Perceived Influence and Response of River Users to Invasive Bighead and Silver Carp in the Illinois River

Two United States federally injurious fishes, bighead(Hypophthalmichthys nobilis)and silver carp(H. molitrix),are established in the Mississippi River Basinand have the potential tocolonize the Laurentian Great Lakes. Given this imminentthreat, a critical need for stakeholders is an understanding ofthe potential social influences of this invasion oncommunities that rely upon the ecosystems bighead and silvercarp now inhabit; influences so far unstudied. Using intercept surveys (n= 469), we tested forthe potential social influencesof bighead and silvercarp in four river communities;three in which they haveestablishedpopulations(test, Illinois River, Illinois) and one in which they have not(control, Mississippi River, Iowa). Reported principal differences between test and control sites were observed for recreational fishing, aestheticappreciation of the river, and experience with bighead and silvercarp. Our exploratory results indicate that bighead and silvercarp may have a negative influence on river usage.Illinois Natural History Surveyunpublishednot peer reviewedOpe

Has River use in the Mississippi River Basin changed Following the Invasion of Asian Carp?

Abstract Invasive bighead (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis) and silver carp (H. molitrix) are two federally injurious fishes, commonly referred to as Asian carp, found in the Mississippi River Basin. We hypothesized that silver carp, in particular, may negatively influence river users due to their tendency to leap from the water when startled. We tested whether Asian carp have influenced stakeholder use in a low fish density Mississippi River city and three high fish density cities of the Illinois River between June 2010 and July 2011 using intercept surveys. Our response rate was 39 %. Our results suggest that most respondents use these rivers for recreational purposes. Boating, swimming, and aesthetic uses of the Illinois River changed between 2010 and 2011. Nearly three quarters of Illinois River town users who have observed an Asian carp jump have been hit by one. Our findings may help susceptible river towns prepare for social, cultural, and economic changes due to these invasive fishes

Supplementary data and analysis for estimating walleye selectivity

This document has been issued as VIMS Data Report 61 and provides data tables and results of exploratory analyses conducted as part of the complete data analysis for Myers et al. 2014 published in the Transactions of the American Fisheries Society. Estimates of size- and sex-specific selectivity of fishing gear are important for making informed management decisions. We distinguish between capture selectivity – the relative catchability of the components of the population – and harvest selectivity, which is the combined effects of capture selectivity and the decision to retain or release a fish of a given population component. We used short-term recaptures from three extensive tagging programs in Minnesota and Wisconsin to estimate directly the size- and sex- specific selectivity of angling for captured and for harvested walleye Sander vitreus, and of spear fishing for harvested walleye. Estimates were obtained using generalized linear models with an information-theoretic approach to determining the significance of individual and interactive effects of length and sex on selectivity. The primary conclusions of this research are presented in Myers et al. 2014. Residual analyses for the models presented in the manuscript, results of unpublished exploratory analyses, and the complete data set used to conduct the analyses are presented in this supplementary document. Through this data report, interested readers can repeat the analyses conducted in Myers et al. 2014, as well as see the results of additional analyses not presented in the primary publication

The Long-term Illinois, Mississippi, Ohio, and Wabash Rivers Fish Population Monitoring Program

Between 23 August and 5 September 2010, 27sites on the Illinois River waterway and one site in Reach 26 of the Mississippi River were sampled using AC electrofishing to monitor fish communities. A total of 5,412fishesrepresenting 61species (plus two hybrids) from15 families were collected during 26.01 hours of sampling. Collections made in 2010 indicated continued high catches of gizzard shad, emerald shiner, and bluegill throughout most of the Illinois River waterway. Several fish species were collected for the first time within a given river reach in 2010, including northern pike, brook silverside, and silver redhorse. Gizzard shad were the most abundant species collected throughout the waterway in 2010with 1,430 fish collected comprising 26.4% of the total catch. The sample from Lambie’s Boat Harbor (RM 170.3, Peoria Reach) yielded the highest collection of total fish (1,049, 19.4% of the total collection), while the sample from Johnson Island (RM 249.6) produced the lowest total fish (31, 0.6% of the total collection). Fish species richness at sites ranged from 25 at Clark Island (RM 215.3, Peoria Reach) to 8 species at the Mouth of the DuPage (RM 277.4, Dresden Reach). Important sportfish species such as bluegill, largemouth bass, and channel catfish were collected in all six waterway reaches in 2010. Bluegill catch per unit effort in number of fish collected per hour (CPUEN) ranged from 65.20in Peoria Reach to 2.67in Alton Reach. Largemouth bass CPUEN ranged from 19.07in Peoria Reach to 1.17in Alton Reach. Channel catfish CPUEN ranged from 25.33in Alton Reach to 0.00in Dresden Reach. Biomass catch per hour (CPUEW) was highest in the Peoria Reach yielding181.56pounds per hour. Silver carp biomass ranked first over all reaches at 82.98pounds per hour, comprising 40.92%of the total biomass. Common carp ranked among the top three fish species in CPUEW in every reach, except Dresden Reach where it ranked fourth. Catch in weight for silver carp was the highest ever observed in a given reach in F-101-R sampling. Between 15 June and 31 October 2010, 37,174 fish were collected with a total biomass of 12,087.60 pounds representing 96 species and 8 hybrids from20 families during 80.25 hours of pulsed-DC electrofishing in the Illinois, Mississippi, Ohio, and Wabash rivers. Gizzard shad were the most abundant species by number, (37.8% of catch, 14,065 fish) followed by emerald shiner (21.1 % of catch, 7,866 fish), freshwater drum (3.0% of catch, 1,097 fish), channel catfish (2.5% of catch, 936 fish), and common carp (2.3% of catch, 835 fish). Common carp contributed the greatest biomass (33.5% of catch, 4,043.79 lbs) followed by smallmouth buffalo (9.6% of catch, 1,164.05 lb), silver carp (9.4% of catch, 1,140.48 lbs), channel catfish (7.9% of catch, 950.96 lbs), and freshwater drum (1.5% of catch, 186.65 lbs). In general, pulsed-DC electrofishing catches were dominated in number and biomass by forage and non-sport species. However, channel catfish were among the top five species contributing the most biomass to the overall catch in each river and were the most commonly collected sportfish by number and biomass across all rivers. Bluegill were among the top five species contributing the most individuals to the catch in the Illinois River during Time Periods1 and 2 and in the Ohio River during Time Period 3. Spotted bass made up 5.8% of the catch in numbers and was the fifth most numerous species collected in Time Period 3 from the Wabash River. Gill and hoop net collections between 1 November and 16 November, 2010 yielded 83 fish representing 13 species and 1 hybrid from 79 gill net, hoop net, and benthic hoop net sets. Channel catfish was the most abundant species by number (23, 27.7%) while flathead catfish contributed the most biomass (73.57 lb, 46.8&). Gill and hoop net collections between 5 April and 18 May 2011 yielded 718 fish representing 20 species and 1 hybrid from 9 families from 126 gill and hoop net sets. Shovelnose sturgeon was the most abundant species in terms of number (465, 64.7%) and biomass (771.1lb, 53.5%).Illinois Department of Natural Resources and Fish and Wildlife Service Grant/Contract No: IDNR FWS F-101-R-22unpublishednot peer reviewe

Reimagining large river management using the Resist–Accept–Direct (RAD) framework in the Upper Mississippi River

Background: Large-river decision-makers are charged with maintaining diverse ecosystem services through unprecedented social-ecological transformations as climate change and other global stressors intensify. The interconnected, dendritic habitats of rivers, which often demarcate jurisdictional boundaries, generate complex management challenges. Here, we explore how the Resist–Accept–Direct (RAD) framework may enhance large-river management by promoting coordinated and deliberate responses to social-ecological trajectories of change. The RAD framework identifies the full decision space of potential management approaches, wherein managers may resist change to maintain historical conditions, accept change toward different conditions, or direct change to a specified future with novel conditions. In the Upper Mississippi River System, managers are facing social-ecological transformations from more frequent and extreme high-water events. We illustrate how RAD-informed basin-, reach-, and site-scale decisions could: (1) provide cross-spatial scale framing; (2) open the entire decision space of potential management approaches; and (3) enhance coordinated inter-jurisdictional management in response to the trajectory of the Upper Mississippi River hydrograph. Results: The RAD framework helps identify plausible long-term trajectories in different reaches (or subbasins) of the river and how the associated social-ecological transformations could be managed by altering site-scale conditions. Strategic reach-scale objectives may reprioritize how, where, and when site conditions could be altered to contribute to the basin goal, given the basin’s plausible trajectories of change (e.g., by coordinating action across sites to alter habitat connectivity, diversity, and redundancy in the river mosaic). Conclusions: When faced with long-term systemic transformations (e.g., \u3e 50 years), the RAD framework helps explicitly consider whether or when the basin vision or goals may no longer be achievable, and direct options may open yet unconsidered potential for the basin. Embedding the RAD framework in hierarchical decision-making clarifies that the selection of actions in space and time should be derived from basin-wide goals and reach-scale objectives to ensure that site-scale actions contribute effectively to the larger river habitat mosaic. Embedding the RAD framework in large-river decisions can provide the necessary conduit to link flexibility and innovation at the site scale with stability at larger scales for adaptive governance of changing social-ecological systems

The Nature Conservancy's Emiquon Preserve: Fish and Aquatic Vegetation Monitoring

The Nature Conservancy Grant/Contract No: Nature Conservancy C07-33Aquatic Vegetation Sampling and Gear Effort –Thompson Lake: We conducted aquatic vegetation sampling from 4/17/2009to 10/14/2009in littoral (>428 feet asl) and pelagic (≤428 feet asl) areas of Thompson Lake. We sampled aquatic vegetation monthly at five littoral and pelagic site seach and at 20 littoral and pelagic sites each during the month of July. Additionally, three east/west fixed site transects were sampled monthly at seven locations along each transect for aquatic vegetation from May-October. Aquatic Vegetation Collected and Observed Species –Thompson Lake: We collected and/or observed 13 aquatic vegetation species (submersed, emergent, and floating-leaved) at 85 out of 100 random littoral and pelagic sites at Thompson Lake in 2009. Community composition of the vegetated sites was dominated by submersed aquatic vegetation including leafy pondweed Potamogeton foliosus and southern naiad Najas guadalupensis (32.2%), American elodea Elodea canadensis (22.5%), coontail Ceratophyllum demersum (19.5%), sago pondweed Stuckenia pectinata (5.3%), brittle naiad Najas minor (4.2%), American pondweed P. nodosus (3.7%), creeping water primrose Jussiaea repens (3.2%), Eurasian water milfoil Myriophyllum spicatum (2.4%), and curlyleaf pondweed P. crispus (2.4%). Emergent aquatic vegetation composition at vegetated random sites was minimal, but included narrow-leaved cattail Typha angustifolia (2.2%). One non-rooted,floating-leaved vegetation family, Lemnaceae, was collected and represented by duckweed spp. comprising 1.9% of the community composition at vegetated sites. Other species,such as American lotus Nelumbo lutea and common arrowhead Sagittaria latifolia,were observed growing in the lake, but were not collected in our samples. Curlyleaf pondweed and Eurasian water milfoil were the only non-native species of aquatic vegetation observed. Fish Sampling and Gear Effort-Thompson Lake: We conducted monthly fish sampling on Thompson Lake from 4/20/09-10/8/09 using a multiple gear approach. Sampling consisted of 28 electrofishing runs (15 minutes each), 28 fyke net sets (24 hours each), and 28 mini-fyke net sets (24 hours each) at shoreline or pseudo-shoreline (used for shoreline gear) sites. Additionally, seven tandem fyke net sets (24 hours each) and seven tandem mini-fyke net sets (24 hours each) were deployed at open water sites. All gears were fished according to the protocols of Gutreuter et al. (1995), which are used for the Long Term Resource Monitoring Program. Total Fish Catch-Thompson Lake: We collected a total of 9,860 fish representing 15 species and 8 families from Thompson Lake in 2009. Overall, catches were dominated by centrarchids (mainly bluegill Lepomis macrochirus and young-of-year Lepomis spp). Bluegill 40 mm dominated the catch with 4,552 fish comprising 46.1% of the total catch. Unidentified Lepomis spp. (bluegill L. macrochirusor pumpkinseed L. gibbosus with lengths <40 mm) followed with 1,967 fish at 20.1% of the total catch, and black crappie Pomoxis nigromaculatus with 1,535 fish at 15.6% of the total catch. Largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides (824, 8.4%), pumpkinseed L. gibbosus (771, 7.8%), common carp Cyprinus carpio (58, 0.6%), unidentified Ameiurus spp. (bullhead catfish spp.) (40, 0.4%), warmouth L. gulosus (31, 0.3%), black bullhead A. melas (29, 0.3%), bowfin Amia calva (13, 0.1%), western mosquitofish Gambusia affinis (10, 0.1%), greensunfish L. cyanellus (7, 0.1%), green sunfish x pumpkinseed hybrid L. cyanellus x L. gibbosus (7, 0.1%), brown bullhead Ameiurus nebulosus (6, 0.1%), gizzard shad Dorosoma cepedianum (5, 0.1%), spotted gar L. oculatus (3, <0.1%), goldfish Carassius auratus,and lake chubsucker Erimyzon sucetta (1, <0.1%)made up the remainder of the catch. Common carp and goldfish were the only non-native species collected. Undesirable fish species that either survived the rotenone or were unintentionally stocked into Thompson Lake include gizzard shad, black bullhead, green sunfish, western mosquitofish, and green sunfish x pumpkinseed hybrid. Catch-per-Unit Effort (CPUE)-Thompson Lake: We collected 10 fish species while electrofishing Thompson Lake in 2009, which comprised 6.5% of the total catch by all gears. Largemouth bass dominated the catch with 56fish/hour of electrofishing, followed by 16 bluegill(40 mm) per hour, 7 unidentified Lepomis spp.(bluegill or pumpkinseed <40 mm) and black crappie per hour, 3pumpkinseed(40 mm)per hour, 1 bowfin and common carp per hour,and <1 gizzard shad, green sunfish, mosquitofish,and spotted gar per hour electrofishing. Catch rates of different fish species varied by gear, but largemouth bass, black crappie, bluegill, pumpkinseed and unidentified Lepomis spp. (bluegill or pumpkinseed <40 mm) dominated the catch by all gears. Common carp and goldfish were the only invasive fish species collected while electrofishing and gizzard shad, green sunfish, and western mosquitofish were the only undesirable fish species collected while electrofishing.INHS Technical Report Prepared for The Nature Conservanc

The Nature Conservancy's Emiquon Preserve: fish and aquatic vegetation monitoring annual report

Grant/Contract No: C07-33Sampling and Gear Effort We conducted monthly fish sampling on Thompson Lake from 7-30-07 thru 11-30-07 (excluding September) using a multiple gear approach (Table 1). Sampling consisted of 9 electrofishing runs (15 minutes each), 12 fyke net sets (24 hours each), 12 mini-fyke net sets (24 hours each), and 25 minnow trap sets (24 hours each) at shoreline or pseudo-shoreline (used for shoreline gear) sites. Additionally, 2 tandem fyke net sets (24 hours each), 2 tandem mini-fyke net sets (24 hours each), 1 trammel net (1.5 hour set) and 1 experimental gill net set (1.5 hour set) were deployed at open water sites. Trammel and gill net sets were discontinued due to fouling by filamentous algae. All gears were fished with protocols set by Gutreuter et al. (1995) used for the Long Term Resource Monitoring Program. Total Fish Catch Numbers We collected a total of 1,290 fish representing 8 species and 3 families from Thompson Lake in 2007. Overall, catches were dominated by centrarchids. Largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) dominated the catch with 1,158 fish comprising 89.8 % of the total catch. Largemouth bass were followed by 100 black crappie (Pomoxis nigromaculatus) (7.8 %), 19 bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus ) (1.5 %), 5 pumpkinseed (L.gibbosus) (0.4 %), 5 bowfin (Amia calva) (0.4 %), 1 common carp (Cyprinus carpio) (0.1 %), 1 warmouth (L. gulosus ) (0.1 %), and 1 white crappie (P. annularis) (0.1 %). (Table 2) Electrofishing Mean Catch-per-Unit Effort (CPUE) We collected 5 fish species while electrofishing, which comprised 67.4 % of the total catch by all gears. Largemouth bass dominated the catch with 376 fish per hour of electrofishing, followed by 7 black crappie per hour, 2 bluegill per hour, and < 1 each of common carp and white crappie per hour. Bowfin, pumpkinseed, and warmouth were not collected by electrofishing. Catch rates of different fish species varied by gear, but largemouth bass dominated the catches in all gears (Table 3, 4). The only non-native fish species captured was an individual common carp. The individual common carp was removed from the fish community of Thompson Lake. 2 Submersed and Emergent Aquatic Vegetation Presence/Absence Submersed and emergent aquatic vegetation sampling was limited to visual presence/absence observations to ensure low levels of disturbance during the first year of restoration. Aquatic vegetation observed in Thompson Lake included various duck weed species (Lemnaceae), American pondweed (Potamogeton nodosus), curlyleaf pondweed (Potamogeton crispus), sago pondweed (Potamogeton pectinatus), horned pondweed (Zannichellia palustris), coontail (Ceratophyllum demersum), American elodea (Elodea canadensis), common arrowhead (Sagittaria latifolia), and Eurasian water milfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum). Curlyleaf pondweed and Eurasian water milfoil were the only non-native species of aquatic vegetation observed.INHS Technical Report Prepared for The Nature Conservanc

The Long-Term Illinois River Fish Population Monitoring Program. Project F-101-R-19 Annual Report to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources

Illinois Department of Natural Resources; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Grant/Contract No: Project F-101-R-19Between 4 September and 1 October 2007, 27 sites on the Illinois River waterway and one site in Reach 26 of the Mississippi River were electrofished to monitor fish communities. A total of 8,768 fishes representing 60 species (plus three hybrids) from 14 families were collected during 26.34 hours of sampling. Collections made in 2007 indicated continued high catches of gizzard shad, emerald shiner, and bluegill throughout most of the Illinois River waterway. Common carp and goldfish, which were once dominant, continue to exhibit relatively low in catch rates throughout the Illinois River waterway, contributing only 2.8% of the total catch and 2.9% of the Illinois River Waterway catch. Southern redbelly dace were collected for the first time during project F-101-R sampling along the waterway in 2007. A single specimen was collected from Henry Island (RM 193.8) in Peoria Reach. Silver carp were again collected during project F-101-R sampling at most lower and middle river sites. Silver carp were the most abundantly collected species throughout the waterway in 2007 with 2,921 fish collected comprising 33.3% of the total catch. Silver carp collections in La Grange and Peoria reaches were the highest observed for this species since it was first recorded in 2002. Silver carp collections in La Grange and Peoria reaches were also the highest catches ever recorded for a single species in both reaches in F-101-R sampling. Bighead carp and round goby were collected at new sites in 2007 illustrating further expansion of these invasive species. Bighead carp were collected at Bull’s Island (RM 240.8) in Starved Rock Reach marking the furthest upstream collection of this species in F-101-R sampling. Round goby were collected at two sites, Clark Island (RM 215.3) and Hennepin Island (RM 207.7) in Peoria Reach, marking the furthest downstream collection of this species in F-101-R sampling. The sample from Lambie’s Boat Harbor (RM 170.3, Peoria Reach) yielded the highest collection of total fish (2,293, 26.2% of the total collected from all 28 sites), while the sample from Moore’s Towhead produced the lowest total fish (43, 0.5% of the total collected from all 28 sites). Fish species richness at sites ranged from 27 at Hennepin Island to 10 species at Moore’s Towhead. Fish species richness of the lower, middle, and upper waterway was 32, 49, and 38, respectively. Cyprinid catches continued to remain relatively high in the upper waterway, with emerald shiner being the most abundant, making up 19.6% of the total upper waterway catch. Emerald shiner catch percentages for Dresden, Marseilles, and Starved Rock reaches were 0.9%, 30.6%, and 29.9%, respectively. Important sport fish species such as bluegill, largemouth bass, and channel catfishwere collected in all six waterway reaches in 2007. Bluegill catch per unit effort in number of fish collected per hour (CPUEN) ranged from 116.5 in Dresden Reach to 4.36 in La Grange Reach. Largemouth bass CPUEN ranged from 35.0 in Dresden Reach to 0.2 in La Grange reach. Channel catfish CPUEN ranged from 13.1 in La Grange Reach to 3.6 in Marseilles Reach. In terms of pounds of fish collected per hour (CPUE W), the collection from Peoria Reach yielded the highest biomass at 196.4 pounds per hour while the collection from Marseilles Reach yielded the lowest biomass at 32.6 pounds per hour. Silver carp biomass ranked first over all reaches at 24.1 pounds per hour, comprising 23.5% of the total biomass. Silver carp also ranked first in CPUEW for Alton, La Grange, and Peoria reaches. Catch in weight for silver carp in each reach was 15.2 (40.9% of the total), 32.8 (33.8% of the total), and 46.3 (23.6% of the total), respectively. Bighead carp ranked first and comprised 43.1 % of the total catch in weight for Starved Rock reach with two individuals captured. Channel catfish ranked first in Marseilles and comprised 36.8% of the total catch in weight with a CPUEW of 12.0. Common carp ranked first in and comprised 34.0% of the total catch in weight with a CPUEW of 32.1 for Dresden Reach. Sixteen fishes were observed to have externally visible abnormalities in 2007. Abnormalities were found in fishes of all reaches except La Grange.INHS Technical Report Prepared for Illinois Department of Natural Resources; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Servic

Long-term Illinois River fish population monitoring program

Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Division of Fisheries F101-R-18US Fish and Wildlife Serviceunpublishednot peer reviewe

The Long-Term Illinois River Fish Population Monitoring Program

unpublishednot peer reviewe