NORTH DAKOTA GAME and FISH DEPARTMENT Final Report Status of Selected Fishes with Immediate Conservation Need in North Dakota Pr
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NORTH DAKOTA GAME AND FISH DEPARTMENT Final Report Status of Selected Fishes with Immediate Conservation Need in North Dakota Project T-14-R July 1, 2006 – December 31, 2008 Terry Steinwand Director Submitted by Michael G. McKenna Chief, Conservation and Communications Division Bismarck, ND June 2009 STATE WILDLIFE GRANT OBJECTIVES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS SUMMARY State Agency: North Dakota Game and Fish Department Study/Grant Number: T-14-R Status of selected fishes with immediate conservation need in North Title: Dakota Period Begin/End Dates: July 1, 2006 to December 31, 2008 Principle Investigator & Dr. Charles Berry Organization: South Dakota State University Project Summary: The goals of this report are to synthesize our study of fishes of the Red River Basin with emphasis on 17 rare species, and provide distribution maps for these species. During the summers of 2006 and 2007, we conducted 137 different sampling occasions at 125 different locations on 40 different streams. We deployed sampling gear a total of 185 times. Eight species of concern (chestnut lamprey, hornyhead chub, largescale stoneroller, northern redbelly dace, pearl dace, silver chub, trout-perch, and yellow bullhead) were collected in the Red River drainage. We did not find silver lamprey, blacknose shiner, blackchin shiner, carmine shiner, finescale dace, logperch, and pugnose shiner, which were historically collected in Red River tributaries. Hornyhead chub was collected at the most sites and was the most abundant, followed by trout-perch. Hornyhead chub was found in the Forest and Park rivers whereas trout-perch was collected in five watersheds. We determined that the species of stoneroller present in the Red River basin is the largescale stoneroller, Campostoma oligolepis. Objective 1: Accomplishments: Location in Report: determine the accuracy of Identification of voucher specimens was Page 8 historical information and completed using fish keys of Trautman vouchers for species of (1981), Pflieger (1997), and Becker concern (2001) and others. Fish counts were added to the existing database. The identity and counts of voucher specimens was checked by Mr. James Ladonski, Instructor of Biology, SDSU, who has experience in curation of museum collections. Vouchers are stored in SDSU Department of Wildlife and Fisheries fish collection. Objective 2: Accomplishments: Location in Report: provide regional This report provides completed and Pages 25-40 distribution maps and updated distribution maps of 8 species Table 7 (pg 43) narrative summaries for of conservation priority that were species of concern using collected from waters in the Red River GIS location data based on Basin. historical database provided by NDGFD, which will be updated throughout the study Objective 3: Accomplishments: Location in Report: conduct field surveys of Researchers were able to identify and Figure 3 (pg 6) fish and habitat conditions sample at 13 historical sites as well as to Table 6 (pg 35) at sites where fish have collect data in consecutive years from 8 Appendix VIII (pg 91) been historically sites found, and at other sites nearby. Objective 4: Accomplishments: Location in Report: Synthesize information on Stoneroller species was determined to Pages 30-35 distribution of all study be the largescale stoneroller species with emphasis on (Campostoma oligolepis) the presence of central and largescale stonerollers (Campostoma anomalum, C. oligolepis). STATUS OF SELECTED FISHES WITH IMMEDIATE CONSERVATION NEED IN THE RED RIVER BASIN, FINAL REPORT i ii STATUS OF SELECTED FISHES WITH IMMEDIATE CONSERVATION NEED IN THE RED RIVER BASIN, FINAL REPORT Submitted to North Dakota Game and Fish Department Bismarck, North Dakota By: Lucas Borgstrom and Cari-Ann Hayer Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Science South Dakota State University Brookings, South Dakota and Dr. Charles R. Berry South Dakota Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit April 2009 iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The North Dakota Game and Fish Department funded this project as a State Wildlife Grant Project. The department provided many of the GIS layers and species locations. Field technicians who helped collect data for this project were W. Bouska, D. Doris, S. Sindelar, J. Billings, and E. Boyda. We also appreciate the help from C. Stearns from Frostburg State who helped with field collections in conjunction with his master’s work on otters. We thank landowners who allowed us to study streams on their land. We also thank J. Ladonski for help with fish identification and database management. The South Dakota Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit is jointly sponsored by the SDGFP, US Fish and Wildlife Service, SDSU, and the US Geological Survey. The Unit provided a vehicle. South Dakota State University contributed part (40%) of the state matching funds needed for this project. iv EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The goals of this report are to synthesize our study of fishes of the Red River Basin with emphasis on 17 rare species, and provide distribution maps for these species. During the summers of 2006 and 2007, we conducted 137 different sampling occasions at 125 different locations on 40 different streams. We deployed sampling gear a total of 185 times. Eight species of concern (chestnut lamprey, hornyhead chub, largescale stoneroller, northern redbelly dace, pearl dace, silver chub, trout-perch, and yellow bullhead) were collected in the Red River drainage. We did not find silver lamprey, blacknose shiner, blackchin shiner, carmine shiner, finescale dace, logperch, and pugnose shiner, which were historically collected in Red River tributaries. Hornyhead chub was collected at the most sites and was the most abundant, followed by trout-perch. Hornyhead chub was found in the Forest and Park rivers whereas trout-perch was collected in five watersheds. We determined that the species of stoneroller present in the Red River basin is the largescale stoneroller, Campostoma oligolepis. v Table of Contents Page Number Title Page ............................................................................................................... iii Acknowledgements................................................................................................ iv Executive Summary.................................................................................................v Table of Contents................................................................................................... vi List of Tables ....................................................................................................... viii List of Figures...................................................................................................... viii List of Appendices ............................................................................................... vix Introduction..............................................................................................................1 Goals and Objectives ..........................................................................................1 Study region.............................................................................................................2 Hydrology ...........................................................................................................2 Water quality.......................................................................................................4 Fishes ..................................................................................................................5 Methods....................................................................................................................5 Field methods......................................................................................................5 Laboratory methods ............................................................................................8 Voucher specimens ........................................................................................8 Stoneroller meristics ......................................................................................8 Fish distribution .............................................................................................9 Data analysis ..................................................................................................9 Results and Discussion ..........................................................................................10 Sampling effort .................................................................................................10 Fish assemblage ................................................................................................11 Water quality.....................................................................................................22 vi Literature search................................................................................................24 Voucher specimens ...........................................................................................24 Species of concern ............................................................................................25 Chestnut lamprey .........................................................................................26 Hornyhead chub...........................................................................................29 Largescale stoneroller ..................................................................................30 Northern redbelly dace.................................................................................35