Laserfiche WebLink
<br />Survival estimates and growth rates were impressive when predation by, and <br />~ competition with, the large number of nonnative fish were considered. Each study site <br />was occupied by high numbers of nonnative fish in the spring at the time of stocking. <br />Several years of above average flow preceding the study provided conditions that <br /> <br />allowed non-native fish populations to build up in each site (Birchell et al. 2002). During <br />razorback sucker sampling in the fall, nonnative fish were removed from the sites and <br />~ estimates were calculated using catch effort decline. There were an estimated 5357.4 <br />kg (458,474 fish) of nonnative fish in Baeser Bend, 2708.2 kg (310,565 fish) in The <br />Stirrup and 711.4 kg (86,122 fish) in Above Brennan (Birchell et.al 2002). These results <br />~ indicate age-1 razorback sucker are very capable of competing with and avoiding <br />predation by large numbers of nonnative fish. <br />Razorback sucker survival was dramatically reduced during the second year of <br />the study. Below average spring flows and summer drought created water conditions in <br />The Stirrup and Baeser Bend that were lethal for all fish species. At The Stirrup, low <br />~ spring flows resulted in a brief connection duration that did not sufficiently fill the site. <br />As a result, stagnant water remaining from the previous year was not adequately <br />freshened and nighttime dissolved oxygen levels became lethal for razorback sucker <br />~ sometime in the early summer (4 June - 13 July). <br />Unlike The Stirrup, Baeser Bend and Above Brennan filled during river-floodplain <br />connection in all years. Late summer water depths were nearly the same in each site, <br />however, an estimated 50 - 75% of the razorback sucker in Baeser Bend were lost. <br />Late summer fish kills were not observed at Above Brennan. Differences in connection <br />configurations between the two sites may explain why fish kills occurred at Baeser <br />21 <br /> <br />