8192

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 8192
• Author: Wydoski, D.
• Title: Review of Report Regarding Evaluation of Gravel-Pit Ponds.
• USFW Year: 1997.
• USFW - Doc Type: \
• Copyright Material: NO

in Gardner Pond 11 April, was recaptured twice in Gardner Pond, once on 15 April
and again on 11 June (Appendix B; Table B.1.).

Of the 2,152 sub-adult and adult nonnative and native fishes that were fin-
clipped in both ponds during 1996, 370 fish were recaptured. Fifty-six percent
of the fish were recaptured during the first sampling period, pre-runoff; 31%
were recaptured during the second sampling period, runoff; and 13% were
recaptured duri ng post - runoff. Numeri ca 11 y, whi te sucker (127), and black
bullhead (76) were the most cornmon fishes recaptured which was 27% and 13%,
respectively, of the total number marked (470 and 575) for each of these two
species. Of the 90 largemouth bass captured and marked, 21% were recaptured.
Approximately 112 fishes that were initially marked in Gardner Pond were
recaptured from Gardner Pond and 196 fishes initially marked in Hotspot Pond were
recaptured from Hotspot Pond (Appendix 0; Tables 0.1.-0.3.).

Mark and recapture data revealed that some species moved between the two
ponds via the connection channel of each pond and the river. Thirty-three fish
that were initially captured and marked in Hotspot Pond were later recaptured in
Gardner Pond; 29 fish that were initially captured and marked in Gardner-Pond
were recaptured in Hotspot Pond (Appendix 0; Tables 0.1. -0.3.). Mark and
recapture data indicated that nonnative fishes moved the most between the two
ponds. Common carp, largemouth bass, white sucker, bluegill, and black crappie
all moved from one pond to the other sometime between April and July. White
sucker moved the most--39 moved between the two ponds whereas only six adult
largemouth bass moved between the two ponds. Only one native fish, the roundtail
chub, was observed to move between the two ponds. Of the 23 roundtail chub
captured and marked from Gardner Pond, three fi sh were 1 ater captured in Hotspot
Pond. No fish was recaptured more than three times, and only two white sucker
were recaptured three times.

Inventory of Small-sized Fishes

Seining captured mostly small, young-of-the-year fish. However, sub-adult
and adult fishes of some small-sized fish species such as red shiner, sand
shiner, and western mosquitofish were also captured. Of the 21 fishes collected
during the entire study with all gear types, nine species were collected with
seines (Table 5). All were nonnatives.

Composition and Abundance

Both ponds were sampled 13 August to assess annual reproduction of young-
of-the-year fish of the more common nonnative fishes. A total of 832 fish
representing eight species were collected in Gardner Pond; 413 fish representing
eight species were collected in Hotspot Pond (Table 5). Seining in August
revealed that five nonnative fish species (black bullhead, largemouth bass, black
crappie, green sunfish, and western mosquitofish) had successfully reproduced in
both ponds. Numerically, the eight fish species collected in descending order
in Gardner Pond were black crappie (40%) , black bullhead (32%), largemouth bass
(17%), western mosquitofish (7%), green sunfish (3%), common carp, red shiner,
and bluegill (each < 1%: Figure 6). In Hotspot Pond, largemouth bass (35%),

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