South Dakota State University Open PRAIRIE: Open Public Research Access Institutional Repository and Information Exchange Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2001 The Status and Distribution of the Topeka Shiner Notropis topeka in Eastern South Dakota Carmen M. Blausey South Dakota State University Follow this and additional works at: https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/etd Part of the Aquaculture and Fisheries Commons, and the Natural Resources and Conservation Commons Recommended Citation Blausey, Carmen M., "The Status and Distribution of the Topeka Shiner Notropis topeka in Eastern South Dakota" (2001). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 296. https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/etd/296 This Thesis - Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by Open PRAIRIE: Open Public Research Access Institutional Repository and Information Exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Open PRAIRIE: Open Public Research Access Institutional Repository and Information Exchange. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE TOPEKA SHINER Nutropis topeka IN EASTERN SOUTH DAKOTA By Carmen M. Blausey A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the l'vlastcr of Science Major in Wildlire and Fisheries Sciences (Fisheries Specialization) South Dakota State University 2001 II The Status and Distribution of the Topeka shiner Notropis topeka in Eastern South Dakota This thesis is approved as a creditable and independent investigation by a candidate for the Master of Science degree and is acceptable for meeting the thesis requirements for this degree. Acceptance of this thesis does not imply that the conclusions reached by the candidate are necessarily the conclusions of the major department. I)r. Charles R. Berry. Y l\lajor Advisor Date Dr. Charles G. Scalet Head. Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences Date lJl Acknowledgements I express my sincere thanks to my advisor Dr. Charles Berry, Jr. for giving me the opportunity to pursue a Master's degree at South Dakota State University. His guidance, support, and incredible amount of patience were very much appreciated to successfully complete this project. Additionally, I'd like to say thanks for helping me to hone my research skills, and increase my awareness and passion for nongame species management. Thank you to Steve Wall, research associate with this project, for your assistance in the field. I know the days were long and hot, and there were some disagreements, but without your help I would probably still be traversing the South Dakota prairies hunting for Topeka shiners. I also would like to thank Jeff Shearer, Dave Fryda, Craig Milewski, Jen Powell, Nathan Morey, and Kurt Hodell for your assistance in the field at one time or another. Finally, I would like to thank all of the landowners who gave me permission to work on their property. Without their cooperation, this project truly would not have been a success. I would like to thank my committee members Dr. W. Carter Johnson, Dr. David W. Willis, and Dr. Donald Evenson for providing me with their advice and comments to successfully complete this project. Also a big thank you is extended to Dr. Timothy Wittig for his assistance with statistical analysis. Without his expertise and advice this project would have taken even longer than anticipated to complete. IV I wish to th ank my parents for their Jove and suppo11, and for always believing in me. Without your guidance and advice I would not be the person I am today. I want to add and extended thank you to Dave Fryda for editorial comments, advice, and lots of patience and support throughout this project. I will never forget all of the great hunting and fishing outings I had the chance to share with you while in graduate school. Also I would like to take the time to say thanks to all of the other students in the grad office who definitely made my graduate school experience more enjoyable and memorable ... you all know who you are! Finally, I would like to dedicate this thesis to my Grandpa Custer, who always had time to take my sister and I fishing on Lake McConaughy for walleyes when we were kids. If it weren' t for him and all of the memmies of "camping at the Lake", I most likely would have taken a different path in life. Funding was provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Geological Survey- Water Resources Division, U.S. Geological Survey- Biological Resources Division, and the South Dakota Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, which provided in-kind support. v Abstract The Status and Distribution of the Topeka shiner Notropis topeka in Eastern South Dakota Carmen M. Blausey December 2001 The Topeka shiner Notropis topeka is a small (< 75 mm) minnow that inhabits prairie streams in several north central plains states. Once widespread and abundant throughout its historic range, the Topeka shiner is now found only in isolated populations. Because of an 80% reduction in occurrence throughout their range, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed the Topeka shiner as endangered in January 1999. At the time, limited information on habitat preferences and dist1ibution existed for this species in South Dakota. The objectives of this study were to measure local habitat features and water quality conditions at the reach scale at Topeka shiner study sites, create a model using these data to determine favorable habitat conditions. and identify fish species commonly associated with Topeka shiners. Fish and habitat data were collected at 61 tributary sites of the James, Vermillion, and Big Sioux rivers from June through September in 1999 and 2000. Sample sites in 1999 were based on historic Topeka shiner records in the South Dakota Natural Heritage Database. Sample sites in 2000 were based on a draft GIS model identifying potential Topeka shiner streams. Fish were collected with seines between block nets. and standard procedures were used to measure physical and hydrological features of stream reaches. Cyprinids dominated the fish community for each river basin during both sample years. Insectivores and omnivores were the VI dominant trophic classes for each river basin for both sample years. Fish community associations for Topeka shiners were based on two stepwise logistic regression models: abundance of individual species at each site. and presence or absence of individual species at each site. The abundance model indicated that Topeka shiners were most commonly associated with orangespotted sunfish Lepomis Izumi/is and tadpole madtoms Noturns gyrinus. The presence/absence model showed that Topeka shiners were typically associated with red shiners Notropis lutre11sis, tadpole madtoms Noturns gyrinus, black bullheads Ameiurus melas, and bigmouth shiners Notropis dorsalis. Habitat preferences were based on three stepwise logistic regression models: physical habitat water quality, and substrate composition at the reach scale. The physical habitat model indicated that Topeka shiners are associated with stream reaches that had low animal use, overhanging vegetation, stream bank vegetation comprised of sedges/rushes, low depositional zones, and run macrohabitat. The water quality model did not indicate any favorable or preferred conditions. The substrate model indicated that Topeka shiners are associated with stream reaches that had fine gravel or cobble substrates. The results of my study will lead to a better understanding of Topeka shiner distribution and habitat, and aid federal and state agencies in making management decisions that provide for protection and preservation of this species. vii Table of Contents Page Abstract ....... ..... ..... ..... .... .... .. ... .... .... ... ................ ..... ....... ...... .... ......... vi List of Symbols and Abbreviations .... .. ....... ..... ......... .......... .... .... .. ..... ...... ... ix List of Fish Species .......... .... ..... ........... ..... ... ... .... ........ .... ... .................... x List of Tables ..... .... ... ....... ..... .. .... .. ..... .. ...... ........ ... ..... ........ .... ............. xii List of Figures .... .. ..... .... ... .......... .. .. .. .. .... ... .... ...... .. .. .... .. ........ ......... .... xiv List of Appendices .... ... ......... ... ... ........ ...... .............. ....... .... ...... ....... ...... xv Chapter I. Introduction and Study Arca Introduction .. .... ...... .... .... .......... ...... ........... .... ........... ......... ...... ... I Study Arca ..... .... ....... ........ .... ... ..... ... .... ... ....... ..... ... ... ..... .. ... ... .. ....6 James River Basin ... ... ... ............ ............. ........... .. ..... .. ... ...... .. 6 Vermillion River Basin ...... ......... ... ............ .. .......... ...... ..... .. .. I 0 Big Sioux River Basin ...... ......... ...... .. .... ...... .... ..... ... .... ........ ... l l Chapter 2. Fish Communities of Tributaries to the James. Vermillion, and Big Sioux Rivers lntrodlll:tion ..... ..... ... ........ ..... ....................... ..... .. ..... .. ......... .... 15 ivlethods ... ....... .... ... .... ..... ........ .. ... ......... ... .. ....... ..... ........ ..... ... 17 Results ..... ..... ....... ..... .. ... .... ... ... ... ... ... .. ........ ..... .. ... ... .. ........ ... 22 James River Basin Tributaries ....... ....... ................ ...... ........... ... 22 Vermillion Ri1·er Basin