Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center
Search fish passage bibliography
Hesse, L. W. and G. E. Mestl (1993). The status of Nebraska fishes in the Missouri River. 1. Paddlefish (Polyodontidae: Polyodon spathula). Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences. 20:53-65.
The mean larval paddlefish density was 60 times higher in the upper unchannelized section of the Missouri River in Nebraska compared to the lower unchannelized section, and was three times higher than the channelized section's density. Within the upper unchannelized section, 96.2% of the larvae were collected in the discharge of two tributaries, which lie in the lower one-third of the reach. Survival from larval to young-of-the-year stage (June through August) was highest during 1991 due, in part, to the recent drought. Reduced fluctuation of river stages occurred as a result of reduced runoff, which minimized the need to reduce discharge to prevent flooding in the lower basin. The mean weight of paddlefish captured during the 1991 snagging season increased from 6.89 kg in 1990 to 7.45 kg, while the mean length increased from 739 mm (eye-to-fork length) to 753 mm. The percentage of snagged paddlefish 10 years old or older decreased from 15.3% in 1990 to 9.5% in 1991.
U.S. Department of the Interior |
U.S. Geological Survey
URL: http://www.umesc.usgs.gov/data_library/fisheries/fish_passage/hesse5.html
Page Contact Information: Contacting the Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center
Page Last Modified:
November 3, 2015
