, Maryland. However, it was not observed in the fresh to oligohaline portion of the Potomac River in the summer of 2008. An understanding of the distribution of SAV species and factors governing the abundance of native and invasive aquatic species is enhanced by long-term surveys.

Diet, reproduction and population structure of the introduced Amazonian fish Cichla piquiti (Perciformes: Cichlidae) in the Cachoeira Dourada reservoir (Paranaíba River, central Brazil).

PubMed

Luiz, Tatiane Ferraz; Velludo, Marcela Roquetti; Peret, Alberto Carvalho; Rodrigues Filho, Jorge Luiz; Peret, André Moldenhauer

2011-06-01

The Blue Peacock Bass (Cichla piquiti), native to the Tocantins-Araguaia river basin of the Amazon system, was introduced into the basin of the Paranaíba River, Paraná River system. Cachoeira Dourada reservoir is one of a series of dams on the Paranaíba River in central Brazil, where this fish has become established. A study of its feeding spectrum, combined with information about its reproductive characteristics and population structure, would enable the current state of this species in the reservoir to be assessed and might provide useful data for the management of other species native to this habitat. This study showed that the peacock bass has no predators or natural competitors in the reservoir and that reproduces continuously, with high reproductive rates, and has a smaller median length at first maturity (L50) than other species of Cichla. Its successful establishment in habitats strongly affected by human activity should cause changes in the whole structure of the local fish communities. Nonetheless, in this reservoir, there appears to be some sharing of the functions of this species with native carnivorous fish, a situation that may be sustained by the presence of a wide variety of foraging fish.

Canoeing the Murray River (Australia) as Environmental Education: A Tale of Two Rivers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stewart, Alistair

2004-01-01

The Murray River, lying at the heart of Australia's largest catchment, is used extensively in outdoor education programs in south-eastern Australia. Since European settlement the river's ecological health has declined considerably due to activities such as damming for irrigation and clearing of native vegetation. Colonial notions of how the river…

Diet of non-native northern snakehead (Channa argus) compared to three co-occurring predators in the lower Potomac River, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ryan K. Saylor,; Nicolas W.R. Laointe,; Angermeier, Paul

2012-01-01

Introductions of large, non-native, carnivorous fishes continue to occur worldwide and represent a substantial management concern to global biodiversity. One of the most recent non-native fishes to successfully establish in North America is the northern snakehead (Channa argus), found in the lower Potomac River catchment. Dispersal of the northern snakehead throughout this system has been well documented since its original discovery in May 2004; however, little is known about the foraging habits of this species and its interactions with co-occurring predators. Here, we quantify northern snakehead diet in comparison with the diets of naturalised largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), and native American eel (Anguilla rostrata) and yellow perch (Perca flavescens) collected from tidal freshwaters bordering Virginia and Maryland near Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Over 97% of northern snakehead gut contents were fishes, with fundulid and centrarchid species consumed most frequently. Dietary overlap was biologically significant only between northern snakehead and largemouth bass. Aquatic invertebrates were >10 times more common in native predator diets, reducing dietary overlap with northern snakehead. Ontogenic shifts in adult northern snakehead diet were also detected, which may be explained by optimal foraging rather than true prey specificity. Northern snakehead may be occupying a novel niche based on a piscivorous diet, therefore limiting competition with resident predators in the lower Potomac River. Further research into interactions between largemouth bass and northern snakehead is needed to inform management decisions and understand the ecological impacts of this non-native species.

Indian Summer: A "Hands-On, Feet-Wet" Approach to Science Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Galindo, Ed; Barta, Jim

2001-01-01

A summer fish recovery program along the Salmon River (Idaho) involves Native American high school students in science, technology, and research within a cultural and environmental context. The positive attitudes and work ethic of Native students and the research and study skills they acquired demonstrate that Native students succeed when their…

Across the great divide: genetic forensics reveals misidentification of endangered cutthroat trout populations.

PubMed

Metcalf, Jessica L; Pritchard, Victoria L; Silvestri, Sarah M; Jenkins, Jazzmin B; Wood, John S; Cowley, David E; Evans, R Paul; Shiozawa, Dennis K; Martin, Andrew P

2007-11-01

Accurate assessment of species identity is fundamental for conservation biology. Using molecular markers from the mitochondrial and nuclear genomes, we discovered that many putatively native populations of greenback cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii stomias) comprised another subspecies of cutthroat trout, Colorado River cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii pleuriticus). The error can be explained by the introduction of Colorado River cutthroat trout throughout the native range of greenback cutthroat trout in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by fish stocking activities. Our results suggest greenback cutthroat trout within its native range is at a higher risk of extinction than ever before despite conservation activities spanning more than two decades.

Life-history variability of non-native centrarchids in regulated river systems of the lower River Guadiana drainage (south-west Iberian Peninsula).

PubMed

Ribeiro, F; Collares-Pereira, M J

2010-02-01

Life-history variability of two non-native centrarchids, pumpkinseed Lepomis gibbosus and largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides, was evaluated in three stream stretches of the lower River Guadiana drainage (south-west Iberian Peninsula) with different degrees of regulated flows. Abundance, condition and population structure differed among populations for both species, but invasion success was lower in the least regulated river. Lepomis gibbosus were abundant and had multiple age classes in the three river sites, whereas M. salmoides were less abundant and mainly represented by young-of-the-year fish. Juvenile growth in L. gibbosus was similar in all three populations, though longevity was slightly greater in the population from the River Guadiana mainstream. Lepomis gibbosus exhibited a long reproductive season, but the duration of season, size at maturity and reproductive effort varied among populations. The life-history differences found demonstrate the importance of species adaptation to local conditions which might favour their invasion success. Lepomis gibbosus were more adaptable and resilient to local conditions, whereas M. salmoides seemed dependent on reservoirs and large rivers for maintenance of riverine populations.

Trout piscivory in the Colorado River, Grand Canyon: Effects of turbidity, temperature, and fish prey availability

USGS Publications Warehouse

Yard, Michael D.; Coggins,, Lewis G.; Baxter, Colden V.; Bennett, Glenn E.; Korman, Josh

2011-01-01

Introductions of nonnative salmonids, such as rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss and brown trout Salmo trutta, have affected native fishes worldwide in unforeseen and undesirable ways. Predation and other interactions with nonnative rainbow trout and brown trout have been hypothesized as contributing to the decline of native fishes (including the endangered humpback chub Gila cypha) in the Colorado River, Grand Canyon. A multiyear study was conducted to remove nonnative fish from a 15-km segment of the Colorado River near the Little Colorado River confluence. We evaluated how sediment, temperature, fish prey availability, and predator abundance influenced the incidence of piscivory (IP) by nonnative salmonids. Study objectives were addressed through spatial (upstream and downstream of the Little Colorado River confluence) and temporal (seasonal and annual) comparisons of prey availability and predator abundance. Data were then evaluated by modeling the quantity of fish prey ingested by trout during the first 2 years (2003–2004) of the mechanical removal period. Field effort resulted in the capture of 20,000 nonnative fish, of which 90% were salmonids. Results indicated that the brown trout IP was higher (8–70%) than the rainbow trout IP (0.5–3.3%); however, rainbow trout were 50 times more abundant than brown trout in the study area. We estimated that during the study period, over 30,000 fish (native and nonnative species combined) were consumed by rainbow trout (21,641 fish) and brown trout (11,797 fish). On average, rainbow trout and brown trout ingested 85% more native fish than nonnative fish in spite of the fact that native fish constituted less than 30% of the small fish available in the study area. Turbidity may mediate piscivory directly by reducing prey detection, but this effect was not apparent in our data, as rainbow trout IP was greater when suspended sediment levels (range = 5.9–20,000 mg/L) were higher.

SUBMERSED MACROPHYTE DISTRIBUTION AND FUNCTION IN THE TIDAL FRESHWATER HUDSON RIVER

EPA Science Inventory

In the tidal freshwater Hudson River submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) occupies on average 6 percent of the river area with much greater coverage in the mid Hudson (Kingston-Hudson) and much lower areal coverage south of Hyde Park. The native water celery ( Vallisneria americana...

Incorporating basic and applied approaches to evaluate the effects of invasive Asian Carp on native fishes: A necessary first step for integrated pest management.

PubMed

Phelps, Quinton E; Tripp, Sara J; Bales, Kyle R; James, Daniel; Hrabik, Robert A; Herzog, David P

2017-01-01

Numerous studies throughout North America allege deleterious associations among invasive Asian Carp and native fishes; however, no empirical evidence on a system-wide scale exists. We used Mississippi River Basin fish community data collected by the Long Term Resource Monitoring program and the Missouri Department of Conservation to evaluate possible interaction between Asian Carp and native fishes. Results from two decades of long-term monitoring throughout much of the Mississippi River suggest that Silver Carp relative abundance has increased while relative abundance (Bigmouth Buffalo [F 3, 8240 = 6.44, P<0.01] and Gizzard Shad [F 3, 8240 = 31.04, P<0.01]) and condition (Bigmouth Buffalo [slope = -0.11; t = -1.71; P = 0.1014] and Gizzard Shad [slope = -0.39; t = -3.02; P = 0.0073]) of native planktivores have declined. Floodplain lake qualitative evaluations yielded similar results; floodplain lake fish communities were likely altered (i.e., reductions in native species) by Silver Carp. Furthermore, laboratory experiments corroborated field evidence; Silver Carp negatively influence native planktivores through competition for prey (all comparisons, P > 0.05). To this end, this study provides evidence that Silver Carp are likely adversely influencing native fishes; however, mere presence of Silver Carp in the system does not induce deleterious effects on native fishes. To the best of our knowledge, this evaluation is the first to describe the effects of Asian Carp throughout the Mississippi River Basin and could be used to reduce the effects of Asian Carp on native biota through an integrated pest management program as suggested by congressional policy. Despite the simplicity of the data analyzed and approach used, this study provides a framework for beginning to identify the interactions of invasive fish pests on native fishes (i.e., necessary first step of integrated pest management). However, knowledge gaps remain. We suggest future efforts should conduct more in depth analyses (i.e., multivariate statistical approaches) that investigate the influence on all native species.

Incorporating basic and applied approaches to evaluate the effects of invasive Asian Carp on native fishes: A necessary first step for integrated pest management

PubMed Central

Tripp, Sara J.; James, Daniel; Hrabik, Robert A.; Herzog, David P.

2017-01-01

Numerous studies throughout North America allege deleterious associations among invasive Asian Carp and native fishes; however, no empirical evidence on a system-wide scale exists. We used Mississippi River Basin fish community data collected by the Long Term Resource Monitoring program and the Missouri Department of Conservation to evaluate possible interaction between Asian Carp and native fishes. Results from two decades of long-term monitoring throughout much of the Mississippi River suggest that Silver Carp relative abundance has increased while relative abundance (Bigmouth Buffalo [F 3, 8240 = 6.44, P<0.01] and Gizzard Shad [F 3, 8240 = 31.04, P<0.01]) and condition (Bigmouth Buffalo [slope = -0.11; t = -1.71; P = 0.1014] and Gizzard Shad [slope = -0.39; t = -3.02; P = 0.0073]) of native planktivores have declined. Floodplain lake qualitative evaluations yielded similar results; floodplain lake fish communities were likely altered (i.e., reductions in native species) by Silver Carp. Furthermore, laboratory experiments corroborated field evidence; Silver Carp negatively influence native planktivores through competition for prey (all comparisons, P > 0.05). To this end, this study provides evidence that Silver Carp are likely adversely influencing native fishes; however, mere presence of Silver Carp in the system does not induce deleterious effects on native fishes. To the best of our knowledge, this evaluation is the first to describe the effects of Asian Carp throughout the Mississippi River Basin and could be used to reduce the effects of Asian Carp on native biota through an integrated pest management program as suggested by congressional policy. Despite the simplicity of the data analyzed and approach used, this study provides a framework for beginning to identify the interactions of invasive fish pests on native fishes (i.e., necessary first step of integrated pest management). However, knowledge gaps remain. We suggest future efforts should conduct more in depth analyses (i.e., multivariate statistical approaches) that investigate the influence on all native species. PMID:28873472

Economic analysis of temperature reduction in a large river floodplain: An exploratory study of the WIllamette River, Oregon

EPA Science Inventory

This paper examines ecosystem restoration practices that focus on water temperature reductions in the upper mainstem Willamette River, Oregon, for the benefit of endangered salmonids and other native cold-water species. The analysis integrates hydrologic, natural science and eco...

Understanding Sediment Processes of Los Laureles Canyon in the Binational Tijuana River watershed

EPA Science Inventory

Tijuana River Basin originates in Mexico and drains 4465 km2 into the Tijuana River Estuary National Research Reserve, a protected coastal wetland in California that supports 400 species of birds. During storms, excessive erosion in Tijuana produces sediment loads that bury nativ...

Umatilla River Basin Anadromous Fsh Habitat Enhancement Project : 2000 Annual Report.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shaw, R. Todd

2001-12-31

The Umatilla River Basin Anadromous Fish Habitat Enhancement Project continued to identify impacted stream reaches throughout the Umatilla River Basin for habitat improvements during the 2000 project period. Public outreach efforts, biological and physical monitoring, and continued development of a Umatilla River Basin Watershed Assessment assisted the project in fostering public cooperation, targeting habitat deficiencies and determining habitat recovery measures. Habitat enhancement projects continued to be maintained on 44 private properties, four riparian easements and one in-stream enhancement agreement were secured, two new projects implemented and two existing projects improved to enhance anadromous fish habitat and natural fisheries production capabilitiesmore » in the Umatilla River Basin. New project locations included sites on the mid Umatilla River and Buckaroo Creek. Improvements were implemented at existing project sites on the upper Umatilla River and Wildhorse Creek. A stream bank stabilization project was implemented at approximately River Mile 37.4 Umatilla River to stabilize 760 feet of eroding stream bank and improve in-stream habitat diversity. Habitat enhancements at this site included construction of six rock barbs with one large conifer root wad incorporated into each barb, stinging approximately 10,000 native willow cuttings, planting 195 tubling willows and 1,800 basin wildrye grass plugs, and seeding 40 pounds of native grass seed. Staff time to assist in development of a subcontract and fence materials were provided to establish eight spring sites for off-stream watering and to protect wetlands within the Buckaroo Creek Watershed. A gravel bar was moved and incorporated into an adjacent point bar to reduce stream energy and stream channel confinement within the existing project area at River Mile 85 Umatilla River. Approximately 10,000 native willow cuttings were stung and trenched into the stream channel margins and stream banks, and 360 basin wildrye grass plugs planted and 190 pounds of native grass seed broadcast on terraces between River Mile 10 and 12.5 within the existing Wildhorse Creek Project Area. Approximately 70 pounds of native grasses were seeded in the existing McKay Creek Project Area at approximately River Mile 21.5. Financial and in-kind cost share assistance was provided by the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Fish and Wildlife Federation and the Umatilla National Forest for the enhancements at River Mile 37.4 Umatilla River and within the Buckaroo Creek Watershed. Monitoring continued to quantify effects of habitat enhancements in the upper basin. Maximum, minimum and average daily stream temperatures were collected from June through September at 22 sites. Suspended sediment samples were obtained at three gage stations to arrive at daily sediment load estimates. Photographs were taken at 94 existing and two newly established photo points to document habitat recovery. Umatilla Basin Watershed Assessment efforts were continued under a subcontract with Washington State University. This endeavor involves compiling existing information, identifying data gaps, determining habitat-limiting factors and recommending actions to improve anadromous fisheries habitat. This watershed assessment document and working databases will be completed in fiscal year 2002 and made available to assist project personnel with sub-watershed prioritization of habitat needs.« less

High diet overlap between native small-bodied fishes and nonnative fathead minnow in the Colorado River, Grand Canyon, Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Seegert, Sarah E. Zahn; Rosi-Marshall, Emma J.; Baxter, Colden V.; Kennedy, Theodore A.; Hall, Robert O.; Cross, Wyatt F.

2014-01-01

River regulation may mediate the interactions among native and nonnative species, potentially favoring nonnative species and contributing to the decline of native populations. We examined food resource use and diet overlap among small-bodied fishes in the Grand Canyon section of the Colorado River as a first step in evaluating potential resource competition. We compared the diets of the predominant small-bodied fishes (native Speckled Dace Rhinichthys osculus, juvenile Flannelmouth Sucker Catostomus latipinnis, and juvenile Bluehead Sucker C. discobolus, and nonnative Fathead Minnow Pimephales promelas) across seasons at four sites downstream of Glen Canyon Dam using nonmetric multidimensional scaling and Schoener's similarity index. The diets of these fishes included diatoms, amorphous detritus, aquatic invertebrates (especially simuliid and chironomid larvae), terrestrial invertebrates, and terrestrial vegetation. Diets varied with season and were affected by high turbidity. Fish consumed more amorphous detritus and terrestrial vegetation during the summer monsoon season (July–September), when turbidity was higher. The diets of all species overlapped, but there was large variation in the degree of overlap. The diets of juvenile suckers and Fathead Minnows were most similar, while Speckled Dace had relatively distinct diets. The differences took the form of higher proportions of diatoms and amorphous detritus in the diets of Bluehead Suckers and Fathead Minnows and higher proportions of simuliids and chironomids in those of Speckled Dace. If food resources are or become limiting, diet overlap suggests that competition may occur among native and nonnative species, which could have implications for the population dynamics of these fishes and for the management of the Colorado River ecosystem in Grand Canyon.

Reasons for the Invasive Success of a Guppy (Poecilia reticulata) Population in Trinidad

PubMed Central

Sievers, Caya; Willing, Eva-Maria; Hoffmann, Margarete; Dreyer, Christine; Ramnarine, Indar; Magurran, Anne

2012-01-01

The introduction of non-native species into new habitats poses a major threat to native populations. Of particular interest, though often overlooked, are introductions of populations that are not fully reproductively isolated from native individuals and can hybridize with them. To address this important topic we used different approaches in a multi-pronged study, combining the effects of mate choice, shoaling behaviour and genetics. Here we present evidence that behavioural traits such as shoaling and mate choice can promote population mixing if individuals do not distinguish between native and foreign conspecifics. We examined this in the context of two guppy (Poecilia reticulata) populations that have been subject to an introduction and subsequent population mixing event in Trinidad. The introduction of Guanapo River guppies into the Turure River more than 50 years ago led to a marked reduction of the original genotype. In our experiments, female guppies did not distinguish between shoaling partners when given the choice between native and foreign individuals. Introduced fish are therefore likely to benefit from the protection of a shoal and will improve their survival chances as a result. The additional finding that male guppies do not discriminate between females on the basis of origin will further increase the process of population mixing, especially if males encounter mixed shoals. In a mesocosm experiment, in which the native and foreign populations were allowed to mate freely, we found, as expected on the basis of these behavioural interactions, that the distribution of offspring genotypes could be predicted from the proportions of the two types of founding fish. This result suggests that stochastic and environmental processes have reinforced the biological ones to bring about the genetic dominance of the invading population in the Turure River. Re-sampling the Turure for genetic analysis using SNP markers confirmed the population mixing process and showed that it is an on-going process in this river and has led to the nearly complete disappearance of the original genotype. PMID:22693621

Microplastic Contamination of Wild and Captive Flathead Grey Mullet (Mugil cephalus)

PubMed Central

Lui, Ching Yee

2018-01-01

A total of 60 flathead grey mullets were examined for microplastic ingestion. Thirty wild mullets were captured from the eastern coast of Hong Kong and 30 captive mullets were obtained from fish farms. Microplastic ingestion was detected in 60% of the wild mullets, with an average of 4.3 plastic items per mullet, while only 16.7% of captive mullets were found to have ingested microplastics, with an average of 0.2 items per mullet. The results suggested that wild mullets have a higher risk of microplastic ingestion than their captive counterparts. The most common plastic items were fibres that were green in colour and small in size (<2 mm). Polypropylene was the most common polymer (42%), followed by polyethylene (25%). In addition, the abundance of microplastics was positively correlated with larger body size among the mullets. PMID:29587444

Microplastic Contamination of Wild and Captive Flathead Grey Mullet (Mugil cephalus).

PubMed

Cheung, Lewis T O; Lui, Ching Yee; Fok, Lincoln

2018-03-26

A total of 60 flathead grey mullets were examined for microplastic ingestion. Thirty wild mullets were captured from the eastern coast of Hong Kong and 30 captive mullets were obtained from fish farms. Microplastic ingestion was detected in 60% of the wild mullets, with an average of 4.3 plastic items per mullet, while only 16.7% of captive mullets were found to have ingested microplastics, with an average of 0.2 items per mullet. The results suggested that wild mullets have a higher risk of microplastic ingestion than their captive counterparts. The most common plastic items were fibres that were green in colour and small in size (<2 mm). Polypropylene was the most common polymer (42%), followed by polyethylene (25%). In addition, the abundance of microplastics was positively correlated with larger body size among the mullets.

Isotope niche dimension and trophic overlap between bigheaded carps and native filter-feeding fish in the lower Missouri River, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wang, Jianzhu; Chapman, Duane C.; Xu, Jun; Wang, Yang; Gu, Binhe

2018-01-01

Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope values (δ13C and δ15N) were used to evaluate trophic niche overlap between two filter-feeding fishes (known together as bigheaded carp) native to China, silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) and bighead carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis), and three native filter-feeding fish including bigmouth buffalo (Ictiobus cyprinellus), gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum) and paddlefish (Polyodon spathula) in the lower Missouri River, USA, using the Bayesian Stable Isotope in R statistics. Results indicate that except for bigmouth buffalo, all species displayed similar trophic niche size and trophic diversity. Bigmouth buffalo occupied a small trophic niche and had the greatest trophic overlap with silver carp (93.6%) and bighead carp (94.1%) followed by gizzard shad (91.0%). Paddlefish had a trophic niche which relied on some resources different from those used by other species, and therefore had the lowest trophic overlap with bigheaded carp and other two native fish. The trophic overlap by bigheaded carp onto native fish was typically stronger than the reverse effects from native fish. Average niche overlap between silver carp and native species was as high as 71%, greater than niche overlap between bighead carp and native fish (64%). Our findings indicate that bigheaded carps are a potential threat to a diverse and stable native fish community.

A large-scale environmental flow experiment for riparian restoration in the Colorado River delta

USGS Publications Warehouse

Shafroth, Patrick B.; Schlatter, Karen; Gomez-Sapiens, Martha; Lundgren, Erick; Grabau, Matthew R.; Ramirez-Hernandez, Jorge; Rodriguez-Burgeueno, J. Eliana; Flessa, Karl W.

2017-01-01

Managing streamflow is a widely-advocated approach to provide conditions necessary for seed germination and seedling establishment of trees in the willow family (Salicaceae). Experimental flow releases to the Colorado River delta in 2014 had a primary objective of promoting seedling establishment of Fremont cottonwood (Populus fremontii) and Goodding's willow (Salix gooddingii). We assessed seed germination and seedling establishment of these taxa as well as the non-native tamarisk (Tamarix spp.) and native seepwillow shrubs (Baccharis spp.) in the context of seedling requirements and active land management (land grading, vegetation removal) at 23 study sites along 87 river km. In the absence of associated active land management, experimental flows to the Colorado River delta were minimally successful at promoting establishment of new woody riparian seedlings, except for non-native Tamarix. Our results suggest that the primary factors contributing to low seedling establishment varied across space, but included low or no seed availability in some locations for some taxa, insufficient soil moisture availability during the growing season indicated by deep groundwater tables, and competition from adjacent vegetation (and, conversely, availability of bare ground). Active land management to create bare ground and favorable land grades contributed to significantly higher rates of Salicaceae seedling establishment in a river reach with high groundwater tables. Our results provide insights that can inform future environmental flow deliveries to the Colorado River delta and its ecosystems and other similar efforts to restore Salicaceae taxa around the world.

Hybridization and cytonuclear associations among native westslope cutthroat trout, introduced rainbow trout, and their hybrids within the Stehekin River drainage, North Cascades National Park

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ostberg, C.O.; Rodriguez, R.J.

2006-01-01

Historic introductions of nonnative rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss into the native habitats of cutthroat trout O. clarkii have impacted cutthroat trout populations through introgressive hybridization, creating challenges and concerns for cutthroat trout conservation. We examined the effects of rainbow trout introductions on the native westslope cutthroat trout O. c. lewisii within the Stehekin River drainage, North Cascades National Park, Washington, by analyzing 1,763 salmonid DNA samples from 18 locations with nine diagnostic nuclear DNA markers and one diagnostic mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) marker. Pure westslope cutthroat trout populations only occurred above upstream migration barriers in the Stehekin River and Park Creek. Two categories of rainbow trout admixture were observed: (1) less than 10% within the Stehekin River drainage above the Bridge Creek confluence and the middle and upper Bridge Creek drainage and (2) greater than 30% within the Stehekin River below the Bridge Creek confluence and in lower Bridge Creek. Hybrid indices and multilocus genotypes revealed an absence of rainbow trout and reduced hybrid diversity within the Stehekin River above the Bridge Creek confluence relative to hybrid diversity in the Stehekin River below the confluence and within lower Bridge Creek. Cytonuclear disequilibrium statistics revealed assortative mating between westslope cutthroat and rainbow trout but not among hybrids within the same locations. This suggests that a randomly mating hybrid swarm does not currently exist. However, continual migration of parental genotypes into the study location could also create significant cytonuclear disequilibria. The Stehekin River represents a novel and unique example of a dynamic hybridization zone where the invasion of rainbow trout alleles into the Stehekin River westslope cutthroat trout population above the Bridge Creek confluence appears to be impeded, suggesting that divergent ecological or evolutionary mechanisms promote the population structure within the Stehekin River drainage, depending upon location.

Yesterday Still Lives...Our Native People Remember Alaska.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeMarco, Pat, Ed.; And Others

In the summer of 1978, seven teenagers and several staff members from the Fairbanks Native Association-Johnson O'Malley program set out to record some of Alaska's past by interviewing a number of older Alaska Natives and writing their biographical sketches. Some of the students spent a week along the Yukon River taping and photographing people;…

Factors affecting the quality of fish caught by Native Americans in the Zone 6 fishery 1991 through 1993

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Abernethy, C.S.

1994-09-01

A program to monitor the salmon and steelhead (Oncorhynchus spp.) fishery in the lower Columbia River (Zone 6 fishery) was initiated in 1991 to respond to questions and comments frequently made by Native Americans at public meetings. Native Americans were concerned that the quality of the Columbia River had deteriorated and that the poor environmental conditions had affected the health and quality of fish they relied on for subsistence, ceremonial, religious, and commercial purposes. They also feared that eating contaminated fish might endanger the health of their children and future generations. Operations at the Hanford Site were listed as onemore » of many causes of the deteriorating environment. Fisheries pathologists concluded that most of the external symptoms on fish were related to bacterial infection of gill net abrasions and pre-spawning trauma, and were not caused by pollution or contamination of the Columbia River. The pathologists also stated that consumption of the fish posed no threat to human consumers.« less

Population characteristics and the suppression of nonnative Burbot

USGS Publications Warehouse

Klein, Zachary B.; Quist, Michael C.; Rhea, Darren T.; Senecal, Anna C.

2016-01-01

Burbot Lota lota were illegally introduced into the Green River, Wyoming, drainage and have since proliferated throughout the system. Burbot in the Green River pose a threat to native species and to socially, economically, and ecologically important recreational fisheries. Therefore, managers of the Green River are interested in implementing a suppression program for Burbot. We collected demographic data on Burbot in the Green River (summer and autumn 2013) and used the information to construct an age-based population model (female-based Leslie matrix) to simulate the population-level response of Burbot to the selective removal of different age-classes. Burbot in the Green River grew faster, matured at relatively young ages, and were highly fecund compared with other Burbot populations within the species’ native distribution. The age-structured population model, in conjunction with demographic information, indicated that the Burbot population in the Green River could be expected to increase under current conditions. The model also indicated that the Burbot population in the Green River would decline once total annual mortality reached 58%. The population growth of Burbot in the Green River was most sensitive to age-0 and age-1 mortality. The age-structured population model indicated that an increase in mortality, particularly for younger age-classes, would result in the effective suppression of the Burbot population in the Green River.

A conservation plan for native fishes of the Lower Colorado River

USGS Publications Warehouse

Minckley, W.L.; Marsh, P.C.; Deacon, J.E.; Dowling, T.E.; Hedrick, P.W.; Matthews, W.J.; Mueller, G.

2003-01-01

The native fish fauna of the lower Colorado River, in the western United States, includes four “big-river” fishes that are federally listed as endangered. Existing recovery implementation plans are inadequate for these critically imperiled species. We describe a realistic, proactive management program founded on demographic and genetic principles and crafted to avoid potential conflicts with nonnative sport fisheries. In this program, native species would breed and their progeny grow in isolated, protected, off-channel habitats in the absence of nonnative fishes. Panmictic adult populations would reside in the main channel and connected waters, exchanging reproductive adults and repatriated subadults with populations occupying isolated habitats. Implementation of the plan would greatly enhance recovery potential of the four listed fishes.

Annual variation in recruitment of freshwater mussels and its relationship with river discharge

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ries, Patricia R.; Newton, Teresa; Haro, Roger J.; Zigler, Steven J.; Davis, Mike

2016-01-01

Understanding variation in recruitment dynamics of native mussels and its relationship to river discharge will be useful in designing effective management strategies to enhance conservation of this imperilled fauna.

NPDES Permit for Keller Transport, Inc. Groundwater Remediation Treatment Facility in Montana

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Under National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit number MT0030805, Keller Transport, Inc. is authorized to discharge from its groundwater remediation treatment facility in Lake County, Montana, to Flathead Lake.

Assessing the Effects of Water Right Purchases on Stream Temperatures and Fish Habitat

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elmore, L.; Null, S. E.

2012-12-01

Warm stream temperature and low flow conditions are limiting factors for native trout species in Nevada's Walker River. Water rights purchases are being considered to increase instream flow and improve habitat conditions. However, the effect of water rights purchases on stream temperatures and fish habitat have yet to be assessed. Manipulating flow conditions affect stream temperatures by altering water depth, velocity, and thermal mass. This study uses the River Modeling System (RMSv4), an hourly, physically-based hydrodynamic and water quality model, to estimate flows and stream temperatures in the Walker River. The model is developed for two wet years (2010-2011). Study results highlight reaches with cold-water habitat that is suitable for native trout species. Previous research on the Walker River has evaluated instream flow changes with water rights purchases. This study incorporates stream temperatures as a proxy for trout habitat, and thus explicitly incorporates water quality and fish habitat into decision-making regarding water rights purchases. Walker River

Shrub-steppe vegetation trend, Middle Fork Salmon River, Idaho

Treesearch

James M. Peek

2000-01-01

The Middle Fork Salmon River drainage of the Frank Church River-Of-No-Return Wilderness has a history of livetock grazing from 1890 to 1950, and changes in grazing pressure from native ungulates. High mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) populations occurred between 1940 and 1960, and high elk (Cervus elaphus) populations occurred in...

Life history and ecological characteristics of the Santa Ana sucker, Catostomus santaanae

USGS Publications Warehouse

Saiki, Michael K.; Martin, Barbara A.; Knowles, Glen W.; Tennant, Patrick W.

2007-01-01

This study was conducted to document the life history and ecological characteristics of the Santa Ana sucker, Catostomus santaanae, within its native range in southern California. Electrofishing surveys were conducted at 3-month intervals from December 1998 to December 1999 at one site on the San Gabriel River and two sites on the Santa Ana River. Suckers were captured in the San Gabriel River (average, 6.6 fish/10-minutes electrofishing) and at an upstream Santa Ana River site (average, 2.3 fish/10-minutes electrofishing) but not at a downstream Santa Ana River site. Length frequency distributions indicated that at least three year classes (modal groups) of suckers were present in the San Gabriel River, whereas one or two year classes were present in the Santa Ana River. Collection of 21-30 mm standard length (SL) juveniles in June in the Santa Ana River and in September in the San Gabriel River indicated that reproduction occurred over several months. In December, Age-0 suckers averaged 36-48 mm SL in the San Gabriel River and 63-65 mm SL in the Santa Ana River, whereas Age-1 suckers averaged 86 mm SL in the San Gabriel River and 115 mm SL in the Santa Ana River. On average, suckers were in better body condition in the San Gabriel River than in the Santa Ana River. Highest abundance of suckers was associated with relativelypristine environmental conditions (especially low specific conductance) where other native fishes were also common or abundant.

Native American prehistory of the middle Savannah River Valley. A synthesis of archaeological investigations on the Savannah River Site, Aiken and Barnwell Counties, South Carolina

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sassaman, K.E.; Brooks, M.J.; Hanson, G.T.

1990-12-31

Archaeological investigations on the United States Department of Energy`s (DOE) Savannah River Site (SRS) in South Carolina span 17 years and continue today through a cooperative agreement between DOE and the South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology (SCIAA), University of South Carolina. The Savannah River Archaeological Research Program (SRARP) of SCIAA has been and continues to be the sole archaeological consultant for DOE-SRS. This report documents technical aspects of all prehistoric archaeological research conducted by the SRARP between 1973 and 1987. Further, this report provides interpretative contexts for archaeological resources as a basis for an archaeological resource plan reportedmore » elsewhere (SRARP 1989), and as a comprehensive statement of our current understanding of Native American prehistory. 400 refs., 130 figs., 39 tabs.« less

Population characteristics and the influence of discharge on Bluehead Sucker and Flannelmouth Sucker

USGS Publications Warehouse

Klein, Zachary B.; Breen, Matthew J.; Quist, Michael C.

2017-01-01

Rivers are among some of the most complex and important ecosystems in the world. Unfortunately, many fishes endemic to rivers have suffered declines in abundance and distribution suggesting that alterations to lotic environments have negatively influenced native fish populations. Of the 35 fishes native to the Colorado River basin (CRB), seven are considered either endangered, threatened, or species of special concern. As such, the conservation of fishes native to the CRB is a primary interest for natural resource management agencies. One of the major factors limiting the conservation and management of fishes endemic to the CRB is the lack of basic information on their ecology and population characteristics. We sought to describe the population dynamics and demographics of three populations of Bluehead Suckers (Catostomus discobolus) and Flannelmouth Suckers (C. latipinnis) in Utah. Additionally, we evaluated the potential influence of altered flow regimes on the recruitment and growth of Bluehead Suckers and Flannelmouth Suckers. Mortality of Bluehead Suckers and Flannelmouth Suckers from the Green, Strawberry, and White rivers was comparable to other populations. Growth of Bluehead Suckers and Flannelmouth Suckers was higher in the Green, Strawberry, and White rivers when compared to other populations in the CRB. Similarly, recruitment indices suggested that Bluehead Suckers and Flannelmouth Suckers in the Green, Strawberry, and White rivers had more stable recruitment than other populations in the CRB. Models relating growth and recruitment to hydrological indices provided little explanatory power. Notwithstanding, our results indicate that Bluehead Suckers and Flannelmouth Suckers in the Green, Strawberry, and White rivers represent fairly stable populations and provide baseline information that will be valuable for the effective management and conservation of the species.

Genetic diversity and variation of mitochondrial DNA in native and introduced bighead carp

USGS Publications Warehouse

Li, Si-Fa; Yang, Qin-Ling; Xu, Jia-Wei; Wang, Cheng-Hui; Chapman, Duane C.; Lu, Guoping

2010-01-01

The bighead carp Hypophthalmichthys nobilis is native to China but has been introduced to over 70 countries and is established in many large river systems. Genetic diversity and variation in introduced bighead carp have not previously been evaluated, and a systematic comparison among fish from different river systems was unavailable. In this study, 190 bighead carp specimens were sampled from five river systems in three countries (Yangtze, Pearl, and Amur rivers, China; Danube River, Hungary; Mississippi River basin, USA) and their mitochondrial 16S ribosomal RNA gene and D-loop region were sequenced (around 1,345 base pairs). Moderate genetic diversity was found in bighead carp, ranging from 0.0014 to 0.0043 for nucleotide diversity and from 0.6879 to 0.9333 for haplotype diversity. Haplotype analysis provided evidence that (1) multiple haplotype groups might be present among bighead carp, (2) bighead carp probably originated from the Yangtze River, and (3) bighead carp in the Mississippi River basin may have some genetic ancestry in the Danube River. The analysis of molecular variance showed significant genetic differentiation among these five populations but also revealed limited differentiation between the Yangtze and Amur River bighead carp. This large-scale study of bighead carp genetic diversity and variation provides the first global perspective of bighead carp in the context of biodiversity conservation as well as invasive species control and management.

Next-generation sequencing yields the complete mitochondrial genome of the flathead mullet, Mugil cephalus cryptic species in East Australia (Teleostei: Mugilidae).

PubMed

Shen, Kang-Ning; Chen, Ching-Hung; Hsiao, Chung-Der; Durand, Jean-Dominique

2016-09-01

In this study, the complete mitogenome sequence of a cryptic species from East Australia (Mugil sp. H) belonging to the worldwide Mugil cephalus species complex (Teleostei: Mugilidae) has been sequenced by next-generation sequencing method. The assembled mitogenome, consisting of 16,845 bp, had the typical vertebrate mitochondrial gene arrangement, including 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNAs, 2 ribosomal RNAs genes and a non-coding control region of D-loop. D-loop consists of 1067 bp length, and is located between tRNA-Pro and tRNA-Phe. The overall base composition of East Australia M. cephalus is 28.4% for A, 29.3% for C, 15.4% for G and 26.9% for T. The complete mitogenome may provide essential and important DNA molecular data for further phylogenetic and evolutionary analysis for flathead mullet species complex.

Effectiveness of different species of entomopathogenic nematodes for biocontrol of the Mediterranean flatheaded rootborer, Capnodis tenebrionis (Linné) (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) in potted peach tree.

PubMed

Morton, Ana; Del Pino, Fernando García

2008-02-01

The susceptibility of larvae of the Mediterranean flatheaded rootborer (Capnodis tenebrionis) to 13 isolates of entomopathogenic nematodes was examined using GF-677 potted trees (peachxalmond hybrid) as the host plant. The nematode strains tested included nine Steinernema feltiae, one S. affine, one S. carpocapsae and two Heterorhabditis bacteriophora. Nematodes showed the ability to locate and kill larvae of C. tenebrionis just after they enter into the roots of the tree. S. feltiae strains provided an efficacy ranging from 79.68% to 88.24%. H. bacteriophora strains resulted in control of 71.66-76.47%. S. carpocapsae (B14) and S. affine (Gspe3) caused lower control of C. tenebrionis larvae (62.03% and 34.76%, respectively). The influence of foraging strategy and the use of autochthonous nematodes to control C. tenebrionis larvae inside the roots is discussed.

Sandy River Delta Habitat Restoration Project, Annual Report 2001.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kelly, Virginia; Dobson, Robin L.

The Sandy River Delta is located at the confluence of the Sandy and Columbia Rivers, just east of Troutdale, Oregon. It comprises about 1,400 land acres north of Interstate 84, managed by the USDA Forest Service, and associated river banks managed by the Oregon Division of State Lands. Three islands, Gary, Flag and Catham, managed by Metro Greenspaces and the State of Oregon lie to the east, the Columbia River lies to the north and east, and the urbanized Portland metropolitan area lies to the west across the Sandy River. Sandy River Delta was historically a wooded, riparian wetland withmore » components of ponds, sloughs, bottomland woodland, oak woodland, prairie, and low and high elevation floodplain. It has been greatly altered by past agricultural practices and the Columbia River hydropower system. Restoration of historic landscape components is a primary goal for this land. The Forest Service is currently focusing on restoration of riparian forest and wetlands. Restoration of open upland areas (meadow/prairie) would follow substantial completion of the riparian and wetland restoration. The Sandy River Delta is a former pasture infested with reed canary grass, blackberry and thistle. The limited over story is native riparian species such as cottonwood and ash. The shrub and herbaceous layers are almost entirely non-native, invasive species. Native species have a difficult time naturally regenerating in the thick, competing reed canary grass, Himalayan blackberry and thistle. A system of drainage ditches installed by past owners drains water from historic wetlands. The original channel of the Sandy River was diked in the 1930's, and the river diverted into the ''Little Sandy River''. The original Sandy River channel has subsequently filled in and largely become a slough. The FS acquired approximately 1,400 acres Sandy River Delta (SRD) in 1991 from Reynolds Aluminum (via the Trust for Public Lands). The Delta had been grazed for many years but shortly after FS acquisition grazing was terminated while a master plan and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) were developed for the site. During the following three years, the vegetation changed dramatically as a result of cessation of grazing. The dramatic changes included the explosive increases of reed canary grass monocultures in wet areas and the expansion of Himalayan blackberries throughout the site.« less

Restoring Oaks in the Missouri River Floodplain

Treesearch

Dan Dey; John Kabrick; Jennifer Grabner; Mike Gold

2001-01-01

Restoration of native vegetation and hydrologic regimes in the Mississippi and Missouri River floodplains is problematic because they are among the most altered ecosystems in North America (Noss et al. 1995), and because of the competing demands placed on these river ecosystems by commercial, private and social interests. Since the 1780s, more than half (53 percent) of...

Threatened fishes of the world: Alosa alabamae (Jordan and Evermann, 1896) (Clupeidae)

Treesearch

Dwayne W. Meadows; Susan B. Adams; Jacob F. Schaefer

2007-01-01

River drainage to the Suwannee River, Florida (Mettee and O'Neil 2003); extirpated from at least 8 of the 14 native states (Mettee and O'Neil 2003). Abundance: Once commercially harvested, now rare (Mettee and O'Neil 2003); largest remaining population occurs in the Apalachicola River, Florida (Barku-100 et a!. 1993). Habitat...

The Western Fisheries Research Center studies: threatened and endangered fishes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Parsley, M.; Scoppettone, G.G.; Shively, R.; Gadomski, D.; Becker, D.

2005-01-01

Within historical time, western native fish communities have faced increasing threats from habitat loss, invasive species, and pollution. It should come as no surprise that human development has greatly altered fish habitat in the west because of the importance of water for domestic, agricultural, and industrial uses, power generation, waste disposal, flood protection, and transportation. Fish that were adapted to natural cycles of river flow, lake levels, and water temperatures have been unable to adapt to the changes to these cycles caused by development, leading to the listing as threatened or endangered of 68 species of western native fishes. Rapid expansion of non-native fishes, aquatic plants, and invertebrates has increased competition for food and space while pollutants from past and present degrade our lakes, streams, and rivers.

Reclamation of skid roads with fiber mats and native vegetation: effects on erosion

Treesearch

shawn T. Grushecky; David w. McGill; William Grafton; John Edwards; Lisa Tager

2007-01-01

A research study was established to test the effectiveness of fiber mats and native seed mixtures in reducing soil erosion from newly-constructed skid roads in the Elk River Watershed in central West Virginia. Twelve road sections of equal grade were paired with a randomly-selected section receiving a fiber mat and native grass seed while the other road section was not...

Artesian pressures and water quality in Paleozoic aquifers in the Ten Sleep area of the Bighorn Basin, north-central Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cooley, M.E.

1985-01-01

Major Paleozoic artesian aquifers in the southeastern Bighorn Basin of Wyoming area, in descending order, the Tensleep Sandstone; the Madison Limestone and Bighorn Dolomite, which together form the Madison-Bighorn aquifer; and the Flathead Sandstone. Operating yields commonly are more than 1,000 gallons per minute from flowing wells completed in the Madison-Bighorn aquifer. The initial test of one well indicated a flow of 14,000 gallons per minute. Wellhead pressures range from less than 50 to more than 400 pounds per square inch. Transmissivities are 500-1,900 feet squared per day for the Madison-Bighorn aquifer and 90-325 feet squared per day for the Tensleep and Flathead Sandstones. Despite extensive development for irrigation there have been few decreases in pressure. Some decreases in pressure have occurred in wells completed in the Flathead Sandstone. Fractures along linear structural features result in significant secondary permeability and allow upward interformational movement of water that affects the altitude of the potentiometric surfaces in the Tensleep Sandstone and Madison-Bighorn aquifer. Upward-moving water from the Tensleep and other formations discharges at the land surface as springs along or near these lineations. Water from the aquifers generally contains minimal concentrations of dissolved solids and individual constituents but has excessive hardness. The water is satisfactory for irrigation and other purposes when hardness is not a detrimental factor. Wellhead temperatures range from 11 degrees to 27.5 degrees C, giving a geothermal gradient of about 0.44 degrees C per 100 feet. (USGS)

Identification of Neosho Smallmouth Bass (Micropterus dolomieu velox) stocks for possible introduction into Grand Lake, Oklahoma

USGS Publications Warehouse

Taylor, Andrew T.; Long, James M.; Schwemm, Michael R.; Tringali, Michael D.; Brewer, Shannon K.

2016-01-01

Stocking black basses (Micropterus spp.) is a common practice used to increase angling opportunities in impoundments; however, when non-native black basses are introduced they often invade riverine habitats where they threaten the persistence of other fishes, including native black basses. Neosho Smallmouth Bass (M. dolomieu velox) is endemic to portions of the Ozark Highlands and Boston Mountains ecoregions and is threatened by introductions of non-native Smallmouth Bass (“SMB”) forms. Because of recent interest in stocking SMB into Grand Lake o’ the Cherokees, we assessed the suitability of local Neosho SMB populations as potential broodstock sources by assessing introgression with non-native SMB forms, as well as characterizing population structure and genetic diversity. The majority of Neosho SMB populations contained low, but non-negligible, genomic proportions of two genetically distinct non-native SMB forms. Introgression was highest in the Illinois River upstream of Lake Tenkiller, where Tennessee ‘lake strain’ SMB were stocked in the early 1990’s. We recovered three genetically distinct clusters of Neosho SMB at the uppermost hierarchical level of population structure: a distinct Illinois River cluster and two Grand River clusters that appear to naturally mix at some sites. Genetic diversity measures generally increased with stream size, and smaller populations with low diversity measures may benefit from immigration of novel genetic material. Overall, introgression with non-native SMB forms appears to pose a prominent threat to Neosho SMB; however, relatively intact populations of Neosho SMB exist in some Grand Lake o’ the Cherokees tributaries. Results could be used in developing a stocking program that promotes and sustains existing genetic diversity within and among Neosho SMB populations.

Invasion strategy and abiotic activity triggers for non-native gobiids of the River Rhine

PubMed Central

Hartmann, Frank; Brinker, Alexander

2017-01-01

The 24 hour activity patterns of three non-native gobiids (round goby Neogobius melanostomus, Western tubenose goby Proterorhinus semilunaris and bighead goby Ponticola kessleri) were assessed over 46 consecutive months between 2011 and 2014 from their occurrence in the cooling water intake of a nuclear power plant on the River Rhine, Germany. In total, 117717 gobiids were identified and classified. The occurrence of all three species varied strongly between sampling years, and species-specific activity triggers were identified. The activity of juveniles of all three gobiids species was positively temperature dependent while adult tubenose goby activity appeared to be negatively temperature dependent. Increasing fluvial discharge in the adjoining main river stimulated the activity of juvenile round goby but inhibited activity of adult tubenose goby. Except for adult bighead goby, activity was also structured by time of day, but with no uniform mean. Meteorological factors such as precipitation, air pressure and duration of sunshine hours had little or no influence on gobiid activity. On selected rare occasions, mainly at night, all three species exhibited pulsed swarming behaviour, with thousands of individuals recorded in the intake water. Round goby swarms exhibited both the highest intensity and the largest swarming individuals, suggesting a potential competitive advantage over tubenose and bighead goby. Electric fishing surveys in natural river stretches corroborated this observation. Negative effects on the native fish fauna were apparent only for the bullhead, Cottus gobio. The activity triggers identified offer a unique insight into the invasion mechanisms of these ecosystem-changing non-native gobiids. PMID:28915248

Health Status of Sand Flathead (Platycephalus bassensis), Inhabiting an Industrialised and Urbanised Embayment, Port Phillip Bay, Victoria as Measured by Biomarkers of Exposure and Effects

PubMed Central

Baker, Jarrad K.; Long, Sara M.; Hassell, Kathryn L.; Pettigrove, Vincent J.

2016-01-01

Port Phillip Bay, Australia, is a large semi-closed bay with over four million people living in its catchment basin. The Bay receives waters from the Yarra River which drains the city of Melbourne, as well as receiving the discharges of sewage treatment plants and petrochemical and agricultural chemicals. A 1999 study demonstrated that fish inhabiting Port Phillip Bay showed signs of effects related to pollutant exposure despite pollution management practices having been implemented for over a decade. To assess the current health status of the fish inhabiting the Bay, a follow up survey was conducted in 2015. A suite of biomarkers of exposure and effects were measured to determine the health status of Port Phillip Bay sand flathead (Platycephalus bassensis), namely ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) activity, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) biliary metabolites, carboxylesterase activity (CbE) and DNA damage (8-oxo-dG). The reduction in EROD activity in the present study suggests a decline in the presence of EROD activity-inducing chemicals within the Bay since the 1990s. Fish collected in the most industrialised/urbanised sites did not display higher PAH metabolite levels than those in less developed areas of the Bay. Ratios of PAH biliary metabolite types were used to indicate PAH contaminant origin. Ratios indicated fish collected at Corio Bay and Hobsons Bay were subjected to increased low molecular weight hydrocarbons of petrogenic origin, likely attributed to the close proximity of these sites to oil refineries, compared to PAH biliary metabolites in fish from Geelong Arm and Mordialloc. Quantification of DNA damage indicated a localised effect of exposure to pollutants, with a 10-fold higher DNA damage level in fish sampled from the industrial site of Corio Bay relative to the less developed site of Sorrento. Overall, integration of biomarkers by multivariate analysis indicated that the health of fish collected in industrialised areas was compromised, with biologically significant biomarkers of effects (LSI, CF and DNA damage) discriminating between individuals collected in industrialised areas from observations made in fish collected in less developed areas of the Bay. PMID:27711198

Health Status of Sand Flathead (Platycephalus bassensis), Inhabiting an Industrialised and Urbanised Embayment, Port Phillip Bay, Victoria as Measured by Biomarkers of Exposure and Effects.

PubMed

Baker, Jarrad K; Long, Sara M; Hassell, Kathryn L; Pettigrove, Vincent J; Gagnon, Marthe M

2016-01-01

Port Phillip Bay, Australia, is a large semi-closed bay with over four million people living in its catchment basin. The Bay receives waters from the Yarra River which drains the city of Melbourne, as well as receiving the discharges of sewage treatment plants and petrochemical and agricultural chemicals. A 1999 study demonstrated that fish inhabiting Port Phillip Bay showed signs of effects related to pollutant exposure despite pollution management practices having been implemented for over a decade. To assess the current health status of the fish inhabiting the Bay, a follow up survey was conducted in 2015. A suite of biomarkers of exposure and effects were measured to determine the health status of Port Phillip Bay sand flathead (Platycephalus bassensis), namely ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) activity, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) biliary metabolites, carboxylesterase activity (CbE) and DNA damage (8-oxo-dG). The reduction in EROD activity in the present study suggests a decline in the presence of EROD activity-inducing chemicals within the Bay since the 1990s. Fish collected in the most industrialised/urbanised sites did not display higher PAH metabolite levels than those in less developed areas of the Bay. Ratios of PAH biliary metabolite types were used to indicate PAH contaminant origin. Ratios indicated fish collected at Corio Bay and Hobsons Bay were subjected to increased low molecular weight hydrocarbons of petrogenic origin, likely attributed to the close proximity of these sites to oil refineries, compared to PAH biliary metabolites in fish from Geelong Arm and Mordialloc. Quantification of DNA damage indicated a localised effect of exposure to pollutants, with a 10-fold higher DNA damage level in fish sampled from the industrial site of Corio Bay relative to the less developed site of Sorrento. Overall, integration of biomarkers by multivariate analysis indicated that the health of fish collected in industrialised areas was compromised, with biologically significant biomarkers of effects (LSI, CF and DNA damage) discriminating between individuals collected in industrialised areas from observations made in fish collected in less developed areas of the Bay.

US 93 preconstruction wildlife monitoring field methods handbook : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2006-11-01

The US 93 reconstruction project on the Flathead Indian Reservation in northwest Montana represents one of the most extensive wildlife-sensitive highway design efforts to occur in the continental United States. The reconstruction will include install...

Can data from disparate long-term fish monitoring programs be used to increase our understanding of regional and continental trends in large river assemblages?

USGS Publications Warehouse

Counihan, Timothy D.; Waite, Ian R.; Casper, Andrew F.; Ward, David L.; Sauer, Jennifer S.; Irwin, Elise R.; Chapman, Colin G.; Ickes, Brian; Paukert, Craig P.; Kosovich, John J.; Bayer, Jennifer M.

2018-01-01

Understanding trends in the diverse resources provided by large rivers will help balance tradeoffs among stakeholders and inform strategies to mitigate the effects of landscape scale stressors such as climate change and invasive species. Absent a cohesive coordinated effort to assess trends in important large river resources, a logical starting point is to assess our ability to draw inferences from existing efforts. In this paper, we use a common analytical framework to analyze data from five disparate fish monitoring programs to better understand the nature of spatial and temporal trends in large river fish assemblages. We evaluated data from programs that monitor fishes in the Colorado, Columbia, Illinois, Mississippi, and Tallapoosa rivers using non-metric dimensional scaling ordinations and associated tests to evaluate trends in fish assemblage structure and native fish biodiversity. Our results indicate that fish assemblages exhibited significant spatial and temporal trends in all five of the rivers. We also document native species diversity trends that were variable within and between rivers and generally more evident in rivers with higher species richness and programs of longer duration. We discuss shared and basin-specific landscape level stressors. Having a basic understanding of the nature and extent of trends in fish assemblages is a necessary first step towards understanding factors affecting biodiversity and fisheries in large rivers.

Can data from disparate long-term fish monitoring programs be used to increase our understanding of regional and continental trends in large river assemblages?

PubMed Central

Waite, Ian R.; Casper, Andrew F.; Ward, David L.; Sauer, Jennifer S.; Irwin, Elise R.; Chapman, Colin G.; Ickes, Brian S.; Paukert, Craig P.; Kosovich, John J.; Bayer, Jennifer M.

2018-01-01

Understanding trends in the diverse resources provided by large rivers will help balance tradeoffs among stakeholders and inform strategies to mitigate the effects of landscape scale stressors such as climate change and invasive species. Absent a cohesive coordinated effort to assess trends in important large river resources, a logical starting point is to assess our ability to draw inferences from existing efforts. In this paper, we use a common analytical framework to analyze data from five disparate fish monitoring programs to better understand the nature of spatial and temporal trends in large river fish assemblages. We evaluated data from programs that monitor fishes in the Colorado, Columbia, Illinois, Mississippi, and Tallapoosa rivers using non-metric dimensional scaling ordinations and associated tests to evaluate trends in fish assemblage structure and native fish biodiversity. Our results indicate that fish assemblages exhibited significant spatial and temporal trends in all five of the rivers. We also document native species diversity trends that were variable within and between rivers and generally more evident in rivers with higher species richness and programs of longer duration. We discuss shared and basin-specific landscape level stressors. Having a basic understanding of the nature and extent of trends in fish assemblages is a necessary first step towards understanding factors affecting biodiversity and fisheries in large rivers. PMID:29364953

Assessing the Effects of Water Rights Purchases on Dissolved Oxygen, Stream Temperatures, and Fish Habitat

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mouzon, N. R.; Null, S. E.

2014-12-01

Human impacts from land and water development have degraded water quality and altered the physical, chemical, and biological integrity of Nevada's Walker River. Reduced instream flows and increased nutrient concentrations affect native fish populations through warm daily stream temperatures and low nightly dissolved oxygen concentrations. Water rights purchases are being considered to maintain instream flows, improve water quality, and enhance habitat for native fish species, such as Lahontan cutthroat trout. This study uses the River Modeling System (RMSv4), an hourly, physically-based hydrodynamic and water quality model, to estimate streamflows, temperatures, and dissolved oxygen concentrations in the Walker River. We simulate thermal and dissolved oxygen changes from increased streamflow to prioritize the time periods and locations that water purchases most enhance native trout habitat. Stream temperatures and dissolved oxygen concentrations are proxies for trout habitat. Monitoring results indicate stream temperature and dissolved oxygen limitations generally exist in the 115 kilometers upstream of Walker Lake (about 37% of the study area) from approximately May through September, and this reach currently acts as a water quality barrier for fish passage.

Mystery #24 Answer

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2013-04-22

... have heavily polluted the river, over 1/3 being unusable for agriculture and industrial use. However, the river flows into the Bohai Sea, ... but these have been almost completely destroyed by rice agriculture and fish aquaculture, as have the native reed beds of  Phragmites ...

Improving non-native fish larvae detection based on temporal habitat use.

EPA Science Inventory

As part of the development of an early detection monitoring strategy for non-native fishes, larval fish surveys have been conducted since 2012 in the St. Louis River estuary. Survey data demonstrates considerable variability in fish abundance and species assemblages across habit...

Up the River of Mercy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Solnit, Rebecca

1992-01-01

Presents a landscape historian's perspective of California's Yosemite National Park in which is described the history behind the names and places of Yosemite amidst descriptions of the landscape and significant people. Includes accounts of military ventures, native cultures, gold rush confrontations, and relationships between Native Americans, the…

Red shiner invasion and hybridization with blacktail shiner in the upper Coosa River, USA

EPA Science Inventory

Human disturbance increases the invasibility of lotic ecosystems and the likelihood of hybridization between invasive and native species. We investigated whether disturbance has contributed to the invasion of red shiner (Cyprinella lutrensis) and their hybridization with native b...

Nearshore thermal gradients of the Colorado River near the Little Colorado River confluence, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, 2010

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ross, Rob; Grams, Paul E.

2013-01-01

Construction and operation of Glen Canyon Dam has dramatically impacted the flow of the Colorado River through Glen, Marble, and Grand Canyons. Extremes in both streamflow and water temperature have been suppressed by controlled releases from the dam. Trapping of sediment in Lake Powell, the reservoir formed by Glen Canyon Dam, has also dramatically reduced the supply of suspended sediment entering the system. These changes have altered the riverine ecosystem and the habitat of native species, including fish such as the endangered humpback chub (Gila cypha). Most native fish are adapted to seasonally warm water, and the continuous relatively cold water released by the dam is one of the factors that is believed to limit humpback chub growth and survival. While average mainstem temperatures in the Colorado River are well documented, there is limited understanding of temperatures in the nearshore environments that fish typically occupy. Four nearshore geomorphic unit types were studied between the confluence of the Colorado and Little Colorado Rivers and Lava Canyon in the summer and fall of 2010, for study periods of 10 to 27 days. Five to seven sites were studied during each interval. Persistent thermal gradients greater than the 0.2 °C accuracy of the instruments were not observed in any of the sampled shoreline environments. Temperature gradients between the shoreline and mainstem on the order of 4 °C, believed to be important to the habitat-seeking behavior of native or nonnative fishes, were not detected.

A bioenergetics modeling evaluation of top-down control of ruffe in the St. Louis River, western Lake Superior

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mayo, Kathleen R.; Selgeby, James H.; McDonald, Michael E.

1998-01-01

Ruffe (Gymnocephalus cernuus), were accidentally introduced into the St. Louis River estuary, western Lake Superior, in the mid 1980s and it was feared that they might affect native fish through predation on eggs and competition for forage and habitat. In an effort to control the abundance of ruffe and limit dispersal, a top-down control strategy using predators was implemented in 1989. We used bioenergetics modeling to examine the efficacy of top-down control in the St. Louis River from 1991 to 1994. Five predators--northern pike (Esox lucius), walleye (Stizostedion vitreum vitreum), smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieui), brown bullhead (Ictalurus nebulosus), and yellow perch (Perca flavescens)--were modeled to determine their consumption of ruffe and four other native prey species-spottail shiner (Notropis hudsonius), emerald shiner (Notropis atherinoides), yellow perch (Perca flavescens), and black crappie (Pomoxis nigromaculatus). Although predators ate as much as 47% of the ruffe biomass in 1 year, they were not able to halt the increase in ruffe abundance. The St. Louis River is an open system that allows predators to move freely out of the system, and the biomass of managed predators did not increase. A selectivity index showed all five predators selected the native prey and avoided ruffe. The St. Louis River has several predator and prey species creating many complex predator-prey interactions; and top-down control of ruffe by the predators examined in this study did not occur.

Spatial variation in fish species richness of the upper Mississippi River system

USGS Publications Warehouse

Koel, T.M.

2004-01-01

Important natural environmental gradients, including the connectivity of off-channel aquatic habitats to the main-stem river, have been lost in many reaches of the upper Mississippi River system, and an understanding of the consequences of this isolation is lacking in regard to native fish communities. The objectives of this study were to describe patterns of fish species richness, evenness, and diversity among representative habitats and river reaches and to examine the relationship between fish species richness and habitat diversity. Each year (1994-1999) fish communities of main-channel borders (MCB), side channel borders (SCB), and contiguous backwater shorelines (BWS) were sampled using boat-mounted electrofishing, mini-fyke-nets, tyke nets, hoop nets, and seines at a standardized number of sites. A total of 0.65 million fish were collected, representing 106 species from upper Mississippi River Pools 4, 8, 13, and 26; the open (unimpounded) river reach; and the La Grange Reach of the Illinois River. Within pools, species richness based on rarefaction differed significantly among habitats and was highest in BWS and lowest in MCB (P < 0.0001). At the reach scale, Pools 4, 8, and 13 consistently had the highest species richness and Pool 26, the open-river reach, and the La Grange Reach were significantly lower (P < 0.0001). Species evenness and diversity indices showed similar trends. The relationship between native fish species richness and habitat diversity was highly significant (r(2) = 0.85; P = 0.0091). These results support efforts aimed at the conservation and enhancement of connected side channels and backwaters. Although constrained by dams, pools with high native species richness could serve as a relative reference. The remnants of natural riverine dynamics that remain in these reaches should be preserved and enhanced; conditions could be used to guide restoration activities in more degraded reaches.

Habitat and fish assemblage associations and current status of northern leatherside chub Lepidomeda copei in western Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schultz, Luke; Cavalli, Pete; Sexauer, Hilda; Zafft, David

2016-01-01

Human activities have extensively altered native fish assemblages and their habitats in the western United States. Conservation and restoration for long-term persistence of these fishes requires knowledge of their distributional patterns and life history requirements. Northern leatherside chub Lepidomeda copei (hereafter northern leatherside) is a cyprinid native to the Snake and Bear River Basins of Wyoming, Idaho, Nevada, and Utah, and it is believed to have declined in distribution relative to historical records. To address information gaps in the species' ecology and assess its status in the state, the objectives of this study were first to document the distribution (2010–2011) of northern leatherside in Wyoming and then to examine habitat factors related to the entire fish assemblage and to evaluate specific habitat associations of northern leatherside in the Bear River Basin, Wyoming. In the Bear River and Upper Snake River Basins, we documented the distribution of northern leatherside and compared it to the previously known distribution. Across the Bear River Basin, we used habitat measurements to assess abiotic features related to the distribution and abundance of northern leatherside. Northern leatherside was found across the Bear River Basin and was present in 2 streams each in the Upper Snake River and Green River Basins in Wyoming. Populations in Wyoming appear to represent the core of northern leatherside range, and our work provided a finer-scale delineation of the species' occurrence. Northern leatherside was collected from a variety of habitats, but multivariate analyses and occurrence modeling indicated it was associated with increased channel depth and depth variability, and positively associated with other native fishes (including mountain sucker Catostomus platyrhynchus, redside shiner Richardsonius balteatus, and speckled dace Rhinichthys osculus). These findings on the distribution and ecology of northern leatherside provide important new information to assist successful management and conservation efforts within Wyoming and across the species' range.

Native American prehistory of the middle Savannah River Valley

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sassaman, K.E.; Brooks, M.J.; Hanson, G.T.

1990-01-01

Archaeological investigations on the United States Department of Energy's (DOE) Savannah River Site (SRS) in South Carolina span 17 years and continue today through a cooperative agreement between DOE and the South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology (SCIAA), University of South Carolina. The Savannah River Archaeological Research Program (SRARP) of SCIAA has been and continues to be the sole archaeological consultant for DOE-SRS. This report documents technical aspects of all prehistoric archaeological research conducted by the SRARP between 1973 and 1987. Further, this report provides interpretative contexts for archaeological resources as a basis for an archaeological resource plan reportedmore » elsewhere (SRARP 1989), and as a comprehensive statement of our current understanding of Native American prehistory. 400 refs., 130 figs., 39 tabs.« less

[Molecular genetic characterization of the Far Eastern trematode Skrjabino lecithum spasskii Belous, 1954 (Digenea: Haploporidae)), a parasite of mullets].

PubMed

Atopkin, D M; Nikitenko, A Yu; Ngo, H D; Ha, N V; Tang, N V

2015-01-01

Intraspecific genetic differentiation of the trematode Skrjabinolecithum spasskii and its phylogenetic relationships with other species of the family Haploporidae were studied by comparing the nucleotide sequences of a part of the 28S rRNA gene and the ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 rDNA region. Trematodes were isolated from so-iuy mullet Liza haematocheila fishes collected in rivers of Primorye and flathead grey mullet Mugil cephalus fishes collected in water bodies of Vietnam (27 fishes in total). A phylogenetic analysis showed that S. spasskii is close to species of the genus Capitimitta of the subfamily Waretrematinae. By intraspecific variation of rDNA sequences, trematodes were divided into three groups with tree different genotypes, which had fixed nucleotide substitutions. Genotype I was found in trematodes from fishes collected in Primorye. Genotype II was detected in trematodes from M. cephalus fishes collected in the Tonkin Bay, Cat Ba Island, Vietnam. Genotype III was found in five trematodes from L. haematocheila collected in the Kievka River, Primorye. The genetic distances between genotypes I and III from Primorye were 0.4 and 0.65% by 28S and ITS rDNA sequences, respectively. The lowest genetic distances were observed between genotypes II (Vietnam) and III (Primorye), 0.1 and 0.33% by 28S and ITS rDNA sequences, respectively. Possible causes of genetic differentiation of S. spasskii from different geographic locations and different definitive host species are discussed.

Strong effects of predation by fishes on an invasive macroinvertebrate in a large floodplain river

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bartsch, M.R.; Bartsch, L.A.; Gutreuter, S.

2005-01-01

We assessed the effects of fish predation on zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) in Navigation Pool 8 of the Upper Mississippi River from 13 May to 5 October, 1998. Concrete-block samplers were deployed at 18 randomly chosen sites in the main-channel border, with 6 sites in the upper, middle, and lower segments of the pool. Two blocks, 1 of which was enclosed in a cage to exclude large predatory fishes, were deployed at each site. After 145 d, blocks were retrieved from 12 of the 18 sites, and zebra mussels were found on all blocks. Densities of zebra mussels were higher on caged blocks than uncaged blocks, and the magnitudes of the differences varied spatially. Mean mussel densities on uncaged blocks were reduced by 66%, 86%, and 20% compared to caged blocks in the upper, middle, and lower pool segments, respectively, over the 145-d interval. Mean daily instantaneous zebra mussel mortality rates from large predators ranged from 0.0016 to 0.0138. Similarly, biomass of zebra mussels was higher on caged than uncaged blocks. Mean mussel biomass on uncaged blocks was reduced by 64% pool-wide, relative to biomass on caged blocks. Zebra mussels were consumed by at least 6 fish taxa including redhorse stickers (Moxostoma spp.), common carp (Cyprinus carpio), bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus), quillback carpsucker (Carpiodes cyprinus), flathead catfish (Pylodictis olivaris), and freshwater drum (Aplodinotus grunniens). Fish predation had an important moderating effect on zebra mussel demography in Pool 8.

The role of wild and scenic rivers in the conservation of aquatic biodiversity

Treesearch

John D. Rothlisberger; Tamara Heartsill Scalley; Russell F. Thurow

2017-01-01

Formerly diverse and abundant freshwater species are highly imperiled, with higher extinction rates than many other taxonomic groups worldwide. In the 50 years since passage of the US Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, wild and scenic rivers (WSRs) have contributed significantly to the conservation of native aquatic biodiversity as well as to the conservation and restoration...

Linking the distribution of an invasive amphibian (Rana catesbeiana) to habitat conditions in a managed river system in northern California.

Treesearch

Terra Fuller; Karen Pope; Donald Ashton; Hartwell Welsh

2010-01-01

Extensive modifications of river systems have left floodplains some of the most endangered ecosystems in the world and made restoration of these systems a priority. Modified river ecosystems frequently support invasive species to the detriment of native species. Rana catesbeiana (American bullfrog) is an invasive amphibian that thrives in modified...

Pollution Problem in River Kabul: Accumulation Estimates of Heavy Metals in Native Fish Species.

PubMed

Ahmad, Habib; Yousafzai, Ali Muhammad; Siraj, Muhammad; Ahmad, Rashid; Ahmad, Israr; Nadeem, Muhammad Shahid; Ahmad, Waqar; Akbar, Nazia; Muhammad, Khushi

2015-01-01

The contamination of aquatic systems with heavy metals is affecting the fish population and hence results in a decline of productivity rate. River Kabul is a transcountry river originating at Paghman province in Afghanistan and inters in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan and it is the major source of irrigation and more than 54 fish species have been reported in the river. Present study aimed at the estimation of heavy metals load in the fish living in River Kabul. Heavy metals including chromium, nickel, copper, zinc, cadmium, and lead were determined through atomic absorption spectrophotometer after tissue digestion by adopting standard procedures. Concentrations of these metals were recorded in muscles and liver of five native fish species, namely, Wallago attu, Aorichthys seenghala, Cyprinus carpio, Labeo dyocheilus, and Ompok bimaculatus. The concentrations of chromium, nickel, copper, zinc, and lead were higher in both of the tissues, whereas the concentration of cadmium was comparatively low. However, the concentration of metals was exceeding the RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance of USA) limits. Hence, continuous fish consumption may create health problems for the consumers. The results of the present study are alarming and suggest implementing environmental laws and initiation of a biomonitoring program of the river.

Environmental drivers of fish functional diversity and composition in the Lower Colorado River Basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pool, T.K.; Olden, J.D.; Whittier, Joanna B.; Paukert, C.P.

2010-01-01

Freshwater conservation efforts require an understanding of how natural and anthropogenic factors shape the present-day biogeography of native and non-native species. This knowledge need is especially acute for imperiled native fishes in the highly modified Lower Colorado River Basin (LCRB), USA. In the present study we employed both a taxonomic and functional approach to explore how natural and human-related environmental drivers shape landscape-scale patterns of fish community composition in the LCRB. Our results showed that hydrologic alteration, watershed land use, and regional climate explained 30.3% and 44.7% of the total variation in fish community taxonomic and functional composition, respectively. Watersheds with greater dam densities and upstream storage capacity supported higher non-native functional diversity, suggesting that dams have provided additional "niche opportunities" for non-native equilibrium life-history strategists by introducing new reservoir habitat and modifying downstream flow and thermal regimes. By contrast, watersheds characterized by greater upstream land protection, lower dam densities, and higher variation in spring and summer precipitation supported fish communities with a strong complement of native species (opportunistic-periodic strategists). In conclusion, our study highlights the utility of a life-history approach to better understand the patterns and processes by which fish communities vary along environmental gradients.

Short-term and long-term evapotranspiration rates at ecological restoration sites along a large river receiving rare flow events

USGS Publications Warehouse

Shanafield, Margaret; Jurado, Hugo Gutierrez; Burgueño, Jesús Eliana Rodríguez; Hernández, Jorge Ramírez; Jarchow, Christopher; Nagler, Pamela L.

2017-01-01

Many large rivers around the world no longer flow to their deltas, due to ever greater water withdrawals and diversions for human needs. However, the importance of riparian ecosystems is drawing increasing recognition, leading to the allocation of environmental flows to restore river processes. Accurate estimates of riparian plant evapotranspiration (ET) are needed to understand how the riverine system responds to these rare events and achieve the goals of environmental flows. In 2014, historic environmental flows were released into the Lower Colorado River at Morelos Dam (Mexico); this once perennial but now dry reach is the final stretch to the mighty Colorado River Delta. One of the primary goals was to supply native vegetation restoration sites along the reach with water to help seedlings establish and boost groundwater levels to foster the planted saplings. Patterns in ET before, during, and after the flows are useful for evaluating whether this goal was met and understanding the role that ET plays in this now ephemeral river system. Here, diurnal fluctuations in groundwater levels and MODIS data were used to compare estimates of ET specifically at three native vegetation restoration sites during 2014 planned flow events, while MODIS data was used to evaluate long-term (2002 – 2016) ET responses to restoration efforts at these sites. Overall, ET was generally 0 - 10 mm d-1 across sites and although daily ET values from groundwater data were highly variable, weekly averaged estimates were highly correlated with MODIS-derived estimates at most sites. The influence of the 2014 flow events was not immediately apparent in the results, although the process of clearing vegetation and planting native vegetation at the restoration sites was clearly visible in the results.

Response of fishes to floodplain connectivity during and following a 500-year flood event in the unimpounded upper Mississippi River

USGS Publications Warehouse

Barko, V.A.; Herzog, D.P.; O'Connell, M. T.

2006-01-01

We examined data collected on fish assemblage structure among three differing floodplain types (broad, moderate, and narrow) during the 1993 flood in the unimpounded reach of the upper Mississippi River. This 500 year flood event provided a unique opportunity to investigate fish-floodplain function because the main river channel is otherwise typically disjunct from approximately 82% of its floodplain by an extensive levee system. Fishes were sampled during three separate periods, and 42 species of adult and young-of-the-year (YOY) fishes were captured. Analysis of similarity (ANOSIM) revealed a significant and distinguishable difference between both adult and YOY assemblage structure among the three floodplain types. Analysis of variance revealed that Secchi transparency, turbidity, water velocity, and dissolved oxygen were significantly different among the floodplain types. However, only depth of gear deployment and Secchi transparency were significantly correlated with adult assemblage structure. None of these variables were significantly correlated with YOY assemblage structure. The numerically abundant families (adult and YOY catches combined) on the floodplain included Centrarchidae, Ictularidae, and Cyprinidae. Both native and non-native fishes were captured on the floodplain, and several of the numerically abundant species that were captured on the floodplain peaked in catch-per-unit-effort 1-3 years after the 1993 flood event. This suggests that some species may have used flooded terrestrial habitat for spawning, feeding, or both. The findings from our study provide much needed insight into fish-floodplain function in a temperate, channelized river system and suggest that lateral connectivity of the main river channel to less degraded reaches of its floodplain should become a management priority not only to maintain faunal biodiversity but also potentially reduce the impacts of non-native species in large river systems.

Invasibility of Mediterranean-Climate Rivers by Non-Native Fish: The Importance of Environmental Drivers and Human Pressures

PubMed Central

Ilhéu, Maria; Matono, Paula; Bernardo, João Manuel

2014-01-01

Invasive species are regarded as a biological pressure to natural aquatic communities. Understanding the factors promoting successful invasions is of great conceptual and practical importance. From a practical point of view, it should help to prevent future invasions and to mitigate the effects of recent invaders through early detection and prioritization of management measures. This study aims to identify the environmental determinants of fish invasions in Mediterranean-climate rivers and evaluate the relative importance of natural and human drivers. Fish communities were sampled in 182 undisturbed and 198 disturbed sites by human activities, belonging to 12 river types defined for continental Portugal within the implementation of the European Union's Water Framework Directive. Pumpkinseed sunfish, Lepomis gibbosus (L.), and mosquitofish, Gambusia holbrooki (Girard), were the most abundant non-native species (NNS) in the southern river types whereas the Iberian gudgeon, Gobio lozanoi Doadrio and Madeira, was the dominant NNS in the north/centre. Small northern mountain streams showed null or low frequency of occurrence and abundance of NNS, while southern lowland river types with medium and large drainage areas presented the highest values. The occurrence of NNS was significantly lower in undisturbed sites and the highest density of NNS was associated with high human pressure. Results from variance partitioning showed that natural environmental factors determine the distribution of the most abundant NNS while the increase in their abundance and success is explained mainly by human-induced disturbance factors. This study stresses the high vulnerability of the warm water lowland river types to non-native fish invasions, which is amplified by human-induced degradation. PMID:25372284

Verification of a ‘freshwater-type’ life history variant of juvenile American shad in the Columbia River

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wetzel, Lisa A.; Larsen, Kimberly A.; Parsley, Michael J.; Zimmerman, Christian E.

2011-01-01

American shad are native to the Atlantic coast of North America and were successfully introduced to the Pacific coast in the 1870s. They are now more abundant in the Columbia River than are its native salmon. As in their native range, Columbia River American shad are anadromous and have been assumed to solely exhibit an ‘ocean-type’ life history, characterized by a short period of juvenile rearing in freshwater, followed by seaward migration and saltwater entry before age-1, with sexually mature individuals returning to freshwater to spawn beginning at age-3. During October 2007, emigrating juvenile American shad were captured in the juvenile fish monitoring facility at Bonneville Dam (river kilometer 235) on the Columbia River. Their length frequencies revealed the presence of two modes; the lower mode averaged 77 mm fork length (FL) and the upper mode averaged 184 mm FL. A subsample of fish from each mode was aged using otoliths. Otoliths from the lower mode (n=10) had no annuli, indicating that they were all age-0, while otoliths from the upper mode (n=25) had one or two annuli, indicating that they were either age-1 or age-2, respectively. Spawning adults collected in June 2007 averaged 393 mm FL (range 305-460 mm; n=21) and were estimated to range in age from 3-6. Elemental analyses of juvenile and adult otoliths provide evidence for deviations from the typical migration pattern expected for this species, including extensive freshwater rearing of up to two years. This evidence shows that a ‘freshwater-type’ of juvenile American shad exists as year-round or transient residents in the Columbia River basin. The ecological role of this life history variant within the fish community is unknown.

Invading species in the Eel River, California: Successes, failures, and relationships with resident species

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brown, L.R.; Moyle, P.B.

1997-01-01

We examined invasions of non-native fishes into the Eel River, California. At least 16 species of fish have been introduced into the drainage which originally supported 12-14 fish species. Our study was prompted by the unauthorized introduction in 1979 of Sacramento squawfish, Ptychocheilus grandis, a large predatory cyprinid. From 1986 to 1990, we conducted growth and diet studies of squaw fish, conducted intensive surveys of the distribution and habitat associations of both native and introduced species, and examined the nature of species-habitat and interspecies relationships. We found no evidence for increased growth or expanded feeding habits, compared to native populations, of Sacramento squawfish as they invaded the Eel River drainage. Ten of the introduced species were well established, with four species limited to a reservoir and six species established in streams. The success or failure of introductions of stream species appeared to be a function of the ability of a species to survive the fluctuating, highly seasonal, flow regime. The present mixture of native and exotic species has not formed stable fish assemblages but it seems likely that four habitat-associated assemblages will develop. The overall effect of the successful species introductions has been to assemble a group of species, with some exceptions, that are native to and occur together in many California streams. The assemblages now forming are similar to those found in other California streams. The assemblage characterized by squawfish and suckers is likely to be resistant to invasion, in the absence of human caused habitat modifications.

Hydrologic scenarios for floodplain building in a vertically accreting, suspended sediment river

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alexander, J. S.; Scott, M. L.; Schmidt, J. C.

2006-12-01

Recent advances in dendrogeomorphology allow for precise age constraint on rates of floodplain building. We applied these techniques in our effort to evaluate the relative roles of flow regulation and invasive riparian vegetation in accelerating the rate of vertical accretion and channel narrowing of the dam-regulated upper Green River in Dinosaur National Monument, Colorado and Utah. Four large trenches were excavated into alluvial deposits that are now inundated by either common post-dam floods or rare post-dam high releases. We dated individual stratigraphic units using the recently developed stem-burial method (Friedman et al. 2005), as well as traditional cross-dating methods. These excavations indicate that episodic large floods with pre- dam recurrences of 5 to 10 years may vertically aggrade floodplains by up to 1.0 m. Smaller, more frequent, floods progressively create inset alluvial deposits that are subsequently colonized by native or non-native woody shrubs and trees. These lower elevation deposits serve as growing surfaces for both native and non- native riparian plants as well as stable platforms for deposition during occasional large post-dam floods that exceed the capacity of the dam's power plant. This style of floodplain building results in channel narrowing and loss of aquatic habitats. In the case of the upper Green River, the majority of channel narrowing occurred during two isolated events: (1) a rare basin-wide flood in late winter 1962, shortly before completion of Flaming Gorge Dam and (2) the largest post-dam bypass flood in 1983. Thick deposits of these ages occur in each trench, and this pattern correlates with the sequence of channel narrowing described by Allred and Schmidt (1999) 320 km downstream at the USGS gage near Green River, Utah. Our results suggest infrequent, controlled, high-magnitude dam releases may be an ineffective means of channel rejuvenation and vegetation control along vertically accreting, suspended sediment rivers. Where post-dam rivers are in a condition of sediment surplus, large floods may further isolate unwanted riparian vegetation from lower, more frequently disturbed hydrologic environments by increasing the elevation of the higher alluvial deposits.

Patterns of hybridization of nonnative cutthroat trout and hatchery rainbow trout with native redband trout in the Boise River, Idaho

USGS Publications Warehouse

Neville, Helen M.; Dunham, Jason B.

2011-01-01

Hybridization is one of the greatest threats to native fishes. Threats from hybridization are particularly important for native trout species as stocking of nonnative trout has been widespread within the ranges of native species, thus increasing the potential for hybridization. While many studies have documented hybridization between native cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarkii and nonnative rainbow trout O. mykiss, fewer have focused on this issue in native rainbow trout despite widespread threats from introductions of both nonnative cutthroat trout and hatchery rainbow trout. Here, we describe the current genetic (i.e., hybridization) status of native redband trout O. mykiss gairdneri populations in the upper Boise River, Idaho. Interspecific hybridization was widespread (detected at 14 of the 41 sampled locations), but high levels of hybridization between nonnative cutthroat trout and redband trout were detected in only a few streams. Intraspecific hybridization was considerably more widespread (almost 40% of sampled locations), and several local populations of native redband trout have been almost completely replaced with hatchery coastal rainbow trout O. mykiss irideus; other populations exist as hybrid swarms, some are in the process of being actively invaded, and some are maintaining genetic characteristics of native populations. The persistence of some redband trout populations with high genetic integrity provides some opportunity to conserve native genomes, but our findings also highlight the complex decisions facing managers today. Effective management strategies in this system may include analysis of the specific attributes of each site and population to evaluate the relative risks posed by isolation versus maintaining connectivity, identifying potential sites for control or eradication of nonnative trout, and long-term monitoring of the genetic integrity of remaining redband trout populations to track changes in their status.

Analyses of native water, bottom material, elutriate samples, and dredged material from selected southern Louisiana waterways and selected areas in the Gulf of Mexico, 1979-81

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lurry, Dee L.

1983-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey was requested by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District, to provide water-quality data to evaluate environmental effects of dredging activities in selected reaches of the Calcasieu River in southwestern Louisiana. Samples were collected from the upper and lower Calcasieu River between January 1980 and March 1981. Thirty-three samples (22 native-water and 11 effluent) were collected from eleven dredging sites. In addition, a series of elutriate studies were conducted between July 1979 and July 1981 to determine water quality as a basis for assessing possible environmental effects of proposed dredging activities in the following areas: Grand Bayou and Martins Canal near Happy Jack, unnamed bayou near Port Sulphur, Grand Bayou and Pipeline Canal near Port Sulphur and Bayou des Plantins near Empire; Mississippi River Gulf Outlet and Inner Harbor Navigation Canal; Southwest Pass; Barataria Bay; Atchafalaya Bay at Eugene Island; Calcasieu Ship Channel. Samples of native water and samples of bottom material were collected from 22 different sites and elutriate (mixtures of native water and bottom material) samples were prepared and analyzed. Four proposed ocean-disposal sites were sampled for bottom material only. Samples were analyzed for selected chemical and biological constituents and physical properties. (USGS)

Genetic and Phenotypic Catalog of Native Resident Trout of the Interior Columbia River Basin; Populations of the Upper Yakima Basin, 1997-1998 Annual Report.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Trotter, Patrick C.; McMillan, Bill; Gayeski, Nick

1999-10-01

The objective of this project is to photo-document upper Columbia Basin native resident trout populations in Washington, and to ascertain their species or subspecies identity and relative genetic purity using a nonlethal DNA technique.

IDENTIFYING SOURCES OF STRESS TO NATIVE AQUATIC SPECIES USING A WATERSHED ECOLOGICAL RISK ASSESSMENT FRAMEWORK

EPA Science Inventory

The free-flowing Clinch and Powell River Basin, located in southwestern Virginia, United States, historically had one of the richest assemblages of native fish and freshwater mussels in the world. Nearly half of the species once residing here are now extinct, threatened, or endan...

Changes in the fish fauna of the Kissimmee River basin, peninsular Florida: Nonnative additions

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nico, L.G.

2005-01-01

Recent decades have seen substantial changes in fish assemblages in rivers of peninsular Florida. The most striking change has involved the addition of nonnative fishes, including taxa from Asia, Africa, and Central and South America. I review recent and historical records of fishes occurring in the Kissimmee River basin (7,800 km2), a low-gradient drainage with 47 extant native fishes (one possibly the result of an early transplant), at least 7 foreign fishes (most of which are widely established), and a stocked hybrid. Kissimmee assemblages include fewer marine fishes than the nearby Peace and Caloosahatchee rivers, and fewer introduced foreign fishes than south Florida canals. Fish assemblages of the Kissimmee and other subtropical Florida rivers are dynamic, due to new introductions, range expansions of nonnative fishes already present, and periodic declines in nonnative fish populations during occasional harsh winters. The addition, dispersal, and abundance of nonnative fishes in the basin is linked to many factors, including habitat disturbance, a subtropical climate, and the fact that the basin is centrally located in a region where drainage boundaries are blurred and introductions of foreign fishes commonplace. The first appearance of foreign fishes in the basin coincided with the complete channelization of the Kissimmee River in the 1970s. Although not a causal factor, artificial waterways connecting the upper lakes and channelization of the Kissimmee River have facilitated dispersal. With one possible exception, there have been no basin-wide losses of native fishes. When assessing change in peninsular Florida waters, extinction or extirpation of fishes appears to be a poor measure of impact. No endemic species are known from peninsular Florida (although some endemic subspecies have been noted). Most native freshwater fishes are themselves descended from recent invaders that reached the peninsula from the main continent. These invasions likely were associated with major fluctuations in sea level since the original mid-Oligocene emergence of the Florida Platform. As opportunistic invaders, most native freshwater fishes in peninsular Florida are resilient, widespread, and common. At this early stage, it is not possible to predict the long-term consequences caused by the introduction of foreign fishes. We know a few details about the unusual trophic roles and other aspects of the life histories of certain nonnatives. Still, the ecological outcome may take decades to unfold.

Chemical analyses of elutriates, native water, and bottom material from the Chetco, Rogue, and Columbia rivers in western Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fuhrer, Gregory J.

1984-01-01

Chemical analyses of elutriates, bottom sediment, and water samples for selected metals, nutrients and organic compounds including insecticides, herbicides, and acid/neutral extractables have been made to provide data to determine short-term water-quality conditions associated with dredging operations in rivers and estuaries. Between April and August 1982, data were collected from the Chetco and Rogue River estuaries in southwestern Oregon, and from the mouth of the Columbia River in the northwestern Oregon to Cathlamet Bay, 18.2 miles upstream. In an elutriation test, bottom materials from a potential dredge site are mixed with native water - collected from either a dredge or disposal site - and the liquid portion of the mixture is removed, filtered, and chemically analyzed. Presented in this report are chemical and physical analyses of elutriates, native water, and bottom material for selected metals, ammonia, organic carbon, pesticides, particle size, and gas chromatographic/mass spectrometric semi-quantitative organic scans. Elutriate and bottom-material samples were screened specifically for phenolic compounds, particularly the chlorinated phenols; phenol was the only compound identified. Elutriate-test results showed variability for selected trace-metal concentrations of dissolved chemicals as follows: in micrograms per liter, arsenic ranged from < 1 to 15, cadmium from 1 to 210, copper from < 1 to 13, chromium from < 1 to 5, and nickel from 2 to 18. Results of computations to determine the amount of a constituent associated with bottom material and interstitial water and subsequently released (dissolved) into the elutriate-test native-mixing water are presented for selected trace metals. The highest elutriate-test release was 35 percent for manganese; the second highest, 5 percent for cadmium. All other computed releases were less than or equal to 1 percent. (USGS)

Assessing three fish species ecological status in Colorado River, Grand Canyon based on physical habitat and population models.

PubMed

Yao, Weiwei; Chen, Yuansheng

2018-04-01

Colorado River is a unique ecosystem and provides important ecological services such as habitat for fish species as well as water power energy supplies. River management for this ecosystem requires assessment and decision support tools for fish which involves protecting, restoring as well as forecasting of future conditions. In this paper, a habitat and population model was developed and used to determine the levels of fish habitat suitability and population density in Colorado River between Lees Ferry and Lake Mead. The short term target fish populations are also predicted based on native fish recovery strategy. This model has been developed by combining hydrodynamics, heat transfer and sediment transport models with a habitat suitability index model and then coupling with habitat model into life stage population model. The fish were divided into four life stages according to the fish length. Three most abundant and typical native and non-native fish were selected as target species, which are rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), brown trout (Salmo trutta) and flannelmouth sucker (Catostomus latipinnis). Flow velocity, water depth, water temperature and substrates were used as the suitability indicators in habitat model and overall suitability index (OSI) as well as weight usable area (WUA) was used as an indicator in population model. A comparison was made between simulated fish population alteration and surveyed fish number fluctuation during 2000 to 2009. The application of this habitat and population model indicates that this model can be accurate present habitat situation and targets fish population dynamics of in the study areas. The analysis also indicates the flannelmouth sucker population will steadily increase while the rainbow trout will decrease based on the native fish recovery scheme. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Do riparian plant community characteristics differ between Tamarix (L.) invaded and non-invaded sites on the upper Verde River, Arizona?

Treesearch

Tyler D. Johnson; Thomas E. Kolb; Alvin L. Medina

2009-01-01

Invasion by Tamarix (L.) can severely alter riparian areas of the western U.S., which are globally rare ecosystems. The upper Verde River, Arizona, is a relatively free-flowing river and has abundant native riparian vegetation. Tamarix is present on the upper Verde but is a minor component of the vegetation (8% of stems). This...

Summer bird/vegetation associations in Tamarisk and native habitat along the Pecos River, southeastern New Mexico

Treesearch

M. F. Livingston; S. D. Schemnitz

1996-01-01

The middle Pecos River lies in the short-grass prairie ecotype and lacked a substantial woodland community prior to tamarisk (Tamarisk chinensis) invasion. Tamarisk control is a concern for land managers on the Pecos River and other Southwestern riparian systems. Our research is part of a long term study investigating hydrological and wildlife response to tamarisk...

After the First Full Moon in April: A Sourcebook of Herbal Medicine from a California Indian Elder [Book Review

Treesearch

Frank K. Lake

2013-01-01

Josephine “Jo” Grant Peters was an Native American herbalist of mixed tribal ancestry (Karuk/Shasta/ Abenaki) who was raised and lived in Northwestern California along the Salmon, Klamath, and Trinity rivers. She was a woman with an exceptional knowledge of native and non-native plants, and of the many cultural traditions for management, harvesting, preparation, and...

Floodplain farm fields provide novel rearing habitat for Chinook salmon

PubMed Central

Jeffres, Carson; Conrad, J. Louise; Sommer, Ted R.; Martinez, Joshua; Brumbaugh, Steve; Corline, Nicholas; Moyle, Peter B.

2017-01-01

When inundated by floodwaters, river floodplains provide critical habitat for many species of fish and wildlife, but many river valleys have been extensively leveed and floodplain wetlands drained for flood control and agriculture. In the Central Valley of California, USA, where less than 5% of floodplain wetland habitats remain, a critical conservation question is how can farmland occupying the historical floodplains be better managed to improve benefits for native fish and wildlife. In this study fields on the Sacramento River floodplain were intentionally flooded after the autumn rice harvest to determine if they could provide shallow-water rearing habitat for Sacramento River fall-run Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha). Approximately 10,000 juvenile fish (ca. 48 mm, 1.1 g) were reared on two hectares for six weeks (Feb-March) between the fall harvest and spring planting. A subsample of the fish were uniquely tagged to allow tracking of individual growth rates (average 0.76 mm/day) which were among the highest recorded in fresh water in California. Zooplankton sampled from the water column of the fields were compared to fish stomach contents. The primary prey was zooplankton in the order Cladocera, commonly called water fleas. The compatibility, on the same farm fields, of summer crop production and native fish habitat during winter demonstrates that land management combining agriculture with conservation ecology may benefit recovery of native fish species, such as endangered Chinook salmon. PMID:28591141

Dispersal, mating events and fine-scale genetic structure in the lesser flat-headed bats.

PubMed

Hua, Panyu; Zhang, Libiao; Guo, Tingting; Flanders, Jon; Zhang, Shuyi

2013-01-01

Population genetic structure has important consequences in evolutionary processes and conservation genetics in animals. Fine-scale population genetic structure depends on the pattern of landscape, the permanent movement of individuals, and the dispersal of their genes during temporary mating events. The lesser flat-headed bat (Tylonycteris pachypus) is a nonmigratory Asian bat species that roosts in small groups within the internodes of bamboo stems and the habitats are fragmented. Our previous parentage analyses revealed considerable extra-group mating in this species. To assess the spatial limits and sex-biased nature of gene flow in the same population, we used 20 microsatellite loci and mtDNA sequencing of the ND2 gene to quantify genetic structure among 54 groups of adult flat-headed bats, at nine localities in South China. AMOVA and F(ST) estimates revealed significant genetic differentiation among localities. Alternatively, the pairwise F(ST) values among roosting groups appeared to be related to the incidence of associated extra-group breeding, suggesting the impact of mating events on fine-scale genetic structure. Global spatial autocorrelation analyses showed positive genetic correlation for up to 3 km, indicating the role of fragmented habitat and the specialized social organization as a barrier in the movement of individuals among bamboo forests. The male-biased dispersal pattern resulted in weaker spatial genetic structure between localities among males than among females, and fine-scale analyses supported that relatedness levels within internodes were higher among females than among males. Finally, only females were more related to their same sex roost mates than to individuals from neighbouring roosts, suggestive of natal philopatry in females.

Experimental conical-head abutment screws on the microbial leakage through the implant-abutment interface: an in vitro analysis using target-specific DNA probes.

PubMed

Pita, Murillo S; do Nascimento, Cássio; Dos Santos, Carla G P; Pires, Isabela M; Pedrazzi, Vinícius

2017-07-01

The aim of this in vitro study was to identify and quantify up to 38 microbial species from human saliva penetrating through the implant-abutment interface in two different implant connections, external hexagon and tri-channel internal connection, both with conventional flat-head or experimental conical-head abutment screws. Forty-eight two-part implants with external hexagon (EH; n = 24) or tri-channel internal (TI; n = 24) connections were investigated. Abutments were attached to implants with conventional flat-head or experimental conical-head screws. After saliva incubation, Checkerboard DNA-DNA hybridization was used to identify and quantify up to 38 bacterial colonizing the internal parts of the implants. Kruskal-Wallis test followed by Bonferroni's post-tests for multiple comparisons was used for statistical analysis. Twenty-four of thirty-eight species, including putative periodontal pathogens, were found colonizing the inner surfaces of both EH and TI implants. Peptostreptococcus anaerobios (P = 0.003), Prevotella melaninogenica (P < 0.0001), and Candida dubliniensis (P < 0.0001) presented significant differences between different groups. Means of total microbial count (×10 4 , ±SD) for each group were recorded as follows: G1 (0.27 ± 2.04), G2 (0 ± 0), G3 (1.81 ± 7.50), and G4 (0.35 ± 1.81). Differences in the geometry of implant connections and abutment screws have impacted the microbial leakage through the implant-abutment interface. Implants attached with experimental conical-head abutment screws showed lower counts of microorganisms when compared with conventional flat-head screws. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Current status of non-native fish species in the St. Louis River estuary

EPA Science Inventory

The fish community of the St. Louis River estuary is well characterized, thanks to fishery assessment and invasive species early detection monitoring by federal, state, and tribal agencies. This sampling includes long-standing adult/juvenile fish surveys, larval fish surveys beg...

Genetic diversity of riperian populations of glycyrrhiza lepidota along the salmon and snake rivers

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Glycyrrhiza lepidota Pursh (Fabaceae; American wild licorice), is a nitrogen-fixing, perennial, facultative riparian species present along many dryland rivers in western North America, including the U.S., southern Canada and northern Mexico. Like Glycyrrhiza glabra, common licorice native to Europe,...

Asian Carp Survivability Experiments and Water Transport Surveys in the Illinois River, Volume 1

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-01-01

developmental stages of the eggs and larvae of the four species of Asian carp in the Yangtze River. These stages begin with egg fertilization and end with the...hatching in the Yangtze River after about 38 hours. Development to the juvenile stage in silver and bighead carp was estimated to take about 60-70 days...Native to the Yangtze River, China. U.S. Geological Survey Data Series 239, 51 pp. Coulter, A. & Goforth, R. R. 2011. Silver and Bighead Carp

THE APPLICABILITY OF EMAP'S WESTERN PILOT TO STATE AND REGIONAL QUESTIONS OF FISH ASSEMBLAGE STRUCTURE

EPA Science Inventory

What percentage of the West's 209,381 kilometers of streams and rivers contain fish? What proportion contains only native fish? Do aliens dominate the fish fauna of streams in any region or state? What are the ranges and relative densities of the most common fish, native and al...

Plains Culture Area. Native American Curriculum Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ross, Cathy; Fernandes, Roger

One in a series of Native American instructional materials, this booklet introduces elementary students to the tribes of the plains culture area, extending from the Rocky Mountains to the Mississippi River and from Texas to Canada. Written in simple language, the booklet begins with a brief description of the region--its extreme climate and the…

Woodland Culture Area. Native American Curriculum Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ross, Cathy; Fernandes, Roger

One in a series of Native American instructional materials, this booklet introduces elementary students to the tribes of the woodland culture area, extending from the Mississippi River to the Atlantic Ocean and from Florida to the Great Lakes. Written in simple language, the booklet provides an overview of the regional culture, as well as,…

Small mammals in saltcedar (Tamarix ramosissima) - invaded and native riparian habitats of the western Great Basin

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Invasive saltcedar species have replaced native riparian trees on numerous river systems throughout the western US, raising concerns about how this habitat conversion may affect wildlife. For periods ranging from 1-10 years, small mammal populations were monitored at six riparian sites impacted by s...

IDENTIFYING SOURCES OF STRESS TO NATIVE AQUATIC SPECIES USING A WATERSHED ECOLOGICAL RISK ASSESSMENT FRAMEWORK.

EPA Science Inventory

The free-flowing Clinch and Powell River basin, located in southwestern Virginia, U.S.A., historically had one of the richest assemblages of native fish and freshwater mussels in the world. Nearly half of the species once residing here are now extinct, threatened or endangered....

Revegetation of Riparian Trees and Shrubs on Alluvial Soils Along the Upper Sacramento River, 1987-1988

Treesearch

Steven P. Chainey; F. Jordan Lang; Skip Mills

1989-01-01

Two sites on the Sacramento River near Red Bluff and Colusa, California were planted with seven native tree species plus valley elderberry (a shrub) in an effort to mitigate for the loss of woody riparian vegetation from bank protection construction projects in the area. The stateowned environmental easements on terraces on the river side of the levees had been planted...

Cryopreservation of sperm of the endangered gila trout, Oncorhynchus gilae

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Gila trout, Oncorhynchus gilae, are native to the headwaters of the Gila River drainage in New Mexico and Arizona and the headwaters of the Verde River drainage in Arizona. The species is currently protected as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. Cryopreservation of sperm is now a widely us...

Investigating phenology of larval fishes in St. Louis River estuary shallow water habitats

EPA Science Inventory

As part of the development of an early detection monitoring strategy for non-native fishes, larval fish surveys have been conducted since 2012 in the St. Louis River estuary. Survey data demonstrates there is considerable variability in fish abundance and species assemblages acro...

Can Soft Water Limit Bighead Carp and Silver Carp (Hypophthalmichthys spp.) Invasions?

EPA Science Inventory

There is concern that the non-native bighead carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis) and silver carp (H. molitrix), now found in many large rivers of the Mississippi River Basin, may spread to other regions. However, evidence suggests that their eggs may not be able to survive in soft ...

ALIEN SPECIES IMPORTANTANCE IN NATIVE VEGETATION ALONG WADEABLE STREAMS, JOHN DAY RIVER BASIN, OREGON, USA

EPA Science Inventory

We evaluated the importance of alien species in existing vegetation along wadeable streams of a large, topographically diverse river basin in eastern Oregon, USA; sampling 165 plots (30 × 30 m) across 29 randomly selected 1-km stream reaches. Plots represented eight streamside co...

MESA/MEP at American River College: Year One Evaluation Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Beth S.; And Others

In 1989, the Mathematics, Engineering, and Science Achievement (MESA)/Minority Engineering Program (MEP) was initiated at American River College. The MESA/MEP program recruits Black, Hispanic, and Native American students and provides assistance, encouragement, and enrichment programs to help them succeed in the fields of mathematics, engineering,…

Radionuclides, Trace Metals, and Organic Compounds in Shells of Native Freshwater Mussels Along the Hanford Reach of the Columbia River: 6000 Years Before Present to Current Times

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

B. L. Tiller; T. E. Marceau

2006-01-25

This report documents concentrations of radionuclides, trace metals, and semivolatile organic compounds measured in shell samples of the western pearl shell mussel collected along the Hanford Reach of the Columbia River.

CHINESE MITTEN CRABS (ERIOCHEIR SINENSIS) IN THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER (CANADA): NEW RECORDS AND RISK OF INVASION

EPA Science Inventory

The Chinese mitten crab, Eriocheir sinensis, is an internationally renowned aquatic invader. Native to China and North/South Korea, this catadromous crab has successfully invaded several rivers and estuaries in eleven countries in Western Europe as well as the San Francisco Bay ...

Pollution Problem in River Kabul: Accumulation Estimates of Heavy Metals in Native Fish Species

PubMed Central

Ahmad, Habib; Yousafzai, Ali Muhammad; Siraj, Muhammad; Ahmad, Rashid; Ahmad, Israr; Nadeem, Muhammad Shahid; Ahmad, Waqar; Akbar, Nazia; Muhammad, Khushi

2015-01-01

The contamination of aquatic systems with heavy metals is affecting the fish population and hence results in a decline of productivity rate. River Kabul is a transcountry river originating at Paghman province in Afghanistan and inters in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan and it is the major source of irrigation and more than 54 fish species have been reported in the river. Present study aimed at the estimation of heavy metals load in the fish living in River Kabul. Heavy metals including chromium, nickel, copper, zinc, cadmium, and lead were determined through atomic absorption spectrophotometer after tissue digestion by adopting standard procedures. Concentrations of these metals were recorded in muscles and liver of five native fish species, namely, Wallago attu, Aorichthys seenghala, Cyprinus carpio, Labeo dyocheilus, and Ompok bimaculatus. The concentrations of chromium, nickel, copper, zinc, and lead were higher in both of the tissues, whereas the concentration of cadmium was comparatively low. However, the concentration of metals was exceeding the RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance of USA) limits. Hence, continuous fish consumption may create health problems for the consumers. The results of the present study are alarming and suggest implementing environmental laws and initiation of a biomonitoring program of the river. PMID:26339622

Predation by fallfish (Semotilus corporalis) on Pacific salmon eggs in the Salmon River, New York

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, J. H.; Nack, C.C.; Chalupnicki, M.A.

2009-01-01

Fallfish (Semotilus corporalis) are the largest native cyprinid in the northeastern United States and are the most abundant native species in the Salmon River, New York. The Salmon River is a high-quality spawning and nursery river for Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) migrating from Lake Ontario. Because of the large number of Pacific salmon spawning in the river in the fall extensive redd superimposition occurs resulting in salmonid eggs being available on the substrate. We examined the fall diet of 647 fallfish in 2007 and 2008 to determine the extent of predation on Pacific salmon eggs. The contribution of eggs in the diet significantly increased once fallfish attained a size of 100 mm total length. The largest size category of fallfish examined (≥150 mm) had the highest proportion (86.1%) of salmon eggs in their diet. The contribution of Zooplankton and chironomids in the diet of fallfish decreased with fish size. Except for the two largest groups of fallfish examined (i.e., 100–149 mm and ≥150 mm) diet overlap among size groups was low. The high contribution in the diet during the fall and high caloric value of Pacific salmon eggs could increase growth and survival of this species in the Salmon River.

Evidence of natural reproduction by Muskellunge in middle Tennessee rivers

USGS Publications Warehouse

Warren, Lila H.; Bettoli, Phillip William

2014-01-01

Native Esox masquinongy (Muskellunge) in the Cumberland River drainage, TN, were nearly extirpated in the 1970s due to decades of over-fishing and habitat degradation from coal mining, logging, and other land-use practices. In an effort to preserve the species in that drainage, a stocking program began in 1976 in the upper Caney Fork River system in middle Tennessee where Muskellunge were not native. A trophy Muskellunge fishery eventually developed, but it was unknown whether Muskellunge were reproducing in the upper Caney Fork River system or whether the fishery was wholly dependent on the stocking program. To establish evidence of natural reproduction, we used seines, backpack electrofishing, and boat electrofishing gear in 2012 to find age-0 Muskellunge in the upper Caney Fork River system. Natural reproduction of Muskellunge was documented in the mainstem Caney Fork River above Great Falls Dam and in 3 of its 4 major tributaries. Seventeen age-0 Muskellunge were collected and one other was observed, but not handled. Age-0 Muskellunge grew rapidly (1.80–2.34 mm/day), and the largest fish collected during the study reached a total length of 399 mm by 9 October 2012. A cessation of stocking for several years coupled with routine monitoring could reveal whether natural recruitment is sufficient to sustain the fishery.

Effects of Vegetation Type on Soil Carbon Dynamics Along the Kaidu River in the Yanqi Basin of Northwestern China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, J.; Wang, X.; Wang, W.

2010-12-01

The Kaidu River originates from the central southern slopes of the Tian Shan from where it flows through the Yulduz Basin and the Yanqi Basin into Lake Bosten. There has been intensive agricultural development along the Kaidu River in the Yanqi Basin. Corn and pepper are two of the main crops. Here, we present a study includes comparisons of soil organic carbon (SOC) between typical native vegtation types (e.g., Glycyrhiza uralensis Fisch, Achnatherum splendens and Sophora alopecuroides Linn) and agricultural crops (i.e., corn and pepper). Fourteen soil pits were sampled at five depths (0-5, 5-15, 15-30, 30-50 and 50-100 cm) in August 2010 (Figure 1). Soil organic matter are determined using the traditional Walkley and Black method and Loss-on-ignition at 375°C for 17 hours. As expected, agricultural soils contain higher SOC than non-agriculatural lands. Native vegetation has various effects on vertical distribution of SOC. We discuss how root system influences SOC dynamics along the Kaidu River in the central Xinjiang, China. Fig. 1. Map of sampling sites along the Kaidu River in northwestern China.

Habitat use of non-native burbot in a western river

USGS Publications Warehouse

Klein, Zachary B.; Quist, Michael C.; Rhea, Darren T.; Senecal, Anna C.

2015-01-01

Burbot, Lota lota (Linnaeus), were illegally introduced into the Green River drainage, Wyoming in the 1990s. Burbot could potentially alter the food web in the Green River, thereby negatively influencing socially, economically, and ecologically important fish species. Therefore, managers of the Green River are interested in implementing a suppression program for burbot. Because of the cost associated with the removal of undesirable species, it is critical that suppression programs are as effective as possible. Unfortunately, relatively little is known about the habitat use of non-native burbot in lotic systems, severely limiting the effectiveness of any removal effort. We used hurdle models to identify habitat features influencing the presence and relative abundance of burbot. A total of 260 burbot was collected during 207 sampling events in the summer and autumn of 2013. Regardless of the season, large substrate (e.g., cobble, boulder) best predicted the presence and relative abundance of burbot. In addition, our models indicated that the occurrence of burbot was inversely related to mean current velocity. The efficient and effective removal of burbot from the Green River largely relies on an improved understanding of the influence of habitat on their distribution and relative abundance.

Nonnative fish control in the Colorado River in Grand Canyon, Arizona: An effective program or serendipitous timing?

USGS Publications Warehouse

Coggins,, Lewis G.; Yard, Michael D.; Pine, William E.

2011-01-01

The federally endangered humpback chub Gila cypha in the Colorado River within Grand Canyon is currently the focus of a multiyear program of ecosystem-level experimentation designed to improve native fish survival and promote population recovery as part of the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program. A key element of this experiment was a 4-year effort to remove nonnative fishes from critical humpback chub habitat, thereby reducing potentially negative interactions between native and nonnative fishes. Over 36,500 fish from 15 species were captured in the mechanical removal reach during 2003–2006. The majority (64%) of the catch consisted of nonnative fish, including rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss (19,020), fathead minnow Pimephales promelas (2,569), common carp Cyprinus carpio (802), and brown trout Salmo trutta (479). Native fish (13,268) constituted 36% of the total catch and included flannelmouth suckers Catostomus latipinnis (7,347), humpback chub (2,606), bluehead suckers Catostomus discobolus (2,243), and speckled dace Rhinichthys osculus (1,072). The contribution of rainbow trout to the overall species composition fell steadily throughout the study period from a high of approximately 90% in January 2003 to less than 10% in August 2006. Overall, the catch of nonnative fish exceeded 95% in January 2003 and fell to less than 50% after July 2005. Our results suggest that removal efforts were successful in rapidly shifting the fish community from one dominated numerically by nonnative species to one dominated by native species. Additionally, increases in juvenile native fish abundance within the removal reach suggest that removal efforts may have promoted greater survival and recruitment. However, drought-induced increases in river water temperature and a systemwide decrease in rainbow trout abundance concurrent with our experiment made it difficult to determine the cause of the apparent increase in juvenile native fish survival and recruitment. Experimental efforts continue and may be able to distinguish among these factors and to better inform future management actions.

Wide-area estimates of stand structure and water use of tamarix spp. on the lower colorado river: Implications for restoration and water management projects

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nagler, P.L.; Glenn, E.P.; Didan, K.; Osterberg, J.; Jordan, F.; Cunningham, J.

2008-01-01

Tamarix spp. removal has been proposed to salvage water and allow native vegetation to recolonize western U.S. riparian corridors. We conducted wide-area studies on the Lower Colorado River to answer some of the scientific questions about Tamarix water use and the consequences of removal, combining ground surveys with remote sensing methods. Tamarix stands had moderate rates of evapotranspiration (ET), based on remote sensing estimates, averaging 1.1 m/yr, similar to rates determined for other locations on the river and other rivers. Leaf area index values were also moderate, and stands were relatively open, with areas of bare soil interspersed within stands. At three Tamarix sites in the Cibola National Wildlife Refuge, groundwater salinity at the site nearest to the river (200 m) was relatively low (circa 2,250 mg/L) and was within 3 m of the surface. However, 750 and 1,500 m from the river, the groundwater salinity was 5,000-10,000 mg/L due to removal of water by the Tamarix stands. Despite the high groundwater salinity, the sites away from the river did not have saline surface soils. Only 1% of the mean annual river flow is lost to Tamarix ET on the Lower Colorado River in the United States, and the opportunities for water salvage through Tamarix removal are constrained by its modest ET rates. A possible alternative to Tamarix removal is to intersperse native plants among the stands to improve the habitat value of the riparian zone. ?? 2008 Society for Ecological Restoration International.

Distribution and abundance of saltcedar and Russian olive in the western United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nagler, Pamela L.; Glenn, Edward P.; Jarnevich, Catherine S.; Shafroth, Patrick B.

2011-01-01

Over the past century, two introduced Eurasian trees, saltcedar (Tamarix spp.) and Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia) have become wide spread on western United States of American (U.S.) rivers. This paper reviews the literature on the following five key areas related to their distribution and abundance in the western United States: (1) the history of introduction, planting, and spread of saltcedar and Russian olive; (2) their current distribution; (3) their current abundance; (4) factors controlling their current distribution and abundance; and (5) models that have been developed to predict their future distribution and abundance. Saltcedar and Russian olive are now the third and fourth most frequently occurring woody riparian plants and the second and fifth most abundant species (out of 42 native and non-native species) along rivers in the western United States. Currently there is not a precise estimate of the areas that these species occupy in the entire West. Climatic variables are important determinants of their distribution and abundance. For example, saltcedar is limited by its sensitivity to hard freezes, whereas Russian olive appears to have a chilling requirement for bud break and seed germination, and can presumably survive colder winter temperatures. Either species can be dominant, co-dominant or sub-dominant relative to native species on a given river system. A number of environmental factors such as water availability, soil salinity, degree of stream flow regulation, and fire frequency can influence the abundance of these species relative to native species. Numerous studies suggest that both species have spread on western rivers primarily through a replacement process, whereby stress-tolerant species have moved into expanded niches that are no longer suitable for mesic native pioneer species. Better maps of current distribution and rigorous monitoring of distributional changes though time can help to resolve differences in predictions of potential future spread. An adequate understanding does not yet exist of what fraction of western riparian zones is resistant to dominance by either of these species, what fraction is at risk and could benefit from intervention, and what fraction has been altered to the point that saltcedar or Russian olive are most likely to thrive.

Water and sediment temperatures at mussel beds in the upper Mississippi River basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Newton, Teresa J.; Sauer, Jennifer; Karns, Byron

2013-01-01

Native freshwater mussels are in global decline and urgently need protection and conservation. Declines in the abundance and diversity of North American mussels have been attributed to human activities that cause pollution, waterquality degradation, and habitat destruction. Recent studies suggest that effects of climate change may also endanger native mussel assemblages, as many mussel species are living close to their upper thermal tolerances. Adult and juvenile mussels spend a large fraction of their lives burrowed into sediments of rivers and lakes. Our objective was to measure surface water and sediment temperatures at known mussel beds in the Upper Mississippi (UMR) and St. Croix (SCR) rivers to estimate the potential for sediments to serve as thermal refugia. Across four mussel beds in the UMR and SCR, surface waters were generally warmer than sediments in summer, and were cooler than sediments in winter. This suggests that sediments may act as a thermal buffer for mussels in these large rivers. Although the magnitude of this effect was usually <3.0°C, sediments were up to 7.5°C cooler at one site in May, suggesting site-specific variation in the ability of sediments to act as thermal buffers. Sediment temperatures in the UMR exceeded those shown to cause mortality in laboratory studies. These data suggest that elevated water temperatures resulting from global warming, thermal discharges, water extraction, and/or droughts have the potential to adversely affect native mussel assemblages.

Pentimento: Fuels reduction and restoration in the Bosque of the Middle Rio Grande

Treesearch

Deborah M. Finch

2008-01-01

The Middle Rio Grande of New Mexico is the most extensive, remaining bosque, or cottonwood forest in the southwest. Alterations caused by humans-damming and channeling the river, controlling floods, and planting non-native trees-have disrupted the cycles of the earlier ecosystem. Without periodic flooding, native cottonwoods cannot regenerate. Invasive exotic plants...

Vegetation response to invasive Tamarix control in southwestern U.S. rivers: a collaborative study including 416 sites.

PubMed

González, Eduardo; Sher, Anna A; Anderson, Robert M; Bay, Robin F; Bean, Daniel W; Bissonnete, Gabriel J; Bourgeois, Bérenger; Cooper, David J; Dohrenwend, Kara; Eichhorst, Kim D; El Waer, Hisham; Kennard, Deborah K; Harms-Weissinger, Rebecca; Henry, Annie L; Makarick, Lori J; Ostoja, Steven M; Reynolds, Lindsay V; Robinson, W Wright; Shafroth, Patrick B

2017-09-01

Most studies assessing vegetation response following control of invasive Tamarix trees along southwestern U.S. rivers have been small in scale (e.g., river reach), or at a regional scale but with poor spatial-temporal replication, and most have not included testing the effects of a now widely used biological control. We monitored plant composition following Tamarix control along hydrologic, soil, and climatic gradients in 244 treated and 172 reference sites across six U.S. states. This represents the largest comprehensive assessment to date on the vegetation response to the four most common Tamarix control treatments. Biocontrol by a defoliating beetle (treatment 1) reduced the abundance of Tamarix less than active removal by mechanically using hand and chain-saws (2), heavy machinery (3) or burning (4). Tamarix abundance also decreased with lower temperatures, higher precipitation, and follow-up treatments for Tamarix resprouting. Native cover generally increased over time in active Tamarix removal sites, however, the increases observed were small and was not consistently increased by active revegetation. Overall, native cover was correlated to permanent stream flow, lower grazing pressure, lower soil salinity and temperatures, and higher precipitation. Species diversity also increased where Tamarix was removed. However, Tamarix treatments, especially those generating the highest disturbance (burning and heavy machinery), also often promoted secondary invasions of exotic forbs. The abundance of hydrophytic species was much lower in treated than in reference sites, suggesting that management of southwestern U.S. rivers has focused too much on weed control, overlooking restoration of fluvial processes that provide habitat for hydrophytic and floodplain vegetation. These results can help inform future management of Tamarix-infested rivers to restore hydrogeomorphic processes, increase native biodiversity and reduce abundance of noxious species. © 2017 by the Ecological Society of America.

Knife River: Early Village Life on the Plains. Teaching with Historic Places.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Metcalf, Fay

This document, from the lesson plan series, "Teaching with Historic Places," examines the Native Americans who lived on the plains along the Knife River in what is now North Dakota. Following an introductory section, the document sets out student objectives, teaching activities, readings, and illustrations. The teaching activity…

Site Guide to Connetquot River State Park. Revised.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Palma, Alfred J.

The clean and plentiful waters of the Connetquot basin's ponds, streams and marshlands have nurtured an extraordinarily rich ecosystem which has always been prized by both Native Americans and subsequent immigrants to this country. Since 1973, 3,476 acres have been preserved as Connetquot River State Park. To aid elementary and secondary teachers…

US 93 North post-construction wildlife-vehicle crossing monitoring on the Flathead Indian Reservation between Evaro and Polson, Montana : project summary report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-12-01

The researchers investigated the effectiveness of the mitigation measures in reducing collisions with large wild mammals based on crash and carcass removal data before and after highway reconstruction. The researchers also investigated wildlife use o...

Trunk injury and fungal transport by Agrilus bilineatus, Chrysobothris femorata, and Xyloterinus sp. in oak wilt infected trees in Texas

Treesearch

R. Lewis

1987-01-01

Examinations for trunk borers revealed that over 95% of the oak wilt (Ceratocystis fagacearum) infected trees in Texas were infested with twolined chestnut borers (Agrilus bilineatus) and flatheaded appletree borers (Chrysobothris femorata). Infestations by the ambrosia beetle (Xyloterinus sp...

78 FR 23741 - Flathead Resource Advisory Committee

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-22

... Kalispell, Montana. The committee is authorized under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self... recommendations to the Forest Service concerning projects and funding consistent with the Title II of the Act. The meeting is open to the public. The purpose of the meeting is to re-evaluate project proposals for 2013 due...

The effects of the pharmaceutical carbamazepine on life history characteristics of flat-headed mayflies (Heptageniidae) and aquatic resource interactions.

PubMed

Jarvis, Amanda L; Bernot, Melody J; Bernot, Randall J

2014-11-01

Pharmaceutical pollutants are commonly detected in freshwater ecosystems around the world and have biological effects on aquatic organisms. However, current understanding of the influence this contaminant class has on freshwater communities and ecosystems is lacking. Recently the scientific community has called for research focusing on certain pharmaceuticals due to their ubiquity and potential toxicity. Carbamazepine is one of these pharmaceuticals. To better understand the effect carbamazepine has on life history characteristics of aquatic organisms and consumer-resource interactions, we quantified the influence of carbamazepine on the development, growth and behavior of mayfly nymphs (Stenonema sp.) and the alterations in food consumer-resource interactions between Stenonema and algae (Chaetophora). Microcosms were assembled in a factorial design containing algae and mayfly nymphs native to central Indiana and dosed with environmentally relevant concentrations of carbamazepine. From this ecotoxicological experiment we were able to infer that carbamazepine at 2,000 ng/L influenced the development and behavior of Stenonema nymphs and the body dimensions of adult individuals. However, it appears that carbamazepine does not influence consumer-resource interactions at concentrations found in surface waters. The pharmaceutical carbamazepine may influence the behavior, growth and development of mayflies, which could have significant consequences at the population, community and ecosystem level.

Using large-scale flow experiments to rehabilitate Colorado River ecosystem function in Grand Canyon: Basis for an adaptive climate-resilient strategy: Chapter 17

USGS Publications Warehouse

Melis, Theodore S.; Pine, William E.; Korman, Josh; Yard, Michael D.; Jain, Shaleen; Pulwarty, Roger S.; Miller, Kathleen; Hamlet, Alan F.; Kenney, Douglas S.; Redmond, Kelly T.

2016-01-01

Adaptive management of Glen Canyon Dam is improving downstream resources of the Colorado River in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and Grand Canyon National Park. The Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program (AMP), a federal advisory committee of 25 members with diverse special interests tasked to advise the U.S. Department of the Interior), was established in 1997 in response to the 1992 Grand Canyon Protection Act. Adaptive management assumes that ecosystem responses to management policies are inherently complex and unpredictable, but that understanding and management can be improved through monitoring. Best known for its high-flow experiments intended to benefit physical and biological resources by simulating one aspect of pre-dam conditions—floods, the AMP promotes collaboration among tribal, recreation, hydropower, environmental, water and other natural resource management interests. Monitoring has shown that high flow experiments move limited new tributary sand inputs below the dam from the bottom of the Colorado River to shorelines; rebuilding eroded sandbars that support camping areas and other natural and cultural resources. Spring-timed high flows have also been shown to stimulate aquatic productivity by disturbing the river bed below the dam in Glen Canyon. Understanding about how nonnative tailwater rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), and downstream endangered humpback chub (Gila cypha) respond to dam operations has also increased, but this learning has mostly posed “surprise” adaptation opportunities to managers. Since reoperation of the dam to Modified Low Fluctuating Flows in 1996, rainbow trout now benefit from more stable daily flows and high spring releases, but possibly at a risk to humpback chub and other native fishes downstream. In contrast, humpback chub have so far proven robust to all flows, and native fish have increased under the combination of warmer river temperatures associated with reduced storage in Lake Powell, and a system-wide reduction in trout from 2000-06, possibly due to several years of natural reproduction under limited food supply. Uncertainties about dam operations and ecosystem responses remain, including how native and nonnative fish will interact and respond to possible increased river temperatures under drier basin conditions. Ongoing assessment of operating policies by the AMP’s diverse stakeholders represents a major commitment to the river’s valued resources, while surprise learning opportunities can also help identify a resilient climate-change strategy for co-managing nonnative and endangered native fish, sandbar habitats and other river resources in a region with already complex and ever-increasing water demands.

Adaptive Flow Management in Regulated Rivers: Successes and Challenges (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robinson, C. T.; Melis, T. S.; Kennedy, T.; Korman, J.; Ortlepp, J.

2013-12-01

Experimental high flows are becoming common management actions in rivers affected by large dams. When implemented under clear objectives and goals, experimental flows provide opportunities for long-term ecological successes but also impose various ecological challenges as systems shift under environmental change or from human-related actions. We present case studies from long-term adaptive flow management programs on the River Spöl, Switzerland and the Colorado River, USA, both of which are regulated by high dams and flow through National Parks. The management goals in each system differ thus reflecting the different high flow practices implemented over time. Regulated flows in the Spöl reflect a compromise between hydropower needs and ecology (native brown trout fishery), whereas Glen Canyon Dam flows have mainly been directed towards maintenance of river beaches in Grand Canyon National Park with co-management of both nonnative rainbow trout in the tailwater immediately below the dam and downstream endangered native fish of Grand Canyon also an objective. Some 24 experimental floods have occurred on the Spöl over the last 13 years, resulting in a positive effect on the trout fishery and a zoobenthic assemblage having a more typical alpine stream composition. The system has experienced various shifts in assemblage composition over time with the last shift occurring 7 years after the initial floods. A major challenge occurred in spring 2013 with an accidental release of fine sediments from the reservoir behind Punt dal Gall Dam, causing high fish mortality and smothering of the river bottom. Results showed that the effect was pronounced near the dam and gradually lessened downriver to the lower reservoir. Zoobenthic assemblages displayed relatively high resistance to the event and some fish found refugia in the lower reservoir and larger side tributaries, thus projecting a faster recovery than initially thought. Below Glen Canyon dam, benefits to sandbars have been marginal since experimental constrained hydropower releases began in 1991 and controlled floods began in 1996 (7 have been released through 2012), while native fish populations have increased, although apparently not in response to flows. However, nonnative rainbow trout have been shown to increase in abundance repeatedly below Glen Canyon Dam in response to both controlled floods and more stable flows, both of which were originally proposed to benefit Grand Canyon beaches. Survival of trout fry following the 2008 spring flood was apparently tied to increased abundance of benthic invertebrates in the tailwater. Expansion of nonnative trout in response to high flows pose a potential threat to native fish downstream through competition for limited food and habitat, and through predation of juvenile native fish. Challenges are presented for each system in terms of flow implementation under hydropower needs (Spöl) and environmental change (Colorado). We close with perspectives on improving adaptive flow management actions in regulated rivers as learning-based, long-term ecological experiments.

Nearshore temperature findings for the Colorado River in Grand Canyon, Arizona: possible implications for native fish

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ross, Robert P.; Vernieu, William S.

2013-01-01

Since the completion of Glen Canyon Dam, Arizona, in 1963, downstream water temperatures in the main channel of the Colorado River in Glen, Marble, and Grand Canyons are much colder in summer. This has negatively affected humpback chub (Gila cypha) and other native fish adapted to seasonally warm water, reducing main-channel spawning activity and impeding the growth and development of larval and juvenile fish. Recently published studies by U.S. Geological Survey scientists found that under certain conditions some isolated nearshore environments in Grand Canyon allow water to become separated from the main-channel current and to warm, providing refuge areas for the development of larval and juvenile fish.

Confocal microscopy as a useful approach to describe gill rakers of Asian species of carp and native filter-feeding fishes of the upper Mississippi River system

USGS Publications Warehouse

Liza R. Walleser,; D.R. Howard,; Sandheinrich, Mark B.; Gaikowski, Mark P.; Amberg, Jon J.

2014-01-01

To better understand potential diet overlap among exotic Asian species of carp and native species of filter-feeding fishes of the upper Mississippi River system, microscopy was used to document morphological differences in the gill rakers. Analysing samples first with light microscopy and subsequently with confocal microscopy, the three-dimensional structure of gill rakers in Hypophthalmichthys molitrix,Hypophthalmichthys nobilis and Dorosoma cepedianum was more thoroughly described and illustrated than previous work with traditional microscopy techniques. The three-dimensional structure of gill rakers in Ictiobus cyprinellus was described and illustrated for the first time.

Dynamics of Bottomland Geomorphology and Vegetation Along a Dammed, Arid Region River: Implications for Streamflow Management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shafroth, P. B.; House, P. K.

2007-05-01

In arid and semiarid western North America, floodplain forests dominated by native cottonwood and willow trees are highly valued as wildlife habitat and preferred recreation sites and are thus the focus of conservation efforts. The Bill Williams River harbors some of the most extensive native floodplain forests in the lower Colorado River region. Our work is aimed at understanding the dynamics of the Bill Williams River floodplain forests, in the context of pre- and post-dam hydrology and geomorphology. We have mapped bottomland geomorphology and vegetation using seven sets of orthorectified aerial photographs spanning more than 50 years. Two sets of photos (1953 and 1964) pre-date the completion of Alamo Dam, a large flood control structure; and three sets of photos (1996, 2002, and 2005) are from an era during which streamflow downstream of the dam has been managed to promote the establishment and survival of native floodplain forest. Comparison of the aerial photographs to LiDAR data collected in 2005 is providing a framework for quantifying changes in valley bottom morphology and estimating reach-scale changes in volumes of stored and evacuated sediment between 1953 and 2005. Furthermore, comparison of the extent of pre-dam active channel in 1953 with the extent of floodwaters from a regulated moderate flood in 2005 provides an approximation of the predominant patterns of aggradation and degradation in the system over this interval of time. Flood magnitude on the Bill Williams has been dramatically reduced since the closure of Alamo Dam in 1968, and low flows have increased considerably since 1979. Channels along the Bill Williams R. narrowed an average of 111 m (71 %) between 1953 and 1987, with most narrowing occurring after dam closure. Multiple regression analysis revealed significant relationships among flood power, summer flows, intermittency (independent variables) and channel width (dependent variable). Concurrent with channel narrowing was an expansion of dense floodplain vegetation, consisting primarily of native cottonwood and willow and non-native tamarisk shrubs. Moderate flood releases (~7000 ft3/s) from Alamo Dam in the early 1990's widened the river channel and resulted in the establishment of new woody vegetation. For the following nine years, relatively steady, low discharges were released from the dam, resulting in channel narrowing, extensive beaver pond creation, and dense vegetation growth. Moderate flood releases in 2005 again widened channels, destroyed beaver ponds, and created conditions suitable for new vegetation establishment. In addition to understanding the specific conditions along the Bill Williams River, our work should contribute to a more general understanding of connections between fluvial processes and floodplain vegetation, in the contexts of geomorphic response downstream of a large dam and efforts to manage streamflow for ecological benefits downstream.

Nest-location and nest-survival of black-chinned hummingbirds in New Mexico: A comparison between rivers with differing levels of regulation and invasion of nonnative plants

Treesearch

D. Max Smith; Deborah M. Finch; Scott H. Stoleson

2014-01-01

We compared plants used as sites for nests and survival of nests of black-chinned hummingbirds (Archilochus alexandri) along two rivers in New Mexico. Along the free-flowing Gila River which was dominated by native plants, most nests were constructed in boxelder (Acer negundo). Along the flow-restricted Middle Rio Grande which was dominated by nonnative plants, most...

Non-native plant invasions of United States National parks

USGS Publications Warehouse

Allen, J.A.; Brown, C.S.; Stohlgren, T.J.

2009-01-01

The United States National Park Service was created to protect and make accessible to the public the nation's most precious natural resources and cultural features for present and future generations. However, this heritage is threatened by the invasion of non-native plants, animals, and pathogens. To evaluate the scope of invasions, the USNPS has inventoried non-native plant species in the 216 parks that have significant natural resources, documenting the identity of non-native species. We investigated relationships among non-native plant species richness, the number of threatened and endangered plant species, native species richness, latitude, elevation, park area and park corridors and vectors. Parks with many threatened and endangered plants and high native plant species richness also had high non-native plant species richness. Non-native plant species richness was correlated with number of visitors and kilometers of backcountry trails and rivers. In addition, this work reveals patterns that can be further explored empirically to understand the underlying mechanisms. ?? Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2008.

Range estimates and habitat use of invasive Silver Carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix): Evidence of sedentary and mobile individuals

USGS Publications Warehouse

Prechtel, Austin R.; Coulter, Alison A.; Etchison, Luke; Jackson, P. Ryan; Goforth, Reuben R.

2018-01-01

Unregulated rivers provide unobstructed corridors for the dispersal of both native and invasive species. We sought to evaluate range size and habitat use of an invasive species (Silver Carp, Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) in an unimpounded river reach (Wabash River, IN), to provide insights into the dispersal of invasive species and their potential overlap with native species. We hypothesized that range size would increase with fish length, be similar among sexes, and vary annually while habitats used would be deeper, warmer, lower velocity, and of finer substrate. Silver Carp habitat use supported our hypotheses but range size did not vary with sex or length. 75% home range varied annually, suggesting that core areas occupied by individuals may change relative to climate-based factors (e.g., water levels), whereas broader estimates of range size remained constant across years. Ranges were often centered on landscape features such as tributaries and backwaters. Results of this study indicate habitat and landscape features as potential areas where Silver Carp impacts on native ecosystems may be the greatest. Observed distribution of range sizes indicates the presence of sedentary and mobile individuals within the population. Mobile individuals may be of particular importance as they drive the spread of the invasive species into new habitats.

Factors influencing tropical island freshwater fishes:Species, status, and management implications in puerto rico [Factores que influencian a los peces tropicales de agua dulce: Especies, estado actual e implicaciones para el manejo en Puerto Rico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wesley, Neal J.; Lilyestrom, Craig G.; Kwak, T.J.

2009-01-01

Anthropogenic effects including river regulation, watershed development, contamination, and fish introductions have substantially affected the majority of freshwater habitats in Europe and North America. This pattern of resource development and degradation is widespread in the tropics, and often little is known about the resources before they are lost. This article describes the freshwater resources of Puerto Rico and identifies factors that threaten conservation of native fishes. The fishes found in freshwater habitats of Puerto Rico represent a moderately diverse assemblage composed of 14 orders, 29 families, and 82 species. There are fewer than 10 species of native peripherally-freshwater fish that require a link to marine systems. Introductions of nonindigenous species have greatly expanded fish diversity in freshwater systems, and native estuarine and marine species (18 families) also commonly enter lowland rivers and brackish lagoons. Environmental alterations, including land use and development, stream channelization, pollution, and the impoundment of rivers, combined with nonnative species introductions threaten the health and sustainability of aquatic resources in Puerto Rico. Six principal areas for attention that are important influences on the current and future status of the freshwater fish resources of Puerto Rico are identified and discussed.

5.0 Monitoring methods for forests vulnerable to non-native invasive pest species

Treesearch

David W. Williams; Michael E. Montgomery; Kathleen S. Shields; Richard A. Evans

2008-01-01

Non-native invasive species pose a serious threat to forest resources, requiring programs to monitor their spatial spread and the damage they inflict on forest ecosystems. Invasive species research in the Delaware River Basin (DRB) had three primary objectives: to develop and evaluate monitoring protocols for selected pests and resulting ecosystem damage at the IMRAs...

Rapid movement and instability of an invasive hybrid swarm

USGS Publications Warehouse

Glotzbecker, Gregory J.; Walters, David; Blum, Michael J.

2016-01-01

Unstable hybrid swarms that arise following the introduction of non-native species can overwhelm native congeners, yet the stability of invasive hybrid swarms has not been well documented over time. Here we examine genetic variation and clinal stability across a recently formed hybrid swarm involving native blacktail shiner (Cyprinella venusta) and non-native red shiner (C. lutrensis) in the Upper Coosa River basin, which is widely considered to be a global hotspot of aquatic biodiversity. Examination of phenotypic, multilocus genotypic, and mitochondrial haplotype variability between 2005 and 2011 revealed that the proportion of hybrids has increased over time, with more than a third of all sampled individuals exhibiting admixture in the final year of sampling. Comparisons of clines over time indicated that the hybrid swarm has been rapidly progressing upstream, but at a declining and slower pace than rates estimated from historical collection records. Clinal comparisons also showed that the hybrid swarm has been expanding and contracting over time. Additionally, we documented the presence of red shiner and hybrids farther downstream than prior studies have detected, which suggests that congeners in the Coosa River basin, including all remaining populations of the threatened blue shiner (Cyprinella caerulea), are at greater risk than previously thought.

Estimating recruitment dynamics and movement of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in the Colorado River in Grand Canyon using an integrated assessment model

USGS Publications Warehouse

Korman, Josh; Martell, Steven J.D.; Walters, Carl J.; Makinster, Andrew S.; Coggins, Lewis G.; Yard, Michael D.; Persons, William R.

2012-01-01

We used an integrated assessment model to examine effects of flow from Glen Canyon Dam, Arizona, USA, on recruitment of nonnative rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in the Colorado River and to estimate downstream migration from Glen Canyon to Marble Canyon, a reach used by endangered native fish. Over a 20-year period, recruitment of rainbow trout in Glen Canyon increased with the annual flow volume and when hourly flow variation was reduced and after two of three controlled floods. The model predicted that approximately 16 000 trout·year–1 emigrated to Marble Canyon and that the majority of trout in this reach originate from Glen Canyon. For most models that were examined, over 70% of the variation in emigration rates was explained by variation in recruitment in Glen Canyon, suggesting that flow from the dam controls in large part the extent of potential negative interactions between rainbow trout and native fish. Controlled floods and steadier flows, which were originally aimed at partially restoring conditions before the dam (greater native fish abundance and larger sand bars), appear to have been more beneficial to nonnative rainbow trout than to native fish.

Regeneration of Native Trees and Wetlands: Results of an Unplanned, Twenty Year Experiment in the Colorado River Delta, Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nagler, P. L.; Glenn, E. P.

2007-05-01

Historically, cottonwood and willow trees were common on the Lower Colorado River, although quantitative estimates of their former abundance are not available. During the past hundred years, dams and flow regulation have altered the riparian habitat to favor dominance by exotic saltcedar and other salt-tolerant shrubs over the floodplain. It is widely assumed that, once established, saltcedar competitively excludes native trees, and that removal of saltcedar will be necessary as part of restoration programs. We studied the regeneration of cottonwood and willow trees in the presence of saltcedar in the delta of the Colorado River in Mexico from 1992 to 2002 in response to flood releases from the U.S. Flood releases of 50 cms to 750 cms in El Nino years of 1993, 1997-1998 and 2000 each germinated cohorts of trees amidst saltcedar stands and in bare soil scoured by the floods. During their establishment year, these trees rooted into the shallow aquifer under the river channel, and became dominant age classes of trees in subsequent years. Low-volume administrative spills (water ordered by irrigators but not used) provided a nearly perennial run of water in the river in non-flood years. The large and small flows created a rich avian habitat, containing backwaters, marsh areas, and a multi-stored canopy of native trees, saltcedar and other shrubs. Bird density and diversity in this river stretch are higher than has been reported anywhere else on the Lower Colorado River. The acreage of cottonwood and willow trees in the delta might be as high today as was reported in a 1904 timber survey before the era of dams and agriculture. The main threats to the ecosystem are fires, many deliberately set, timber harvesting, and vegetation clearing projects. Although surface flows are needed to wash salts from the riverbanks, germinate seeds, and enhance avian habitat, the main water source for the trees is the regional aquifer maintained by irrigation of the surrounding agricultural fields in the valley. In this agro-ecosystem, riparian and wetland habitats benefit greatly from agricultural inefficiencies and the vagaries of climate related to El Nino cycles.

Deciphering Paria and Little Colorado River flood regimes and their significance in multi-objective adaptive management strategies for Colorado River resources in Grand Canyon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jain, S.; Topping, D. J.; Melis, T. S.

2014-12-01

Planning and decision processes in the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program (GCDAMP) strive to balance numerous, often competing, objectives, such as, water supply, hydropower generation, low flow maintenance, sandbars, recreational trout angling, endangered native fish, whitewater rafting, and other sociocultural resources of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and Grand Canyon National Park. In this context, use of monitored and predictive information on warm-season Paria River floods (JUL-OCT, at point-to-regional scales) has been identified as lead information for a new 10-year long controlled flooding experiment (termed the High-Flow Experiment Protocol) intended to determine management options for rebuilding and maintaining sandbars below Glen Canyon Dam; an adaptive strategy that can potentially facilitate improved planning and dam operations. In this work, we focus on a key concern identified by the GCDAMP, related to the timing and volume of warm season tributary sand input from the Paria River into the Colorado River in Grand Canyon National Park. The Little Colorado River is an important secondary source of sand inputs to Grand Canyon, but its lower segment is also critical spawning habitat for the endangered humpback chub. Fish biologists have reported increased abundance of chub juveniles in this key tributary in summers following cool-season flooding (DEC-FEB), but little is known about chub spawning substrates and behavior or the role that flood frequency in this tributary may play in native fish population dynamics in Grand Canyon. Episodic and intraseasonal variations (with links to equatorial and sub-tropical Pacific sea surface temperature variability) in southwest hydroclimatology are investigated to understand the magnitude, timing and spatial scales of warm- and cool-season floods from these two important tributaries of the semi-arid Colorado Plateau. Coupled variations of floods (magnitude and timing) from these rivers are also investigated. The physical processes, including diagnosis of storms and moisture sources, are mapped alongside the planning and decision processes for the ongoing experimental flood releases from the dam which are aimed at improving sandbars and instream ecology of native fish.

Do cheatgrass, snake river wheatgrass, and crested wheatgrass sense different availabilities of N and P in soils conditioned by a cheatgrass invasion?

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Long-term invasion by cheatgrass often increases availability of soil N and P thereby fostering increased competitive ability. We designed an experiment to test if cheatgrass (exotic annual), Snake River wheatgrass (native perennial), and crested wheatgrass (exotic perennial) all benefit from this e...

Molecular detection of northern leatherside chub (Lepidomeda copei) DNA in environmental samples

Treesearch

Joseph C. Dysthe; Kellie J. Carim; Thomas W. Franklin; Dave Kikkert; Michael K. Young; Kevin S. McKelvey; Michael K. Schwartz

2018-01-01

The northern leatherside chub (Lepidomeda copei) is a cyprinid fish native to the Snake River, Green River, and Bonneville basins of the western United States. Population declines prompted the development of a multistate conservation agreement and strategy, which emphasized the need to reliably delineate its current distribution and monitor its status. To facilitate...

Factors Influencing Academic Achievement for Salt River Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Sidney

2012-01-01

Native American students from the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community have attended Stapley Junior High, one of 13 junior high schools in the Mesa Unified School District, since its doors opened in the fall of 1994. Over the years a variety of instructional practices have been used in an effort to improve academic outcomes for these…

Leaf-litter inputs from an invasive nitrogen-fixing tree influence organic-matter dynamics and nitrogen inputs in a Hawaiian river

Treesearch

Richard A. MacKenzie; Tracy N. Wiegner; Frances Kinslow; Nicole Cormier; Ayron M. Strauch

2013-01-01

Abstract. We examined how invasion of tropical riparian forests by an exotic N-fixing tree (Falcataria moluccana) affects organic-matter dynamics in a Hawaiian river by comparing early stages of leaf-litter breakdown between the exotic F. moluccana and native Metrosideros polymorpha trees. We examined early...

Environmental conditions of 2 river drainages into the Northern Gulf of Mexico during successful hatching of Alabama shad (Alosa alabamae)

Treesearch

Paul F. Mickle; Jacob F. Schaefer; Susan B. Adams; Brian R. Kreiser; Wiliam T. Slack

2016-01-01

In recent years, the Alabama shad (Alosa alabamae) has experienced dramatic declines and extirpations from portions of its native range. Habitat degradation and barriers to migration are considered contributing factors to contraction in the distributional range this species. To identify conditions during successful spawning, river temperatures and...

Habitat quality and recruitment success of cui-ui in the Truckee River downstream of Marble Bluff Dam, Pyramid Lake, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Scoppettone, G. Gary; Rissler, Peter H.; Salgado, J. Antonio; Harry, Beverly

2013-01-01

We compared cui-ui (Chasmistes cujus) recruitment from two reaches of the Truckee River with histories of severe erosional downcutting caused by a decline in Pyramid Lake surface elevation. In 1975, Marble Bluff Dam (MBD) was constructed 5 kilometers upstream of the extant mouth of the Truckee River to stabilize the upstream reach of the river; the downstream reach of the river remained unstable and consequently unsuitable for cui-ui recruitment. By the early 2000s, there was a decrease in the Truckee River’s slope from MBD to Pyramid Lake after a series of wet years in the 1990s. This was followed by changes in river morphology and erosion abatement. These changes led to the question as to cui-ui recruitment potential in the Truckee River downstream of MBD. In 2012, more than 7,000 cui-ui spawners were passed upstream of MBD, although an indeterminate number of cui-ui spawned downstream of MBD. In this study, we compared cui-ui recruitment upstream and downstream of MBD during a Truckee River low-flow year (2012). Cui-ui larvae emigration to Pyramid Lake began earlier and ended later downstream of MBD. A greater number of cui-ui larvae was produced downstream of MBD than upstream. This also was true for native Tahoe sucker (Catostomus tahoensis) and Lahontan redside (Richardsonius egregius). The improved Truckee River stability downstream of MBD and concomitant cui-ui recruitment success is attributed to a rise in Pyramid Lake's surface elevation. A decline in lake elevation may lead to a shift in stream morphology and substrate composition to the detriment of cui-ui reproductive success as well as the reproductive success of other native fishes.

Geology of the Powder River Basin, Wyoming and Montana, with reference to subsurface disposal of radioactive wastes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Beikman, Helen M.

1962-01-01

The Powder River Basin is a structural and topographic basin occupying an area of about 20,000 square miles in northeastern Wyoming arid southeastern Montana. The Basin is about 230 miles long in a northwest-southeast direction and is about 100 miles wide. It is bounded on three sides by mountains in which rocks of Precambrian age are exposed. The Basin is asymmetrical with a steep west limb adjacent to the Bighorn Mountains and a gentle east limb adjacent to the Black Hills. Sedimentary rocks within the Basin have a maximum thickness of about 18,000 feet and rocks of every geologic period are represented. Paleozoic rocks are about 2,500 feet thick and consist of marine bonate rocks and sandstone; Mesozoic rocks are about 9,500 feet thick and consist of both marine and nonmarine siltstone and sandstone; and Cenozoic rocks are from 4,000 to 6,000 feet thick and consist of coal-bearing sandstone and shale. Radioactive waste could be stored in the pore space of permeable sandstone or in shale where space could be developed. Many such rock units that could be used for storing radioactive wastes are present within the Powder River Basin. Permeable sandstone beds that may be possible reservoirs for storage of radioactive waste are present throughout the Powder River Basin. These include sandstone beds in the Flathead Sandstone and equivalent strata in the Deadwood Formation, the Tensleep Sandstone and equivalent strata in the Minnelusa Formation and the Sundance Formation in rocks of pre-Cretaceous age. However, most of the possible sandstone reservoirs are in rocks of Cretaceous age and include sandstone beds in the Fall River, Lakota, Newcastle, Frontier, Cody, and Mesaverde Formations. Problems of containment of waste such as clogging of pore space and chemical incompatibility would have to be solved before a particular sandstone unit could be selected for waste disposal. Several thick sequences of impermeable shale such as those in the Skull Creek, Mowry, Frontier, Belle Fourche, Cody, Lewis, and Pierre Formations, occur in rocks of Cretaceous age in the Basin. Limited storage space for liquid waste might be developed in impermeable shale by fracturing the shale and space for calcined or fused waste could be developed by mining cavities.

Projected risk of population declines for native fish species in the Upper Mississippi River

USGS Publications Warehouse

Crimmins, S.M.; Boma, P.; Thogmartin, W.E.

2015-01-01

Conservationists are in need of objective metrics for prioritizing the management of habitats. For individual species, the threat of extinction is often used to prioritize what species are in need of conservation action. Using long-term monitoring data, we applied a Bayesian diffusion approximation to estimate quasi-extinction risk for 54 native fish species within six commercial navigation reaches along a 1350-km gradient of the upper Mississippi River system. We found a strong negative linear relationship between quasi-extinction risk and distance upstream. For some species, quasi-extinction estimates ranged from nearly zero in some reaches to one in others, suggesting substantial variability in threats facing individual river reaches. We found no evidence that species traits affected quasi-extinction risk across the entire system. Our results indicate that fishes within the upper Mississippi River system face localized threats that vary across river impact gradients. This suggests that conservation actions should be focused on local habitat scales but should also consider the additive effects on downstream conditions. We also emphasize the need for identification of proximate mechanisms behind observed and predicted population declines, as conservation actions will require mitigation of such mechanisms. Published 2014. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Historical and current perspectives on fish assemblages of the Snake River, Idaho and Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Maret, T.R.; Mebane, C.A.

2005-01-01

The Snake River is the tenth longest river in the United States, extending 1,667 km from its origin in Yellowstone National Park in western Wyoming to its union with the Columbia River at Pasco, Washington. Historically, the main-stem Snake River upstream from the Hells Canyon Complex supported at least 26 native fish species, including anadromous stocks of Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, steelhead O. mykiss, Pacific lamprey Lampetra tridentata, and white sturgeon Acipenser transmontanus. Of these anadromous species, only the white sturgeon remains in the Snake River between the Hells Canyon Complex and Shoshone Falls. Today, much of the Snake River has been transformed into a river with numerous impoundments and flow diversions, increased pollutant loads, and elevated water temperatures. Current (1993-2002) fish assemblage collections from 15 sites along the Snake River and Henrys Fork contained 35 fish species, including 16 alien species. Many of these alien species such as catfish (Ictaluridae), carp (Cyprinidae), and sunfish (Centrarchidae) are adapted for warmwater impounded habitats. Currently, the Snake River supports 19 native species. An index of biotic integrity (IBI), developed to evaluate large rivers in the Northwest, was used to evaluate recent (1993-2002) fish collections from the Snake River and Henrys Fork in southern Idaho and western Wyoming. Index of biotic integrity site scores and component metrics revealed a decline in biotic integrity from upstream to downstream in both the Snake River and Henrys Fork. Two distinct groups of sites were evident that correspond to a range of IBI scores-an upper Snake River and Henrys Fork group with relatively high biotic integrity (mean IBI scores of 46-84) and a lower Snake River group with low biotic integrity (mean IBI scores of 10-29). Sites located in the lower Snake River exhibited fish assemblages that reflect poor-quality habitat where coldwater and sensitive species are rare or absent, and where tolerant, less desirable species predominate. Increases in percentages of agricultural land, total number of diversions, and number of constructed channels were strongly associated with these decreasing IBI scores.

78 FR 74079 - Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Gulf of Alaska; Proposed 2014 and 2015...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-10

... trend for pollock, Pacific cod, deep-water flatfish, Pacific ocean perch, northern rockfish, shortraker..., shallow-water flatfish, rex sole, arrowtooth flounder, flathead sole, rougheye rockfish, demersal shelf... include the TACs for shallow-water flatfish in the West Yakutat and Southeast Outside Districts of the GOA...

78 FR 65962 - Revision of the Land Management Plan for the Flathead National Forest

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-11-04

... over time. Under the 2012 Planning Rule, the assessment of ecological, social, and economic trends and... environmental impact statement and revised Forest Plan for public review and comment, and the preparation of the final environmental impact statement and revised Forest Plan. The third stage of the process is...

40 CFR Appendix Vi to Part 264 - Political Jurisdictions 1 in Which Compliance With § 264.18(a) Must Be Demonstrated

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Cassia Clark Franklin Fremont Jefferson Madison Oneida Power Teton Montana Beaverhead Broadwater Cascade Deer Lodge Flathead Gallatin Granite Jefferson Lake Lewis and Clark Madison Meagher Missoula Park... Sanpete Sevier Summit Tooele Utah Wasatch Washington Wayne Weber Washington Chelan Clallam Clark Cowlitz...

40 CFR Appendix Vi to Part 264 - Political Jurisdictions 1 in Which Compliance With § 264.18(a) Must Be Demonstrated

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Cassia Clark Franklin Fremont Jefferson Madison Oneida Power Teton Montana Beaverhead Broadwater Cascade Deer Lodge Flathead Gallatin Granite Jefferson Lake Lewis and Clark Madison Meagher Missoula Park... Sanpete Sevier Summit Tooele Utah Wasatch Washington Wayne Weber Washington Chelan Clallam Clark Cowlitz...

Evaluation of wildlife crossing structures and fencing on US Highway 93 Evaro to Polson Phase I : preconstruction data collection and finalization of evaluation plan : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2006-11-01

The US 93 reconstruction project on the Flathead Indian Reservation in northwest Montana represents one of the most extensive wildlife-sensitive highway design efforts to occur in the continental United States. The reconstruction will include install...

75 FR 65608 - Flathead National Forest-Swan Lake Ranger District, Montana; Wild Cramer Forest Health and Fuels...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-26

... and Fuels Reduction Project to harvest timber, reduce hazardous forest fuels, prescribe burn, and... National Forest System lands before they burn onto private lands; (6) provide forest products to the local... of prescribed ecosystem burning are proposed. Use of existing and construction of temporary and...

78 FR 13161 - Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Gulf of Alaska; Final 2013 and 2014 Harvest...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-26

... halibut PSC trawl limits between the trawl gear deep-water and the shallow-water species fishery... for pollock, sablefish, deep-water flatfish, rex sole, Pacific ocean perch, northern rockfish... less than the ABCs for Pacific cod, shallow-water flatfish, arrowtooth flounder, flathead sole, ``other...

Hungry Horse Dam Wildlife Habitat Enhancement Project: Long-Term Habitat Management Plan, Elk and Mule Deer Winter Range Enhancement, Firefighter Mountain and Spotted Bear Winter Ranges.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Casey, Daniel; Malta, Patrick

1990-06-01

Project goals are to rehabilitate 1120 acres of big game (elk and mule deer, Odocoileus hemionus) winter range on the Hungry Horse and Spotted Bear Districts of Flathead National Forest lands adjacent to Hungry Horse Reservoir. This project represents the initial phase of implementation toward the mitigation goal. A minimum of 547 acres Trust-funded enhancements are called for in this plan. The remainder are part of the typical Forest Service management activities for the project area. Monitor and evaluate the effects of project implementation on the big game forage base and elk and mule deer populations in the project area.more » Monitor enhancement success to determine effective acreage to be credited against mitigation goal. Additional enhancement acreage will be selected elsewhere in the Flathead Forest or other lands adjacent'' to the reservoir based on progress toward the mitigation goal as determined through monitoring. The Wildlife Mitigation Trust Fund Advisory Committee will serve to guide decisions regarding future enhancement efforts. 7 refs.« less

A New Species of Ligophorus (Monogenea: Dactylogyridae) from the gills of the Flathead Mullet Mugil cephalus (Teleostei: Mugilidae) from Mexico.

PubMed

Rodríguez-González, Abril; Míguez-Lozano, Raúl; Llopis-Belenguer, Cristina; Balbuena, Juan Antonio

2015-12-01

A new monogenean species, Ligophorus yucatanensis n. sp. from the gills of the flathead mullet Mugil cephalus from the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, is described. The new species can be differentiated from all other species of Ligophorus by the morphology of the accessory piece of the copulatory organ. Its main lobe is cylindrical, tunnelled expanded distally, slightly bowed with a characteristic membranous opening at level of medial bifurcation of the accessory piece, forming a thick-walled bulbshaped expansion that ends in a round labium. The secondary lobe is spatulate, straight, and shorter than the main lobe. In addition, the new species can be distinguished from other species by the morphology of the haptoral ventral bar, and the distal end of the vaginal duct. Furthermore the ventral anchors are shorter than those of all other species of Ligophorus reported in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea. In addition, the zoogeographical records of Ligophorus spp. on the M. cephalus species complex are briefly reviewed and updated.

Aldrin epoxidation in flathead mullet (Mugil cephalus): possible involvement of CYP1A and CYP3A.

PubMed

Bozcaarmutlu, Azra; Turna, Sema; Sapmaz, Canan; Arinc, Emel; Yenisoy-Karakaş, Serpil

2014-06-01

The primary objective of this study was to determine specific cytochrome P450 isozyme(s) involved in the metabolism of aldrin to its toxic metabolite dieldrin in flathead mullet (Mugil cephalus) liver microsomes. To identify the cytochrome P450 isozyme responsible for the aldrin metabolism in mullet liver, the effects of mammalian-specific cytochrome P450 inhibitors and substrates were determined in the epoxidation reaction of aldrin. CYP3A-related inhibitors, ketoconazole, SKF-525A, and cimetidine, inhibited the metabolism of aldrin. The contribution of CYP1A to the aldrin metabolism was shown by the inhibition of 7-ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase activity in the presence of aldrin. The results indicate that CY1A and CYP3A are the cytochrome P450s involved in aldrin epoxidase activity in mullet. In addition, the suitability of aldrin epoxidase activity for monitoring of environmental pollution was also assessed in the fish samples caught from four different locations of the West Black Sea coast of Turkey. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Floodplain lakes and alluviation cycles of the lower Colorado River

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malmon, D.; Felger, T. J.; Howard, K. A.

2007-05-01

The broad valleys along the lower Colorado River contain numerous bodies of still water that provide critical habitat for bird, fish, and other species. This chain of floodplain lakes is an important part of the Pacific Flyway - the major north-south route of travel for migratory birds in the western Hemisphere - and is also used by many resident bird species. In addition, isolated floodplain lakes may provide the only viable habitat for endangered native fish such as the razorback sucker, vulnerable to predation by introduced species in the main stem of the Colorado River. Floodplain lakes typically occupy former channel courses of the river and formed as a result of river meandering or avulsion. Persistent fluvial sediment deposition (aggradation) creates conditions that favor rapid formation and destruction of floodplain lakes, while long term river downcutting (degradation) inhibits their formation and evolution. New radiocarbon dates from wood recovered from drill cores near Topock, AZ indicate that the river aggraded an average of 3 mm/yr in the middle and late Holocene. Aggradational conditions before Hoover Dam was built were associated with rapid channel shifting and frequent lake formation. Lakes had short life spans due to rapid infilling with fine-grained sediment during turbid floods on the unregulated Colorado River. The building of dams and of armored banks had a major impact on floodplain lakes, not only by drowning large portions of the valley beneath reservoirs, but by preventing new lake formation in some areas and accelerating it in others. GIS analyses of three sets of historical maps show that both the number and total area of isolated (i.e., not linked to the main channel by a surface water connection) lakes in the lower Colorado River valley increased between 1902 and the 1950s, and then decreased though the 1970s. River bed degradation below dams inhibits channel shifting and floodplain lake formation, and the capture of fines behind the dams has prevented sediment infilling of the lakes. Bed lowering below dams and in artificially confined reaches could potentially dewater floodplain lakes, a process occurring at Beal Lake, a natural lake used for native fish restoration in the Havasu National Wildlife Refuge. Sedimentation near the upstream ends of reservoirs has created large areas of still water. One of the largest, Topock Marsh, is connected to the main channel, restricting its usefulness as a native fish nursery; other backwater areas are confined by bars that isolate standing water at tributaries.

Finding of No Significant Impact for the Missouri River Recovery Program Lower Little Sioux Bend Shallow Water Habitat Construction Project

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-07-01

A relatively small portion of this accreted land would be removed by the proposed project and returned to the River. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers... Planting a portion of the site currently utilized for row-crop agriculture to native hardwood tree species. • Gradual sloping of the new River...the change would be localized and so small that it would not be of any measurable or perceptible consequence. Minor: Impact could result in a

Two sides of a coin: Effects of climate change on the native and non-native distribution of Colossoma macropomum in South America.

PubMed

Lopes, Taise M; Bailly, Dayani; Almeida, Bia A; Santos, Natália C L; Gimenez, Barbara C G; Landgraf, Guilherme O; Sales, Paulo C L; Lima-Ribeiro, Matheus S; Cassemiro, Fernanda A S; Rangel, Thiago F; Diniz-Filho, José A F; Agostinho, Angelo A; Gomes, Luiz C

2017-01-01

Climate change and species invasions interact in nature, disrupting biological communities. Based on this knowledge, we simultaneously assessed the effects of climate change on the native distribution of the Amazonian fish Colossoma macropomum as well as on its invasiveness across river basins of South America, using ecological niche modeling. We used six niche models within the ensemble forecast context to predict the geographical distribution of C. macropomum for the present time, 2050 and 2080. Given that this species has been continuously introduced into non-native South American basins by fish farming activities, we added the locations of C. macropomum farms into the modeling process to obtain a more realistic scenario of its invasive potential. Based on modelling outputs we mapped climate refuge areas at different times. Our results showed that a plenty of climatically suitable areas for the occurrence of C. macropomum occurrence are located outside the original basins at the present time and that its invasive potential is greatly amplified by fish farms. Simulations of future geographic ranges revealed drastic range contraction in the native region, implying concerns not only with respect to the species conservation but also from a socio-economic perspective since the species is a cornerstone of artisanal and commercial fisheries in the Amazon. Although the invasive potential is projected to decrease in the face of climate change, climate refugia will concentrate in Paraná River, Southeast Atlantic and East Atlantic basins, putting intense, negative pressures on the native fish fauna these regions. Our findings show that short and long-term management actions are required for: i) the conservation of natural stocks of C. macropomum in the Amazon, and ii) protecting native fish fauna in the climate refuges of the invaded regions.

Two sides of a coin: Effects of climate change on the native and non-native distribution of Colossoma macropomum in South America

PubMed Central

Lopes, Taise M.; Bailly, Dayani; Almeida, Bia A.; Santos, Natália C. L.; Gimenez, Barbara C. G.; Landgraf, Guilherme O.; Sales, Paulo C. L.; Lima-Ribeiro, Matheus S.; Cassemiro, Fernanda A. S.; Rangel, Thiago F.; Diniz-Filho, José A. F.; Agostinho, Angelo A.; Gomes, Luiz C.

2017-01-01

Climate change and species invasions interact in nature, disrupting biological communities. Based on this knowledge, we simultaneously assessed the effects of climate change on the native distribution of the Amazonian fish Colossoma macropomum as well as on its invasiveness across river basins of South America, using ecological niche modeling. We used six niche models within the ensemble forecast context to predict the geographical distribution of C. macropomum for the present time, 2050 and 2080. Given that this species has been continuously introduced into non-native South American basins by fish farming activities, we added the locations of C. macropomum farms into the modeling process to obtain a more realistic scenario of its invasive potential. Based on modelling outputs we mapped climate refuge areas at different times. Our results showed that a plenty of climatically suitable areas for the occurrence of C. macropomum occurrence are located outside the original basins at the present time and that its invasive potential is greatly amplified by fish farms. Simulations of future geographic ranges revealed drastic range contraction in the native region, implying concerns not only with respect to the species conservation but also from a socio-economic perspective since the species is a cornerstone of artisanal and commercial fisheries in the Amazon. Although the invasive potential is projected to decrease in the face of climate change, climate refugia will concentrate in Paraná River, Southeast Atlantic and East Atlantic basins, putting intense, negative pressures on the native fish fauna these regions. Our findings show that short and long-term management actions are required for: i) the conservation of natural stocks of C. macropomum in the Amazon, and ii) protecting native fish fauna in the climate refuges of the invaded regions. PMID:28654663

Invasive species and habitat degradation in Iberian streams: an analysis of their role in freshwater fish diversity loss.

PubMed

Hermoso, Virgilio; Clavero, Miguel; Blanco-Garrido, Francisco; Prenda, José

2011-01-01

Mediterranean endemic freshwater fish are among the most threatened biota in the world. Distinguishing the role of different extinction drivers and their potential interactions is crucial for achieving conservation goals. While some authors argue that invasive species are a main driver of native species declines, others see their proliferation as a co-occurring process to biodiversity loss driven by habitat degradation. It is difficult to discern between the two potential causes given that few invaded ecosystems are free from habitat degradation, and that both factors may interact in different ways. Here we analyze the relative importance of habitat degradation and invasive species in the decline of native fish assemblages in the Guadiana River basin (southwestern Iberian Peninsula) using an information theoretic approach to evaluate interaction pathways between invasive species and habitat degradation (structural equation modeling, SEM). We also tested the possible changes in the functional relationships between invasive and native species, measured as the per capita effect of invasive species, using ANCOVA. We found that the abundance of invasive species was the best single predictor of natives' decline and had the highest Akaike weight among the set of predictor variables examined. Habitat degradation neither played an active role nor influenced the per capita effect of invasive species on natives. Our analyses indicated that downstream reaches and areas close to reservoirs had the most invaded fish assemblages, independently of their habitat degradation status. The proliferation of invasive species poses a strong threat to the persistence of native assemblages in highly fluctuating environments. Therefore, conservation efforts to reduce native freshwater fish diversity loss in Mediterranean rivers should focus on mitigating the effect of invasive species and preventing future invasions.

Evaluation of the Life History of Native Salmonids in the Malheur River Basin; Cooperative Bull Trout/Redband Trout Research Project, 1999-2000 Annual Report.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schwabe, Lawrence; Tiley, Mark; Perkins, Raymond R.

2000-11-01

The purpose of this study is to document the seasonal distribution of adult/sub-adult bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) in the Malheur River basin. Due to the decline of bull trout in the Columbia Basin, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service listed bull trout as a threatened species in June 1998. Past land management activities; construction of dams; and fish eradication projects in the North Fork and Middle Fork Malheur River by poisoning have worked in concert to cumulatively impact native species in the Malheur Basin (Bowers et. al. 1993). Survival of the remaining bull trout populations is severely threatened (Buchananmore » 1997). 1999 Research Objects are: (1) Document the migratory patterns of adult/sub-adult bull trout in the North Fork Malheur River; (2) Determine the seasonal bull trout use of Beulah Reservoir and bull trout entrainment; and (3) Timing and location of bull trout spawning in the North Fork Malheur River basin. The study area includes the Malheur basin from the mouth of the Malheur River located near Ontario, Oregon to the headwaters of the North Fork Malheur River (Map 1). All fish collected and most of the telemetry effort was done on the North Fork Malheur River subbasin (Map 2). Fish collection was conducted on the North Fork Malheur River at the tailwaters of Beulah Reservoir (RK 29), Beulah Reservoir (RK 29-RK 33), and in the North Fork Malheur River at Crane Crossing (RK 69) to the headwaters of the North Fork Malheur. Radio telemetry was done from the mouth of the Malheur River in Ontario, Oregon to the headwaters of the North Fork Malheur. This report will reflect all migration data collected from 3/1/99 to 12/31/99.« less

Native woodlands and birds of South Dakota: Past and present

Treesearch

Mark A. Rumble; Carolyn Hull Sieg; Daniel W. Uresk; Jody Javersak

1998-01-01

Eighty-four percent of the upland bird species in present-day bird counts along the Missouri River were included in bird species lists 150 years ago. Eighty-three percent of upland bird species in the Slim Buttes area also occurred 80 to 120 years ago. Historical photographs show native woodlands were part of the presettlement landscape. Expansion of the ranges of blue...

Estimates of deep percolation beneath native vegetation, irrigated fields, and the Amargosa-River Channel, Amargosa Desert, Nye County, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stonestrom, David A.; Prudic, David E.; Laczniak, Randell J.; Akstin, Katherine C.; Boyd, Robert A.; Henkelman, Katherine K.

2003-01-01

The presence and approximate rates of deep percolation beneath areas of native vegetation, irrigated fields, and the Amargosa-River channel in the Amargosa Desert of southern Nevada were evaluated using the chloride mass-balance method and inferred downward velocities of chloride and nitrate peaks. Estimates of deep-percolation rates in the Amargosa Desert are needed for the analysis of regional ground-water flow and transport. An understanding of regional flow patterns is important because ground water originating on the Nevada Test Site may pass through the area before discharging from springs at lower elevations in the Amargosa Desert and in Death Valley. Nine boreholes 10 to 16 meters deep were cored nearly continuously using a hollow-stem auger designed for gravelly sediments. Two boreholes were drilled in each of three irrigated fields in the Amargosa-Farms area, two in the Amargosa-River channel, and one in an undisturbed area of native vegetation. Data from previously cored boreholes beneath undisturbed, native vegetation were compared with the new data to further assess deep percolation under current climatic conditions and provide information on spatial variability.The profiles beneath native vegetation were characterized by large amounts of accumulated chloride just below the root zone with almost no further accumulation at greater depths. This pattern is typical of profiles beneath interfluvial areas in arid alluvial basins of the southwestern United States, where salts have been accumulating since the end of the Pleistocene. The profiles beneath irrigated fields and the Amargosa-River channel contained more than twice the volume of water compared to profiles beneath native vegetation, consistent with active deep percolation beneath these sites. Chloride profiles beneath two older fields (cultivated since the 1960’s) as well as the upstream Amargosa-River site were indicative of long-term, quasi-steady deep percolation. Chloride profiles beneath the newest field (cultivated since 1993), the downstream Amargosa-River site, and the edge of an older field were indicative of recently active deep percolation moving previously accumulated salts from the upper profile to greater depths.Results clearly indicate that deep percolation and ground-water recharge occur not only beneath areas of irrigation but also beneath ephemeral stream channels, despite the arid climate and infrequency of runoff. Rates of deep percolation beneath irrigated fields ranged from 0.1 to 0.5 m/yr. Estimated rates of deep percolation beneath the Amargosa-River channel ranged from 0.02 to 0.15 m/yr. Only a few decades are needed for excess irrigation water to move through the unsaturated zone and recharge ground water. Assuming vertical, one-dimensional flow, the estimated time for irrigation-return flow to reach the water table beneath the irrigated fields ranged from about 10 to 70 years. In contrast, infiltration from present-day runoff takes centuries to move through the unsaturated zone and reach the water table. The estimated time for water to reach the water table beneath the channel ranged from 140 to 1000 years. These values represent minimum times, as they do not take lateral flow into account. The estimated fraction of irrigation water becoming deep percolation averaged 8 to 16 percent. Similar fractions of infiltration from ephemeral flow events were estimated to become deep percolation beneath the normally dry Amargosa-River channel. In areas where flood-induced channel migration occurs at sub-centennial frequencies, residence times in the unsaturated zone beneath the Amargosa channel could be longer. Estimates of deep percolation presented herein provide a basis for evaluating the importance of recharge from irrigation and channel infiltration in models of ground-water flow from the Nevada Test Site.

Seventy years of stream‐fish collections reveal invasions and native range contractions in an Appalachian (USA) watershed

USGS Publications Warehouse

Buckwalter, Joseph D.; Frimpong, Emmanuel A.; Angermeier, Paul L.; Barney, Jacob N.

2018-01-01

AimKnowledge of expanding and contracting ranges is critical for monitoring invasions and assessing conservation status, yet reliable data on distributional trends are lacking for most freshwater species. We developed a quantitative technique to detect the sign (expansion or contraction) and functional form of range‐size changes for freshwater species based on collections data, while accounting for possible biases due to variable collection effort. We applied this technique to quantify stream‐fish range expansions and contractions in a highly invaded river system.LocationUpper and middle New River (UMNR) basin, Appalachian Mountains, USA.MethodsWe compiled a 77‐year stream‐fish collections dataset partitioned into ten time periods. To account for variable collection effort among time periods, we aggregated the collections into 100 watersheds and expressed a species’ range size as detections per watershed (HUC) sampled (DPHS). We regressed DPHS against time by species and used an information‐theoretic approach to compare linear and nonlinear functional forms fitted to the data points and to classify each species as spreader, stable or decliner.ResultsWe analysed changes in range size for 74 UMNR fishes, including 35 native and 39 established introduced species. We classified the majority (51%) of introduced species as spreaders, compared to 31% of natives. An exponential functional form fits best for 84% of spreaders. Three natives were among the most rapid spreaders. All four decliners were New River natives.Main conclusionsOur DPHS‐based approach facilitated quantitative analyses of distributional trends for stream fishes based on collections data. Partitioning the dataset into multiple time periods allowed us to distinguish long‐term trends from population fluctuations and to examine nonlinear forms of spread. Our framework sets the stage for further study of drivers of stream‐fish invasions and declines in the UMNR and is widely transferable to other freshwater taxa and geographic regions.

Role of climate and invasive species in structuring trout distributions in the interior Columbia River Basin, USA

Treesearch

Seth J. Wenger; Daniel J. Isaak; Jason B. Dunham; Kurt D. Fausch; Charlie Luce; Helen M. Neville; Bruce E. Rieman; Michael K. Young; David E. Nagel; Dona L. Horan; Gwynne L. Chandler

2011-01-01

Recent and projected climate warming trends have prompted interest in impacts on coldwater fishes. We examined the role of climate (temperature and flow regime) relative to geomorphology and land use in determining the observed distributions of three trout species in the interior Columbia River Basin, USA. We considered two native species, cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus...

Habitat relationships and larval drift of native and nonindigenous fishes in neighboring tributaries of a coastal California river

Treesearch

Bret C. Harvey; Jason L. White; Rodney J. Nakamoto

2002-01-01

Abstract - Motivated by a particular interest in the distribution of the nonindigenous, piscivorous Sacramento pikeminnow, Ptychocheilus grandis, we examined fish-habitat relationships in small tributaries (draining 20-200 km 2 )in the Eel River drainage of northwestern California.We sampled juvenile and adult fish in 15 tributaries in both the summer and...

Water relations of riparian plants from warm desert regions

USGS Publications Warehouse

Smith, S.D.; Devitt, Dale A.; Cleverly, James R.; Busch, David E.

1998-01-01

Riparian plants have been classified as 'drought avoiders' due to their access to an abundant subsurface water supply. Recent water-relations research that tracks water sources of riparian plants using the stable isotopes of water suggests that many plants of the riparian zone use ground water rather than stream water, and not all riparian plants are obligate phreatophytes (dependent on ground water as a moisture source) but may occasionally be dependent of unsaturated soil moisture sources. A more thorough understanding of riparian plant-water relations must include water-source dynamics and how those dynamics vary over both space and time. Many rivers in the desert Southwest have been invaded by the exotic shrub Tamarix ramosissima (saltcedar). Our studies of Tamarix invasion into habitats formerly dominated by native riparian forests of primarily Populus and Salix have shown that Tamarix successfully invades these habitats because of its (1) greater tolerance to water stress and salinity, (2) status as a facultative, rather than obligate, phreatophyte and, therefore, its ability to recover from droughts and periods of ground-water drawdown, and (3) superior regrowth after fire. Analysis of water- loss rates indicate that Tamarix-dominated stands can have extremely high evapotranspiration rates when water tables are high but not necessarily when water tables are lower. Tamarix has leaf-level transpiration rates that are comparable to native species, whereas sap-flow rates per unit sapwood area are higher than in natives, suggesting that Tamarix maintains higher leaf area than can natives, probably due to its greater water stress tolerance. Tamarix desiccates and salinizes floodplains, due to its salt exudation and high transpiration rates, and may also accelerate fire cycles, thus predisposing these ecosystems to further loss of native taxa. Riparian species on regulated rivers can be exposed to seasonal water stress due to depression of floodplain water tables and elimination of annual floods. This can potentially result in a community shift toward more stress- tolerant taxa, such as Tamarix, due to the inability of other riparian species to germinate and establish in the desiccated floodplain environment. Management efforts aimed at maintaining native forests on regulated rivers and slowing the spread of Tamarix invasion must include at least partial reintroduction of historical flow regimes, which favor the recruitment of native riparian species and reverse long-term desiccation of desert floodplain environments.

Low salinity hydrocarbon water disposal through deep subsurface drip irrigation: leaching of native selenium

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bern, Carleton R.; Engle, Mark A.; Boehlke, Adam R.; Zupancic, John W.; Brown, Adrian; Figueroa, Linda; Wolkersdorfer, Christian

2013-01-01

A subsurface drip irrigation system is being used in Wyoming’s Powder River Basin that treats high sodium, low salinity, coal bed methane (CBM) produced water with sulfuric acid and injects it into cropped fields at a depth of 0.92 m. Dissolution of native gypsum releases calcium that combats soil degradation that would otherwise result from high sodium water. Native selenium is leached from soil by application of the CBM water and traces native salt mobilization to groundwater. Resulting selenium concentrations in groundwater at this alluvial site were generally low (0.5–23 μg/L) compared to Wyoming’s agricultural use suitability standard (20 μg/L).

Multiscale Genetic Structure of Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout in the Upper Snake River Basin.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cegelski, Christine C.; Campbell, Matthew R.

2006-05-30

Populations of Yellowstone cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarkii bouvierii have declined throughout their native range as a result of habitat fragmentation, overharvest, and introductions of nonnative trout that have hybridized with or displaced native populations. The degree to which these factors have impacted the current genetic population structure of Yellowstone cutthroat trout populations is of primary interest for their conservation. In this study, we examined the genetic diversity and genetic population structure of Yellowstone cutthroat trout in Idaho and Nevada with data from six polymorphic microsatellite loci. A total of 1,392 samples were analyzed from 45 sample locations throughout 11 majormore » river drainages. We found that levels of genetic diversity and genetic differentiation varied extensively. The Salt River drainage, which is representative of the least impacted migration corridors in Idaho, had the highest levels of genetic diversity and low levels of genetic differentiation. High levels of genetic differentiation were observed at similar or smaller geographic scales in the Portneuf River, Raft River, and Teton River drainages, which are more altered by anthropogenic disturbances. Results suggested that Yellowstone cutthroat trout are naturally structured at the major river drainage level but that habitat fragmentation has altered this structuring. Connectivity should be restored via habitat restoration whenever possible to minimize losses in genetic diversity and to preserve historical processes of gene flow, life history variation, and metapopulation dynamics. However, alternative strategies for management and conservation should also be considered in areas where there is a strong likelihood of nonnative invasions or extensive habitat fragmentation that cannot be easily ameliorated.« less

Homogenization of regional river dynamics by dams and global biodiversity implications.

PubMed

Poff, N Leroy; Olden, Julian D; Merritt, David M; Pepin, David M

2007-04-03

Global biodiversity in river and riparian ecosystems is generated and maintained by geographic variation in stream processes and fluvial disturbance regimes, which largely reflect regional differences in climate and geology. Extensive construction of dams by humans has greatly dampened the seasonal and interannual streamflow variability of rivers, thereby altering natural dynamics in ecologically important flows on continental to global scales. The cumulative effects of modification to regional-scale environmental templates caused by dams is largely unexplored but of critical conservation importance. Here, we use 186 long-term streamflow records on intermediate-sized rivers across the continental United States to show that dams have homogenized the flow regimes on third- through seventh-order rivers in 16 historically distinctive hydrologic regions over the course of the 20th century. This regional homogenization occurs chiefly through modification of the magnitude and timing of ecologically critical high and low flows. For 317 undammed reference rivers, no evidence for homogenization was found, despite documented changes in regional precipitation over this period. With an estimated average density of one dam every 48 km of third- through seventh-order river channel in the United States, dams arguably have a continental scale effect of homogenizing regionally distinct environmental templates, thereby creating conditions that favor the spread of cosmopolitan, nonindigenous species at the expense of locally adapted native biota. Quantitative analyses such as ours provide the basis for conservation and management actions aimed at restoring and maintaining native biodiversity and ecosystem function and resilience for regionally distinct ecosystems at continental to global scales.

Salinity of the Little Colorado River in Grand Canyon confers anti-parasitic properties on a native fish

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ward, David L.

2012-01-01

Water in the Little Colorado River within Grand Canyon is naturally high in salt (NaCl), which is known to prohibit development of external fish parasites such as Ich (Ichthyophthirius multifiliis). The naturally high salinity (>0.3%) of the Little Colorado River at baseflow may be one factor allowing survival and persistence of larval and juvenile humpback chub (Gila cypha) and other native fishes in Grand Canyon. We compared salinity readings from the Little Colorado River to those reported in the literature as being effective at removing protozoan parasites from fish. In laboratory tests, 10 juvenile roundtail chub (Gila robusta; 61–90 mm TL) were randomly placed into each of 12, 37-L aquaria filled with freshwater, water obtained from the Little Colorado River (0.3% salinity), or freshwater with table salt added until the salinity reached 0.3%. Roundtail chub was used as a surrogate for humpback chub in this study because the species is not listed as endangered but is morphologically and ecologically similar to humpback chub. All roundtail chub infected with Ich recovered and survived when placed in water from the Little Colorado River or water with 0.3% salinity, but all experimental fish placed in freshwater died because of Ich infection. The naturally high salinity of the Little Colorado River at baseflow (0.22%–0.36%), appears sufficiently high to interrupt the life cycle of Ich and may allow increased survival of larval and juvenile humpback chub relative to other areas within Grand Canyon.

Diel and distributional abundance patterns of fish embryos and larvae in the lower Columbia and Deschutes rivers

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gadomski, D.M.; Barfoot, C.A.

1998-01-01

Diel and distributional abundance patterns of free embryos and larvae of fishes in the lower Columbia River Basin were investigated. Ichthyoplankton samples were collected in 1993 during day and night in the main-channel and a backwater of the lower Columbia River, and in a tributary, the Deschutes River. Fish embryos and larvae collected in the main-channel Columbia River were primarily (85.6%) of native taxa (peamouth Mylocheilus caurinus, northern squawfish Ptychocheilus oregonensis, suckers Catostomus spp., and sculpins Cottus spp.), with two introduced species (American shad Alosa sapidissima and common carp Cyprinus carpio) comprising a smaller percentage of the catch (13.3%). Similarly, in the Deschutes River native taxa [lampreys (Petromyzontidae), minnows (Cyprinidae), and suckers Catostomus spp.] dominated collections (99.5% of the catch). In contrast, 83.5% of embryos and larvae in the Columbia River backwater were of introduced taxa [American shad, common carp, and sunfishes (Centrarchidae)]. In all locations, all dominant taxa except sculpins were collected in significantly greater proportions at night. Taxon-specific differences in proportions of embryos and larvae collected at night can in some instances be related to life history styles. In the main-channel Columbia River, northern squawfish and peamouth were strongly nocturnal and high proportions still had yolksacs, suggesting that they had recently hatched and were drifting downriver to rearing areas. In contrast, sculpin abundances were similar during day and night, and sculpins mostly had depleted yolksacs, indicating sculpins were feeding and rearing in offshore limnetic habitats. Taxon-specific diel abundance patterns and their causes must be considered when designing effective sampling programs for fish embryos and larvae.

Application of sediment characteristics and transport conditions to resource management in selected main-stem reaches of the Upper Colorado River, Colorado and Utah, 1965-2007

USGS Publications Warehouse

Williams, Cory A.; Schaffrath, Keelin R.; Elliott, John G.; Richards, Rodney J.

2013-01-01

The Colorado River Basin provides habitat for 14 native fish, including 4 endangered species protected under the Federal Endangered Species Act of 1973. These endangered fish species once thrived in the Colorado River system, but water-resource development, including the building of numerous diversion dams and several large reservoirs, and the introduction of non-native fish, resulted in large reductions in the numbers and range of the four species through loss of habitat and stream function. Understanding how stream conditions and habitat change in response to alterations in streamflow is important for water administrators and wildlife managers and can be determined from an understanding of sediment transport. Characterization of the processes that are controlling sediment transport is an important first step in identifying flow regimes needed for restored channel morphology and the sustained recovery of endangered fishes within these river systems. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program, Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Argonne National Laboratory, Western Area Power Administration, and Wyoming State Engineer’s Office, began a study in 2004 to characterize sediment transport at selected locations on the Colorado, Gunnison, and Green Rivers to begin addressing gaps in existing datasets and conceptual models of the river systems. This report identifies and characterizes the relation between streamflow (magnitude and timing) and sediment transport and presents the findings through discussions of (1) suspended-sediment transport, (2) incipient motion of streambed material, and (3) a case study of sediment-transport conditions for a reach of the Green River identified as a razorback sucker spawning habitat (See report for full abstract).

Impact of native plants on bird and butterfly biodiversity in suburban landscapes.

PubMed

Burghardt, Karin T; Tallamy, Douglas W; Gregory Shriver, W

2009-02-01

Managed landscapes in which non-native ornamental plants are favored over native vegetation now dominate the United States, particularly east of the Mississippi River. We measured how landscaping with native plants affects the avian and lepidopteran communities on 6 pairs of suburban properties in southeastern Pennsylvania. One property in each pair was landscaped entirely with native plants and the other exhibited a more conventional suburban mixture of plants--a native canopy with non-native groundcover and shrubs. Vegetation sampling confirmed that total plant cover and plant diversity did not differ between treatments, but non-native plant cover was greater on the conventional sites and native plant cover was greater on the native sites. Several avian (abundance, species richness, biomass, and breeding-bird abundance) and larval lepidopteran (abundance and species richness) community parameters were measured from June 2006 to August 2006. Native properties supported significantly more caterpillars and caterpillar species and significantly greater bird abundance, diversity, species richness, biomass, and breeding pairs of native species. Of particular importance is that bird species of regional conservation concern were 8 times more abundant and significantly more diverse on native properties. In our study area, native landscaping positively influenced the avian and lepidopteran carrying capacity of suburbia and provided a mechanism for reducing biodiversity losses in human-dominated landscapes.

A novel environmental DNA approach to quantify the cryptic invasion of non-native genotypes.

PubMed

Uchii, Kimiko; Doi, Hideyuki; Minamoto, Toshifumi

2016-03-01

The invasion of non-native species that are closely related to native species can lead to competitive elimination of the native species and/or genomic extinction through hybridization. Such invasions often become serious before they are detected, posing unprecedented threats to biodiversity. A Japanese native strain of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) has become endangered owing to the invasion of non-native strains introduced from the Eurasian continent. Here, we propose a rapid environmental DNA-based approach to quantitatively monitor the invasion of non-native genotypes. Using this system, we developed a method to quantify the relative proportion of native and non-native DNA based on a single-nucleotide polymorphism using cycling probe technology in real-time PCR. The efficiency of this method was confirmed in aquarium experiments, where the quantified proportion of native and non-native DNA in the water was well correlated to the biomass ratio of native and non-native genotypes. This method provided quantitative estimates for the proportion of native and non-native DNA in natural rivers and reservoirs, which allowed us to estimate the degree of invasion of non-native genotypes without catching and analysing individual fish. Our approach would dramatically facilitate the process of quantitatively monitoring the invasion of non-native conspecifics in aquatic ecosystems, thus revealing a promising method for risk assessment and management in biodiversity conservation. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Habitat Evaluation Procedures (HEP) Report : Oleson Tracts of the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge, 2001-2002 Technical Report.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Allard, Donna; Smith, maureen; Schmidt, Peter

Located in the northern Willamette River basin, Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge (Refuge) was established in 1992 with an approved acquisition boundary to accommodate willing sellers with potentially restorable holdings within the Tualatin River floodplain. The Refuge's floodplain of seasonal and emergent wetlands, Oregon ash riparian hardwood, riparian shrub, coniferous forest, and Garry oak communities are representative of remnant plant communities historically common in the Willamette River valley and offer an opportunity to compensate for wildlife habitat losses associated with the Willamette River basin federal hydroelectric projects. The purchase of the Oleson Units as additions to the Refuge using Bonnevillemore » Power Administration (BPA) funds will partially mitigate for wildlife habitat and target species losses incurred as a result of construction and inundation activities at Dexter and Detroit Dams. Lands acquired for mitigation of Federal Columbia River Power System (FCRPS) impacts to wildlife are evaluated using the Habitat Evaluation Procedures (HEP) methodology, which quantifies how many Habitat Units (HUs) are to be credited to BPA. HUs or credits gained lessen BPA's debt, which was formally tabulated in the FCRPS Loss Assessments and adopted as part of the Northwest Power and Conservation Council's Fish and Wildlife Program as a BPA obligation (NWPCC, 1994 and 2000). There are two basic management scenarios to consider for this evaluation: (1) Habitats can be managed without restoration activities to benefit wildlife populations, or (2) Habitats can be restored using a number of techniques to improve habitat values more quickly. Without restoration, upland and wetland areas may be periodically mowed and disced to prevent invasion of exotic vegetation, volunteer trees and shrubs may grow to expand forested areas, and cooperative farming may be employed to provide forage for migrating and wintering waterfowl. Abandoned cropland would comprise over half the total acreage and may be mowed or hayed to reduce exotic vegetation. Grasslands and wetlands may similarly be mowed or hayed, or left fallow. Wetlands would be subject to periodic flooding from the Tualatin River, but would drain quickly and promote undesirable vegetation. Riverine, forested wetland, and mixed forest habitats would likely change little from their current condition. Active restoration would include restoring wetlands with limited use of dikes and water control structures; planting and maintaining native grass, trees, and shrubs; and aggressive management of non-native invasive vegetation. Hydrology would be restored to emergent wetlands mimicking natural cycles thus promoting hydrophytic vegetation beneficial to fish and wildlife. Grassland and former crop areas would be planted with native grasses and trees to recreate prairie and savanna habitat types. Riverine riparian and forested wetland areas would be expanded by planting native trees and shrubs benefiting a multitude of species. Although a 'hands off' approach may provide habitat benefits after many decades, a more proactive approach would provide far more benefits to fish and wildlife, and thus would provide additional habitat credits more quickly.« less

77 FR 15193 - Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Gulf of Alaska; Final 2012 and 2013 Harvest...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-14

..., sablefish, deep-water flatfish, rex sole, Pacific ocean perch, northern rockfish, shortraker rockfish... cod, shallow-water flatfish, arrowtooth flounder, flathead sole, ``other rockfish'' in the Eastern GOA...) guideline harvest levels (GHLs) for Pacific cod so that the ABC is not exceeded. The shallow-water flatfish...

Traditional wisdom: Protecting relationships with wilderness as a cultural landscape

Treesearch

Alan Watson; Roian Matt; Katie Knotek; Daniel R. Williams; Laurie Yung

2011-01-01

Interviews of tribal and nontribal residents of the Flathead Indian Reservation in Montana, U.S., were conducted to contrast the meanings that different cultures attach to the Mission Mountains Tribal Wilderness. Legislation that created a national system of wilderness areas (in 1964 and still growing) was conceived, supported, and enacted by a fairly distinct social...

Distribution and abundance of Least Bell’s Vireos (Vireo bellii pusillus) and Southwestern Willow Flycatchers (Empidonax traillii extimus) on the Middle San Luis Rey River, San Diego County, southern California—2017 data summary

USGS Publications Warehouse

Allen, Lisa D.; Howell, Scarlett L.; Kus, Barbara E.

2018-04-20

We surveyed for Least Bell’s Vireos (LBVI) (Vireo bellii pusillus) and Southwestern Willow Flycatchers (SWFL) (Empidonax traillii extimus) along the San Luis Rey River, between College Boulevard in Oceanside and Interstate 15 in Fallbrook, California (middle San Luis Rey River), in 2017. Surveys were conducted from April 13 to July 11 (LBVI) and from May 16 to July 28 (SWFL). We found 146 LBVI territories, at least 107 of which were occupied by pairs. Five additional transient LBVIs were detected. LBVIs used five different habitat types in the survey area: mixed willow, willow-cottonwood, willow-sycamore, riparian scrub, and upland scrub. Forty-four percent of the LBVIs occurred in habitat characterized as mixed willow and 89 percent of the LBVI territories occurred in areas with greater than 50 percent native plant cover. Of 16 banded LBVIs detected in the survey area, 8 had been given full color-band combinations prior to 2017. Four other LBVIs with single (natal) federal bands were recaptured and banded in 2017. Three LBVIs with single dark blue federal bands indicating that they were banded as nestlings on the lower San Luis Rey River and one LBVI with a single gold federal band indicating that it was banded as a nestling on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton (MCBCP) could not be recaptured for identification. One banded LBVI emigrated from the middle San Luis Rey River to the lower San Luis Rey River in 2017.One resident SWFL territory and one transient Willow Flycatcher of unknown subspecies (WIFL) were observed in the survey area in 2017. The resident SWFL territory, which was comprised of mixed willow habitat (5–50 percent native plant cover), was occupied by a single male from May 22 to June 21, 2017. No evidence of pairing or nesting activity was observed. The SWFL male was banded with a full color-combination indicating that he was originally banded as a nestling on the middle San Luis Rey River in 2014 and successfully bred in the survey area in 2016. The male SWFL left the middle San Luis Rey River after June 21, 2017 and subsequently was detected on the San Dieguito River on June 26, 2017, by USGS biologists. The transient WIFL was detected on May 30, 2017, in mixed willow habitat comprised of 50–95 percent of native plant cover.

Mycobacterial infection in Northern snakehead (Channa argus) from the Potomac River catchment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Densmore, Christine L.; Iwanowicz, L.R.; Henderson, A.P.; Iwanowicz, D.D.; Odenkirk, J.S.

2016-01-01

The Northern snakehead, Channa argus (Cantor), is a non-native predatory fish that has become established regionally in some temperate freshwater habitats within the United States. Over the past decade, Northern snakehead populations have developed within aquatic ecosystems throughout the eastern USA, including the Potomac River system within Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C. Since this species was initially observed in this region in 2002, the population has expanded considerably (Odenkirk & Owens 2007). In the Chesapeake Bay watershed, populations of Northern snakehead exist in the lower Potomac River and Rappahannock Rivers on the Western shore of the Bay, and these fish have also been found in middle or upper reaches of river systems on the Eastern shore of the Bay, including the Nanticoke and Wicomico Rivers among others. Over the past several years, many aspects of Northern snakehead life history in the Potomac River have been described, including range and dispersal patterns, microhabitat selection and diet (Lapointe, Thorson & Angermeier 2010; Saylor, Lapointe & Angermeier 2012; Lapointe, Odenkirk & Angermeier 2013). However, comparatively little is known about their health status including susceptibility to parasitism and disease and their capacity to serve as reservoirs of disease for native wildlife. Although considered hardy by fisheries biologists, snakehead fish have demonstrated susceptibility to a number of described piscine diseases within their native range and habitat in Asia. Reported pathogens of significance in snakehead species in Asia include snakehead rhabdovirus (Lio-Po et al. 2000), aeromonad bacteria (Zheng, Cao & Yang 2012), Nocardia (Wang et al. 2007) andMycobacterium spp. (Chinabut, Limsuwan & Chantatchakool 1990; ). Mycobacterial isolates recovered from another snakehead species (Channa striata) in the previous studies have included M. marinum and M. fortuitum, as identified through molecular-based diagnostics (Puttinaowarat et al. 2002). We have conducted health screenings of Northern snakehead from the Potomac River system over the past several years and have detected few associated pathogens. Typical observations have largely consisted of incidental identification of parasitism with protozoal, monogenean or trematode organisms (unpublished data). We have also identified largemouth bass virus (LMBV) in clinically normal Northern snakehead collected from the Potomac River (Iwanowicz et al. 2013). Continued research concerning these and other pathogens of this introduced species is important to fully understand the potential impacts of these fish on indigenous wildlife and aquatic ecosystems.

Parasites of native and nonnative fishes of the Little Colorado River, Grand Canyon, Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Choudhury, A.; Hoffnagle, T.L.; Cole, Rebecca A.

2004-01-01

A 2-yr, seasonal, parasitological study of 1,435 fish, belonging to 4 species of native fishes and 7 species of nonnative fishes from the lower Little Colorado River (LCR) and tributary creeks, Grand Canyon, Arizona, yielded 17 species of parasites. These comprised 1 myxozoan (Henneguya exilis), 2 copepods (Ergasilus arthrosis and Lernaea cyprinacea), 1 acarine (Oribatida gen. sp.), 1 piscicolid leech (Myzobdella lugubris), 4 monogeneans (Gyrodactylus hoffmani, Gyrodactylus sp., Dactylogyrus extensus, and Ligictaluridus floridanus), 4 nematodes (Contracaecum sp., Eustrongylides sp., Rhabdochona sp., and Truttaedacnitis truttae), 3 cestodes (Bothriocephalus acheilognathi, Corallobothrium fimbriatum, and Megathylacoides giganteum), and 2 trematodes (Ornithodiplostomum sp. and Posthodiplostomum sp.). Rhabdochona sp. was the only adult parasite native to the LCR. Infection intensities of Ornithodiplostomum sp. and B. acheilognathi were positively correlated with length of the humpback chub Gila cypha. Adult helminths showed a high degree of host specificity, except B. acheilognathi, which was recovered from all fish species examined but was most abundant in cyprinids. Abundance of B. acheilognathi in the humpback chub was highest in the fall and lowest in the summer in both reaches of the LCR. There was no major taxonomic difference in parasite assemblages between the 2 different reaches of the river (LC1 and LC2). Parasite community diversity was very similar in humpback chub, regardless of sampling site or time. The parasite fauna of the LCR is numerically dominated by B. acheilognathi and metacercariae of Ornithodiplostomum sp. The richest and most diverse component community occurred in a nonnative species, the channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus, but infracommunity species richness was highest in a native host, humpback chub.

Fishes of the Blackwater River Drainage, Tucker County, West Virginia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cincotta, Daniel A.; Welsh, Stuart A.; Wegman, Douglas P.; Oldham, Thomas E.; Hedrick, Lara B.

2015-01-01

The Blackwater River, a tributary of the upper Cheat River of the Monongahela River, hosts a modest fish fauna. This relatively low diversity of fish species is partly explained by its drainage history. The Blackwater was once part of the prehistoric, northeasterly flowing St. Lawrence River. During the Pleistocene Epoch, the fauna was significantly affected by glacial advance and by proglacial lakes and their associated overflows. After the last glacial retreat, overflow channels, deposits, and scouring altered drainage courses and connected some of the tributaries of the ancient Teays and Pittsburgh drainages. These major alterations allowed the invasion of fishes from North America's more species-rich southern waters. Here we review fish distributions based on 67 surveys at 34 sites within the Blackwater River drainage, and discuss the origin and status of 37 species. Within the Blackwater River watershed, 30 species (20 native, 10 introduced) have been reported from upstream of Blackwater Falls, whereas 29 (26 native, 3 introduced) have been documented below the Falls. Acid mine drainage, historic lumbering, and human encroachment have impacted the Blackwater's ichthyofauna. The fishes that have been most affected are Salvelinus fontinalis (Brook Trout), Clinostomus elongatus (Redside Dace), Nocomis micropogon (River Chub), Hypentelium nigricans (Northern Hog Sucker), Etheostoma flabellare (Fantail Darter), and Percina maculata(Blackside Darter). The first two species incurred range reductions, whereas the latter four were probably extirpated. In the 1990s, acid remediation dramatically improved the water quality of the river below Davis. Recent surveys in the lower drainage revealed 15 fishes where none had been observed since at least the 1940s; seven of these (Cyprinella spiloptera [Spotfin Shiner], Luxilus chrysocephalus [Striped Shiner], Notropis photogenis [Silver Shiner], N. rubellus [Rosyface Shiner];Micropterus dolomieu [Smallmouth Bass]; and Etheostoma camurum [Bluebreast Darter] and E. variatum [Variegate Darter]) represent additions to the faunal list of the Blackwater River.

Mortality, movement and behaviour of native mussels during a planned water-level drawdown in the Upper Mississippi River

USGS Publications Warehouse

Newton, Teresa J.; Zigler, Steven J.; Gray, Brian R.

2015-01-01

Collectively, these data suggest that drawdowns can influence the mortality, movement and behaviour of mussels in the UMR. However, more information on spatial and temporal distributions of mussels is needed to better understand the magnitude of these effects. Results from this study are being used by resource managers to better evaluate the effects of this management tool on native mussel assemblages.

Forest landscape restoration: linkages with stream fishes of the southern United States

Treesearch

Melvin L. Warren

2012-01-01

With well over 600 native species, the southern United States supports one of the richest temperate freshwater fish faunas on Earth (Fig. 10.1 ). Unfortunately, an expert review revealed that 27% (188 taxa) of southern fishes are endangered, threatened, or vulnerable (Warren et al. 2000 ) and that 16–18% of native fishes are imperiled in 45 of 51 major southern river...

Fish and aquatic organisms [Chapter 9

Treesearch

John N. Rinne

2012-01-01

The UVR of central Arizona, from its source at Sullivan Lake to the mouth of Sycamore Creek, 60 km (38 mi) downstream, is rare among the State’s rivers because it still retains some of its native fish fauna. In 1994, six of the native fishes that were historically recorded in this reach of the Verde still occurred, along with at least seven nonnative species, and many...

An expert panel approach to assessing potential effects of bull trout reintroduction on federally listed salmonids in the Clackamas River, Oregon

Treesearch

Bruce G. Marcot; Chris S. Allen; Steve Morey; Dan Shively; Rollie White

2012-01-01

The bull trout Salvelinus confluentus is an apex predator in native fish communities in the western USA and is listed as threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA). Restoration of this species has raised concerns over its potential predatory impacts on native fish fauna. We held a five-person expert panel to help determine potential...

Summer food habits and trophic overlap of roundtail chub and creek chub in Muddy Creek, Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Quist, M.C.; Bower, M.R.; Hubert, W.A.

2006-01-01

Native fishes of the Upper Colorado River Basin have experienced substantial declines in abundance and distribution, and are extirpated from most of Wyoming. Muddy Creek, in south-central Wyoming (Little Snake River watershed), contains sympatric populations of native roundtail chub (Gila robusta), bluehead sucker, (Catostomus discobolus), and flannelmouth sucker (C. tatipinnis), and represents an area of high conservation concern because it is the only area known to have sympatric populations of all 3 species in Wyoming. However, introduced creek chub (Semotilus atromaculatus) are abundant and might have a negative influence on native fishes. We assessed summer food habits of roundtail chub and creek chub to provide information on the ecology of each species and obtain insight on potential trophic overlap. Roundtail chub and creek chub seemed to be opportunistic generalists that consumed a diverse array of food items. Stomach contents of both species were dominated by plant material, aquatic and terrestrial insects, and Fishes, but also included gastropods and mussels. Stomach contents were similar between species, indicating high trophic, overlap. No length-related patterns in diet were observed for either species. These results suggest that creek chubs have the potential to adversely influence the roundtail chub population through competition for food and the native fish assemblage through predation.

Vegetation response to invasive Tamarix control in southwestern U.S. rivers: A collaborative study including 416 sites

USGS Publications Warehouse

González, Eduardo; Sher, Anna A; Anderson, Robert M.; Bay, Robin F.; Bean, Daniel W.; Bissonnete, Gabriel J.; Bourgeois, Bérenger; Cooper, David J.; Dohrenwend, Kara; Eichhorst, Kim D.; El Waer, Hisham; Kennard, Deborah K.; Harms-Weissinger, Rebecca; Henry, Annie L.; Makarick, Lori J.; Ostoja, Steven M.; Reynolds, Lindsay V.; Robinson, W. Wright; Shafroth, Patrick B.

2017-01-01

Most studies assessing vegetation response following control of invasive Tamarix trees along southwestern U.S. rivers have been small in scale (e.g., river reach), or at a regional scale but with poor spatial-temporal replication, and most have not included testing the effects of a now widely used biological control. We monitored plant composition following Tamarix control along hydrologic, soil, and climatic gradients in 244 treated and 172 reference sites across six U.S. states. This represents the largest comprehensive assessment to date on the vegetation response to the four most common Tamarix control treatments. Biocontrol by a defoliating beetle (treatment 1) reduced the abundance of Tamarix less than active removal by mechanically using hand and chain-saws (2), heavy machinery (3) or burning (4). Tamarix abundance also decreased with lower temperatures, higher precipitation, and follow-up treatments for Tamarix resprouting. Native cover generally increased over time in active Tamarix removal sites, however, the increases observed were small and was not consistently increased by active revegetation. Overall, native cover was correlated to permanent stream flow, lower grazing pressure, lower soil salinity and temperatures, and higher precipitation. Species diversity also increased where Tamarix was removed. However, Tamarix treatments, especially those generating the highest disturbance (burning and heavy machinery), also often promoted secondary invasions of exotic forbs. The abundance of hydrophytic species was much lower in treated than in reference sites, suggesting that management of southwestern U.S. rivers has focused too much on weed control, overlooking restoration of fluvial processes that provide habitat for hydrophytic and floodplain vegetation. These results can help inform future management of Tamarix-infested rivers to restore hydrogeomorphic processes, increase native biodiversity and reduce abundance of noxious species.

Employing citizen science to study defoliation impacts on arthropod communities on tamarisk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kruse, Audrey L.

The invasive tamarisk tree is widespread across the southwestern landscape of the United States and has been dominant in regulated river reaches, outcompeting native vegetation and impacting trophic webs in riparian ecosystems. The changes in riparian habitat and recreation opportunities along southwestern rivers, like the San Juan River in Utah, led to the implementation of a biocontrol program in the form of the tamarisk leaf beetle (Diorhabda spp.). It is unknown what the long term effects on riparian ecosystems are as a result of the beetles' defoliation of tamarisk each summer. This study sought to identify the current arthropod community composition and abundance over one growing season on the San Juan River between Bluff and Mexican Hat, UT and second, to involve the public in this research through a citizen science component. I found that non-native insects, including the tamarisk leaf beetle, dominated the arboreal arthropod communities within the tamarisk and there are relatively few native arthropods residing in tamarisk throughout the summer season. Foliation levels (the quantity of leaves in the canopy of tamarisk) were inconclusive predictors of arthropod abundances but varied by species and by feeding guild. This may indicate that the defoliation of the tamarisk is not necessarily negatively impacting trophic interactions in tamarisk. I incorporated youth participants on educational river rafting trips to assist in data collection of arthropods from tamarisk trees as a way to educate and bring attention to the issue of invasive species in the Southwest. After completing my own citizen science project and after doing a literature review of other, similar citizen science projects, I found that striving for both rigorous scientific data and quality educational programming is challenging for a small scale project that does not target broad spatial, geographic, or temporal data. Citizen science project developers should clearly identify their objectives and spend time developing and evaluating both the data quality and the educational quality of citizen science programs to achieve credibility in both realms.

Phylogeographical analysis of a cold-temperate freshwater fish, the Amur sleeper (Perccottus glenii) in the Amur and Liaohe River basins of Northeast Asia.

PubMed

Xu, Wang; Yin, Wei; Chen, Anhui; Li, Jiao; Lei, Guangchun; Fu, Cuizhang

2014-10-01

The Amur sleeper Perccottus glenii (Perciformes, Gobioidei, Odontobutidae) is well known as an invasive fish in the river basins of Eastern and Central Europe, but its genetic background is unavailable across its native habitats in northeast Asia. In this study, we used the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene by sampling 19 populations of P. glenii across its native distributional areas of Liaohe and Amur River basins to explore its evolutionary history. Phylogenetic analyses identified three major clades within P. glenii, among which Clade A and Clade B were co-distributed in the Liaohe and Amur River basins, and Clade C was restricted to the latter. Molecular dating showed that the splits of Clades A, B and C have happened in the late Early-early Middle Pleistocene and the most recent common ancestors of these clades have been presented in the late Middle-early Late Pleistocene. The P. glenii showed very high levels of genetic structure among populations (ΦST = 0.801), probably due to the characters of its life histories with very limited dispersal ability. The admixture of different clades in some populations of P. glenii probably reflects historical secondary contact. These findings indicate that Pleistocene climatic oscillation and river capture were major determinants for genetic variations and evolutionary history of the P. glenii.

Integrating conservation genetic considerations into conservation planning: a case study of bull trout in the Lake Pend Oreille-lower Clark Fork River system

Treesearch

John Epifanio; Gordon Haas; Karen Pratt; Bruce Rieman; Paul Spruell; Craig Stockwell; Fred Utter; William Young

2003-01-01

Bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) is a species of conservation concern-listed as "threatened" under the Endangered Species Act-throughout its native range in the western United States. The authors were assembled by the Clark Fork River Aquatic Implementation Team, composed of biologists representing Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (MFWP); Idaho Department...

Bromus tectorum expansion and biodiversity loss on the Snake River Plain, southern Idaho, USA

Treesearch

N. L. Shaw; V. A. Saab; S. B. Monsen; T. D. Rich

1999-01-01

The Snake River Plain forms a 6 million ha arc-shaped depression across southern Idaho. Basalt flows, fresh water sediments, loess and volcanic deposits cover its surface. Elevation increases eastward from 650 to 2,150 m altitude. Climate is semi-arid with annual precipitation ranging from 150 to 400 mm, arriving primarily in winter and spring. Native shrub steppe...

An awkward introduction: pylogeography of Notropis lutipinnis in its “native” range and the Little Tennessee River

Treesearch

C.H. Scott; M. Cashner; G.D. Grossman; J.P. Wares

2009-01-01

We evaluate the putative introduction of the yellowfin shiner, Notropis lutipinnis, in the Little Tennessee river basin. This species has only been noted in the Little Tennessee in the past several decades and appears to be expanding its range, even though there have been many potential historical pathways for dispersal from native drainages in Georgia, South Carolina...

Effects of flow regimes altered by dams on survival, population declines, and range-wide losses of California river-breeding frogs

Treesearch

Sarah J. Kupferberg; Wendy J. Palen; Amy J. Lind; Steve Bobzien; Alessandro Catenazzi; Joe Drennan; Mary.  Power

2012-01-01

Widespread alteration of natural hydrologic patterns by large dams combined with peak demands for power and water delivery during summer months have resulted in frequent aseasonal flow pulses in rivers of western North America. Native species in these ecosystems have evolved with predictable annual flood-drought cycles; thus, their likelihood of persistence may...

Restoration of bottomland hardwood forests in Lower Mississippi Aluvial Valey, U.S.A

Treesearch

Emile S. Gardiner; James M. Oliver

2005-01-01

The world's third largest river, the Mississippi, extends more than 3700 km through the central U.S. where it drains 41% of the conterminous U.S. before reaching the Gulf of Mexico. The river historically served as a primary travel corridor and trade route for Native American Indians, provided access for exploration and colonization to early European settlers, and...

Random versus fixed-site sampling when monitoring relative abundance of fishes in headwater streams of the upper Colorado River basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Quist, M.C.; Gerow, K.G.; Bower, M.R.; Hubert, W.A.

2006-01-01

Native fishes of the upper Colorado River basin (UCRB) have declined in distribution and abundance due to habitat degradation and interactions with normative fishes. Consequently, monitoring populations of both native and nonnative fishes is important for conservation of native species. We used data collected from Muddy Creek, Wyoming (2003-2004), to compare sample size estimates using a random and a fixed-site sampling design to monitor changes in catch per unit effort (CPUE) of native bluehead suckers Catostomus discobolus, flannelmouth suckers C. latipinnis, roundtail chub Gila robusta, and speckled dace Rhinichthys osculus, as well as nonnative creek chub Semotilus atromaculatus and white suckers C. commersonii. When one-pass backpack electrofishing was used, detection of 10% or 25% changes in CPUE (fish/100 m) at 60% statistical power required 50-1,000 randomly sampled reaches among species regardless of sampling design. However, use of a fixed-site sampling design with 25-50 reaches greatly enhanced the ability to detect changes in CPUE. The addition of seining did not appreciably reduce required effort. When detection of 25-50% changes in CPUE of native and nonnative fishes is acceptable, we recommend establishment of 25-50 fixed reaches sampled by one-pass electrofishing in Muddy Creek. Because Muddy Creek has habitat and fish assemblages characteristic of other headwater streams in the UCRB, our results are likely to apply to many other streams in the basin. ?? Copyright by the American Fisheries Society 2006.

Space-based monitoring of land-use/land-cover in the Upper Rio Grande Basin: An opportunity for understanding urbanization trends in a water-scarce transboundary river basin.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mubako, S. T.; Hargrove, W. L.; Heyman, J. M.; Reyes, C. S.

2016-12-01

Urbanization is an area of growing interest in assessing the impact of human activities on water resources in arid regions. Remote sensing techniques provide an opportunity to analyze land cover change over time, and are useful in monitoring areas undergoing rapid urban growth. This case study for the water-scarce Upper Rio Grande River Basin uses a supervised classification algorithm to quantify the rate and evaluate the pattern of urban sprawl. A focus is made on the fast growing El-Paso-Juarez metropolitan area on the US-Mexico border and the City of Las Cruces in New Mexico, areas where environmental challenges and loss of agricultural and native land to urban development are major concerns. Preliminary results show that the land cover is dominantly native with some significant agriculture along the Rio Grande River valley. Urban development across the whole study area expanded from just under 3 percent in 1990, to more than 11 percent in 2015. The urban expansion is occurring mainly around the major urban areas of El Paso, Ciudad Juarez, and Las Cruces, although there is visible growth of smaller urban settlements scattered along the Rio Grande River valley during the same analysis period. The proportion of native land cover fluctuates slightly depending on how much land is under crops each analysis year, but there is a decreasing agricultural land cover trend suggesting that land from this sector is being lost to urban development. This analysis can be useful in planning to protect the environment, preparing for growth in infrastructure such as schools, increased traffic demands, and monitoring availability of resources such as groundwater as the urban population grows.

Helminth parasites of native Hawaiian freshwater fishes: an example of extreme ecological isolation.

PubMed

Font, W F; Tate, D C

1994-10-01

The Hawaiian Islands harbor a depauperate native freshwater fish fauna comprised of 4 endemic gobies (Gobiidae) and 1 endemic sleeper (Eleotridae). We hypothesized that the natural helminth parasite community of these stream fishes would be depauperate because of colonizing constraints. In the absence of exotic fishes, native fishes in streams of Hanakapi'ai and Nu'alolo valleys harbored no adult helminth parasites. In Hakalau Stream on Hawai'i and Wainiha River on Kaua'i, we found introduced swordtails and guppies (Poeciliidae); here, the native gobioid fishes shared species of helminths with poeciliids. They were the nematode Camallanus cotti, the Asian tapeworm Bothriocephalus acheilognathi, and the leech Myzobdella lugubris. Such parasitological data should be incorporated into management plans for the conservation of native Hawaiian stream fishes as these parasites have been previously demonstrated to cause disease.

The Detroit River, Michigan: an ecological profile

USGS Publications Warehouse

Manny, Bruce A.; Edsall, Thomas A.; Jaworski, Eugene

1988-01-01

A part of the connecting channel system between Lake Huron and Lake Erie, the Detroit River forms an integral link between the two lakes for both humans and biological resources such as fish, nutrients, and plant detritus. This profile summarizes existing scientific information on the ecological structure and functioning of this ecosystem. Topics include the geological history of the region, climatic influences, river hydrology, lower trophic-level biotic components, native and introduced fishes, waterfowl use, ecological interrelationships, commercial and recreational uses of the river, and current management issues. Despite urbanization, the river still supports diverse fish, waterfowl, and benthic populations. Management issues include sewer overflows; maintenance dredging for navigation and port activities; industrial discharges of potentially hazardous materials; and wetland, fishery, and waterfowl protection and enhancement.

Restoration ecology and invasive riparian plants: An introduction to the special section on Tamarix spp. in western North America

USGS Publications Warehouse

Shafroth, Patrick B.; Briggs, Mark K.

2008-01-01

River systems around the world are subject to various perturbations, including the colonization and spread of non-native species in riparian zones. Riparian resource managers are commonly engaged in efforts to control problematic non-native species and restore native habitats. In western North America, small Eurasian trees or shrubs in the genus Tamarixoccupy hundreds of thousands of hectares of riparian lands, and are the targets of substantial and costly control efforts and associated restoration activities. Still, significant information gaps exist regarding approaches used in control and restoration efforts and their effects on riparian ecosystems. In this special section of papers, eight articles address various aspects of control and restoration associated with Tamarix spp. These include articles focused on planning restoration and revegetation; a synthetic analysis of past restoration efforts; and several specific research endeavors examining plant responses, water use, and various wildlife responses (including birds, butterflies, and lizards). These articles represent important additions to the Tamarix spp. literature and contain many lessons and insights that should be transferable to other analogous situations in river systems globally.

75 FR 2269 - Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Revised Designation of Critical Habitat for Bull...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-14

...We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to revise the designation of critical habitat for the bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended. In total, approximately 36,498 kilometers (km) (22,679 miles (mi)) of streams (which includes 1,585.7 km (985.30 mi) of marine shoreline area in the Olympic Peninsula and Puget Sound), and 215,870 hectares (ha) (533,426 acres (ac)) of reservoirs or lakes are being proposed for the revised critical habitat designation. The revised proposed critical habitat is located in Adams, Benewah, Blaine, Boise, Bonner, Boundary, Butte, Camas, Canyon, Clearwater, Custer, Elmore, Gem, Idaho, Kootenai, Lemhi, Lewis, Nez Perce, Owyhee, Shoshone, Valley, and Washington counties in Idaho; Deer Lodge, Flathead, Glacier, Granite, Lake, Lewis and Clark, Lincoln, Mineral, Missoula, Powell, Ravalli, and Sanders counties in Montana; Baker, Clatsop, Columbia, Deschutes, Gilliam, Grant, Harney, Hood River, Jefferson, Klamath, Lake, Lane, Linn, Malheur, Morrow, Multnomah, Sherman, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa, Wasco, and Wheeler counties in Oregon; Asotin, Benton, Chelan, Clallam, Clark, Columbia, Cowlitz, Douglas, Franklin, Garfield, Grant, Grays Harbor, Island, Jefferson, King, Kittitas, Klickitat, Mason, Okanogan, Pend Oreille, Pierce, Skagit, Skamania, Snohomish, Thurston, Wahkiakum, Walla Walla, Whatcom, Whitman, and Yakima counties in Washington; and Elko county, Nevada.

Seed banks as a source of vegetation regeneration to support the recovery of degraded rivers: A comparison of river reaches of varying condition.

PubMed

O'Donnell, Jessica; Fryirs, Kirstie A; Leishman, Michelle R

2016-01-15

Anthropogenic disturbance has contributed to widespread geomorphic adjustment and the degradation of many rivers. This research compares for river reaches of varying condition, the potential for seed banks to support geomorphic river recovery through vegetation regeneration. Seven river reaches in the lower Hunter catchment of south-eastern Australia were assessed as being in poor, moderate, or good condition, based on geomorphic and ecological indicators. Seed bank composition within the channel and floodplain (determined in a seedling emergence study) was compared to standing vegetation. Seed bank potential for supporting geomorphic recovery was assessed by measuring native species richness, and the abundance of different plant growth forms, with consideration of the roles played by different growth forms in geomorphic adjustment. The exotic seed bank was considered a limiting factor for achieving ecological restoration goals, and similarly analysed. Seed bank native species richness was comparable between the reaches, and regardless of condition, early successional and pioneer herbs, sedges, grasses and rushes dominated the seed bank. The capacity for these growth forms to colonise and stabilise non-cohesive sediments and initiate biogeomorphic succession, indicates high potential for the seed banks of even highly degraded reaches to contribute to geomorphic river recovery. However, exotic propagules increasingly dominated the seed banks of moderate and poor condition reaches and reflected increasing encroachment by terrestrial exotic vegetation associated with riparian degradation. As the degree of riparian degradation increases, the resources required to control the regeneration of exotic species will similarly increase, if seed bank-based regeneration is to contribute to both geomorphic and ecological restoration goals. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of flow regimes altered by dams on survival, population declines, and range-wide losses of California river-breeding frogs.

PubMed

Kupferberg, Sarah J; Palen, Wendy J; Lind, Amy J; Bobzien, Steve; Catenazzi, Alessandro; Drennan, Joe; Power, Mary E

2012-06-01

Widespread alteration of natural hydrologic patterns by large dams combined with peak demands for power and water delivery during summer months have resulted in frequent aseasonal flow pulses in rivers of western North America. Native species in these ecosystems have evolved with predictable annual flood-drought cycles; thus, their likelihood of persistence may decrease in response to disruption of the seasonal synchrony between stable low-flow conditions and reproduction. We evaluated whether altered flow regimes affected 2 native frogs in California and Oregon (U.S.A.) at 4 spatial and temporal extents. We examined changes in species distribution over approximately 50 years, current population density in 11 regulated and 16 unregulated rivers, temporal trends in abundance among populations occupying rivers with different hydrologic histories, and within-year patterns of survival relative to seasonal hydrology. The foothill yellow-legged frog (Rana boylii), which breeds only in flowing water, is more likely to be absent downstream of large dams than in free-flowing rivers, and breeding populations are on average 5 times smaller in regulated rivers than in unregulated rivers. Time series data (range = 8 - 19 years) from 5 populations of yellow-legged frogs and 2 populations of California red-legged frogs (R. draytonii) across a gradient of natural to highly artificial timing and magnitude of flooding indicate that variability of flows in spring and summer is strongly correlated with high mortality of early life stages and subsequent decreases in densities of adult females. Flow management that better mimics natural flow timing is likely to promote persistence of these species and others with similar phenology. ©2012 Society for Conservation Biology.

An index of biological integrity (IBI) for Pacific Northwest rivers

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mebane, C.A.; Maret, T.R.; Hughes, R.M.

2003-01-01

The index of biotic integrity (IBI) is a commonly used measure of relative aquatic ecosystem condition; however, its application to coldwater rivers over large geographic areas has been limited. A seven-step process was used to construct and test an IBI applicable to fish assemblages in coldwater rivers throughout the U.S. portion of the Pacific Northwest. First, fish data from the region were compiled from previous studies and candidate metrics were selected. Second, reference conditions were estimated from historical reports and minimally disturbed reference sites in the region. Third, data from the upper Snake River basin were used to test metrics and develop the initial index. Fourth, candidate metrics were evaluated for their redundancy, variability, precision, and ability to reflect a wide range of conditions while distinguishing reference sites from disturbed sites. Fifth, the selected metrics were standardized by being scored continuously from 0 to 1 and then weighted as necessary to produce an IBI ranging from 0 to 100. The resulting index included 10 metrics: number of native coldwater species, number of age-classes of sculpins Cottus spp., percentage of sensitive native individuals, percentage of coldwater individuals, percentage of tolerant individuals, number of alien species, percentage of common carp Cyprinus carpio individuals, number of selected salmonid age-classes, catch per unit effort of coldwater individuals, and percentage of individuals with selected anomalies. Sixth, the IBI responses were tested with additional data sets from throughout the Pacific Northwest. Last, scores from two minimally disturbed reference rivers were evaluated for longitudinal gradients along the river continuum. The IBI responded to environmental disturbances and was spatially and temporally stable at over 150 sites in the Pacific Northwest. The results support its use across a large geographic area to describe the relative biological condition of coolwater and coldwater rivers with low species richness.

Proposal for adaptive management to conserve biotic integrity in a regulated segment of the Tallapoosa River, Alabama, U.S.A

USGS Publications Warehouse

Irwin, Elise R.; Freeman, Mary C.

2002-01-01

Conserving river biota will require innovative approaches that foster and utilize scientific understanding of ecosystem responses to alternative river-management scenarios. We describe ecological and societal issues involved in flow management of a section of the Tallapoosa River (Alabama, U.S.A.) in which a species-rich native fauna is adversely affected by flow alteration by an upstream hydropower dam. We hypothesize that depleted Iow flows, flow instability and thermal alteration resulting from pulsed flow releases at the hydropower dam are most responsible for changes in the Tallapoosa River biota. However, existing data are insufficient to prescribe with certainty minimum flow levels or the frequency and duration of stable flow periods that would be necessary or sufficient to protect riverine biotic integrity. Rather than negotiate a specific change in the flow regime, we propose that stakeholders--including management agencies, the power utility, and river advocates--engage in a process of adaptive-flow management. This process would require that stakeholders (1) develop and agree to management objectives; (2) model hypothesized relations between dam operations and management objectives; (3) implement a change in dam operations; and (4) evaluate biological responses and other stakeholder benefits through an externally reviewed monitoring program. Models would be updated with monitoring data and stakeholders would agree to further modify flow regimes as necessary to achieve management objectives. A primary obstacle to adaptive management will be a perceived uncertainty of future costs for the power utility and other stakeholders. However, an adaptive, iterative approach offers the best opportunity for improving flow regimes for native biota while gaining information critical to guiding management decisions in other flow-regulated rivers.

Connecting differential responses of native and invasive riparian plants to climate change and environmental alteration.

PubMed

Flanagan, Neal E; Richardson, Curtis J; Ho, Mengchi

2015-04-01

Climate change is predicted to impact river systems in the southeastern United States through alterations of temperature, patterns of precipitation and hydrology. Future climate scenarios for the southeastern United States predict (1) surface water temperatures will warm in concert with air temperature, (2) storm flows will increase and base flows will decrease, and (3) the annual pattern of synchronization between hydroperiod and water temperature will be altered. These alterations are expected to disturb floodplain plant communities, making them more vulnerable to establishment of invasive species. The primary objective of this study is to evaluate whether native and invasive riparian plant assemblages respond differently to alterations of climate and land use. To study the response of riparian wetlands to watershed and climate alterations, we utilized an existing natural experiment imbedded in gradients of temperature and hydrology-found among dammed and undammed rivers. We evaluated a suite of environmental variables related to water temperature, hydrology, watershed disturbance, and edaphic conditions to identify the strongest predictors of native and invasive species abundances. We found that native species abundance is strongly influenced by climate-driven variables such as temperature and hydrology, while invasive species abundance is more strongly influenced by site-specific factors such as land use and soil nutrient availability. The patterns of synchronization between plant phenology, annual hydrographs, and annual water temperature cycles may be key factors sustaining the viability of native riparian plant communities. Our results demonstrate the need to understand the interactions between climate, land use, and nutrient management in maintaining the species diversity of riparian plant communities. Future climate change is likely to result in diminished competitiveness of native plant species, while the competitiveness of invasive species will increase due to anthropogenic watershed disturbance and accelerated nutrient and sediment export.

76 FR 11111 - Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Gulf of Alaska; Final 2011 and 2012 Harvest...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-01

.... The Council recommended TACs for 2011 and 2012 that are equal to ABCs for pollock, deep-water flatfish... less than the ABCs for Pacific cod, flathead sole, shallow-water flatfish, arrowtooth flounder, other...-water flatfish, and arrowtooth flounder TACs are set to conserve the halibut PSC limit for use in other...

Feasibility Analysis For Heating Tribal Buildings with Biomass

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Steve Clairmont; Micky Bourdon; Tom Roche

2009-03-03

This report provides a feasibility study for the heating of Tribal buildings using woody biomass. The study was conducted for the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation in western Montana. S&K Holding Company and TP Roche Company completed the study and worked together to provide the final report. This project was funded by the DOE's Tribal Energy Program.

Miller Creek Demonstration Forest - a forest born of fire: A field guide

Treesearch

Penelope A. Latham; Raymond C. Shearer; Kevin L. O' Hara

1998-01-01

Miller Creek, on the Flathead National Forest in northwest Montana, is a demonstration forest, showing up to 30 years of forest change after clearcutting and a wide range of fire treatments in 1967 and 1968. Differences in tree regeneration and vegetation development are explained for units that were clearcut and prescribed burned, clearcut and burned by wildfire,...

Uneasy Terrain: Image, Text, Landscape, and Contemporary Indigenous Artists in the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ohnesorge, Karen

2008-01-01

Like many contemporary Indigenous artists in the United States, Flathead artist Jaune Quick-to-See Smith seeks to clarify existing relationships among race, place, and economics as well as to create new relationships. In particular, she and her peers combine image and text to interrogate the genre of landscape painting as a stage for fantasies of…

Insect-caused deterioration of windthrown timber in northern California, 1963-1964

Treesearch

Boyd E. Wickman

1965-01-01

The principal tree degrade was caused by blue stain fungi introduced by bark beetles and flatheaded borers. Roundheaded borers caused the most serious wood boring. Smaller trees suffered more degrade than larger, and degrade was more severe below 5,000 feet elevation. Degrade due to insects was not as heavy as expected, probably because of cool summer weather and low...

Reduced transmission of human schistosomiasis after restoration of a native river prawn that preys on the snail intermediate host

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sokolow, Susanne H.; Huttinger, Elizabeth; Jouanard, Nicolas; Hsieh, Michael H.; Lafferty, Kevin D.; Kuris, Armand M.; Riveau, Gilles; Senghor, Simon; Thiam, Cheikh; D'Diaye, Alassane; Faye, Djibril Sarr; De Leo, Giulio A.

2015-01-01

Eliminating human parasitic disease often requires interrupting complex transmission pathways. Even when drugs to treat people are available, disease control can be difficult if the parasite can persist in nonhuman hosts. Here, we show that restoration of a natural predator of a parasite’s intermediate hosts may enhance drug-based schistosomiasis control. Our study site was the Senegal River Basin, where villagers suffered a massive outbreak and persistent epidemic after the 1986 completion of the Diama Dam. The dam blocked the annual migration of native river prawns (Macrobrachium vollenhoveni) that are voracious predators of the snail intermediate hosts for schistosomiasis. We tested schistosomiasis control by reintroduced river prawns in a before-after-control-impact field experiment that tracked parasitism in snails and people at two matched villages after prawns were stocked at one village’s river access point. The abundance of infected snails was 80% lower at that village, presumably because prawn predation reduced the abundance and average life span of latently infected snails. As expected from a reduction in infected snails, human schistosomiasis prevalence was 18 ± 5% lower and egg burden was 50 ± 8% lower at the prawn-stocking village compared with the control village. In a mathematical model of the system, stocking prawns, coupled with infrequent mass drug treatment, eliminates schistosomiasis from high-transmission sites. We conclude that restoring river prawns could be a novel contribution to controlling, or eliminating, schistosomiasis.                            

The Science and Policy of the First Environmental Flows to the Colorado River Delta

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flessa, K. W.; Kendy, E.; Schlatter, K.

2014-12-01

The first transboundary flow of water for the environment was delivered to the Colorado River Delta in spring of 2014. This engineered mini-spring flood of 130 million cubic meters (105,000 acre-feet) was implemented as part of Minute 319, an addition to the 1944 U.S.-Mexico Water Treaty. Minute 319 is a temporary agreement, expiring in 2017. Teams of scientists from government agencies, universities, and environmental NGOs from both the U.S. and Mexico are measuring the surface flow rates, inundation, ground water recharge, ground water levels and subsurface flows, geomorphic change, recruitment, survival and health of vegetation, and avian response to the environmental flow. Monitoring includes on-the-ground observations and measurements and remote sensing. Surface water from the pulse flow reached restoration sites, prompted germination of both native and non-native vegetation, recharged groundwater and reached the Gulf of California - the first reconnection of the Colorado River and the sea in 16 years. People in local communities joyously welcomed the return of the river; extensive media coverage was overwhelmingly positive - despite widespread drought in the West. After about ten weeks, most of the pulse flow had infiltrated the subsurface, ponded in a few cut-off meanders, or run to the sea. The river no longer flows. Monitoring of seedling survival, groundwater, vegetation and wildlife will continue through 2017. Results of this landscape-scale experiment will play a role in negotiations to renew the agreement, help model and design future flows and guide the efficient use of water for restoration in semi-arid river systems.

Challenges in merging fisheries research and management: The Upper Mississippi River experience

USGS Publications Warehouse

Garvey, J.; Ickes, B.; Zigler, S.

2010-01-01

The Upper Mississippi River System (UMRS) is a geographically diverse basin extending 10?? north temperate latitude that has produced fishes for humans for millennia. During European colonization through the present, the UMRS has been modified to meet multiple demands such as navigation and flood control. Invasive species, notably the common carp, have dominated fisheries in both positive and negative ways. Through time, environmental decline plus reduced economic incentives have degraded opportunities for fishery production. A renewed focus on fisheries in the UMRS may be dawning. Commercial harvest and corresponding economic value of native and non-native species along the river corridor fluctuates but appears to be increasing. Recreational use will depend on access and societal perceptions of the river. Interactions (e. g., disease and invasive species transmission) among fish assemblages within the UMRS, the Great Lakes, and other lakes and rivers are rising. Data collection for fisheries has varied in intensity and contiguousness through time, although resources for research and management may be growing. As fisheries production likely relies on the interconnectivity of fish populations and associated ecosystem processes among river reaches (e. g., between the pooled and unpooled UMRS), species-level processes such as genetics, life-history interactions, and migratory behavior need to be placed in the context of broad ecosystem- and landscape-scale restoration. Formal communication among a diverse group of researchers, managers, and public stakeholders crossing geographic and disciplinary boundaries is necessary through peer-reviewed publications, moderated interactions, and the embrace of emerging information technologies. ?? Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2010.

Historical analysis of riparian vegetation change in response to shifting management objectives on the Middle Rio Grande

USGS Publications Warehouse

Petrakis, Roy; van Leeuwen, Willem J.D.; Villarreal, Miguel; Tashjian, Paul; Dello Russo, Regina; Scott, Christopher A.

2017-01-01

Riparian ecosystems are valuable to the ecological and human communities that depend on them. Over the past century, they have been subject to shifting management practices to maximize human use and ecosystem services, creating a complex relationship between water policy, management, and the natural ecosystem. This has necessitated research on the spatial and temporal dynamics of riparian vegetation change. The San Acacia Reach of the Middle Rio Grande has experienced multiple management and river flow fluctuations, resulting in threats to its riparian and aquatic ecosystems. This research uses remote sensing data, GIS, a review of management decisions, and an assessment of climate to both quantify how riparian vegetation has been altered over time and provide interpretations of the relationships between riparian change and shifting climate and management objectives. This research focused on four management phases from 1935 to 2014, each highlighting different management practices and climate-driven river patterns, providing unique opportunities to observe a direct relationship between river management, climate, and riparian response. Overall, we believe that management practices coupled with reduced surface river-flows with limited overbank flooding influenced the compositional and spatial patterns of vegetation, including possibly increasing non-native vegetation coverage. However, recent restoration efforts have begun to reduce non-native vegetation coverage.

Sikuliqiruq: Ice dynamics of the Meade river - Arctic Alaska, from freezeup to breakup from time-series ground imagery

USGS Publications Warehouse

Beck, R.A.; Rettig, A.J.; Ivenso, C.; Eisner, Wendy R.; Hinkel, Kenneth M.; Jones, Benjamin M.; Arp, C.D.; Grosse, G.; Whiteman, D.

2010-01-01

Ice formation and breakup on Arctic rivers strongly influence river flow, sedimentation, river ecology, winter travel, and subsistence fishing and hunting by Alaskan Natives. We use time-series ground imagery ofthe Meade River to examine the process at high temporal and spatial resolution. Freezeup from complete liquid cover to complete ice cover ofthe Meade River at Atqasuk, Alaska in the fall of 2008 occurred in less than three days between 28 September and 2 October 2008. Breakup in 2009 occurred in less than two hours between 23:47 UTC on 23 May 2009 and 01:27 UTC on 24 May 2009. All times in UTC. Breakup in 2009 and 2010 was ofthe thermal style in contrast to the mechanical style observed in 1966 and is consistent with a warming Arctic. ?? 2010 Taylor & Francis.

The effects of Glen Canyon Dam operations on early life stages of rainbow trout in the Colorado River

USGS Publications Warehouse

Korman, Josh; Melis, Theodore S.

2011-01-01

The Lees Ferry reach of the Colorado River-a 16-mile segment from Glen Canyon Dam to the confluence with the Paria River-supports an important recreational rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) fishery. In Grand Canyon, nonnative rainbow trout prey on and compete for habitat and food with native fish, such as the endangered humpback chub (Gila cypha). Experimental flow fluctuations from the dam during winter and spring 2003-5 dewatered and killed a high proportion of rainbow trout eggs in gravel spawning bars, but this mortality had no measurable effect on the abundance of juvenile fish. Flow fluctuations during summer months reduced growth of juvenile trout relative to steadier flows. A high-flow experiment in March 2008 increased both trout survival rates for early life stages and fish abundance. These findings demonstrate that Glen Canyon Dam operations directly affect the trout population in the Lees Ferry reach and could be used to regulate nonnative fish abundance to limit potential negative effects of trout on native fish in Grand Canyon.

Effects of a 2006 High-Flow Release from Tiber Dam on Channel Morphology at Selected Sites on the Marias River, Montana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Auble, Gregor T.; Bowen, Zachary H.

2008-01-01

In June 2006, an opportunistic high-flow release was made from Tiber Dam on the Marias River in Mont., to investigate possible alternatives for partially restoring the river's natural flow pattern and variability. At two sites along the river, we measured channel geometry before and after the high-flow release to evaluate channel change and alteration of physical habitat. Streamflow downstream from Tiber Dam has been stabilized by reduction of high flows and augmentation of low flows. This has produced flood-control benefits as well as some possible adverse environmental effects downstream from the dam. The 2006 high-flow release resulted in a downstream hydrograph with high flows of above-average magnitude in the post-dam flow regime of the Marias River. Timing of the peak and the declining limb of the release hydrograph were very similar to a historical, unregulated hydrograph of the Marias River. Furthermore, the high flow produced many of the qualitative elements of ecologically important physical processes that can be diminished or lost due to flow stabilization downstream from a dam. Typically dry back channels were occupied by flowing water. Islands were inundated, resulting in vegetation removal and sediment accretion that produced new disturbance patches of bare, moist substrate. Cut banks were eroded, and large woody debris was added to the river and redistributed. Flood-plain surfaces were inundated, producing substantial increases in wetted perimeter and spatially distinctive patterns of deposition associated with natural levee formation. The scale of the 2006 high flow - in terms of peak magnitude and the lateral extent of bottomland influenced by inundation or lateral channel movement - was roughly an order of magnitude smaller than the scale of an infrequent high flow in the pre-dam regime. Overall extent and composition of riparian vegetation will continue to change under a scaled-down, post-dam flow regime. For example, the importance of the non-native Russian-olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia) will likely increase. Reestablishing a more natural pattern of flows, however, should promote the increase of native cottonwood and willow (Salix spp.) in the new-albeit smaller-post-dam riparian ecosystem. A more natural flow regime will also likely provide improved habitat for native fish in the Marias River. Response of fish communities to such flows is the subject of current fisheries studies being conducted in cooperation with Bureau of Reclamation.

Protected-Area Boundaries as Filters of Plant Invasions

PubMed Central

Foxcroft, Llewellyn C; JaroŠÍK, Vojtěch; Pyšek, Petr; Richardson, David M; Rouget, Mathieu

2011-01-01

Abstract Human land uses surrounding protected areas provide propagules for colonization of these areas by non-native species, and corridors between protected-area networks and drainage systems of rivers provide pathways for long-distance dispersal of non-native species. Nevertheless, the influence of protected-area boundaries on colonization of protected areas by invasive non-native species is unknown. We drew on a spatially explicit data set of more than 27,000 non-native plant presence records for South Africa's Kruger National Park to examine the role of boundaries in preventing colonization of protected areas by non-native species. The number of records of non-native invasive plants declined rapidly beyond 1500 m inside the park; thus, we believe that the park boundary limited the spread of non-native plants. The number of non-native invasive plants inside the park was a function of the amount of water runoff, density of major roads, and the presence of natural vegetation outside the park. Of the types of human-induced disturbance, only the density of major roads outside the protected area significantly increased the number of non-native plant records. Our findings suggest that the probability of incursion of invasive plants into protected areas can be quantified reliably. PMID:21166715

Geomorphology and flood-plain vegetation of the Sprague and lower Sycan Rivers, Klamath Basin, Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

O'Connor, James E.; McDowell, Patricia F.; Lind, Pollyanna; Rasmussen, Christine G.; Keith, Mackenzie K.

2015-01-01

Despite these effects of human disturbances, many of the fundamental physical processes forming the Sprague River fluvial systems over the last several thousand years still function. In particular, flows are unregulated, sediment transport processes are active, and overbank flooding allows for floodplain deposition and erosion. Therefore, restoration of many of the native physical conditions and processes is possible without substantial physical manipulation of current conditions for much of the Sprague River study area. An exception is the South Fork Sprague River, where historical trends are not likely to reverse until it attains a more natural channel and flood-plain geometry and the channel aggrades to the extent that overbank flow becomes common.

Umatilla River Basin Anadromus Fish Habitat Enhancement Project : 1994 Annual Report.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shaw, R. Todd

1994-05-01

The Umatilla Basin Anadromous Fish Habitat Enhancement Project is funded under the Northwest Power Planning Council's Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife Program, Section 7.6-7.8 and targets the improvement of water quality and restoration of riparian areas, holding, spawning and rearing habitats of steelhead, spring and fall chinook and coho salmon. The project focused on implementing cooperative instream and riparian habitat improvements on private lands on the Umatilla Indian Reservation (hereafter referred to as Reservation) from April 1, 1988 to March 31, 1992. These efforts resulted in enhancement of the lower l/4 mile of Boston Canyon Creek, the lower 4more » river miles of Meacham Creek and 3.2 river miles of the Umatilla River in the vicinity of Gibbon, Oregon. In 1993, the project shifted emphasis to a comprehensive watershed approach, consistent with other basin efforts, and began to identify upland and riparian watershed-wide causative factors impacting fisheries habitat and natural fisheries production capabilities throughout the Umatilla River Watershed. During the 1994-95 project period, a one river mile demonstration project was implemented on two privately owned properties on Wildhorse Creek. This was the first watershed improvement project to be implemented by the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) off of the Reservation. Four 15 year riparian easements and two right-of-way agreements were secured for enhancement of one river mile on Wildhorse Creek and l/2 river mile on Meacham Creek. Enhancements implemented between river mile (RM) 9.5 and RM 10.5 Wildhorse Creek included: (1) installation of 1.43 miles of smooth wire high tensile fence line and placement of 0.43 miles of fence posts and structures to restrict livestock from the riparian corridor, (2) construction of eighteen sediment retention structures in the stream channel to speed riparian recovery by elevating the stream grade, slowing water velocities and depositing sediments onto streambanks to provide substrate for revegetation, and (3) revegetation of the stream corridor, terraces and adjacent pasture areas with 644 pounds of native grass seed (when commercially available) or close species equivalents and 4,000 native riparian shrub/tree species to assist in floodplain recovery, stream channel stability and filtering of sediments during high flow periods. Three hundred pounds of native grass/legume seed (including other grasses/legumes exhibiting native species characteristics) were broadcast in existing Boston Canyon Creek, Meacham Creek and Umatilla River project areas. The addition of two properties into the project area between RM 4.25 and RM 4.75 Meacham Creek during the 1995-96 work period will provide nearly complete project coverage of lower Meacham Creek corridor areas on the Reservation. Water quality monitoring continued for temperature and turbidity throughout the upper Umatilla River Watershed. Survey of cross sections and photo documentation of riparian recovery within the project areas provided additional baseline data. Physical habitat surveys continued to be conducted to characterize habitat quality and to quantify various habitat types by area. This information will be utilized to assist in identification of habitat deficient areas within the watershed in which to focus habitat restoration efforts. These efforts were coordinated with the CTUIR Umatilla Basin Natural Production Monitoring and Evaluation (UBNPME) Project. Poor land use practices, which have altered natural floodplain dynamics and significantly reduced or eliminated fisheries habitat, continued to be identified in the Mission Creek Subbasin. Complied data is currently being incorporated into a data layer for a Geographic Information System (GIS) data base. This effort is being coordinated with the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS). Community outreach efforts and public education opportunities continued during the reporting period. CTUIR cooperatively sponsored a bioengineering workshop on February 23, 1995 with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW). This workshop attracted a combined total 3f over 270 participants at day and evening sessions.« less

Coupled hydrogeomorphic and woody-seedling responses to controlled flood releases in a dryland river

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wilcox, Andrew C.; Shafroth, Patrick B.

2013-01-01

Interactions among flow, geomorphic processes, and riparian vegetation can strongly influence both channel form and vegetation communities. To investigate such interactions, we took advantage of a series of dam-managed flood releases that were designed in part to maintain a native riparian woodland system on a sand-bed, dryland river, the Bill Williams River, Arizona, USA. Our resulting multiyear flow experiment examined differential mortality among native and nonnative riparian seedlings, associated flood hydraulics and geomorphic changes, and the temporal evolution of feedbacks among vegetation, channel form, and hydraulics. We found that floods produced geomorphic and vegetation responses that varied with distance downstream of a dam, with scour and associated seedling mortality closer to the dam and aggradation and burial-induced mortality in a downstream reach. We also observed significantly greater mortality among nonnative tamarisk (Tamarix) seedlings than among native willow (Salix gooddingii) seedlings, reflecting the greater first-year growth of willow relative to tamarisk. When vegetation was small early in our study period, the effects of vegetation on flood hydraulics and on mediating flood-induced channel change were minimal. Vegetation growth in subsequent years resulted in stronger feedbacks, such that vegetation's stabilizing effect on bars and its drag effect on flow progressively increased, muting the geomorphic effects of a larger flood release. These observations suggest that the effectiveness of floods in producing geomorphic and ecological changes varies not only as a function of flood magnitude and duration, but also of antecedent vegetation density and size.

Natural hybrids of the madtoms, Noturus flavus and Noturus insignis, from the Monongahela River drainage, West Virginia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Welsh, S.A.; Cincotta, Dan A.

2004-01-01

Natural hybridization is rare in the family Ictaluridae. Putative hybrids of the madtoms Noturus flavus and N. insignis were collected from Blackwater River, Monongahela River drainage, WV. Noturus flavus is native to the Monongahela River drainage, whereas N. insignis is nonnative. We quantified morphological differences among N. flavus, N. insignis, and putative hybrids by sheared principal components analysis of morphometric characters. Putative hybrids were intermediate in tooth patch dimensions, caudal fin pigmentation, length of the dorsal fin base, distance between the adipose/caudal notch and base of caudal fin, and position of anal fin. Hybridization between N. flavus and N. insignis is supported by morphological intermediacy, and may be linked to higher abundances of N. insignis or degraded habitat in the Blackwater River.

Native Fish Sanctuary Project - Sanctuary Development Phase, 2007 Annual Report

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mueller, Gordon A.

2007-01-01

Notable progress was made in 2007 toward the development of native fish facilities in the Lower Colorado River Basin. More than a dozen facilities are, or soon will be, online to benefit native fish. When this study began in 2005 no self-supporting communities of either bonytail or razorback sucker existed. Razorback suckers were removed from Rock Tank in 1997 and the communities at High Levee Pond had been compromised by largemouth bass in 2004. This project reversed that trend with the establishment of the Davis Cove native fish community in 2005. Bonytail and razorback sucker successfully produced young in Davis Cove in 2006. Bonytail successfully produced young in Parker Dam Pond in 2007, representing the first successful sanctuary established solely for bonytail. This past year, Three Fingers Lake received 135 large razorback suckers, and Federal and State agencies have agreed to develop a cooperative management approach dedicating a portion of that lake toward grow-out and (or) the establishment of another sanctuary. Two ponds at River's Edge Golf Course in Needles, California, were renovated in June and soon will be stocked with bonytail. Similar activities are taking place at Mohave Community College, Cerbat Cliffs Golf Course, Cibola High Levee Pond, Office Cove, Emerald Canyon Golf Course, and Bulkhead Cove. Recruitment can be expected as fish become sexually mature at these facilities. Flood-plain facilities have the potential to support 6,000 adult razorback suckers and nearly 20,000 bonytail if native fish management is aggressively pursued. This sanctuary project has assisted agencies in developing 15 native fish communities by identifying specific resource objectives for those sites, listing and prioritizing research opportunities and needs, and strategizing on management approaches through the use of resource-management plans. Such documents have been developed for Davis Cove, Cibola High Levee Pond, Parker Dam Pond, and Three Fingers Lake. We anticipate similar documents will be developed in the near future for River's Edge Golf Course Ponds, Office Cove, Emerald Canyon Golf Course Ponds, Bulkhead Cove, Mohave Community College, and Cerbat Cliffs Golf Course ponds as these facilities come on line or are developed in the future. The following report discusses the process that went into the development of these facilities. Sites were visited, assessed as to their suitability based on the control of nonnative predators, habitat suitability, conversion cost, logistics, geographical location, and willingness of landowners. They were then prioritized according to their suitability, cost, timely conversion, and willingness of landowners. Existing native fish facilities were included in this evaluation for their value in helping to determine physical and biological parameter ranges. This report describes the approaches that led to success, those leading to failure, and some of the biological, institutional, and management issues of implementing native fish sanctuary development.

Asian fish tapeworm Bothriocephalus acheilognathi in the desert southwestern United States.

PubMed

Archdeacon, Thomas P; Iles, Alison; Kline, S Jason; Bonar, Scott A

2010-12-01

The Asian fish tapeworm Bothriocephalus acheilognathi (Cestoda: Bothriocephalidea) is an introduced fish parasite in the southwestern United States and is often considered a serious threat to native desert fishes. Determining the geographic distribution of nonnative fish parasites is important for recovery efforts of native fishes. We examined 1,140 individuals belonging to nine fish species from southwestern U.S. streams and springs between January 2005 and April 2007. The Asian fish tapeworm was present in the Gila River, Salt River, Verde River, San Pedro River, Aravaipa Creek, and Fossil Creek, Arizona, and in Lake Tuendae at Zzyzx Springs and Afton Canyon of the Mojave River, California. Overall prevalence of the Asian fish tapeworm in Arizona fish populations was 19% (range = 0-100%) and varied by location, time, and fish species. In California, the prevalence, abundance, and intensity of the Asian fish tapeworm in Mohave tui chub Gila bicolor mohavensis were higher during warmer months than during cooler months. Three new definitive host species--Yaqui chub G. purpurea, headwater chub G. nigra, and longfin dace agosia chrysogaster--were identified. Widespread occurrence of the Asian fish tapeworm in southwestern U.S. waters suggests that the lack of detection in other systems where nonnative fishes occur is due to a lack of effort as opposed to true absence of the parasite. To limit further spread of diseases to small, isolated systems, we recommend treatment for both endo- and exoparasites when management actions include translocation of fishes.

The influence of the annual invasive plant, Impatiens glandulifera, on the sediment dynamics of inland watercourses in temperate regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dalvi, Shrutika; Greenwood, Philip

2016-04-01

Impatiens glandulifera (Common English Name - Himalayan Balsam) is a non native annual and highly invasive plant that was introduced into parts of Europe from the Himalaya during the nineteenth century as a colourful adornment to parks and gardens. This Plant colonises areas along the river banks, preferably wet, depositional sites, and displaces natural vegetation. The plant is killed by cold weather. The leaves area of riverbank previously occupied by the plant extremely vulnerable to soil erosion until new plant germinates in the following spring. Research work undertaken in the northwest Switzerland and the soutwestern United Kingdom established s link between accelerated soil erosion caused by Impatiens glandulifera and its detrimental impact on native biodiversity of riparian zone of river catchment area. This study focueses on the potential impact of such erosion on sediment quality. A priory reasoning suggests that the preference of Impatiens glandulifera on young depsotional sites near watercourses affects sediment quality. In this study, the results of a soil quality analysis along Impatiens glandulifera-contaminated river banks is presented. Soil physical and chemical properties are compared to non-affected sites to assess the potential impact of preferential erosion on water quality. In addtiion, soil surface profile (SSP) measuring based on by erosion pins, a micro profile bridge and a digital calliper at different selected locations along the riparian zone of river catchment area is used to determine erosion rates and determine sediment transfer from the riparian zone into the rivers.

Biochemical effects of lead, zinc, and cadmium from mining on fish in the Tri-States district of northeastern Oklahoma, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schmitt, Christopher J.; Whyte, Jeffrey J.; Brumbaugh, William G.; Tillitt, Donald E.

2005-01-01

We assessed the exposure of fish from the Spring and Neosho Rivers in northeast Oklahoma, USA, to lead, zinc, and cadmium from historical mining in the Tri-States Mining District (TSMD). Fish (n = 74) representing six species were collected in October 2001 from six sites on the Spring and Neosho Rivers influenced to differing degrees by mining. Additional samples were obtained from the Big River, a heavily contaminated stream in eastern Missouri, USA, and from reference sites. Blood from each fish was analyzed for Pb, Zn, Cd, Fe, and hemoglobin (Hb). Blood also was analyzed for ??-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALA-D) activity. The activity of ALA-D, an enzyme involved in heme synthesis, is inhibited by Pb. Concentrations of Fe and Hb were highly correlated (r = 0.89, p < 0.01) across all species and locations and typically were greater in common carp (Cyprinus carpio) than in other taxa. Concentrations of Pb, Zn, and Cd typically were greatest in fish from sites most heavily affected by mining and lowest in reference samples. The activity of ALA-D, but not concentrations of Hb or Fe, also differed significantly (p < 0.01) among sites and species. Enzyme activity was lowest in fish from mining-contaminated sites and greatest in reference fish, and was correlated negatively with Pb in most species. Statistically significant (p < 0.01) linear regression models that included negative terms for blood Pb explained as much as 68% of the total variation in ALA-D activity, but differences among taxa were highly evident. Positive correlations with Zn were documented in the combined data for channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) and flathead catfish (Pylodictis olivaris), as has been reported for other taxa, but not in bass (Micropterus spp.) or carp. In channel catfish, ALA-D activity appeared to be more sensitive to blood Pb than in the other species investigated (i.e., threshold concentrations for inhibition were lower). Such among-species differences are consistent with previous studies. Enzyme activity was inhibited by more than 50% relative to reference sites in channel catfish from several TSMD sites. Collectively, our results indicate that Pb is both bioavailable and active biochemically in the Spring-Neosho River system. ?? 2005 SETAC.

An Easy Phylogenetically Informative Method to Trace the Globally Invasive Potamopyrgus Mud Snail from River's eDNA.

PubMed

Clusa, Laura; Ardura, Alba; Gower, Fiona; Miralles, Laura; Tsartsianidou, Valentina; Zaiko, Anastasija; Garcia-Vazquez, Eva

2016-01-01

Potamopyrgus antipodarum (New Zealand mud snail) is a prosobranch mollusk native to New Zealand with a wide invasive distribution range. Its non-indigenous populations are reported from Australia, Asia, Europe and North America. Being an extremely tolerant species, Potamopyrgus is capable to survive in a great range of salinity and temperature conditions, which explains its high invasiveness and successful spread outside the native range. Here we report the first finding of Potamopyrgus antipodarum in a basin of the Cantabrian corridor in North Iberia (Bay of Biscay, Spain). Two haplotypes already described in Europe were found in different sectors of River Nora (Nalon basin), suggesting the secondary introductions from earlier established invasive populations. To enhance the surveillance of the species and tracking its further spread in the region, we developed a specific set of primers for the genus Potamopyrgus that amplify a fragment of 16S rDNA. The sequences obtained from PCR on DNA extracted from tissue and water samples (environmental DNA, eDNA) were identical in each location, suggesting clonal reproduction of the introduced individuals. Multiple introduction events from different source populations were inferred from our sequence data. The eDNA tool developed here can serve for tracing New Zealand mud snail populations outside its native range, and for inventorying mud snail population assemblages in the native settings if high throughput sequencing methodologies are employed.

It takes more than water: Restoring the Colorado River Delta

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pitt, Jennifer; Kendy, Eloise; Schlatter, Karen; Hinojosa-Huertaf, Osvel; Flessa, Karl W.; Shafroth, Patrick B.; Ramirez-Hernandez, Jorge; Nagler, Pamela L.; Glenn, Edward P.

2017-01-01

Environmental flows have become important tools for restoring rivers and associated riparian ecosystems (Arthington, 2012; Glenn et al., 2017). In March 2014, the United States and Mexico initiated a bold effort in restoration, delivering from Morelos Dam a “pulse flow” of water into the Colorado River in its delta for the purpose of learning about its environmental effects (Flessa et al., 2013; Bark et al., 2016). Specifically, scientists evaluated whether the pulse flow, albeit miniscule compared to historical floods, could provide the ecological functions needed to establish native, flood-dependent vegetation to restore natural habitat along the riparian corridor.

Parasites of native and exotic freshwater fishes in south-western Australia.

PubMed

Lymbery, A J; Hassan, M; Morgan, D L; Beatty, S J; Doupé, R G

2010-05-01

In this study, 1429 fishes of 18 different species (12 native and six exotic) were sampled from 29 localities to compare the levels of parasitism between native and exotic fish species and to examine the relationship between environmental degradation and parasite diversity. Forty-four putative species of parasites were found and most of these appear to be native parasites, which have not previously been described. Two parasite species, Lernaea cyprinacea and Ligula intestinalis, are probably introduced. Both were found on or in a range of native fish species, where they may cause severe disease. Levels of parasitism and parasite diversity were significantly greater in native fishes than in exotic species, and this may contribute to an enhanced demographic performance and competitive ability in invading exotics. Levels of parasitism and parasite diversity in native fishes were negatively related to habitat disturbance, in particular to a suite of factors that indicate increased human use of the river and surrounding environment. This was due principally to the absence in more disturbed habitats of a number of species of endoparasites with complex life cycles, involving transmission between different host species.

Understanding the influence of predation by introduced fishes on juvenile salmonids in the Columbia River Basin: Closing some knowledge gaps. Interim Report of Research 2010

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rose, Brien P.; Hansen, Gabriel S.; Mesa, Matthew G.

2011-01-01

In response to these recent concerns about the potential predatory impact of non-native piscivores on salmon survival, the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) and the Columbia Basin Fish and Wildlife Authority (CBFWA) co-hosted a workshop to address predation on juvenile salmonids in the CRB by non-native fish (Halton 2008). The purpose of the workshop was to review, evaluate, and develop strategies to reduce predation by non-native fishes on juvenile salmonids. In the end, discussion at the workshop and at subsequent meetings considered two potential ideas to reduce predation by non-native fish on juvenile salmonids; (1) understanding the role of juvenile American shad Alosa sapidissima in the diet of non-native predators in the fall; and (2) the effects of localized, intense reductions of smallmouth bass in areas of particularly high salmonid predation. In this report, we describe initial efforts to understand the influence of juvenile American shad as a prey item for introduced predators in the middle Columbia River. Our first objective, addressed in Chapter 1, was to evaluate the efficacy of nonlethal methods to describe the physiological condition of smallmouth bass, walleye, and channel catfish from late summer through late fall. Such information will be used to understand the contribution of juvenile American shad to the energy reserves of predaceous fish prior to winter. In Chapter 2, we describe the results of some limited sampling to document the food habits of smallmouth bass, walleye, and channel catfish in three reservoirs of the middle Columbia River during late fall. Collectively, we hope to increase our understanding of the contribution of juvenile American shad to the diets of introduced predators and the contribution of this diet to their energy reserves, growth, and perhaps over-winter survival. Managers should be able to use this information for deciding whether to control the population of American shad in the CRB or for managing introduced predaceous fish in the CRB. 

Louisville, KY, USA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1973-01-01

The meandering Ohio River bisecting this image is the border between Kentucky and Indiana. Louisville, KY (38.5N, 86.0W) on the south shore, is the main city seen in this predominately agricultural region where much of the native hardwood forests have been preserved in the hilly terrain. The main crops in this region include corn, alfalfa, wheat and soybeans. The dark rectangle in south Indiana near the river is The U.S. Army's Jefferson Proving Ground.

Movement of reservoir-stocked riverine fish between tailwaters and rivers

USGS Publications Warehouse

Spoelstra, J.A.; Stein, R.A.; Royle, J. Andrew; Marschall, E.A.

2008-01-01

The movement of fish from onstream impoundments into connected streams and rivers has traditionally been overlooked in fish stocking decisions but is critical to the ultimate impact of stocking riverine species into reservoirs. Hybrid saugeyes (female walleye Sander vitreus x male sauger S. canadensis) stocked into Deer Creek Reservoir, Ohio, readily move from the reservoir to the tailwater below. Downstream movement of these saugeyes from the tailwater may have consequences for native prey species and parental stocks downstream. We used fixed-station radiotelemetry to quantify the temporal movement patterns of 203 reservoir-stocked saugeyes from the tailwater of the reservoir, the stream flowing from the tailwater, and the river into which the stream flowed. From October 1998 through July 2000, most (75%) saugeyes never left the tailwater, and those that left returned 75% of the time. Overall, saugeyes spent 90% of their time in the tailwater, 7-8% of their time downstream in small streams, and 2-3% of their time farther downstream in the Scioto River (45 km downstream). No radio-tagged saugeyes moved to the Ohio River (155 km downstream). The probability of downstream movement generally increased with increasing flow and when dissolved oxygen dropped to lethal levels in summer. The probability of movement was highest in winter and spring, when it was probably related to spawning, and low in summer (except when dissolved oxygen was low) and fall. The patterns of movement seemed to reflect the relative suitability of tailwater over stream habitat. The predominant use of and return to tailwater habitat after downstream movement limited overall stream and river residence time. Although the daily movement probability for an individual was low, when we apply these rates to all of the stocked saugeyes in the Ohio River drainage, we cannot safely conclude that only small numbers move from reservoir tailwaters to downstream river systems. We recommend that managers refrain from stocking systems for which there are concerns about native species in connected drainages.

Mapping tradeoffs in values at risk at the interface between wilderness and non-wilderness lands

Treesearch

Alan Watson; Roian Matt; Tim Waters; Kari Gunderson; Steve Carver; Brett Davis

2009-01-01

On the Flathead Indian Reservation in Montana, U.S., the Mission Mountains Tribal Wilderness is bordered by a buffer zone. To successfully improve forest health within that buffer zone and restore fire in the wilderness, the managing agency and the public need to work together to find solutions to increasingly threatening fuel buildups. A combination of qualitative,...

75 FR 11749 - Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Gulf of Alaska; Final 2010 and 2011 Harvest...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-12

... TACs for 2010 and 2011 that are equal to ABCs for pollock, deep-water flatfish, rex sole, sablefish... recommended TACs for 2010 and 2011 that are less than the ABCs for Pacific cod, flathead sole, shallow-water... that the sum of all State and Federal water Pacific cod removals from the GOA not exceed ABC...

Miller Creek Demonstration Forest ecology activities - a teachers supplement to the field guide

Treesearch

Bill Schustrom; Reed Kuennen; Raymond C. Shearer

1998-01-01

Miller Creek, on the Flathead National Forest in northwestern Montana, is a demonstration forest, showing up to 30 years of forest change. This teachers supplement to the educational field guide (Miller Creek Demonstration Forest - a forest born of fire: a field guide; Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-7, 1998) outlines eight field and classroom activities that teach students a...

77 FR 56798 - Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Revise Maximum Retained Amounts for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-14

... 709 West 9th Street, Room 420A, Juneau, AK. Comments must be submitted by one of the above methods to... the GOA. In 1997, NMFS increased the MRAs for pollock and Pacific cod from zero to 5 percent when... arrowtooth flounder fishery from zero to 20 percent for deep-water flatfish, rex sole, flathead sole, shallow...

Final report: Imagining Fire Futures - An interactive, online learning activity for high school and college students

Treesearch

Jane Kapler Smith

2014-01-01

In IMAGINING FIRE FUTURES, students in a high school or college class use model results to develop a vision of the future for Flathead County, Montana. This is a rural area in the northern Rocky Mountains where more than half of the landscape is covered by wildland ecosystems that have evolved with and are shaped by wildland fire.

Host associations and genomic diversity of Borrelia hermsii in an endemic focus of tick-borne relapsing fever in western North America.

PubMed

Johnson, Tammi L; Fischer, Robert J; Raffel, Sandra J; Schwan, Tom G

2016-11-10

An unrecognized focus of tick-borne relapsing fever caused by Borrelia hermsii was identified in 2002 when five people became infected on Wild Horse Island in Flathead Lake, Montana. The terrestrial small mammal community on the island is composed primarily of pine squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) and deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus), neither of which was known as a natural host for the spirochete. Thus a 3-year study was performed to identify small mammals as hosts for B. hermsii. Small mammals were captured alive on two island and three mainland sites, blood samples were collected and examined for spirochetes, and serological tests performed to detect anti-B. hermsii antibodies. Ornithodoros hermsi ticks were collected and fed on laboratory mice to assess infection. Genomic DNA samples from spirochetes isolated from infected mammals and ticks were analyzed by multilocus sequence typing. Eighteen pine squirrels and one deer mouse had detectable spirochetemias when captured, from which 12 isolates of B. hermsii were established. Most pine squirrels were seropositive, and the five species of sciurids combined had a significantly higher prevalence of seropositive animals than did the other six small mammal species captured. The greater diversity of small mammals on the mainland in contrast to the islands demonstrated that other species in addition to pine squirrels were also involved in the maintenance of B. hermsii at Flathead Lake. Ornithodoros hermsi ticks produced an additional 12 isolates of B. hermsii and multilocus sequence typing identified both genomic groups of B. hermsii described previously, and identified a new genomic subdivision. Experimental infections of deer mice with two strains of B. hermsii demonstrated that these animals were susceptible to infection with spirochetes belonging to Genomic Group II but not Genomic Group I. Pine squirrels are the primary hosts for the maintenance of B. hermsii on the islands in Flathead Lake, however serological evidence showed that numerous additional species are also involved on the mainland. Future studies testing the susceptibility of several small mammal species to infection with different genetic types of B. hermsii will help define their role as hosts in this and other endemic foci.

Indigenous Waters: Applying the SWAT Hydrological Model to the Lumbee River Watershed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Painter, J.; Singh, N.; Martin, K. L.; Vose, J. M.; Wear, D. N.; Emanuel, R. E.

2016-12-01

Hydrological modeling can reveal insight about how rainfall becomes streamflow in a watershed comprising heterogeneous soils, terrain and land cover. Modeling can also help disentangle predicted impacts of climate and land use change on hydrological processes. We applied a hydrological model to the Lumbee River watershed, also known as the Lumber River Watershed, in the coastal plain of North Carolina (USA) to better understand how streamflow may be impacted by predicted climate and land use change in the mid-21st century. The Lumbee River flows through a predominantly Native American community, which may be affected by changing water resources during this period. The long-term goal of our project is to predict the effects of climate and land use change on the Lumbee River watershed and on the Native community that relies upon the river. We applied the Soil & Water Assessment Tool for ArcGIS (ArcSWAT), which was calibrated to historical climate and USGS streamflow data during the late 20th century, and we determined frequency distributions for key model parameters that best predicted streamflow during this time period. After calibrating and validating the model during the historical period, we identified land use and climate projections to represent a range of future conditions in the watershed. Specifically, we selected downscaled climate forcing data from four general circulation models running the RCP8.5 scenario. We also selected land use projections from a cornerstone scenario of the USDA Forest Service's Southern Forest Futures Project. This presentation reports on our methods for propagating parameter and climatic uncertainty through model predictions, and it reports on spatial patterns of land use change predicted by the cornerstone scenario.

Double-crested Cormorant Management Plan to Reduce Predation of Juvenile Salmonids in the Columbia River Estuary

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-01-01

Table ES-3): TABLE ES-3. Affected Environment. Affect ed Resource Summary Vegetation A mix of native a nd non-native plant species is fou nd on t...from British Columbia to California and east to the Continental Divide. Although the western population of double-crested cormorants composes a small ...no person shall be subject to a penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information if it does not display a currently valid OMB control

The Red River College model: enhancing success of Native Canadian and other nursing students from disenfranchised groups.

PubMed

Labun, Evelyn

2002-10-01

The recruitment and retention of students from culturally diverse backgrounds remains a critical issue in nursing education. This article describes one program that was very successful in helping Native Canadian and other disenfranchised students succeed academically in nursing. The program design and operation as well as issues related to recruitment and retention of these students are presented. Many aspects of this program are now incorporated into the baccalaureate nursing program in the college.

Non-native fishes of the central Indian River Lagoon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schofield, Pamela J.; Loftus, William F.; Reaver, Kristen M.

2018-01-01

We provide a comprehensive review of the status of non-native fishes in the central Indian River Lagoon (from Cape Canaveral to Grant-Valkaria, east of I-95) through literature review and field surveys. Historical records exist for 17 taxa (15 species, one hybrid, one species complex). We found historical records for one additional species, and collected one species in our field survey that had never been recorded in the region before (and which we eradicated). Thus, we evaluate 19 total taxa herein. Of these, we documented range expansion of four salt-tolerant cichlid species, extirpation of six species that were previously recorded from the area and eradication of three species. There was no noticeable change in geographic range for one widespread species and the records for one species are doubtful and may be erroneous. Currently, there is not enough information to evaluate geographic ranges for four species although at least one of those is established.

Conservation challenges and research needs for Pacific lamprey in the Columbia River Basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Clemens, Benjamin J.; Beamish, Richard J.; Coates, Kelly C.; Docker, Margaret F.; Dunham, Jason B.; Gray, Ann E.; Hess, Jon E.; Jolley, Jeffrey C.; Lampman, Ralph T.; McIlraith, Brian J.; Moser, Mary L.; Murauskas, Joshua G.; Noakes, David L. G.; Schaller, Howard A.; Schreck, Carl B.; Starcevich, Steven J.; Streif, Bianca; van de Wetering, Stan J.; Wade, Joy; Weitkamp, Laurie A.; Wyss, Lance A.

2017-01-01

The Pacific Lamprey Entosphenus tridentatus, an anadromous fish native to the northern Pacific Ocean and bordering freshwater habitats, has recently experienced steep declines in abundance and range contractions along the West Coast of North America. During the early 1990s, Native American tribes recognized the declining numbers of lamprey and championed their importance. In 2012, 26 entities signed a conservation agreement to coordinate and implement restoration and research for Pacific Lamprey. Regional plans have identified numerous threats, monitoring needs, and strategies to conserve and restore Pacific Lamprey during their freshwater life stages. Prime among these are needs to improve lamprey passage, restore freshwater habitats, educate stakeholders, and implement lamprey-specific research and management protocols. Key unknowns include range-wide trends in status, population dynamics, population delineation, limiting factors, and marine influences. We synthesize these key unknowns, with a focus on the freshwater life stages of lamprey in the Columbia River basin.

Competition for food between an introduced crayfish and two fishes endemic to the Colorado River basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carpenter, J.

2005-01-01

Crayfish are not native to the Colorado River basin (CRB), however they are now established in portions of the mainstem and in many tributaries. I used density manipulation experiments in a laboratory setting to determine intra- and interspecific competition for food between Orconectes virilis, an aggressive polytrophic crayfish now common in the CRB, and two native fishes: Gila chub, Gila intermedia, and flannelmouth sucker, Catostomus latipinnis. I tested each fish species in separate trials. Growth of Gila chub decreased when animal densities increased, however they were more affected by intraspecific competition than by crayfish presence. In contrast, growth of flannelmouth suckers was more affected by crayfish than by intraspecific competition. Crayfish growth was not significantly altered by presence of either fish. Crayfish thus reduced fish growth by competition for food, but the effect differed markedly between the two species.

Feeding ecology of non-native Siberian prawns, Palaemon modestus (Heller, 1862) (Decapoda, Palaemonidae), in the lower Snake River, Washington, U.S.A.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tiffan, Kenneth F.; Hurst, William

2016-01-01

We used both stomach content and stable isotope analyses to describe the feeding ecology of Siberian prawns Palaemon modestus (Heller, 1862), a non-native caridean shrimp that is a relatively recent invader of the lower Snake River. Based on identifiable prey in stomachs, the opossum shrimp Neomysis mercedis Holmes, 1896 comprised up to 34-55% (by weight) of diets of juvenile to adult P. modestus, which showed little seasonal variation. Other predominant items/taxa consumed included detritus, amphipods, dipteran larvae, and oligochaetes. Stable isotope analysis supported diet results and also suggested that much of the food consumed by P. modestus that was not identifiable came from benthic sources — predominantly invertebrates of lower trophic levels and detritus. Palaemon modestus consumption of N. mercedis may pose a competitive threat to juvenile salmon and resident fishes which also rely heavily on that prey.

Geographic distribution of chromosome and microsatellite DNA polymorphisms in Oncorhynchus mykiss native to western Washington

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ostberg, C.O.; Thorgaard, G.H.

1999-01-01

Chromosome studies of native populations of Oncorhynchus mykiss (steelhead and rainbow trout) in western Washington and southern British Columbia revealed the presence of two evolutionarily distinct chromosome lineages. Populations between, and including, the Elwha River, Washington, and Chilliwack River, British Columbia, contained 2n = 60 chromosomes. Populations on the central Washington coast contained 2n = 58 chromosomes. The north Washington coast and western Strait of Juan de Fuca contained individuals with 58, 59, or 60 chromosomes, suggesting this is a transition zone between 58 and 60 chromosome groups. The differences in chromosomal structure between 2n = 58 and 2n = 60 groups are presumably a Robertsonian rearrangement and an inversion. Allelic variation at three microsatellite loci (One ??6, One ??11 and Omy 77) also was examined, and no significant variation was detected among the 58 and 60 chromosome races. A hypothesis is presented concerning the origin of the 60 chromosome lineage.

Genetic reconstruction of a bullfrog invasion to elucidate vectors of introduction and secondary spread

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kamath, Pauline L.; Sepulveda, Adam; Layhee, Megan J.

2016-01-01

Reconstructing historical colonization pathways of an invasive species is critical for uncovering factors that determine invasion success and for designing management strategies. The American bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus) is endemic to eastern North America, but now has a global distribution and is considered to be one of the worst invaders in the world. In Montana, several introduced populations have been reported, but little is known of their sources and vectors of introduction and secondary spread. We evaluated the genetic composition of introduced populations at local (Yellowstone River floodplain) and regional (Montana and Wyoming) scales in contrast to native range populations. Our objectives were to (1) estimate the number of introductions, (2) identify probable native sources, (3) evaluate genetic variation relative to sources, and (4) characterize properties of local- and regional-scale spread. We sequenced 937 bp of the mitochondrial cytochrome b locus in 395 tadpoles collected along 100 km of the Yellowstone River, from three additional sites in MT and a proximate site in WY. Pairwise ΦST revealed high divergence among nonnative populations, suggesting at least four independent introductions into MT from diverse sources. Three cyt b haplotypes were identical to native haplotypes distributed across the Midwest and Great Lakes regions, and AMOVA confirmed the western native region as a likely source. While haplotype (Hd = 0.69) and nucleotide diversity (π = 0.005) were low in introduced bullfrogs, the levels of diversity did not differ significantly from source populations. In the Yellowstone, two identified haplotypes implied few introduction vectors and a significant relationship between genetic and river distance was found. Evidence for multiple invasions and lack of subsequent regional spread emphasizes the importance of enforcing legislation prohibiting bullfrog importation and the need for continuing public education to prevent transport of bullfrogs in MT. More broadly, this study demonstrates how genetic approaches can reveal key properties of a biological invasion to inform management strategies.

Predatory functional response and prey choice identify predation differences between native/invasive and parasitised/unparasitised crayfish.

PubMed

Haddaway, Neal R; Wilcox, Ruth H; Heptonstall, Rachael E A; Griffiths, Hannah M; Mortimer, Robert J G; Christmas, Martin; Dunn, Alison M

2012-01-01

Invasive predators may change the structure of invaded communities through predation and competition with native species. In Europe, the invasive signal crayfish Pacifastacus leniusculus is excluding the native white clawed crayfish Austropotamobius pallipes. This study compared the predatory functional responses and prey choice of native and invasive crayfish and measured impacts of parasitism on the predatory strength of the native species. Invasive crayfish showed a higher (>10%) prey (Gammarus pulex) intake rate than (size matched) natives, reflecting a shorter (16%) prey handling time. The native crayfish also showed greater selection for crustacean prey over molluscs and bloodworm, whereas the invasive species was a more generalist predator. A. pallipes parasitised by the microsporidian parasite Thelohania contejeani showed a 30% reduction in prey intake. We suggest that this results from parasite-induced muscle damage, and this is supported by a reduced (38%) attack rate and increased (30%) prey handling time. Our results indicate that the per capita (i.e., functional response) difference between the species may contribute to success of the invader and extinction of the native species, as well as decreased biodiversity and biomass in invaded rivers. In addition, the reduced predatory strength of parasitized natives may impair their competitive abilities, facilitating exclusion by the invader.

Fish species introductions provide novel insights into the patterns and drivers of phylogenetic structure in freshwaters

PubMed Central

Strecker, Angela L.; Olden, Julian D.

2014-01-01

Despite long-standing interest of terrestrial ecologists, freshwater ecosystems are a fertile, yet unappreciated, testing ground for applying community phylogenetics to uncover mechanisms of species assembly. We quantify phylogenetic clustering and overdispersion of native and non-native fishes of a large river basin in the American Southwest to test for the mechanisms (environmental filtering versus competitive exclusion) and spatial scales influencing community structure. Contrary to expectations, non-native species were phylogenetically clustered and related to natural environmental conditions, whereas native species were not phylogenetically structured, likely reflecting human-related changes to the basin. The species that are most invasive (in terms of ecological impacts) tended to be the most phylogenetically divergent from natives across watersheds, but not within watersheds, supporting the hypothesis that Darwin's naturalization conundrum is driven by the spatial scale. Phylogenetic distinctiveness may facilitate non-native establishment at regional scales, but environmental filtering restricts local membership to closely related species with physiological tolerances for current environments. By contrast, native species may have been phylogenetically clustered in historical times, but species loss from contemporary populations by anthropogenic activities has likely shaped the phylogenetic signal. Our study implies that fundamental mechanisms of community assembly have changed, with fundamental consequences for the biogeography of both native and non-native species. PMID:24452027

The fishery resources of the Mississippi River: A model for conservation and management

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schramm, Harold L.

2017-01-01

The Mississippi River is a multijurisdictional and multiuse resource that has been variously altered and is foremost managed for navigation and flood control throughout much of its 3,734‐km passage from its origin at Lake Itasca, Minnesota, to its outlet at the Gulf of Mexico. Despite alterations summarized herein, the native fish fauna remains largely intact and only five nonnative species have colonized segments of the river. Diverse habitats still remain, but loss of habitat, declining habitat suitability, and reduced floodplain functionality warrant concern. Fisheries monitoring and assessment, ecological research, and habitat rehabilitation vary from adequate in the upper reaches of the river to minimal in the lower reaches of the river, and these efforts parallel the recreational use, local values, and visibility of the river. A conceptual model is proposed to depict the value of the social, economic, and many ecosystem services the Mississippi River ecosystem offers that can be used to achieve the social and economic support needed to conserve and restore this valuable fishery resource.

Effects of Flood Control Works Failure in the Missouri River Basin

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-06-13

Project (“BSNP”). Specifically, in order to restore habitat of certain native species in the Missouri River Basin (“the Basin”), the Corps departed...estimated that over $654 million in damages occurred to agricultural and rural areas (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 1995, 5-5). There was over $65 million...USACE Kansas City District’s civil works boundary, flooding resulted in estimated damages of greater than $2.2 billion, with agricultural and rural

Spatial arrangement overrules environmental factors to structure native and non-native assemblages of synanthropic harvestmen.

PubMed

Muster, Christoph; Meyer, Marc; Sattler, Thomas

2014-01-01

Understanding how space affects the occurrence of native and non-native species is essential for inferring processes that shape communities. However, studies considering spatial and environmental variables for the entire community - as well as for the native and non-native assemblages in a single study - are scarce for animals. Harvestmen communities in central Europe have undergone drastic turnovers during the past decades, with several newly immigrated species, and thus provide a unique system to study such questions. We studied the wall-dwelling harvestmen communities from 52 human settlements in Luxembourg and found the assemblages to be largely dominated by non-native species (64% of specimens). Community structure was analysed using Moran's eigenvector maps as spatial variables, and landcover variables at different radii (500 m, 1000 m, 2000 m) in combination with climatic parameters as environmental variables. A surprisingly high portion of pure spatial variation (15.7% of total variance) exceeded the environmental (10.6%) and shared (4%) components of variation, but we found only minor differences between native and non-native assemblages. This could result from the ecological flexibility of both, native and non-native harvestmen that are not restricted to urban habitats but also inhabit surrounding semi-natural landscapes. Nevertheless, urban landcover variables explained more variation in the non-native community, whereas coverage of semi-natural habitats (forests, rivers) at broader radii better explained the native assemblage. This indicates that some urban characteristics apparently facilitate the establishment of non-native species. We found no evidence for competitive replacement of native by invasive species, but a community with novel combination of native and non-native species.

Spatial Arrangement Overrules Environmental Factors to Structure Native and Non-Native Assemblages of Synanthropic Harvestmen

PubMed Central

Muster, Christoph; Meyer, Marc; Sattler, Thomas

2014-01-01

Understanding how space affects the occurrence of native and non-native species is essential for inferring processes that shape communities. However, studies considering spatial and environmental variables for the entire community – as well as for the native and non-native assemblages in a single study – are scarce for animals. Harvestmen communities in central Europe have undergone drastic turnovers during the past decades, with several newly immigrated species, and thus provide a unique system to study such questions. We studied the wall-dwelling harvestmen communities from 52 human settlements in Luxembourg and found the assemblages to be largely dominated by non-native species (64% of specimens). Community structure was analysed using Moran's eigenvector maps as spatial variables, and landcover variables at different radii (500 m, 1000 m, 2000 m) in combination with climatic parameters as environmental variables. A surprisingly high portion of pure spatial variation (15.7% of total variance) exceeded the environmental (10.6%) and shared (4%) components of variation, but we found only minor differences between native and non-native assemblages. This could result from the ecological flexibility of both, native and non-native harvestmen that are not restricted to urban habitats but also inhabit surrounding semi-natural landscapes. Nevertheless, urban landcover variables explained more variation in the non-native community, whereas coverage of semi-natural habitats (forests, rivers) at broader radii better explained the native assemblage. This indicates that some urban characteristics apparently facilitate the establishment of non-native species. We found no evidence for competitive replacement of native by invasive species, but a community with novel combination of native and non-native species. PMID:24595309

Red shiner invasion and hybridization with blacktail shiner in the upper Coosa River, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Walters, D.M.; Blum, M.J.; Rashleigh, Brenda; Freeman, B.J.; Porter, B.A.; Burkhead, N.M.

2008-01-01

Human disturbance increases the invasibility of lotic ecosystems and the likelihood of hybridization between invasive and native species. We investigated whether disturbance contributed to the invasion of red shiner (Cyprinella lutrensis) and their hybridization with native blacktail shiner (C. venusta stigmatura) in the Upper Coosa River System (UCRS). Historical records indicated that red shiners and hybrids rapidly dispersed in the UCRS via large, mainstem rivers since the mid to late 1990s. We measured the occurrence and abundance of parental species and hybrids near tributary-mainstem confluences and characterized populations at these incipient contact zones by examining variation across morphological traits and molecular markers. Red shiners represented only 1.2% of total catch in tributaries yet introgression was widespread with hybrids accounting for 34% of total catch. Occurrence of red shiners and hybrids was highly correlated with occurrence of blacktail shiners, indicating that streams with native populations are preferentially colonized early in the invasion and that hybridization is a key process in the establishment of red shiners and their genome in new habitats. Tributary invasion was driven by post-F1 hybrids with proportionately greater genomic contributions from blacktail shiner. Occurrence of red shiners and hybrids and the relative abundance of hybrids significantly increased with measures of human disturbance including turbidity, catchment agricultural land use, and low dissolved oxygen concentration. Red shiners are a significant threat to Southeast Cyprinella diversity, given that 41% of these species hybridize with red shiner, that five southeastern drainages are invaded, and that these drainages are increasingly disturbed by urbanization. ?? 2007 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

Validation of eDNA surveillance sensitivity for detection of Asian carps in controlled and field experiments

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mahon, Andrew R.; Jerde, Christopher L.; Galaska, Matthew; Bergner, Jennifer L.; Chadderton, W. Lindsay; Lodge, David M.; Hunter, Margaret E.; Nico, Leo G.

2013-01-01

In many North American rivers, populations of multiple species of non-native cyprinid fishes are present, including black carp (Mylpharyngodon piceus), grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella), bighead carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis), silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix), common carp (Cyprinus carpio), and goldfish (Carassius auratus). All six of these species are found in the Mississippi River basin and tracking their invasion has proven difficult, particularly where abundance is low. Knowledge of the location of the invasion front is valuable to natural resource managers because future ecological and economic damages can be most effectively prevented when populations are low. To test the accuracy of environmental DNA (eDNA) as an early indicator of species occurrence and relative abundance, we applied eDNA technology to the six non-native cyprinid species putatively present in a 2.6 river mile stretch of the Chicago (IL, USA) canal system that was subsequently treated with piscicide. The proportion of water samples yielding positive detections increased with relative abundance of the six species, as indicated by the number of carcasses recovered after poisoning. New markers for black carp, grass carp, and a common carp/goldfish are reported and details of the marker testing to ensure specificity are provided.

Removing Dams: Project-Level Policy and Scientific Research Needs (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Graber, B.

2010-12-01

More than 800 dams have been removed around the country, mostly “small” dams, under 25 feet in height. The total number of removals, however, is small relative to the number of deteriorating dams and the ecological impacts those structures continue to have on native riverine species and natural river function. The number of dam removal projects is increasing as aging dams continue to deteriorate and riverine species continue to decline. Practitioners and regulators need to find cost-effective project approaches that minimize short-term environmental impacts and maximize long-term benefits while keeping project costs manageable. Dam removals can be a regulatory challenge because they inherently have short-term impacts in order to achieve larger, self-sustaining, long-term benefits. These short-term impacts include sediment movement, construction access roads, and habitat conversion from lacustrine to riverine. Environmental regulations are designed to prevent degradation and have presented challenges for projects designed to benefit the environment. For example, a short-term release of sediment may exceed water quality standards for some period of time, but lead to a long-term beneficial project. Other regulatory challenges include permitting the loss of wetland area for increased native river function, or allowing the release of some level of contaminated sediment when the downstream sediment is similarly contaminated. Dam removal projects raise a range of engineering and scientific questions on effective implementation techniques such as appropriate sediment management approaches, construction equipment access approaches, invasive species management, channel/floodplain reconstruction, and active versus passive habitat rehabilitation. While practitioners have learned and refined implementation approaches over the last decade, more input is needed from researchers to help assess the effectiveness of those techniques, and to provide more effective techniques. Applied research is needed to provide management tools for practitioners on questions such as: How do we determine the quantity of sediment that is acceptable to release downstream without causing long-term harm to habitat? How can we estimate how much sediment rivers naturally carry in places where there are no sediment gauges? Will the release of coarse-grain sediment help build habitat structure downstream or will it smother habitat? What is the trajectory of habitat quality in an impoundment wetland and is it justifiable to use self-sustainability as an argument to allow a reduction in wetland area for native river habitat? Will having construction equipment working in the flowing river channel do less harm than dewatering a river channel for a longer period of time? American Rivers staff have collectively had an active involvement in more than one hundred dam removal projects. In this presentation, an American Rivers geomorphologist will pose the questions that need to be answered to reduce project-level policy challenges and allow the implementation of cost-effective dam removal projects.

A sand budget for Marble Canyon, Arizona: implications for long-term monitoring of sand storage change

USGS Publications Warehouse

Grams, Paul E.

2013-01-01

Recent U.S. Geological Survey research is providing important insights into how best to monitor changes in the amount of tributary-derived sand stored on the bed of the Colorado River and in eddies in Marble Canyon, Arizona. Before the construction of Glen Canyon Dam and other dams upstream, sandbars in Glen, Marble, and Grand Canyons were replenished each year by sediment-rich floods. Sand input into the Colorado River is crucial to protecting endangered native fish, animals, and plants and cultural and recreational resources along the river in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and Grand Canyon National Park.

Simulating future residential property losses from wildfire in Flathead County, Montana: Chapter 1

USGS Publications Warehouse

Prato, Tony; Paveglio, Travis B; Barnett, Yan; Silverstein, Robin; Hardy, Michael; Keane, Robert; Loehman, Rachel A.; Clark, Anthony; Fagre, Daniel B.; Venn, Tyron; Stockmann, Keith

2014-01-01

Wildfire damages to private residences in the United States and elsewhere have increased as a result of expansion of the wildland-urban interface (WUI) and other factors. Understanding this unwelcome trend requires analytical frameworks that simulate how various interacting social, economic, and biophysical factors influence those damages. A methodological framework is developed for simulating expected residential property losses from wildfire [E(RLW)], which is a probabilistic monetary measure of wildfire risk to residential properties in the WUI. E(RLW) is simulated for Flathead County, Montana for five, 10-year subperiods covering the period 2010-2059, under various assumptions about future climate change, economic growth, land use policy, and forest management. Results show statistically significant increases in the spatial extent of WUI properties, the number of residential structures at risk from wildfire, and E(RLW) over the 50-year evaluation period for both the county and smaller subareas (i.e., neighborhoods and parcels). The E(RLW) simulation framework presented here advances the field of wildfire risk assessment by providing a finer-scale tool that incorporates a set of dynamic, interacting processes. The framework can be applied using other scenarios for climate change, economic growth, land use policy, and forest management, and in other areas.

Long-term atmospheric deposition of nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfate in a large oligotrophic lake

PubMed Central

Craft, James A.; Stanford, Jack A.

2015-01-01

We documented significantly increasing trends in atmospheric loading of ammonium (NH4) and nitrate/nitrite (NO2/3) and decreasing trends in total phosphorus (P) and sulfate (SO4) to Flathead Lake, Montana, from 1985 to 2004. Atmospheric loading of NO2/3 and NH4 increased by 48 and 198% and total P and SO4 decreased by 135 and 39%. The molar ratio of TN:TP also increased significantly. Severe air inversions occurred periodically year-round and increased the potential for substantial nutrient loading from even small local sources. Correlations between our loading data and various measures of air quality in the basin (e.g., particulate matter <10 µm in size, aerosol fine soil mass, aerosol nutrient species, aerosol index, hectares burned) suggest that dust and smoke are important sources. Ammonium was the primary form of N in atmospheric deposition, whereas NO3 was the primary N form in tributary inputs. Atmospheric loading of NH4 to Flathead Lake averaged 44% of the total load and on some years exceeded tributary loading. Primary productivity in the lake is colimited by both N and P most of the year; and in years of high atmospheric loading of inorganic N, deposition may account for up to 6.9% of carbon converted to biomass. PMID:25802810

Long-term atmospheric deposition of nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfate in a large oligotrophic lake.

PubMed

Ellis, Bonnie K; Craft, James A; Stanford, Jack A

2015-01-01

We documented significantly increasing trends in atmospheric loading of ammonium (NH4) and nitrate/nitrite (NO2/3) and decreasing trends in total phosphorus (P) and sulfate (SO4) to Flathead Lake, Montana, from 1985 to 2004. Atmospheric loading of NO2/3 and NH4 increased by 48 and 198% and total P and SO4 decreased by 135 and 39%. The molar ratio of TN:TP also increased significantly. Severe air inversions occurred periodically year-round and increased the potential for substantial nutrient loading from even small local sources. Correlations between our loading data and various measures of air quality in the basin (e.g., particulate matter <10 µm in size, aerosol fine soil mass, aerosol nutrient species, aerosol index, hectares burned) suggest that dust and smoke are important sources. Ammonium was the primary form of N in atmospheric deposition, whereas NO3 was the primary N form in tributary inputs. Atmospheric loading of NH4 to Flathead Lake averaged 44% of the total load and on some years exceeded tributary loading. Primary productivity in the lake is colimited by both N and P most of the year; and in years of high atmospheric loading of inorganic N, deposition may account for up to 6.9% of carbon converted to biomass.

Juvenile groundfish habitat in Kachemak Bay, Alaska, during late summer

USGS Publications Warehouse

Abookire, Alisa A.; Piatt, John F.; Norcross, Brenda L.

2001-01-01

We investigated the habitat of juvenile groundfishes in relation to depth, water temperature, and salinity in Kachemak Bay, Alaska. Stations ranging in depth from 10 to 70 m and with sand or mud-sand substrates were sampled with a small-meshed beam trawl in August-September of 1994 to 1999. A total of 8,201 fishes were captured, comprising at least 52 species. Most fishes (91%) had a total length 5% of the total catch) were flathead sole Hippoglossoides elassodon, slim sculpin Radulinus asprellus, Pacific halibut Hippoglossus stenolepis, and arrowtooth flounder Atheresthes stomias. Depth accounted for most of the spatial variability in juvenile groundfish abundance, and neither temperature nor salinity was correlated with fish abundance. Juvenile groundfishes concentrated in either shallow (less than or equal to 20 m) or deep (50-70 m) water, with co-occurrence of some species between 30-40 m. Shallow fishes were the rock soles, Pacific halibut, and great sculpin Myoxocephalus polyacanthocephalus. Deep species were flathead sole, slim sculpin, spinycheek starsnout Bathyagonus infraspinatus, rex sole Glyptocephalus zachirus, tadpole sculpin Psychrolutes paradoxus, and whitebarred prickleback Poroclinus rothrocki. This 6-year study provides baseline data on relative abundance and distribution of juvenile groundfishes in Kachemak Bay and may provide a useful tool for predicting the presence of species in similar habitats in other areas of Alaska.

A NEW SPECIES OF CARYOSPORA (APICOMPLEXA: EIMERIIDAE) FROM THE FLATHEAD SNAKE, TANTILLA GRACILIS (OPHIDIA: COLUBRIDAE), IN SOUTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA

PubMed Central

McAllister, Chris T.; Roehrs, Zachary P.; Seville, R. Scott

2012-01-01

A single flathead snake, Tantilla gracilis, collected in early October 2010 from Choctaw County, Oklahoma, was found to harbor an undescribed species of Caryospora. Oocysts of Caryospora choctawensis n. sp. were spherical to subspherical, 15.8 × 15.0 (14–18 × 14–16) μm with a thick bilayered wall and a shape index (length/width) of 1.1. A micropyle and an oocyst residuum are absent but prominent Stieda and bubble-like sub-Stieda bodies were present as well as a bilobed polar granule near the oocyst wall. Sporocysts were ovoidal, 10.8 × 9.0 (10–12 × 8–9) μm with a shape index of 1.3. The sporocyst residuum was spherical and composed of a cluster of granules often membrane-bound. This is the second time a caryosporan species has been reported from T. gracilis, but the first coccidian ever described from a reptilian host in Oklahoma. Additional T. gracilis from Arkansas (n = 6), Oklahoma (n = 1), and Texas (n = 7) were examined and a single specimen from Newton County, Arkansas, harbored Caryospora gracilis Upton, McAllister, Trauth, and Bibb, 1992, previously reported from T. gracilis collected in Arkansas and Texas. PMID:22191621

River management impacts on riparian forest vegetation along the Middle Rio Grande: 1935-2014

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petrakis, Roy E.

Riparian ecosystems of the southwestern United States are highly valuable to both the ecological and human communities which surround them. Over the past century, they have been subject to shifting management practices to maximize human use, control, ecosystem service, and conservation. This creates a complex relationship between water policy, management, and the natural ecosystem necessitating research on spatial and temporal dynamics of riparian vegetation. The San Acacia Reach of the Middle Rio Grande, a 60 mile stretch from the San Acacia Diversion Dam to San Marcial, has experienced multiple management and river flow fluctuations over the past 80 years, resulting in threats to riparian and aquatic ecosystems. This research was completed through the use and analysis of multi-source remote sensing data, GIS, and a review of the on-the-ground management decisions to better understand how the location and composition of the riparian vegetation has been affected by these shifting practices. This research focused on four phases, each highlighting different management practices and river flow patterns during the last 80-years. Each of these periods provides a unique opportunity to observe a direct relationship between river management and riparian land cover response and change. Overall, management practices reduced surface river flows and limited overbank flooding and resulted in changes in the composition, density, and spatial patterns of the vegetation, including increased non-native vegetation growth. Restoration efforts over the past few decades have begun to reduce the presence of non-native species. Despite these changes, this ecosystem was shown to be extremely resilient in maintaining its function/service throughout the entire study time frame.

Response of fish population dynamics to mitigation activities in a large regulated river

USGS Publications Warehouse

Watkins, Carson J.; Ross, Tyler J.; Quist, Michael C.; Hardy, Ryan S.

2017-01-01

Extensive water development in large rivers has precipitated many negative ecological effects on native fish populations. Mitigation for such development often focuses on restoring biological integrity through remediation of the physical and chemical properties of regulated rivers. However, evaluating and defining the success of those programs can be difficult. We modeled the influence of mitigation-related environmental factors on growth and recruitment of two ecologically important native fish species (Largescale Sucker Catostomus macrocheilus and Mountain Whitefish Prosopium williamsoni) in the Kootenai River, Idaho. Artificial nutrient (phosphorus) addition best predicted the variability in annual growth of both species. Nutrient addition was positively related to Largescale Sucker growth but negatively related to Mountain Whitefish growth. The best model explained 82% of the annual variability in incremental growth for Largescale Suckers and 61% of the annual variability for Mountain Whitefish. Year-class strength of Largescale Suckers was not closely related to any of the environmental variables evaluated; however, year-class strength of Mountain Whitefish was closely associated with nutrient addition, discharge, and temperature. Most research has focused on biotic assemblages to evaluate the effects of mitigation activities on fishes, but there is an increased need to identify the influence of rehabilitation activities on fish population dynamics within those assemblages. Here, we demonstrate how fish growth can serve as an indicator of rehabilitation success in a highly regulated large river. Future fish restoration projects can likely benefit from a change in scope and from consideration of an evaluation framework involving the response of population rate functions to mitigation.

Predation on larval suckers in the Williamson River Delta revealed by molecular genetic assays—A pilot study

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hereford, Danielle M.; Ostberg, Carl O.; Burdick, Summer M.

2016-06-13

Predation of endangered Lost River suckers (Deltistes luxatus) and shortnose suckers (Chasmistes brevirostris) during larval egress to Upper Klamath Lake from the Williamson River is poorly understood but may be an important factor limiting recruitment into adult spawning populations. Native and non-native piscivores are abundant in nursery wetland habitat, but larval predation has not been directly studied for all species. Larvae lack hard body structures and digest rapidly in predator digestive systems. Therefore, traditional visual methods for diet analysis may fail to identify the extent of predation on larvae. The goals of this study were to (1) use quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) assays developed for Lost River and shortnose suckers to assay predator stomach contents for sucker DNA, and (2) to assess our ability to use this technique to study predation. Predators were captured opportunistically during larval sucker egress. Concurrent feeding trials indicate that most predators—yellow perch (Perca flaverscens), fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas), blue chub (Gila coerulea), Klamath tui chub (Siphatales bicolor bicolor), Klamath Lake sculpin (Cottus princeps), slender sculpin (Cottus tenuis)—preyed on sucker larvae in the laboratory. However, sucker DNA was not detected in fathead minnow stomachs. Of the stomachs screened from fish captured in the Williamson River Delta, 15.6 percent of yellow perch contained sucker DNA. This study has demonstrated that the application of qPCR and SNP assays is effective for studying predation on larval suckers. We suggest that techniques associated with dissection or detection of sucker DNA from fathead minnow stomachs need improvement.

Metrics for assessing freshwater fish in Narragansett Bay

EPA Science Inventory

Freshwater fish are ecologically important in stream ecosystems, and they provide significant value to humans. Historically, the streams and rivers of southern New England supported moderately diverse and abundant assemblages of native fishes. Currently, these habitats are impact...

Assessing effects of stocked trout on nongame fish assemblages in southern Appalachian Mountain streams

USGS Publications Warehouse

Weaver, D.; Kwak, Thomas J.

2013-01-01

Fisheries managers are faced with the challenge of balancing the management of recreational fisheries with that of conserving native species and preserving ecological integrity. The negative effects that nonnative trout species exert on native trout are well documented and include alteration of competitive interactions, habitat use, and production. However, the effects that nonnative trout may exert on nongame fish assemblages are poorly understood. Our objectives were to quantify the effects of trout stocking on native nongame fish assemblages intensively on one newly stocked river, the North Toe River, North Carolina, and extensively on other southern Appalachian Mountain streams that are annually stocked with trout. In the intensive study, we adopted a before-after, control-impact (BACI) experimental design to detect short-term effects on the nongame fish assemblage and found no significant differences in fish density, species richness, species diversity, or fish microhabitat use associated with trout stocking. We observed differences in fish microhabitat use between years, however, which suggests there is a response to environmental changes, such as the flow regime, which influence available habitat. In the extensive study, we sampled paired stocked and unstocked stream reaches to detect long-term effects from trout stocking; however, we detected no differences in nongame fish density, species richness, species diversity, or population size structure between paired sites. Our results revealed high inherent system variation caused by natural and anthropogenic factors that appear to overwhelm any acute or chronic effect of stocked trout. Furthermore, hatchery-reared trout may be poor competitors in a natural setting and exert a minimal or undetectable impact on native fish assemblages in these streams. These findings provide quantitative results necessary to assist agencies in strategic planning and decision making associated with trout fisheries, stream management, and conservation of native fishes.

Consumption of freshwater fish by recreational and native freshwater anglers in the upper St-Maurice (Quebec, Canada) and estimation of the intake of methylmercury in humans

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Loranger, S.; Houde, L.; Schetagne, R.

1995-12-31

Hydro-Quebec is planning to build two hydroelectric reservoirs in the upper Saint-Maurice River, which would flood about 80% of the surrounding area. The methylmercury (MeHg) content in freshwater fish will therefore tend to increase during the first few years. This development will have a direct impact on the amount of MeHg that the actual users of this river section are exposed to. The objective of this study is to assess the consumption of local fish of these target groups using a Monte-Carlo approach. This study is part of a larger research project aimed at assessing human exposure and the healthmore » risks related to MeHg contamination in local fish. The fish consumption rate for recreational freshwater anglers was calculated using the duration of the average annual fishing trip, the average number of catches per species, the average fish weight per species exceeding a specific length of fish usually caught, and the edible portion of fish consumed. This rate was calculated for the native communities based on the total number of meals per year per species, the average fish weight per species, and the edible portion. Based on these calculations, average intake for sport fishermen is estimated at 6.9 g/day (sd = 6.4). This value is 5 to 25 times lower on average than for other North American native communities. However, it must be pointed out that the food habits of the native population were very similar to those of non-native populations; less than 30% of the food comes from traditional sources.« less

Competitive effects of introduced annual weeds on some native and reclamation species in the Powder River Basin, Wyoming

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Allen, E.B.; Knight, D.H.

1980-01-01

Four experiments were conducted to examine the competitive effects of introduced annual weeds on certain native and reclamation species. The first experiment was initiated by discing three sites in the Powder River Basin, Wyoming, at three distances from introduced weed seed sources. Introduced weed colonization was greatest when a seed source was located nearby. Higher weed cover resulted in reductions of percent cover, density, and richness of the native species. The second experiment was conducted in the greenhouse and was designed to determine if there are changes in response of S. kali and the native grasses Agropyron smithii and Boutelouamore » gracilis to competition and water regime. Both grass species had lower biomass and higher stomatal resistance when growing in mixed culture with S. kali than in pure culture in the dry regime, but there were no significant differences in the wet regime. In general, the difference in plant response between mixed and pure cultures was more pronounced in the dry than in the wet regime. The third study was a greenhouse experiment on germination and competition of S. kali (a C/sub 4/ species) with native species Lepidium densiflorum (C/sub 3/), Chenopodium pratericola (C/sub 3/), A. smithii (C/sub 3/), and B. gracilis (C/sub 4/) under May, June, and July temperature regimes. Salsola kali germinated equally well in all three regimes, but the other C/sub 4/ species had highest germination in the July regime and the C/sub 3/ species in the May and June regimes. The fourth study was designed to examine the effect of weed colonization on the success of mine reclamation. Little effect was observed, but colonization by introduced annuals was very low. (ERB)« less

Introduced American Bullfrog distribution and diets in Grand Teton National Park

USGS Publications Warehouse

Flynn, Lauren M; Kreofsky, Tess Marie; Sepulveda, Adam

2017-01-01

Introduced American Bullfrogs (Lithobates catesbeianus) have been present in Grand Teton National Park since approximately the 1950s, but little is known about their distribution and potential impacts. In this study, we surveyed the current bullfrog distribution and spatial overlap with sympatric native amphibians in the park, and characterized post-metamorphic bullfrog diets from July – September 2015. Despite surveys in multiple large rivers and floodplain habitats, we only documented bullfrogs in a geothermal pond and 5 km of stream channel immediately downstream of this pond. In these waters, bullfrogs overlapped with native amphibians at the downstream end of their distribution, and we did not document native amphibians in bullfrog stomach contents. Larger bullfrogs (SVL ≥ 96 mm) primarily consumed native rodents (especially meadow voles, Microtus pennsylvanicus), while smaller bullfrogs frequently consumed native invertebrates and less frequently consumed non-native invertebrates and fish. Taken together, these data indicate that the distribution and implications of the bullfrog invasion in Grand Teton National Park are currently localized to a small area, so these bullfrogs should therefore be vulnerable to eradication.

Diets of insectivorous birds along the Colorado River in Grand Canyon, Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Yard, H.K.; van Riper, Charles; Brown, B.T.; Kearsley, M.J.

2004-01-01

We examined diets of six insectivorous bird species (n = 202 individuals) from two vegetation zones along the Colorado River in Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, 1994. All bird species consumed similar quantities of caterpillars and beetles, but use of other prey taxa varied. Non-native leafhoppers (Opsius stactagolus) specific to non-native tamarisk (Tamarix chinensis) substantially augmented Lucy's Warbler (Vermivora luciae) diets (49%), while ants comprised 82% of Yellow-breasted Chat (Icteria virens) diets. Yellow Warbler (Dendroica petechia) diets were composed of 45% aquatic midges. All bird species consumed the non-native leafhopper specific to tamarisk. Comparison of bird diets with availability of arthropod prey from aquatic and terrestrial origins showed terrestrial insects comprised 91% of all avian diets compared to 9% of prey from aquatic origin. Seasonal shifts in arthropod prey occurred in diets of three bird species, although no seasonal shifts were detected in arthropods sampled in vegetation indicating that at least three bird species were not selecting prey in proportion to its abundance. All bird species had higher prey overlap with arthropods collected in the native, mesquite-acacia vegetation zone which contained higher arthropod diversity and better prey items (i.e., Lepidoptera). Lucy's Warbler and Yellow Warbler consumed high proportions of prey items found in greatest abundance in the tamarisk-dominated vegetation zone that has been established since the construction of Glen Canyon Dam. These species appeared to exhibit ecological plasticity in response to an anthropogenic increase in prey resources.

Water temperatures in select nearshore environments of the Colorado River in Grand Canyon, Arizona, during the Low Steady Summer Flow experiment of 2000

USGS Publications Warehouse

Vernieu, William S.; Anderson, Craig R.

2013-01-01

Water releases from Glen Canyon Dam, Arizona, are the primary determinant of streamflow, sediment transport, water quality, and aquatic and riparian habitat availability in the Colorado River downstream of the dam in Grand Canyon. The presence and operation of the dam have transformed the seasonally warm Colorado River into a consistently cold river because of hypolimnetic, or deep-water, releases from the penstock withdrawal structures on the dam. These releases have substantially altered the thermal regime of the downstream riverine environment. This, in turn, has affected the biota of the river corridor, particularly native and nonnative fish communities and the aquatic food web. In the spring and summer of 2000, a Low Steady Summer Flow experiment was conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey and the Bureau of Reclamation to evaluate the effects of the experimental flow on physical and biological resources of the Colorado River ecosystem downstream from Glen Canyon Dam to Lake Mead on the Arizona-Nevada border. This report describes the water temperatures collected during the experimental flow from 14 nearshore sites in the river corridor in Grand Canyon to assess the effects of steady releases on the thermal dynamics of nearshore environments. These nearshore areas are characterized by low-velocity flows with some degree of isolation from the higher velocity flows in the main channel and are hypothesized to be important rearing environments for young native fish. Water-temperature measurements were made at 14 sites, ranging from backwater to open-channel environments. Warming during daylight hours, relative to main-channel temperatures, was measured at all sites in relation to the amount of isolation from the main-channel current. Boat traffic, amount of direct solar radiation, and degree of isolation from the main-channel current appear to be the primary factors affecting the differential warming of the nearshore environment.

Longitudinal differences in habitat complexity and fish assemblage structure of a great plains river

USGS Publications Warehouse

Eitzmann, J.L.; Paukert, C.P.

2010-01-01

We investigated the spatial variation in the Kansas River (USA) fish assemblage to determine how fish community structure changes with habitat complexity in a large river. Fishes were collected at ten sites throughout the Kansas River for assessing assemblage structure in summer 2007. Aerial imagery indicated riparian land use within 200 m from the river edge was dominated by agriculture in the upper river reaches (>35) and tended to increase in urban land use in the lower reaches (>58). Instream habitat complexity (number of braided channels, islands) also decreased with increased urban area (<25). Canonical correspondence analysis indicated that species that prefer high-velocity flows and sandy substrate (e.g., blue sucker Cycleptus elongatus and shovelnose sturgeon Scaphirhynchus platorynchus) were associated with the upper river reaches. Abundance of omnivorous and planktivorous fish species were also higher in the lower river. The presence of fluvial dependent and fluvial specialist species was associated with sites with higher water flows, more sand bars, and log jams. Our results suggest that conserving intolerant, native species in the Kansas River may require maintaining suitable habitat for these species and restoration of impacted areas of the river.

Louisville, KY, USA

NASA Image and Video Library

1973-06-22

SL2-10-260 (22 June 1973) --- The meandering Ohio River bisecting this image is the border between Kentucky and Indiana. Louisville, KY (38.5N, 86.0W) on the south shore, is the main city seen in this predominately agricultural region where much of the native hardwood forests have been preserved in the hilly terrain. The main crops in this region include corn, alfalfa, wheat and soybeans. The dark rectangle in south Indiana near the river is The U.S. Army's Jefferson Proving Ground. Photo credit: NASA

Final Environmental Assessment for Construction and Operation of a Water Treatment Building at Cavalier Air Force Station, North Dakota

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-07-01

complete, the open area around the Building and new underground electrical supply would be landscaped with native vegetation. The installation would...the AFS range from 1,130 feet above mean sea level in the eastern portion to 1,180 feet in the western part. The regional gradient is to the northeast...recreation, and irrigation. The Pembina River starts in the Turtle Mountains and enters the Red River of the North at Pembina. It drains 1,960

Defining ecosystem flow requirements for the Bill Williams River, Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Shafroth, Patrick B.; Beauchamp, Vanessa B.

2006-01-01

Alteration of natural river flows resulting from the construction and operation of dams can result in substantial changes to downstream aquatic and bottomland ecosystems and undermine the long-term health of native species and communities (for general review, cf. Ward and Stanford, 1995; Baron and others, 2002; Nilsson and Svedmark, 2002). Increasingly, land and water managers are seeking ways to manage reservoir releases to produce flow regimes that simultaneously meet human needs and maintain the health and sustainability of downstream biotaa.

Duck Valley Habitat Enhancement and Protection, 2001-2002 Progress Report.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Allen, Mattie H.; Sellman, Jake

The Duck Valley Indian Reservation's Habitat Enhancement project is an ongoing project designed to enhance and protect critical riparian areas, natural springs, the Owhyee River and its tributaries, and native fish spawning areas on the Reservation. The project commenced in 1997 and addresses the Northwest Power Planning Council's measures 10.8C.2, 10.8C.3, and 10.8C.5 of the 1994 Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife Program. The performance period covers dates from April 2001 through August 2002.

Expansion of Non-Native Brown Trout in South Europe May Be Inadvertently Driven by Stocking: Molecular and Social Survey in the North Iberian Narcea River

PubMed Central

Horreo, Jose L.; Abad, David; Dopico, Eduardo; Oberlin, Maud; Garcia-Vazquez, Eva

2015-01-01

The biological and anthropogenic (management) factors that may contribute to the expansion of non-native lineages in managed fish have been studied in this work taking brown trout (Salmo trutta) as a model species. The changes of users’ opinion about stocking was studied employing social science methodology (surveys). The evolution of hatchery stocks together with the outcome of stocking were analysed with two genetic tools: the LDH-C1* locus (marker of non-native stocks) and six microsatellite loci (for assignment of wild trout to the natural population or putative hatchery stocks). Consulted stakeholders were convinced of the correctness of releasing only native stocks, although in practice the hatcheries managed by them contained important proportions of non-native gene carriers. Our results suggest that allochthonous individuals perform better and grow faster in hatchery conditions than the native ones. We also find a dilution of the impact of this kind of suplementation in wild conditions. The use of only native individuals as hatchery breeders tested for the presence of non-native alleles previously to the artificial crosses must be a priority. Surveys can help steer policy making toward decisions that will be followed by the public, but they should not be used to justify science. PMID:26184162

Expansion of Non-Native Brown Trout in South Europe May Be Inadvertently Driven by Stocking: Molecular and Social Survey in the North Iberian Narcea River.

PubMed

Horreo, Jose L; Abad, David; Dopico, Eduardo; Oberlin, Maud; Garcia-Vazquez, Eva

2015-07-09

The biological and anthropogenic (management) factors that may contribute to the expansion of non-native lineages in managed fish have been studied in this work taking brown trout (Salmo trutta) as a model species. The changes of users' opinion about stocking was studied employing social science methodology (surveys). The evolution of hatchery stocks together with the outcome of stocking were analysed with two genetic tools: the LDH-C1* locus (marker of non-native stocks) and six microsatellite loci (for assignment of wild trout to the natural population or putative hatchery stocks). Consulted stakeholders were convinced of the correctness of releasing only native stocks, although in practice the hatcheries managed by them contained important proportions of non-native gene carriers. Our results suggest that allochthonous individuals perform better and grow faster in hatchery conditions than the native ones. We also find a dilution of the impact of this kind of suplementation in wild conditions. The use of only native individuals as hatchery breeders tested for the presence of non-native alleles previously to the artificial crosses must be a priority. Surveys can help steer policy making toward decisions that will be followed by the public, but they should not be used to justify science.

INVASION DYNAMICS OF RED SHINERS (CYPRINELLA LUTRENSIS) IN SOUTHEASTERN STREAMS

EPA Science Inventory

Red shiners have invaded a range of North American ecosystems, including several southeastern U.S. river drainages. A principle consequence of these invasions is extirpation of native congeners, either through competition or hydridization. We are conducting research to identify...

76 FR 43704 - Notice of Intent To Prepare an Amendment to the 1992 Three Rivers Resource Management Plan for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-21

... process is to determine relevant issues that will influence the scope of the environmental analysis... following issues: Lands and realty management and social and economic values. Native American tribal...

River-corridor habitat dynamics, Lower Missouri River

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jacobson, Robert B.

2010-01-01

Intensive management of the Missouri River for navigation, flood control, and power generation has resulted in substantial physical changes to the river corridor. Historically, the Missouri River was characterized by a shifting, multithread channel and abundant unvegetated sandbars. The shifting channel provided a wide variety of hydraulic environments and large areas of connected and unconnected off-channel water bodies.Beginning in the early 1800s and continuing to the present, the channel of the Lower Missouri River (downstream from Sioux City, Iowa) has been trained into a fast, deep, single-thread channel to stabilize banks and maintain commercial navigation. Wing dikes now concentrate the flow, and revetments and levees keep the channel in place and disconnect it from the flood plain. In addition, reservoir regulation of the Missouri River upstream of Yankton, South Dakota, has substantially changed the annual hydrograph, sediment loads, temperature regime, and nutrient budgets.While changes to the Missouri River have resulted in broad social and economic benefits, they have also been associated with loss of river-corridor habitats and diminished populations of native fish and wildlife species. Today, Missouri River stakeholders are seeking ways to restore some natural ecosystem benefits of the Lower Missouri River without compromising traditional economic uses of the river and flood plain.

Towards Biological Restoration of Tehran Megalopolis River Valleys- Case Study: Farahzad River

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samadi, Nafishe; Oveis Torabi, Seyed; Akhani, Hossein

2017-04-01

Towards biological restoration of Tehran megalopolis river-valleys: case study Farahzad river 1Nafiseh Samadi, 2OveisTorabi, 3Hossein Akhani 1Mahsab Shargh Company, Tehran ,Iran, nafiseh19@gmail.com 2 Mahsab Shargh Company, Tehran ,Iran, weg@tna-co.com 3Department of Plant Sciences, Halophytes and C4 Research Laboratory, School of Biology, College of Sciences, University of Tehran, PO Box 14155-6455, Tehran, Iran, akhani@khayam.ut.ac.ir Tehran is located in northcentral parts of Iran on the alluvium of southern Alborz Mountains. Seven rivers originated from the highlands of N Tehran run inside and around the city. Many of these river valleys have been deformed by a variety of urban utilizations such as garden, building, canal, park, autobahn etc. Tehran with more than eight million populations suffered from adverse environmental conditions such as pollution and scarcity of natural habitats for recreational activities. Ecological restoration of altered river valleys of Tehran is one of the priorities of Tehran municipality started as a pilot project in Farahzad river. Intensive disturbance, conversion into various urban utilization, illegal building construction, waste water release into the river, garbage accumulation, artificial park constructions and domination of invasive species have largely altered the river. Parts of the river located in Pardisan Nature Park was studied before its complete deformation into a modern park. The riparian vegetation consisted of Tamarix ramosissima and Salix acmophylla shrubs with large number of aquatic and palustric plants. The norther parts of the river still contain semi-natural vegetation which change into patchy and intensive degraded habitats towards its southern parts. In northern parts of valley there are old gardens of Morus alba and Juglans regia, and planted trees such as Plataneus oreientalis and Acer negundo. Salix acmophylla, Fraxinus excelsior and Celtis caucasica are native species growing on river margin or surrounding steep slopes. The rare local endemic Convolvulus gracillimus still occurs in surrounding dry slopes. Ailanthus altissima is an invasive introduced tree largely occupied disturbed habitats and slopes of the valley associated with large number of ruderals belonging to genera Amaranthus, Bassia, Chenopodium, Echinochloa, Heliotropium, Tribulus etc. Restoration plan include 1. Study of past biological and geomorphological conditions of the area based on remnants of vegetation and aerial and satellite imaginary data 2. Survey of present environmental conditions of the area including identification native and introduced plants and animals, assessing the degree of originality of existing vegetation and cultural landscapes and abiotic factors. 3. Soil reclamation and topography improvements towards cultivation and/or formation of natural vegetation.

Kokanee Stocking and Monitoring, Flathead Lake, 1993-1994 Annual Report.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Deleray, Mark; Fredenberg, Wade; Hansen, Barry

1995-07-01

One mitigation goal of the Hungry Horse Dam fisheries mitigation program, funded by the Bonneville Power Administration, is to replace lost production of 100,000 adult kokanee in Flathead Lake. The mitigation program calls for a five-year test to determine if kokanee can be reestablished in Flathead Lake. The test consists. of annual stocking of one million hatchery-raised yearling kokanee. There are three benchmarks for judging the success of the kokanee reintroduction effort: (1) Post-stocking survival of 30 percent of planted kokanee one year after stocking; (2) Yearling to adult survival of 10 percent (100,000 adult salmon); (3) Annual kokanee harvestmore » of 50,000 or more fish per year by 1998, with an average length of 11 inches or longer for harvested fish, and fishing pressure of 100,000 angler hours or more. Kokanee were the primary sport fish species in the Flathead Lake fishery in the early 1900s, and up until the late 1980s when the population rapidly declined in numbers and then disappeared. Factors identified which influenced the decline of kokanee are the introduction of opossum shrimp (Mysis relicta), hydroelectric operations, overharvest through angling, and competition and/or predation by lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) and lake whitefish (Coregonur clupeaformis). The purpose of this report was to summarize the stocking program and present monitoring results from the 1993 and 1994 field seasons. In June 1993, roughly 210,000 yearling kokanee were stocked into two bays on the east shore of Flathead Lake. Following stocking, we observed a high incidence of stocked kokanee in stomach samples from lake trout captured in areas adjacent to the stocking sites and a high percentage of captured lake trout containing kokanee. Subsequent monitoring concluded that excessive lake trout predation precluded significant survival of kokanee stocked in 1993. In June 1994, over 802,000 kokanee were stocked into Big Arm Bay. The combination of near optimum water temperatures, an upsurge in the abundance of Duphniu rhorum, and saturation planting in an area believed to have lower lake trout densities was expected to maximize short-term survival of stocked kokanee. A net-pen experiment demonstrated that yearling hatchery kokanee, in the absence of predation, adjusted to conditions in Flathead Lake and utilized available zooplankton during June and July without substantial poststocking mortality. Kokanee captured after several months in the lake exhibited good growth and condition. We concluded that the food supply in Big Arm Bay was not limiting survival of stocked kokanee. The 1994 monitoring objective was to quantify lake trout predation of kokanee in Big Arm Bay in the first eight weeks following stocking. There were three components needed to quantify predation; estimated number of lake trout in Big Arm Bay, average number of kokanee consumed by lake trout, and estimated time required for lake trout to digest kokanee. As in the previous year, the monitoring results from the 1994 kokanee plant demonstrated that lake trout predation is the primary factor reducing survival of stocked kokanee. We estimated that lake trout consumed a minimum of 232,000 kokanee in Big Arm Bay during the first eight weeks following stocking. This represents 29 percent of kokanee planted. The consumption estimate was based on a hydroacoustic estimate for lake trout abundance (7,850 fish over 300 mm in total length), an incidence of kokanee per lake trout stomach sample which ranged from 2.99 to 0.22 fish, and a gastric evacuation rate of 47 hours for lake trout to digest consumed kokanee. Due to hydroacoustic limitations in identifying bottom-oriented lake trout, we underestimated the true abundance of lake trout, which led to an underestimate of kokanee mortality. By fall of 1994, we estimated that an additional 12.7 percent of surviving kokanee matured, based on observations of similar-sized fish in the hatchery. Thus, up to 72,000 additional fish were removed from the population due to early maturation. Adding the loss due to predation in the first eight weeks (232,000) to the loss due to early maturation (72,000), we accounted for mortality of at least 304,000 (38 percent) of the original 802,000 fish planted. These estimates did not account for additional losses, including predation outside Big Arm Bay, predation in the months following July, and predation from species other than lake trout, such as bull trout and northern squawfish. We documented lake trout predation of kokanee from June through October, and predation by fish species other than lake trout. One of the program goals is to achieve post-stocking survival of 30 percent one year after planting. Based on observations of the 1994 program, it is unlikely we will achieve this level of survival from the 1994 plant.« less

Interactions between non-native armored suckermouth catfish (Loricariidae: Pterygoplichthys) and native Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) in artesian springs

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nico, Leo G.; Loftus, William F.; Reid, James P.

2009-01-01

Non-native suckermouth armored catfishes (Loricariidae) of the genus Pterygoplichthys are now common throughout much of peninsular Florida. In this paper, we present preliminary observations on interactions between a Pterygoplichthys species, tentatively identified as P. disjunctivus (Weber, 1991), and endangered native Florida manatees, Trichechus manatus latirostris (Harlan, 1824), in artesian spring systems in Florida's St. Johns River drainage. The introduced catfish have become abundant in spring habitats, sites used by manatees as winter thermal refuges. In the spring runs, Pterygoplichthys regularly attaches to manatees and grazes the epibiota on their skin. On occasion, dozens of Pterygoplichthys congregate on individual manatees. Manatee responses varied widely; some did not react visibly to attached catfish whereas others appeared agitated and attempted to dislodge the fish. The costs and/or benefits of this interaction to manatees remain unclear.

Columbia River food webs: Developing a broader scientific foundation for river restoration

USGS Publications Warehouse

Alldredge, J. Richard; Beauchamp, David; Bisson, Peter A.; Congleton, James; Henny, Charles; Huntly, Nancy; Lamberson, Roland; Levings, Colin; Naiman, Robert J.; Pearcy, William; Rieman, Bruce; Ruggerone, Greg; Scarnecchia, Dennis; Smouse, Peter; Wood, Chris C.

2011-01-01

The objectives of this report are to provide a fundamental understanding of aquatic food webs in the Columbia River Basin and to illustrate and summarize their influences on native fish restoration efforts. The spatial scope addresses tributaries, impoundments, the free-flowing Columbia and Snake rivers, as well as the estuary and plume. Achieving the Council's vision for the Columbia River Fish and Wildlife Program (NPCC 2009-09) of sustaining a "productive and diverse community" that provides "abundant" harvest, is best accomplished through a time-prioritized action plan, one that complements other approaches while addressing important challenges and uncertainties related to the Basin's food webs. Note that the oceanic food webs, although of immense importance in sustaining fish populations, are not considered beyond the plume since they involve an additional set of complex and rapidly evolving issues. An analysis of oceanic food webs of relevance to the Columbia River requires a separately focused effort (e.g., Hoegh- Guldberg and Bruno 2010).

Restoration Effects of the Riparian Forest on the Intertidal Fish Fauna in an Urban Area of the Amazon River

PubMed Central

Ferrari, Stephen F.; Vasconcelos, Huann C. G.; Mendes-Junior, Raimundo N. G.; Araújo, Andrea S.; Costa-Campos, Carlos Eduardo; Nascimento, Walace S.; Isaac, Victoria J.

2016-01-01

Urbanization causes environmental impacts that threaten the health of aquatic communities and alter their recovery patterns. In this study, we evaluated the diversity of intertidal fish in six areas affected by urbanization (areas with native vegetation, deforested areas, and areas in process of restoration of vegetation) along an urban waterfront in the Amazon River. 20 species were identified, representing 17 genera, 14 families, and 8 orders. The different degrees of habitat degradation had a major effect on the composition of the fish fauna; the two least affected sectors were the only ones in that all 20 species were found. Eight species were recorded in the most degraded areas. The analysis revealed two well-defined groups, coinciding with the sectors in better ecological quality and degraded areas, respectively. The native vegetation has been identified as the crucial factor to the recovery and homeostasis of the studied ecosystem, justifying its legal protection and its use in the restoration and conservation of altered and threatened environments. These results reinforce the importance of maintaining the native vegetation as well as its restoration in order to benefit of the fish populations in intertidal zones impacted by alterations resulting from inadequate urbanization. PMID:27699201

Assessing Ecological Flow Needs and Risks for Springs and Baseflow Streams With Growth and Climate Change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Springer, A. E.; Stevens, L. E.

2008-12-01

Ecological flow needs assessments are beginning to become an important part of regulated river management, but are more challenging for unregulated rivers. Water needs for ecosystems are greater than just consumptive use by riparian and aquatic vegetation and include the magnitude, frequency, duration and timing of flows and the depth and annual fluctuations of groundwater levels of baseflow supported streams. An ecological flow needs assessment was adapted and applied to an unregulated, baseflow dependent river in the arid to semi-arid Southwestern U.S. A separate process was developed to determine groundwater sources potentially at risk from climate, land management, or groundwater use changes in a large regional groundwater basin in the same semi-arid region. In 2007 and 2008, workshops with ecological, cultural, and physical experts from agencies, universities, tribes, and other organizations were convened. Flow-ecology response functions were developed with either conceptual or actual information for a baseflow dependent river, and scoring systems were developed to assign values to categories of risks to groundwater sources in a large groundwater basin. A reduction of baseflow to the river was predicted to lead to a decline in cottonwood and willow tree abundance, decreases in riparian forest diversity, and increases in non-native tree species, such as tamarisk. These types of forest vegetation changes would likely cause reductions or loss of some bird species. Loss of riffle habitat through declines in groundwater discharge and the associated river levels would likely lead to declines in native fish and amphibian species. A research agenda was developed to develop techniques to monitor, assess and hopefully better manage the aquifers supporting the baseflow dependent river to prevent potential threshold responses of the ecosystems. The scoring system for categories of risk was applied to four systems (aquifers, springs, standing water bodies, and streams) in the groundwater basin. The process was developed to allow water managers to assess and prioritize potential impacts to the biological, historical, or cultural aspects of the four types of systems from groundwater abstraction. These approaches can be adapted to other baseflow dependent, unregulated rivers or to assess risks to natural features associated with water sources in other regions.

Maintaining population persistence in the face of an extremely altered hydrograph: implications for three sensitive fishes in a tributary of the Green River, Utah

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bottcher, Jared L.

2009-01-01

The ability of an organism to disperse to suitable habitats, especially in modified and fragmented systems, determines individual fitness and overall population viability. The bluehead sucker (Catostomus discobolus), flannelmouth sucker (Catostomus latipinnis), and roundtail chub (Gila robusta) are three species native to the upper Colorado River Basin that now occupy only 50% of their historic range. Despite these distributional declines, populations of all three species are present in the San Rafael River, a highly regulated tributary of the Green River, Utah, providing an opportunity for research. Our goal was to determine the timing and extent of movement, habitat preferences, and limiting factors, ultimately to guide effective management and recovery of these three species. In 2007-2008, we sampled fish from 25 systematically selected, 300-m reaches in the lower 64 km of the San Rafael River, spaced to capture the range of species, life-stages, and habitat conditions present. We implanted all target species with a passive integrated transponder (PIT) tag, installed a passive PIT tag antennae, and measured key habitat parameters throughout each reach and at the site of native fish capture. We used random forest modeling to identify and rank the most important abiotic and biotic predictor variables, and reveal potential limiting factors in the San Rafael River. While flannelmouth sucker were relatively evenly distributed within our study area, highest densities of roundtail chub and bluehead sucker occurred in isolated, upstream reaches characterized by complex habitat. In addition, our movement and length-frequency data indicate downstream drift of age-0 roundtail chub, and active upstream movement of adult flannelmouth sucker, both from source populations, providing the lower San Rafael River with colonists. Our random forest analysis highlights the importance of pools, riffles, and distance-to-source populations, suggesting that bluehead sucker and roundtail chub are habitat limited in the lower San Rafael River. These results suggest management efforts should focus on diversifying habitat, maintaining in-stream flow, and removing barriers to movement.

Using place-based curricula to teach about restoring river systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zalles, D. R.; Collins, B. D.; Updegrave, C.; Montgomery, D. R.; Colonnese, T. G.; Sheikh, A. J.; Haynie, K.; Johnson, V.; Data Sets; Inquiry in Environmental Restoration Studies (Nsf Geo Project 0808076)

2010-12-01

Zalles, Daniel R. (Center for Technology in Learning, SRI International) Collins, Brian D., Updegrave, Cynthia, Montgomery, David R., Colonnese, Thomas G., Sheikh, Amir J., (University of Washington) Haynie, Kathleen., Johnson, Vonda. (Haynie Research and Evaluation) A collaborative team from the University of Washington and SRI International is developing place based curricula about complex river systems. This NSF-funded project, known as Data Sets and Inquiry in Environmental Restoration Studies (DIGERS), is producing and piloting curricula on river systems of the Puget Sound over a two-year period at the University of Washington and at a public high school on an Indian reservation. At the high school, DIGERS is developing for a population of Native American students a geoscience curriculum that is embedded in their culture and bio-physical environment. At the UW, the goal is to teach about rivers as integrated physical, biological, and human systems that are products of their unique geological and human histories. The curriculum addresses the challenge of teaching general principles about rivers in a way that develops students’ capability to develop a more sophisticated understanding of the interplay of attributes that characterize a particular river at a point in time. Undergraduate students also learn about the challenges of trying to "restore" local river environments to some past condition, including the pitfall of over-generalizing the efficacy of human interventions from one river system to another. For the high school curriculum, a web site is being produced that integrates modules of general information about the focal scientific phenomena (e.g., rivers and floodplains; how human activities influence rivers; salmon habitat) and data and inquiry-related skills (e.g., how to reconstruct historical change) with place based historical and contemporary information about a specific river environment: the Snohomish River watershed. This information consists of activity recommendations for the high school teacher to use in the classroom and on field trips in the river network that illustrate principles and issues and having cultural significance to the Native American community. The web site will support the teacher carrying out these activities by presenting background information on relevant geoscience topics. There is also reliance on Indian traditional ecological knowledge, stories, and place names that complement scientific data. Binding these materials are cases, short narratives that describe real challenges pertaining to the students’ Indian Tribe and to the Snohomish River system. These cases are the stimuli for student investigation of the curricular resources. The AGU presentation will also present examples from journal assignments in the undergraduate course of how student understanding about the dynamic and complex characteristics of river systems evolved during the course.

The effect of activated carbon on partitioning, desorption, and biouptake of native polychlorinated biphenyls in four freshwater sediments.

PubMed

Sun, Xueli; Ghosh, Upal

2008-11-01

The present study evaluated the effect of activated carbon amendment in four freshwater sediments from the Great Lakes (North America) areas of concern with a wide range of sediment geochemical characteristics (0.83-5.1% total organic carbon) and polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) concentrations (0.33-84.7 microg/g). The work focused on understanding the impact of activated carbon amendment on PCB aqueous partitioning, PCB desorption characteristics, and PCB biouptake in a freshwater oligochaete (Lumbriculus variegatus). The results showed that PCB aqueous equilibrium concentrations, rapid desorption fractions, and biouptake by the oligochaete were reduced after activated carbon amendment. Addition of activated carbon at a dose of 0.5-fold native organic carbon reduced PCB bioaccumulation by 42% for Niagara River sediment, 85% for Grasse River sediment, 74% for Milwaukee River sediment 1, and 70% for Milwaukee River sediment 2. A linear relationship was observed between log biota-sediment accumulation factor and the first 6-h desorption fractions for each PCB homologue for treated and untreated sediments. Water-lipid bioconcentration factors for PCB congeners were largely conserved after amendment with activated carbon. Our present results suggest that at steady state, changes in the aqueous PCB concentrations can be used to predict changes in PCB bioaccumulation in deposit-feeding organisms. Thus, use of advanced pore-water measurement techniques, such as solid-phase extraction passive samplers, may be suitable for long-term monitoring of treatment performance.

The role of large predators in maintaining riparian plant communities and river morphology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beschta, Robert L.; Ripple, William J.

2012-07-01

Studies assessing the potential for large predators to affect, via trophic cascades, the dynamics of riparian plant communities and the morphology of river channels have been largely absent in the scientific literature. Herein, we consider the results of recent studies involving three national parks in the western United States: Yellowstone, Olympic, and Zion. Within each park, key large predators were extirpated or displaced in the early 1900s and subsequent browsing pressure by native ungulates initiated long-term declines in recruitment (i.e., growth of seedlings/sprouts into tall saplings and trees) of palatable woody species and impairment of other resources. Channel responses to browsing-suppressed riparian vegetation included increased widths of active channels via accelerated bank erosion, erosion of floodplains and erraces, increased area of unvegetated alluvium, channel incision, and increased braiding. A reduced frequency of overbank flows indicated these rivers have become increasingly disconnected from historical floodplains because of channel widening/incision. Results from Zion National Park also identified major biodiversity affects (e.g., reduced abundance of plant and animal species). Although these studies were conducted in national parks, results may have implications concerning riparian plant communities, biodiversity, and channel morphology for streams and rivers draining other public lands in the western US. It is on these lands that native and introduced ungulates have often heavily utilized riparian areas, largely in the absence of key predators, with significant consequences to plant communities and channels.

Slaty-backed Gull in Sullivan Co., NY

USGS Publications Warehouse

Freer, V.; Haas, J.; Buckley, P.A.

2002-01-01

An adult Slaty-backed Gull (Larus schistisagus) was found and photographed at Neversink Reservoir, Sullivan Co., NY on 20 February 2002. A native of northeastern Eurasia and northern Japan, this species is rare along the Bering coast of Alaska, and there are only a handful of scattered records in the lower 48 state since the first in St Louis along the Mississippi River in late 1983. There is one previous New York State occurrence, in the Niagara River Gorge area of NY/ONT, 24 November-29 December 1992. The Sullivan Co. adult is the closest confirmed Slaty-backed Gull to the Atlantic Coast; recent single individuals along the Susquehanna River in MD, and at Cape Hatteras NC remain in dispute.

Aquatic assemblages of the highly urbanized Santa Ana River Basin, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brown, Larry R.; Burton, Carmen; Belitz, Kenneth

2005-01-01

We assessed the structure of periphyton, benthic macroinvertebrate, and fish assemblages and their associations with environmental variables at 17 sites on streams of the highly urbanized Santa Ana River basin in Southern California. All assemblages exhibited strong differences between highly urbanized sites in the valley and the least-impacted sites at the transition between the valley and undeveloped mountains. Results within the urbanized area differed among taxa. Periphyton assemblages were dominated by diatoms (>75% of total taxa). Periphyton assemblages within the urbanized area were not associated with any of the measured environmental variables, suggesting that structure of urban periphyton assemblages might be highly dependent on colonization dynamics. The number of Ephemeroptera, Trichoptera, and Plecoptera (EPT) taxa included in macroinvertebrate assemblages ranged from 0 to 6 at urbanized sites. Benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages had significant correlations with several environmental variables within the urban area, suggesting that stream size and permanence were important determinants of distribution among the species able to survive conditions in urban streams. Only 4 of 16 fish species collected were native to the drainage. Fish assemblages of urbanized sites included two native species, arroyo chub Gila orcuttii and Santa Ana sucker Catostomus santaanae, at sites that were intermediate in coefficient of variation of bank-full width, depth, bed substrate, and water temperature. Alien species dominated urbanized sites with lesser or greater values for these variables. These results suggest that urban streams can be structured to enhance populations of native fishes. Continued study of urban streams in the Santa Ana River basin and elsewhere will contribute to the basic understanding of ecological principles and help preserve the maximum ecological value of streams in highly urbanized areas.

Native fishes in the Truckee River: Are in-stream structures and patterns of population genetic structure related?

PubMed

Peacock, Mary M; Gustin, Mae S; Kirchoff, Veronica S; Robinson, Morgan L; Hekkala, Evon; Pizzarro-Barraza, Claudia; Loux, Tim

2016-09-01

In-stream structures are recognized as significant impediments to movement for freshwater fishes. Apex predators such as salmonids have been the focus of much research on the impacts of such barriers to population dynamics and population viability however much less research has focused on native fishes, where in-stream structures may have a greater impact on long term population viability of these smaller, less mobile species. Patterns of genetic structure on a riverscape can provide information on which structures represent real barriers to movement for fish species and under what specific flow conditions. Here we characterize the impact of 41 dam and diversion structures on movement dynamics under varying flow conditions for a suite of six native fishes found in the Truckee River of California and Nevada. Microsatellite loci were used to estimate total allelic diversity, effective population size and assess genetic population structure. Although there is spatial overlap among species within the river there are clear differences in species distributions within the watershed. Observed population genetic structure was associated with in-stream structures, but only under low flow conditions. High total discharge in 2006 allowed fish to move over potential barriers resulting in no observed population genetic structure for any species in 2007. The efficacy of in-stream structures to impede movement and isolate fish emerged only after multiple years of low flow conditions. Our results suggest that restricted movement of fish species, as a result of in-stream barriers, can be mitigated by flow management. However, as flow dynamics are likely to be altered under global climate change, fragmentation due to barriers could isolate stream fishes into small subpopulations susceptible to both demographic losses and losses of genetic variation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Genetic variation in westslope cutthroat trout Oncorhynchusclarkii lewisi: implications for conservation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Daniel P. Drinan,; Kalinowski, Steven T.; Vu, Ninh V.; Shepard, Bradley B.; Muhlfeld, Clint C.; Campbell, Matthew R.

2011-01-01

Twenty-five populations of westslope cutthroat trout from throughout their native range were genotyped at 20 microsatellite loci to describe the genetic structure of westslope cutthroat trout. The most genetic diversity (heterozygosity, allelic richness, and private alleles) existed in populations from the Snake River drainage, while populations from the Missouri River drainage had the least. Neighbor-joining trees grouped populations according to major river drainages. A great amount of genetic differentiation was present among and within all drainages. Based on Nei’s DS, populations in the Snake River were the most differentiated, while populations in the Missouri River were the least. This pattern of differentiation is consistent with a history of sequential founding events through which westslope cutthroat trout may have experienced a genetic bottleneck as they colonized each river basin from the Snake to the Clark Fork to the Missouri river. These data should serve as a starting point for a discussion on management units and possible distinct population segments. Given the current threats to the persistence of westslope cutthroat trout, and the substantial genetic differentiation between populations, these topics warrant attention.

Return of a giant: DNA from archival museum samples helps to identify a unique cutthroat trout lineage formerly thought to be extinct.

PubMed

Peacock, Mary M; Hekkala, Evon R; Kirchoff, Veronica S; Heki, Lisa G

2017-11-01

Currently one small, native population of the culturally and ecologically important Lahontan cutthroat trout ( Oncorhynchus clarkii henshawi , LCT, Federally listed) remains in the Truckee River watershed of northwestern Nevada and northeastern California. The majority of populations in this watershed were extirpated in the 1940s due to invasive species, overharvest, anthropogenic water consumption and changing precipitation regimes. In 1977, a population of cutthroat trout discovered in the Pilot Peak Mountains in the Bonneville basin of Utah, was putatively identified as the extirpated LCT lacustrine lineage native to Pyramid Lake in the Truckee River basin based on morphological and meristic characters. Our phylogenetic and Bayesian genotype clustering analyses of museum specimens collected from the large lakes (1872-1913) and contemporary samples collected from populations throughout the extant range provide evidence in support of a genetically distinct Truckee River basin origin for this population. Analysis of museum samples alone identified three distinct genotype clusters and historical connectivity among water bodies within the Truckee River basin. Baseline data from museum collections indicate that the extant Pilot Peak strain represents a remnant of the extirpated lacustrine lineage. Given the limitations on high-quality data when working with a sparse number of preserved museum samples, we acknowledge that, in the end, this may be a more complicated story. However, the paucity of remnant populations in the Truckee River watershed, in combination with data on the distribution of morphological, meristic and genetic data for Lahontan cutthroat trout, suggests that recovery strategies, particularly in the large lacustrine habitats should consider this lineage as an important part of the genetic legacy of this species.

Integrating active restoration with environmental flows to improve native riparian tree establishment in the Colorado River Delta

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schlatter, Karen; Grabau, Matthew R.; Shafroth, Patrick B.; Zamora-Arroyo, Francisco

2017-01-01

Drastic alterations to river hydrology, land use change, and the spread of the nonnative shrub, tamarisk (Tamarix spp.), have led to the degradation of riparian habitat in the Colorado River Delta in Mexico. Delivery of environmental flows to promote native cottonwood (Populus spp.) and willow (Salix spp.) recruitment in human-impacted riparian systems can be unsuccessful due to flow-magnitude constraints and altered abiotic–biotic feedbacks. In 2014, an experimental pulse flow of water was delivered to the Colorado River in Mexico as part of the U.S.-Mexico binational agreement, Minute 319. We conducted a field experiment to assess the effects of vegetation removal, seed augmentation, and environmental flows, separately and in combination, on germination and first-year seedling establishment of cottonwood, willow, and tamarisk at five replicate sites along 5 river km. The relatively low-magnitude flow deliveries did not substantively restore natural fluvial processes of erosion, sediment deposition, and vegetation scour, but did provide wetted surface soils, shallow groundwater, and low soil salinity. Cottonwood and willow only established in wetted, cleared treatments, and establishment was variable in these treatments due to variable site conditions and inundation duration and timing. Wetted soils, bare surface availability, soil salinity, and seed availability were significant factors contributing to successful cottonwood and willow germination, while soil salinity and texture affected seedling persistence over the growing season. Tamarisk germinated and persisted in a wider range of environmental conditions than cottonwood and willow, including in un-cleared treatment areas. Our results suggest that site management can increase cottonwood and willow recruitment success from low-magnitude environmental flow events, an approach that can be applied in other portions of the Delta and to other human-impacted riparian systems across the world with similar ecological limitations.

Spatial patterns of native freshwater mussels in the Upper Mississippi River

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ries, Patricia R.; DeJager, Nathan R.; Zigler, Steven J.; Newton, Teresa

2016-01-01

Multiple physical and biological factors structure freshwater mussel communities in large rivers, and their distributions have been described as clumped or patchy. However, few surveys of mussel populations have been conducted over areas large enough and at resolutions fine enough to quantify spatial patterns in their distribution. We used global and local indicators of spatial autocorrelation (i.e., Moran’s I) to quantify spatial patterns of adult and juvenile (≤5 y of age) freshwater mussels across multiple scales based on survey data from 4 reaches (navigation pools 3, 5, 6, and 18) of the Upper Mississippi River, USA. Native mussel densities were sampled at a resolution of ∼300 m and across distances ranging from 21 to 37 km, making these some of the most spatially extensive surveys conducted in a large river. Patch density and the degree and scale of patchiness varied by river reach, age group, and the scale of analysis. In all 4 pools, some patches of adults overlapped patches of juveniles, suggesting spatial and temporal persistence of adequate habitat. In pools 3 and 5, patches of juveniles were found where there were few adults, suggesting recent emergence of positive structuring mechanisms. Last, in pools 3, 5, and 6, some patches of adults were found where there were few juveniles, suggesting that negative structuring mechanisms may have replaced positive ones, leading to a lack of localized recruitment. Our results suggest that: 1) the detection of patches of freshwater mussels requires a multiscaled approach, 2) insights into the spatial and temporal dynamics of structuring mechanisms can be gained by conducting independent analyses of adults and juveniles, and 3) maps of patch distributions can be used to guide restoration and management actions and identify areas where mussels are most likely to influence ecosystem function.

Return of a giant: DNA from archival museum samples helps to identify a unique cutthroat trout lineage formerly thought to be extinct

PubMed Central

Hekkala, Evon R.; Kirchoff, Veronica S.; Heki, Lisa G.

2017-01-01

Currently one small, native population of the culturally and ecologically important Lahontan cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii henshawi, LCT, Federally listed) remains in the Truckee River watershed of northwestern Nevada and northeastern California. The majority of populations in this watershed were extirpated in the 1940s due to invasive species, overharvest, anthropogenic water consumption and changing precipitation regimes. In 1977, a population of cutthroat trout discovered in the Pilot Peak Mountains in the Bonneville basin of Utah, was putatively identified as the extirpated LCT lacustrine lineage native to Pyramid Lake in the Truckee River basin based on morphological and meristic characters. Our phylogenetic and Bayesian genotype clustering analyses of museum specimens collected from the large lakes (1872–1913) and contemporary samples collected from populations throughout the extant range provide evidence in support of a genetically distinct Truckee River basin origin for this population. Analysis of museum samples alone identified three distinct genotype clusters and historical connectivity among water bodies within the Truckee River basin. Baseline data from museum collections indicate that the extant Pilot Peak strain represents a remnant of the extirpated lacustrine lineage. Given the limitations on high-quality data when working with a sparse number of preserved museum samples, we acknowledge that, in the end, this may be a more complicated story. However, the paucity of remnant populations in the Truckee River watershed, in combination with data on the distribution of morphological, meristic and genetic data for Lahontan cutthroat trout, suggests that recovery strategies, particularly in the large lacustrine habitats should consider this lineage as an important part of the genetic legacy of this species. PMID:29291110

Responses of biomarkers of a standardized (Cyprinus carpio) and a native (Pimelodella laticeps) fish species after in situ exposure in a periurban zone of Luján river (Argentina).

PubMed

Scarcia, Paola; Calamante, Gabriela; de la Torre, Fernando

2014-05-01

The Luján River basin, which is located in the northwest area of the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, receives different anthropogenic inputs before reaching the Río de la Plata estuary. The aim of this study was to assess the adverse impact of the river in the middle part of the basin. To this end, an in situ cage assay was conducted in two sites of the river (S1 and S2) near Luján city, and the responses of hepatic biomarkers of both a standardized (Cyprinus carpio) and a native (Pimelodella laticeps) species were evaluated. The biomarkers studied were the condition factor and liver somatic indices (LSI), the enzymatic activities of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione-S-transferase (GST), lipid peroxidation levels (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, TBARS) and the induction of hepatic cytochrome P450 1A (CYP1A) and vitellogenin (Vtg) proteins. After 14 days, LSI and GST activity increased, and TBARS levels decreased in both species exposed at S1 and S2. In addition, exposure at both sites promoted an increase in SOD activity and CYP1A induction in C. carpio, while Vtg expression was observed only at S1. A shorter exposure period (7 days) caused an initial response only at S2 mediated only by CAT in P. laticeps. Finally, our results demonstrate that a 14-day period of in situ exposure in Luján River could lead to antioxidant and biotransformation processes in C. carpio and to phase II biotransformation responses in P. laticeps. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Protocol for Monitoring Fish Assemblages in Pacific Northwest National Parks

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brenkman, Samuel J.; Connolly, Patrick J.

2008-01-01

Rivers and streams that drain from Olympic, Mount Rainier, and North Cascades National Parks are among the most protected corridors in the lower 48 States, and represent some of the largest tracts of contiguous, undisturbed habitat throughout the range of several key fish species of the Pacific Northwest. These watersheds are of high regional importance as freshwater habitat sanctuaries for native fish, where habitat conditions are characterized as having little to no disturbance from development, channelization, impervious surfaces, roads, diversions, or hydroelectric projects. Fishery resources are of high ecological and cultural importance in Pacific Northwest National Parks, and significantly contribute to economically important recreational, commercial, and tribal fisheries. This protocol describes procedures to monitor trends in fish assemblages, fish abundance, and water temperature in eight rivers and five wadeable streams in Olympic National Park during summer months, and is based on 4 years of field testing. Fish assemblages link freshwater, marine, and terrestrial ecosystems. They also serve as focal resources of national parks and are excellent indicators of ecological conditions of rivers and streams. Despite the vital importance of native anadromous and resident fish populations, there is no existing monitoring program for fish assemblages in the North Coast and Cascades Network. Specific monitoring objectives of this protocol are to determine seasonal and annual trends in: (1) fish species composition, (2) timing of migration of adult fish, (3) relative abundance, (4) age and size structure, (5) extent of non-native and hatchery fish, and (6) water temperature. To detect seasonal and annual trends in fish assemblages in reference sites, we rely on repeated and consistent annual sampling at each monitoring site. The general rationale for the repeated sampling of reference sites is to ensure that we account for the high interannual variability in fish movements and abundances in rivers. One underlying assumption is that the monitoring program is designed in perpetuity, and consequently our capability to detect trends substantially increases with time. The protocol describes sampling designs, methods, training procedures, safety considerations, data management, data analysis, and reporting. The allocation of sampling effort represents a balance between ecological considerations, a sound monitoring approach, and practical limitations caused by logistical constraints and a limited annual budget of $55,000. The widespread declines of native fish species in western North America highlights the importance and urgency of understanding trends in fish assemblages from undisturbed habitats. Seasonal and annual trends in fish assemblages will provide insights at the individual, population, and assemblage level. This protocol will allow managers to detect increases and decreases in abundance of priority management species, and occurrence of non-native, hatchery, and federally listed fish. The detection of trends in fish assemblages will allow for specific management actions that may include: implementation of more appropriate fishing regulations, evaluation of existing hatchery releases, control of non-native fish species, and prioritization of habitat restoration projects. Dissemination and communication of scientific findings on North Coast and Cascades Network fish assemblages will be a core product of this protocol, which will have much relevance to decision makers, park visitors, researchers, and educators.

Aerial radiometric and magnetic reconnaissance survey of portions of Arizona, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, South Dakota and Washington. Volume 2-F. Lewistown Quadrangle. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1979-06-01

Results of a high-sensitivity, aerial, gamma-ray spectrometer and magnetometer survey of the Lewistown Quadrangle, Montana, are presented. Instrumentation and methods are described in Volume 1 of this final report. Statistical and geological analysis of the radiometric data revealed 58 uranium anomalies worthy of field-checking as possible prospects. One anomaly may be associated with the Cambrian Flathead Quartzite that may contain deposits similar to the Blind River and Rand uranium deposits. Three anomalies may be indicative of sandstone-type deposits in Jurassic rocks, particularly the Morrison Formation, which hosts uranium mineralization elsewhere. One of the latter anomalies is also related to rocksmore » of the Mississippian Madison Group, and this suggests the possible presence of uranium in limestones of the Mission Canyon Formation. There are 45 anomalies related to the Cretaceous rocks. Lignite in the Hell Creek and Judith River formations and Eagle Sandstone may have caused the formation of 22 epigenetic uranium deposits. Many anomalies occur in the Bearpaw Shale and Claggett Formation. However, only five are considered significant of the remainder are expected to be caused by large amounts of radioactive bentonite or bentonitic shale. Two other Cretaceous units that may host sandstone-type deposits are the Colorado Shale and Kootenai Formation that register 16 and two anomalies respectively. Only one anomaly pertains to Tertiary rocks, and it may be indicative of vein-type deposits in the intrusives of the Judith Mountains. These rocks may also act as source rocks for deposits surrounding the Judith Mountains. Eight anomalies related only to Quaternary units may be demonstrative of uranium-rich source rocks that could host uranium mineralization.Several anomalies are located close to oil fields and may have been cause by radium-rich oil-field brines.« less

Practical implementation of a particle filter data assimilation approach to estimate initial hydrologic conditions and initialize medium-range streamflow forecasts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clark, E.; Wood, A.; Nijssen, B.; Newman, A. J.; Mendoza, P. A.

2016-12-01

The System for Hydrometeorological Applications, Research and Prediction (SHARP), developed at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), University of Washington, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, is a fully automated ensemble prediction system for short-term to seasonal applications. It incorporates uncertainty in initial hydrologic conditions (IHCs) and in hydrometeorological predictions. In this implementation, IHC uncertainty is estimated by propagating an ensemble of 100 plausible temperature and precipitation time series through the Sacramento/Snow-17 model. The forcing ensemble explicitly accounts for measurement and interpolation uncertainties in the development of gridded meteorological forcing time series. The resulting ensemble of derived IHCs exhibits a broad range of possible soil moisture and snow water equivalent (SWE) states. To select the IHCs that are most consistent with the observations, we employ a particle filter (PF) that weights IHC ensemble members based on observations of streamflow and SWE. These particles are then used to initialize ensemble precipitation and temperature forecasts downscaled from the Global Ensemble Forecast System (GEFS), generating a streamflow forecast ensemble. We test this method in two basins in the Pacific Northwest that are important for water resources management: 1) the Green River upstream of Howard Hanson Dam, and 2) the South Fork Flathead River upstream of Hungry Horse Dam. The first of these is characterized by mixed snow and rain, while the second is snow-dominated. The PF-based forecasts are compared to forecasts based on a single IHC (corresponding to median streamflow) paired with the full GEFS ensemble, and 2) the full IHC ensemble, without filtering, paired with the full GEFS ensemble. In addition to assessing improvements in the spread of IHCs, we perform a hindcast experiment to evaluate the utility of PF-based data assimilation on streamflow forecasts at 1- to 7-day lead times.

Biology and management of threatened and endangered western trouts

Treesearch

R. J. Behnke; Mark Zarn

1976-01-01

Discusses taxonomy, reasons for decline, life history and ecology, and suggestions for preservation and management of six closely related trouts native to western North America: Colorado River cutthroat, Salmo clarki pleuriticus; greenback trout, S. c. stomias; Lahontan cutthroat, S. c. henshawi; Paiute trout,...

Spatial dynamics of the vegetation community associated with an invasive emergent macrophyte in a regulated river.

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Successful management of riverine ecosystems often requires mitigation of alien plant invasions. Understanding how environmental variation within watersheds influences distribution and spread of invasive plants is essential to restoring impacted ecological functions and conserving native plant commu...

Fish and chips? Implanted transmitters help map the endangered pallid sturgeon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chojnacki, Kimberly; DeLonay, Aaron

2011-01-01

With a flattened snout, long slender tail and rows of bony plates lining its body, the pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus) has a unique, almost pre-historic, appearance. This endangered fish is native to the muddy, free-flowing waters of the Missouri River.

MICROSATELLITE CHARACTERIZATION IN CENTRAL STONEROLLER CAMPOSTOMA ANOMALUM (PISCES: CYPRINIDAE)

EPA Science Inventory

The central stoneroller (Campostoma anomalum) is a small cyprinid fish that is native to streams and rivers of central and eastern North America. It can be found in a range of anthropo- genically modified habitats, ranging from nearly pristine to highly polluted waters (Zimmerma...

Evapotranspiration from forage grass replacing native vegetation in the Gila River valley of Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Leppanen, O.E.

1981-01-01

Estimates of evapotranspiration from an area of forage grass, which had been planted to replace native vegetation of little economic value, were made daily for a 363-day period in 1969 and 1970. The measurement site was located in the Gila River valley in east-central Arizona. The forage, panigrass (Panicum antidotale Retz.), grew from seed during the early summer of 1969 and after winterkill, regrew in 1970. Daily evapotranspiration estimates, which were based on energy budget measurements, ranged from a maximum of 9.2 millimeters to small amounts of condensation. Two daily values of substantial condensation (0.9 and 0.4 millimeter) were of dubious quality, but were retained in the record. The annual evapotranspiration was 989 millimeters, of which about 332 millimeters came from precipitation at the site. The water table fluctuated between 210 and 280 centimeters below land surface. However, the measurement site was near a wash, so that undocumented, shallower subterranean flows may have occurred. (USGS)

Diets and diet overlap of nonindigenous gobies and small benthic native fishes co-inhabiting the St. Clair River, Michigan

USGS Publications Warehouse

French, John R. P.; Jude, David J.

2001-01-01

Round gobies (Neogobius melanostomus), after successfully reproducing in the early 1990s, decimated populations of mottled sculpins (Cottus bairdi) and possibly logperch (Percina caprodes) in the St. Clair River. Studies were conducted during 1994 to determine whether diets of round and tubenose (Proterorhinus marmoratus) gobies overlapped with those of native forage fishes. In the nearshore zone (depth ≤ 1 m), round and tubenose gobies, logperch, and rainbow darters (Etheostoma caeruleum) of similar sizes (total lengths < 75 mm) consumed mainly small-sized macroinvertebrates (dipterans, Caenis, and amphipods) during June 1994. Logperch and rainbow darters were present in the nearshore zone only during this month. At the crest of the channel slope (depth = 3 m), round gobies and northern madtoms (Noturus stigmosus) ate mostly ephemeropteran nymphs (Hexagenia and Baetisca), while predation on zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) and other mollusks by round gobies was minimal. Northern madtoms did not feed on mollusks. Diet overlap between round gobies and native fishes was not observed at the channel slope (depth = 5 m and 7 m) due to heavy predation on mollusks by round gobies. Young-of-the-year (YOY) round gobies migrated to deeper water in autumn and became prey of mottled sculpins and northern madtoms. Eggs and YOY of mottled sculpins may have become vulnerable to predation by both round gobies and native fishes in deeper water, since adult mottled sculpins were apparently confined to the channel with limited home range because aggressive round gobies occupied preferred shallow habitat, including spawning sites.