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Fish Assemblage and Habitat Assessment of the Presumpscot River

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Fish Assemblage and Habitat Assessment of the Presumpscot River Center for Applied Bioassessment & Biocriteria Midwest Biodiversity Institute P.O. Box 21561 Columbus, OH 43221-0561 Little Falls Dam – So. Windham FFiisshh AAsssseemmbbllaaggee aanndd HHaabbiittaatt AAsssseessssmmeenntt ooff tthhee PPrreessuummppssccoott RRiivveerr MBI Technical Report MBI/2008--12--6 December 31, 2008 (revised July 31, 2009) Little Falls Dam – S. Windham Chris O. Yoder, Principal Investigator Lon E. Hersha, Senior Research Associate Center for Applied Bioassessment & Biocriteria Midwest Biodiversity Institute P.O. Box 21561 Columbus, OH 43221-0561 [email protected] Edward T. Rankin, Senior Research Associate Ohio University Voinovich School for Leadership and Public Affairs The Ridges, Building 22 Athens, OH 45701 American shad – near Westbrook Fish Assemblage and Habitat Assessment of the Presumpscot River 2006-7 Final Project Report to: Casco Bay Estuary Partnership University of Southern Maine 229C Wishcamper Center PO Box 9300, 34 Bedford Street Portland, ME 04104-9300 Matthew Craig, Project Manager December 31, 2008 (Revised July 31, 2009) MBI Technical Report MBI/2008-12-6 by: Chris O. Yoder, Principal Investigator Lon E. Hersha, Research Associate Center for Applied Bioassessment & Biocriteria Midwest Biodiversity Institute P.O. Box 21561 Columbus, OH 43221-0561 [email protected] and Edward T. Rankin, Senior Research Associate Ohio University Voinovich School for Leadership and Public Affairs The Ridges, Building 22 Athens, OH 45701 MBI Presumpscot R. Fish and Habitat Assessment July 31, 2009 Plate 1. Upper: Lower Presumpscot Falls looking downstream (August 2006). Lower: Looking upstream at a portion of the Cumberland Mills Dam and SAPPI facility (August 2006). ii MBI Presumpscot R. Fish and Habitat Assessment July 31, 2009 TABLE OF CONTENTS Section – Heading/Subheadings Page Summary, Conclusions, and Recommendations ............................................................... vi List of Tables ....................................................................................................................... x List of Figures .....................................................................................................................xi List of Plates...................................................................................................................... xiv Acknowledgements........................................................................................................... xvi INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................1 Maine Rivers Fish Assemblage Assessment..................................................................1 Presumpscot River Fish Assemblage Assessment.........................................................2 Background and Management Issues ....................................................................3 Water Quality and Habitat Classifications ............................................................5 STUDY AREA DESCRIPTION .......................................................................................5 Natural Setting........................................................................................................5 Impacts and Alterations .........................................................................................7 METHODS.......................................................................................................................14 General Scope and Design....................................................................................14 Equipment Specifications.....................................................................................14 Field Data Recording...................................................................................................16 Crew Composition and Logistics ................................................................................18 Habitat Assessment ......................................................................................................20 Sampling and Survey Design.............................................................................................21 Data Management and Analysis ................................................................................22 Expected Fish Assemblages along the Biological Condition Gradient (BCG)...22 Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI)..............................................................................24 Modified Index of Well-Being (MIwb) ................................................................26 CHEMICAL/PHYSICAL WATER QUALITY..............................................................27 Dissolved Oxygen (D.O.)......................................................................................27 Temperature (C)..................................................................................................27 Relative Conductivity (S/cm2)............................................................................27 HABITAT ASSESSMENT...............................................................................................29 QHEI Matrix.........................................................................................................29 Presumpscot River QHEIs ...................................................................................30 QHEI Matrix Analysis ..........................................................................................32 SPECIES ACCOUNTS....................................................................................................34 Family Acipenseridae (Sturgeons) ..............................................................................34 Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus) ............................................................34 Shortnose sturgeon (Acipenser breviceps)............................................................36 Family Anguillidae (Freshwater Eels).........................................................................36 American Eel (Anguilla rostrata) ..........................................................................36 Family Clupeidae (Herrings) ......................................................................................37 Alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) ...........................................................................37 iii MBI Presumpscot R. Fish and Habitat Assessment July 31, 2009 Section – Heading/Subheadings Page American Shad (Alosa sapidissima)............................................................................37 Family Cyprinidae (Minnows)....................................................................................39 Common shiner (Luxilis cornutus).......................................................................39 Golden Shiner (Notemigonus crysoleucas)...........................................................41 Fallfish (Semotilus corporalis)...............................................................................41 Family Catostomidae (Suckers) ..................................................................................42 Common white sucker (Catostomus commersonii).............................................42 Family Ictaluridae (Catfishes).....................................................................................42 Brown bullhead (Ameirus nebulosus) ..................................................................42 Family Esocidae (Pike and Pickerel) ...........................................................................45 Chain pickerel (Esox niger)...................................................................................45 Family Osmeridae (Smelts).........................................................................................45 Family Salmonidae (Trout and Salmon) ....................................................................45 Brown Trout (Salmo trutta)..................................................................................47 Brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) .......................................................................47 Family Gadidae (Cods) ...............................................................................................47 Burbot (Lota lota) .................................................................................................47 Atlantic Tomcod (Microgadus tomcod) ...............................................................47 Family Fundulidae (Topminnows).............................................................................47 Banded Killifish (Fundulus diaphanus) and Mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus) ...............................................................................................................................47 Family Gasterosteidae (Sticklebacks)..........................................................................50 Family Moronidae (Temperate Basses).......................................................................50 Striped bass (Morone saxatilis)..............................................................................50 White perch (Morone americana) ........................................................................50 Family Centrarchidae (Sunfishes) ..............................................................................50 Pumpkinseed (Lepomis gibbosus) ........................................................................52 Smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieui) ..........................................................52 Largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) ...........................................................54
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