Three Rivers Management Plan
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THREE RIVERS MANAGEMENT PLAN A Strategy for Managing Fisheries Resources of the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio Rivers PENNSYLVANIA FISH AND BOAT COMMISSION BUREAU OF FISHERIES FISHERIES MANAGEMENT DIVISION AREA 8 236 LAKE ROAD SOMERSET, PA 15501-1644 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The development of the Three Rivers Management Plan has been a joint undertaking of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission’s Bureau of Fisheries, Fisheries Management Division (PFBC). This document was prepared by the PFBC’s Three Rivers fisheries biologist Bob Ventorini. As with corresponding management plans prepared by PFBC’s Susquehanna River fisheries biologist Geoff Smith and Delaware River fisheries biologist Daryl Pierce, the Three Rivers Management Plan was developed to function as a comprehensive approach to manage the fisheries resources of Pennsylvania’s large rivers. Several PFBC biologists shared responsibilities for enhancing the content and streamlining the format of this document. Area 8 (Somerset office) fisheries manager Rick Lorson, fisheries biologist Mike Depew, and fisheries biologist aide Matt Kinsey provided the preliminary critique, and Area 2 (Tionesta office) fisheries manager Al Woomer followed with insightful comments. Internal review was completed by division chief Dave Miko and bureau director Leroy Young. The author is also grateful for assistance provided by Dave Argent and Bill Kimmel (California University of Pennsylvania), Jay Stauffer (Penn State University), Rose Reilly (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers), Jeff Thomas, John Spaeth, and Ryan Argo (ORSANCO), Frank Jernejcic and Dave Wellman (West Virginia Division of Natural Resources), Curt Wagner (Ohio Department of Natural Resources), Frank Borsuk and Lou Reynolds (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency), Patty Morrison (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service), Rick Spear (Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection), Eric Chapman and Chuck Williams (Western Pennsylvania Conservancy), and Matt Gordon (PFBC and Clarion University). THREE RIVERS MANAGEMENT PLAN i TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .............................................................................................................. i LIST OF TABLES ...................................................................................................................... iv LIST OF FIGURES ..................................................................................................................... v 1. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Forward ...................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Agency Responsibility and Mission ............................................................................ 3 1.3 River Management Plan Approach ............................................................................. 3 1.4 Sources of Information ............................................................................................... 4 1.5 Public Process ........................................................................................................... 4 1.6 Public Comments Evaluation ...................................................................................... 4 1.7 Implementation ........................................................................................................... 5 2. JURISDICTIONS ................................................................................................................... 6 2.1 Federal Jurisdictions .................................................................................................. 6 2.2 Pennsylvania Jurisdictions ......................................................................................... 8 2.3 Adjacent States and Interstate Organizations ........................................................... 11 2.4 Nongovernmental Organizations .............................................................................. 13 3. BASIN OVERVIEW .............................................................................................................. 14 3.1 Physiography and Ecoregions .................................................................................. 14 3.2 Geology .................................................................................................................... 15 3.3 Climate ..................................................................................................................... 19 3.4 Land Use .................................................................................................................. 19 4. PHYSICAL FEATURES ......................................................................................................... 21 4.1 Basin Area, Stream Magnitude, and Course ............................................................ 21 4.2 Channel Dimensions and Morphology ...................................................................... 24 5. HYDROLOGY ..................................................................................................................... 26 5.1 Hydrologic Regime ................................................................................................... 26 5.2 Flow Modifications .................................................................................................... 31 5.3 Water Quality ........................................................................................................... 42 5.4 Proposed Management Actions ............................................................................... 47 6. COMMERCIAL DREDGING ................................................................................................... 48 6.1 Legacy of Exploitation .............................................................................................. 48 6.2 Channel Deepening.................................................................................................. 48 6.3 Ecological Impact Assessment ................................................................................. 50 6.4 Environmental Permitting Restrictions ...................................................................... 56 6.5 Proposed Management Actions ............................................................................... 57 7. HABITATS ......................................................................................................................... 58 7.1 Instream Macrohabitats ............................................................................................ 58 7.2 Shallow Water Habitats ............................................................................................ 61 7.3 Islands...................................................................................................................... 64 7.4 Manmade Habitats ................................................................................................... 68 7.5 Riparian Habitats ...................................................................................................... 71 7.6 Natural Heritage Areas ............................................................................................. 74 7.7 Proposed Management Actions ............................................................................... 77 8. BIOTA ............................................................................................................................... 78 8.1 Fish Assemblages .................................................................................................... 78 8.2 Mussel Assemblages ............................................................................................. 104 8.3 Invertebrate Assemblages ...................................................................................... 108 8.4 Amphibians and Reptiles ........................................................................................ 109 8.5 Non-Native and Invasive Species ........................................................................... 111 THREE RIVERS MANAGEMENT PLAN ii 8.6 Proposed Management Actions ............................................................................. 116 9. SPORT FISHERIES ........................................................................................................... 117 9.1 Management Sections ............................................................................................ 117 9.2 Fishing Regulations ................................................................................................ 118 9.3 Stocking Programs ................................................................................................. 118 9.4 Fish Consumption Advisories ................................................................................. 123 9.5 Stock Assessments and Populations Monitoring .................................................... 124 9.6 Angler Use, Harvest, and Opinion .......................................................................... 137 9.7 Proposed Management Actions ............................................................................. 139 10. HUMAN DIMENSIONS ..................................................................................................... 140 10.1 Boating Activities .................................................................................................. 140 10.2 Tourism and Recreational Use ............................................................................