Distribution of Fishes in North and South Dakota Basins affected by The Garrison Diversion Unit by John B. Owen Dean S. Elsen and Gordon W. Russell Published by Fisheries Research Unit University of North Dakota Grand Forks, North Dakota 58202 1 981 Copyright C) 1981 by John B. Owen, Fisheries Research Unit, Department of Biology, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota 58202, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Printed by University Press, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, N.D. 58202, U.S.A. Additional copies may be obtained by writing to Department of Biology, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota 58202. Price $7.00 plus postage. Key Words 1. Fish distribution 2. Life histories 3. Fish 4. Taxonomy TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................................. vii LIST OF TABLES .................................................................................................................... viii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS ........ix ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................ xv Chapter I INTRODUCTION ..........1 II DRAINAGE RELATIONSHIPS ..........5 A. Pre-Wisconsonian Glaciation Conditions 5 B. Effects of glaciation on drainage systems and distribution of fishes ..........5 C. Human impact on watersheds and fishes 11 III THE PRESENT DISTRIBUTION OF FISHES IN NORTH AND SOUTH DAKOTA BASINS ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROPOSED GARRISON DIVERSION UNIT ........13 A. James River Basin ........13 B. Wild Rice River Basin, Sheyenne River Basin, Devils Lake Basin, and Souris River Basin 64 IV DISCUSSION 129 A. James River Basin 129 Distribution of fishes 129 Possibility of interbasin transfer of fishes 132 B. Wild Rice River Basin 134 Distribution of fishes 134 Possibility of interbasin transfer of fishes 134 C. Sheyenne River Basin ....................................... 135 Distribution of fishes 135 Possibility of interbasin transfer of fishes 135 D. Devils Lake Basin ............................................... 135 Distribution of fishes 135 Possibility of interbasin transfer of fishes 135 E. Souris River Basin 136 Distribution of fishes 136 Possibility of interbasin transfer of fishes 136 V LIFE HISTORIES OF FISHES IN DRAINAGES AFFECTED BY THE GARRISON DIVERSION UNIT .......................................................... 137 Petromyzontidae 137 Ichthyomyzon castaneus Girard--chestnut lamprey 137 111 PAGE Acipenseridae 137 Acipenser fulvescens Rafinesque--lake sturgeon .......137 Scaphirhynchus albus (Forbes and Richardson)--pallid sturgeon .......138 Scaphirhynchus platorynchus (Rafinesque)--shovelnose sturgeon .......................... 138 Polyodontidae 139 Polyodon spathula (Walbaum)--paddlefish 139 Lepisosteidae 139 Lepisosteus osseus (Linnaeus)--longnose gar 139 Lepisosteus platostomus Rafinesque--shortnose gar 140 Amiidae 140 Amia calva Linnaeus--bowfin .......................................................................................................... 140 Clupeidae 141 Dorosoma cepedianum (Lesueur)--gizzard shad .......141 Hiodontidae 142 Hiodon alosoides (Rafinesque)--goldeye .......142 Hiodon tergisus Lesueur--mooneye .......143 Salmonidae .......................................................................................................................................................... 143 Coregonus clupeaformis (Mitchill)--lake whitefish 143 Oncorhynchus kisutch (Walbaum)--coho salmon .................................................................. 144 Salmo gairdneri Richardson--rainbow trout .......144 Salmo trutta Linnaeus--brown trout 145 Salvelinus namaycush (Walbaum)--lake trout .......145 Osmeridae .......................................................................................................................................................... 146 Osmerus mordax (Mitchill)--rainbow smelt .......146 Umbridae .......................................................................................................................................................... 146 Umbra limi (Kirtland)--central mudminnow .......146 Esocidae 147 Esox lucius Linnaeus--northern pike .......147 Esox masquinongy Mitchill--muskellunge 147 Cyprinidae 148 Campostoma anomalum (Rafinesque)--stoneroller 148 Carassius auratus (Linnaeus)--goldfish 149 Couesius plumbeus (Agassiz)--lake chub .......149 Ctenopharyngodon idellus Valenciennes--grass carp .......149 Cyprinus carpio Linnaeus--carp .......150 Hybognathus hankinsoni Hubbs--brassy minnow 150 Hybognathus nuchalis Agassiz--silvery minnow .......151 Hybognathus placitus Girard--plains minnow .......151 Hybopsis gelida (Girard)--sturgeon chub .......151 Hybopsis gracilis (Richardson)--flathead chub .......152 Hybopsis meeki Jordan and Evermann--sicklefin chub 152 Hybopsis storeriana (Kirtland)--silver chub .......152 Nocomis biguttatus (Kirtland)--hornyhead chub 153 Notemigonus crysoleucas (Mitchill)--golden shiner 153 iv PAGE Cyprinidae (cont.) Notropis anogenus Forbes--pugnose shiner ................................................................ 154 Notropis atherinoides Rafinesque--emerald shiner 154 Notropis blennius (Girard)--river shiner 154 Notropis cornutus (Mitchill)--common shiner ............................................................ 155 Notropis dorsalis (Agassiz)--bigmouth shiner ......156 Notropis heterodon (Cope)--blackchin shiner 156 Notropis heterolepis Eigenmann and Eigenmann--blacknose shiner 156 Notropis hudsonius (Clinton)--spottail shiner 157 Notropis lutrensis (Baird and Girard)--red shiner ......157 Notropis rubellus (Agassiz)--rosyface shiner 158 Notropis spilopterus (Cope)--spotfin shiner 158 Notropis stramineus (Cope)--sand shiner 159 Notropis topeka Gilbert--Topeka shiner 159 Notropis volucellus (Cope)--mimic shiner 160 Phoxinus eos (Cope)--northern redbelly dace 160 Phoxinus neogaeus Cope--finescale dace .................................................................... 161 Pimephales notatus (Rafinesque)--bluntnose minnow 161 Pimephales promelas Rafinesque--fathead minnow ..................................................... 162 Rhinichthys atratulus (Hermann)--blacknose dace 162 Rhinichthys cataractae (Valenciennes)--longnose dace 163 Semotilus atromaculatus (Mitchill)--creek chub ......163 Semotilus margarita (Cope)--pearl dace 164 Catostomidae 164 Carpiodes carpio (Rafinesque)--river carpsucker 164 Carpiodes cyprinus (Lesueur)--quillback 164 Catostomus catostomus (Forster)--longnose sucker ................................................. 165 Catostomus commersoni (Lacepede)--white sucker 165 Cycleptus elongatus (Lesueur)--blue sucker ............................................................ 166 Erimyzon sucetta (Lacepede)--lake chubsucker 166 Ictiobus bubalus (Rafinesque)--smallmouth buffalo ......167 Ictiobus cyprinellus (Valenciennes)--bigmouth buffalo 167 Ictiobus niger (Rafinesque)--black buffalo ......168 Moxostoma anisurum (Rafinesque)--silver redhorse 168 Moxostoma erythrurum (Rafinesque)--golden redhorse 168 Moxostoma macrolepidotum (Lesueur)--shorthead redhorse 169 Moxostoma valenciennesi Jordan--greater redhorse 169 Ictaluridae 169 Ictaluras furcatus (Lesueur)--blue catfish 169 Ictalurus melas (Rafinesque)--black bullhead 170 Ictalurus natalis (Lesueur)--yellow bullhead 170 Ictalurus nebulosus (Lesueur)--brown bullhead ......171 Ictalurus punctatus (Rafinesque)--channel catfish 171 Noturus flavus Rafinesque--stonecat 172 Noturus gyrinus (Mitchill)--tadpole madtom 172 Pylodictis olivaris (Rafinesque)--flathead catfish ......173 Percopsidae 173 Percopsis omiscomaycus (Walbaum)--trout-perch 173 Gadidae 174 Lota Iota (Linnaeus)--burbot 174 Cyprinodontidae 175 Fundulus diaphanus (Lesueur)--banded killifish 175 Fundulus sciadicus Cope--plains topminnow 175 PAGE Gasterosteidae 176 Culaea inconstans (Kirtland)--brook stickleback 176 Pungitius pungitius (Linnaeus)--ninespine stickleback 176 Percichthyidae 177 Morone chrysops (Rafinesque)--white bass 177 Centrarchidae 177 Ambloplites rupestris (Rafinesque)--rock bass 177 Lepomis cyanellus Rafinesque--green sunfish 178 Lepomis gibbosus (Linnaeus)--pumpkinseed 178 Lepomis humilis (Girard)--orangespotted sunfish 179 Lepomis macrochirus Rafinesque--bluegill 180 Micropterus dolomieui Lace-PEDE—SMALLMOUTH bass 180 Micropterus salmoides (Lacepde)--largemouth bass 181 Pomoxis annularis Rafinesque--white crappie 181 Pomoxis nigromaculatus (Lesueur)--black crappie 182 Percidae 182 Etheostoma exile (Girard)--Iowa darter 182 Etheostoma nigrum Rafinesque--Johnny darter 183 Perca flavescens (Mitchill)--yellow perch 183 Percina caprodes (Rafinesque)--log perch 184 Percina maculata (Girard)--blackside darter 185 Percina shumardi (Girard)--river darter 185 Stizostedion canadense (Smith)--sauger 185 Stizostedion vitreum vitreum (Mitchill)--Walleye 186 Sciaenidae 187 Aplodinotus grunniens Rafinesque--freshwater drum 187 APPENDIX 189 Key to the Fishes of North Dakota 189 REFERENCES 201 vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This book would not have been initiated and could not have been completed without the interest and sustained support of a number of individuals and organizations. The original fish collections, preliminary reports, and this book were financially supported by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Missouri-Souris Projects Office, Bismarck, North Dakota, and the Garrison Diversion Conservancy District, Carrington, North Dakota. The Office of Research and Program Development of the Uni- versity