Laserfiche WebLink
<br />flanne1mouth sucker, speckled dace, roundtail chub, and mottled sculpin) <br />made up 90% of the catch in shoreline drift nets. Of the three non-native <br />species in drift (white sucker, fathead minnow, and green sunfish), only the <br />white sucker made up a significant proportion of the drift (8.6%). <br /> <br />Weekly Drift Patterns <br /> <br />Drift of larval fishes at the Palisade Site was monitored for 10 weeks, <br />from July 6 to September 13, 1984. Variations in mean weekly drift <br />densities appear to be related to river discharge and water temperature <br />(Fig. 7). Few fish w~re found drifting before and at the initiation of drift <br />net sampling. Drifting fish were first detected the second week of July when <br />water temperatures first reached 16.0 c. <br /> <br />Initially, trends in drift densities followed closely trends in water <br />temperature. Mean weekly densities increased from 0.16 fishes per 1000 cfw <br />in the second week of samp1 ing to a peak of 2.34 fi shes in the fourth week <br />as river temperatures rose from 16 to 20 C and discharge decreased from <br />about 18,500 to 11,250 cfs (Fig. 7). The continued warming and decreased <br />discharge of the river in the fifth week of sampling, however, did not <br />result in increased drift; mean weekly density at that time dropped to only <br />0.31 fishes as the river temperature peaked between 20.5 and 21.0 C. <br /> <br />No drifting fishes were observed the seventh week of sampling (August <br />17-23), suggesting that drift activity was completed. But, a second pulse <br />of drifting fishes was observed in late August and early September as the <br />mean weekly density rose to 1.33 fi shes per 1000 c fw. Thi s pul se cannot <br />be explained as a function of river temperature or discharge, since these <br />parameters were relatively stable during this period (Fig. 7). This second <br />pulse probably reflects the history of spawning activity in the area. <br />Apparently, conditions on the river were suitable for two closely-spaced <br />spawning events, making available one large egg hatch followed by a second <br />smaller one. <br /> <br />Di e 1 Dr i ft <br /> <br />Drift nets were set over a 24-hour period to evaluate diel patterns of <br />drifting fishes. . This sampl ing was conducted during the week of maximum <br />drift to insure sufficient numbers of fish for the analysis. Paired <br />shore1 i ne surface samp1 es , ta ken at about 2-hour intervals, i nd icate that <br />drift densities at the Palisade Site were related to time of day (Fig. 4). <br />Drift densities were highest between midnight and 0400 hours (0.65 fish in <br />1000 cfw) and between 2000 hours and midni ght (0.60). About 60% of the <br />drift ,was recorded during these two time periods. The number of drifting <br />fishes between 0400 and 2000 hours was relatively consistent, varying <br />between. 0.26 and 0.11. The lowest drift dens ity was observed between 1600 <br />and 2000 hours. An analysis of variance revealed a significant difference <br />(p=O.Ol) between the hourly means. By using Fisher's least significant <br />difference procedure for multi pl e compari sons, it was determi ned that there <br />were significant differences (p<O.OI) between the two maximum values and the <br /> <br />182 <br /> <br />I <br />( <br /> <br />~ <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />-, -,,,,._~..._,,-,,,,,~----~~~~.,,. <br />