Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID 2013MT281B

Student Fellowship: Maintaining Migratory Pathways of Imperiled Large River and Small Stream Prairie Fishes in the Face of Climate Change

Institute: Montana
Year Established: 2013 Start Date: 2013-03-01 End Date: 2014-02-28
Total Federal Funds: $1,000 Total Non-Federal Funds: $440

Principal Investigators: David Dockery

Abstract: Habitat fragmentation in freshwater systems can threaten the viability of freshwater and anadromous fish populations through the direct loss of spawning and rearing habitat and loss of gene flow between isolated populations. Habitat fragmentation in freshwater systems is a growing concern, due to the large and increasing number of aquatic barriers, which are the primary cause of habitat fragmentation. Efforts to increase fish passage around aquatic barriers through the construction or modification of culverts and construction of fishways on weirs and dams have met limited success due to limited knowledge of the swimming capabilities of the fish species of concern. The primary objective of our study is to characterize the swimming abilities of sauger (Sander canadensis), an imperiled large river fish native to the plains and prairie potholes ecoregion, and threatened small bodied minnows native to the plains and prairie potholes ecoregion.