Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID 2015IL294B

Effect of dams on the genetic structure of fish assemblages in the Vermillion River

Institute: Illinois
Year Established: 2015 Start Date: 2015-03-01 End Date: 2016-02-28
Total Federal Funds: $8,518 Total Non-Federal Funds: $21,128

Principal Investigators: Robert Colombo, Devon Keeney, Shannon Smith

Project Summary: Graduate students from Eastern Illinois University have been monitoring the biotic communities and physical habitat upstream and downstream of two dams prior to removal. Our primary objective has been to assess assemblages of fish, macroinvertebrates, and basic habitat metrics within reach upstream and downstream of the Danville Dam and the Ellsworth Park Dam. This will continue twice a year until the spring of 2016 and will include monitoring of the rivers after both dams have been removed. This study is one of very few in the country to assess stream habitat and community structure before and after dam removal in order to document the ecological responses triggered by dam removal.