Winter Habitat Used by Fishes in Smithland Pool and Belleville Pool, Ohio River James E

Southern Illinois University Carbondale OpenSIUC Reports Fisheries and Illinois Aquaculture Center 12-2003 Winter Habitat Used by Fishes in Smithland Pool and Belleville Pool, Ohio River James E. Garvey Southern Illinois University Carbondale Stuart Welsh West Virginia University Kyle J. Hartman West Virginia University Follow this and additional works at: http://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/fiaq_reports Final Combined Project Report. Recommended Citation Garvey, James E.; Welsh, Stuart; and Hartman, Kyle J., "Winter Habitat Used by Fishes in Smithland Pool and Belleville Pool, Ohio River" (2003). Reports. Paper 5. http://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/fiaq_reports/5 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Fisheries and Illinois Aquaculture Center at OpenSIUC. It has been accepted for inclusion in Reports by an authorized administrator of OpenSIUC. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Winter Habitat Used by Fishes in Smithland Pool and Belleville Pool, Ohio River Principal Investigators: James E. Garvey1,2, Stuart Welsh3,4, and Kyle J. Hartman4 Research Assistants: Benjamin J. Braeutigam1,2, Andrew T. Plauck1,2, Kathryn A. Emme1,2 and Ben Lenz4 1Fisheries and Illinois Aquaculture Center 2Department of Zoology Southern Illinois University Carbondale, IL 62901-6511 3USGS, WV Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit 4Wildlife and Fisheries Resources Program Division of Forestry West Virginia University 322 Percival Hall Morgantown, WV 26506-6125 Final Combined Project Report Prepared December 2003 1 Table of Contents Section Page EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ....................................................................... 3 Table 1........................................................................................... 11 Figure 1.......................................................................................... 12 GENERAL INTRODUCTION ............................................................... 13 CHAPTER 1 – Literature Review ........................................................... 15 Mechanisms of overwinter survival .............................................. 16 Species requirements..................................................................... 26 Table 1-1........................................................................................ 38 CHAPTER 2 – Smithland Pool ............................................................... 39 Methods ......................................................................................... 40 Results ........................................................................................... 43 Discussion...................................................................................... 55 Literature Cited (Chapters 1 and 2)............................................... 60 Tables............................................................................................. 75 Figures ......................................................................................... 106 CHAPTER 3 – Belleville Pool .............................................................. 131 Methods ....................................................................................... 136 Results ......................................................................................... 145 Discussion.................................................................................... 155 Literature Cited (Chapter 3) ........................................................ 159 Tables........................................................................................... 166 Figures ......................................................................................... 185 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ..................................................................... 200 APPENDIX 1 – Lenz (2003)................................................................. 201 2 Executive Summary Introduction For many fishes that inhabit large rivers, winter poses a challenge to both age-0 and older life stages. Swimming ability is compromised at low temperatures in many species. Further, energetic condition often declines as food availability declines during winter. Hence, fishes occupying rivers may congregate in warm, low velocity shelters with abundant food to avoid poor growth and survival. If these sites are in proximity to vessel traffic in navigable systems such as the Ohio River, displacement may compromise fish success. Approach We conducted a literature review to assess the potential habitat use of several Ohio River fishes during winter. Using predictions generated by this review, we identified general sites in the Smithland Pool (Southern Illinois University Carbondale: SIUC) and Belleville Pool (West Virginia University: WVU) of the Ohio River that may provide winter habitat: artificial, island backwater, tributary, and main channel (about 30 sites per river pool, stratified equally across habitat types). Artificial sites were defined as scours associated with structures in the main channel (e.g., wing dams). Island backwaters were areas between channel borders and islands. Tributaries were sampled near the confluence with the Ohio River. Main channel sites were directly adjacent to or in the main channel. Catch per hour of fish was quantified using variable-depth alternating current (AC) electrofishing (identical units at both institutions) at depths ranging 3-14 m during the winters of 2002 and 2003. This gear was chosen because of its ease of standardization and ability to sample in a variety of river macrohabitats. Further, 3 fish were expected to aggregate in deep water areas with low flow velocities during cold temperatures. This gear effectively sampled fish in areas difficult to sample with other active gear types. Water quality characteristics that were quantified included dissolved oxygen concentration, secchi depth, temperature, and flow rate. In addition to the coordinated joint effort, each research group collected additional data in other habitats (e.g., island tips, embayments) and with other gears (e.g., gill nets). Literature Review The literature revealed that most species require low velocity refuges when temperatures < 4oC. Swimming ability is compromised at these low temperatures. However, overwintering in low velocity backwater habitats that may become hypoxic may also negatively affect winter survival. Species will likely differ in their ability to persist in areas in proximity to the main channel. Channel catfish, a common species in the Ohio River, should be able to tolerate relatively high flows at low temperatures. Conversely, survival of species such as largemouth bass should be compromised if they cannot successfully seek low velocity refuges away from the main channel. Use of habitat by fishes during winter should be affected by trade-offs between swimming ability in the main channel and surviving potentially low oxygen conditions in backwaters. Site Description Smithland (river miles: 162-204) and Belleville (river miles: 843-913) Pools of the Ohio River differ in size, elevation, and abiotic characteristics. Each pool is created by lock and dams that maintain a 2.7-m deep (9 foot) navigation channel at low 4 discharge. Smithland Pool, currently the southernmost impoundment of the Ohio River, is 115 km long with an area of 11,134 ha during normal pool. Belleville Pool, to the north of Smithland Pool and at a higher elevation, is 70-km long with a smaller surface area of 2,850 ha. Island and artificial habitats were much more limited in Belleville than in Smithland Pool. Smithland Pool did not contain the extensive embayment area that was present in Belleville Pool. Depths of sites sampled were somewhat shallower, on average, in Belleville Pool. Artificial sites in Smithland ranged 8-11 m (mean = 9 m). Only one artificial site was sampled by WVU in Belleville Pool. Island backwaters sites ranged 5-8 m (mean=6 m) in Smithland Pool and 2-6 m (mean=5 m) in Belleville Pool. Main channel sites were 6-9 m (mean= 8 m) and 3-9 m (mean=6 m) in Smithland and Belleville Pools, respectively. Tributary habitats ranged 3-8 m (mean = 5 m) in Smithland Pool and 2-9 m (mean = 6 m) in Belleville Pool. WVU included a separate “deep hole” category for distinct, main channel scour holes that ranged 7-14 m (mean = 9 m). These sites were similar in depth and characteristics of many of the main channel sites chosen in Smithland Pool by SIUC. Winter conditions Winter conditions differed between Smithland and Belleville Pools during winters 2002 and 2003. Discharge was quite high and variable during both sampling years in Smithland Pool, with river stage frequently increasing by 8-10 m within a few days (see Figure 2-2, Chapter 2). Consequently sampling was often compromised, and we were relegated to sampling during periods of relatively low flow in the pool. In Belleville Pool, discharge was less variable and relatively lower, with stage only increasing by a maximum of 2.5 m relative to base flow (Figure 3-3, Chapter 3). Flow rates quantified in 5 Belleville Pool during both winters were often higher (reaching or exceeding 1.0 m/s) in main channel sites than in Smithland Pool. This occurred because WVU could sample during periods of moderate discharge, whereas these moderate flow conditions never occurred in Smithland Pool. In both pools, depth-stratified profiles revealed that water chemistry (e.g., dissolved oxygen concentration, conductivity) and temperature did not vary appreciably with depth. During warmer months, dissolved oxygen concentrations

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