Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center
Open River, Upper Mississippi River 2001 Fish Collection Summary
This report is a bullet summary of the Long Term Resource Monitoring Program's (LTRMP) fish collection efforts conducted by the Open River Field Station on the Open River, Upper Mississippi River during 2001. Information on changes in fish catch over all years can be obtained from the Graphical Fish Database Browser.
- In 2001, the Open River reach conducted 330 fish collections using
seven gear types (Table 2.5). Water levels fluctuated
30 ft during the sample season and affected seining sample allocation
(Table 2.5; Figure
1.5). Alternate random sites are used when original random sites
are not suitable for sampling. Alternate site selection was highest
during period 2 (~39%) and lowest during period 1 (~25%).
- Of the 330 fish collections, 271 were from randomly selected sites within
the side channel border, main channel border, unstructured, and main
channel border, wing dam strata. At
tributary fixed sites, 32 collections were made and 27 were from main channel border, unstructured
fixed sites.
- Side channel border strata received the most sampling effort and
required highest alternate site selection because of water elevation during
periods 2 (46%) and 3 (44%). Tributary strata received the least
amount of sampling effort (Table 2.5).
- 13,031 fish were collected representing 65 species and 1 hybrid (Table
3.5). Day electrofishing caught the most fish and fish species.
- The LTRMP species total for the Open River reach before the 2001 season
was 104. One new species was collected during 2001: Redspotted sunfish
(2; Table 3.5). Species caught that are
Missouri-listed species of special concern included paddlefish (2),
mooneye (5), Mississippi silvery minnow (14), silver chub (22), pugnose
minnow (17), blue sucker (3), and river darter (4; Table
3.5).
- Three species of asian carp were caught and included bighead carp
(8), silver carp (7), and grass carp (2). These are exotic species that
have been accidentally released into the Mississippi River system.
- Mean catch-per-unit-effort and standard error for fish collected
by gears using stratified random (Tables
4.5-13.5) and fixed-site sampling (Tables
14.5-22.5) for each stratum are shown.
- Length distributions for selected species of fish are shown in Figures 2.5 to19.5.
Content manager: Jennie Sauer
Page Last Modified: April 17, 2018