Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID 2022_IA_Weber

Habitat associations and biotic interactions of invasive Rusty Crayfish to inform risk assessment and management of shallow glacial lakes at the invasion front

Institute: Iowa
USGS Grant Number:
Year Established: 2022 Start Date: 2022-12-01 End Date: 2025-11-30
Total Federal Funds: $122,971 Total Non-Federal Funds: $122,972

Principal Investigators: Michael Weber

Project Summary: The invasive Rusty Crayfish has caused tremendous ecological and economic damage in glacial lakes in the Upper Midwest. Its range has recently expanded south to shallow-eutrophic lakes of the Upper Mississippi Basin. The first lake-dwelling population in Iowa was recently discovered in Storm Lake, Iowa, but little is known about the relative abundance, distribution of Rusty Crayfish within Storm Lake or surrounding natural lakes, or how its introduction will affect water quality populations of aquatic flora and fauna. Therefore, we propose a project to assess the distribution and habitat and biotic associations of Rusty Crayfish within Storm Lake and other shallow eutrophic lakes within southern portions of the Upper Mississippi River Basin. This research will inform vulnerability assessments for early detection and management of the species.