Laserfiche WebLink
PRRIP — ED OFFICE FINAL 6 05/27/2010 <br />154 sturgeon activity #2). The Peters and Parham study of pallid sturgeon habitat use and movement <br />155 on the lower Platte River did provide useful information on pallid sturgeon ecology and <br />156 additional information on pallids is being collected through an ongoing University of Nebraska - <br />157 Lincoln sturgeon population characteristics study. However, that study is only capturing <br />158 incidental pallid sturgeon (it is a shovelnose study), it is not providing habitat selection data, and <br />159 even Peters and Parham (2008) suggested that additional habitat selection work is required. <br />160 <br />161 In its 2009 report (Marmorek et al., 2009) the Program's Independent Scientific Advisory <br />162 Committee (ISAC) provided the following guidance for addressing the pallid sturgeon priority <br />163 hypotheses and management objective: <br />164 <br />165 Use a contingent, incremental approach for the sturgeon objective, only progressing to more <br />166 detailed studies once initial questions have been answered. The stage sensitivity study will <br />167 document the hydrologic sensitivity of lower Platte to central Platte flow management. If <br />168 there is a change in flow which could be significant to sturgeon, then the next logical step <br />169 would be to use a sparse, stationary telemetry framework to define migrations of sturgeon <br />170 in/out of the Platte. If the telemetry results suggest that sturgeon are using the Platte for <br />171 spawning, then consider studies of larval recruitment. One ISAC member has suggested that <br />172 sparse telemetry studies could be done as a first step to determining the level and location of <br />173 use of the Platte by pallid sturgeon, but to do such studies as part of the Missouri River <br />174 Restoration Program (in coordination with the PRRIP). <br />175 Evidence supports the notion that Platte River pallid sturgeon are Missouri River sturgeon. <br />176 Movement of fish between the Missouri and Platte is a fundamental issue that needs to be <br />177 addressed through expanded telemetry. If it is demonstrated that Program- managed <br />178 discharge events persist downstream to affect reaches occupied by sturgeon, the remainder of <br />179 the actions will depend on establishing the relative numbers of sturgeon using the Platte, and <br />180 whether the Platte (or Elkhorn) provides critical habitat for its reproduction. <br />181 <br />182 While the stage change study showed that, in general, lower Platte flow is not negatively <br />183 impacted by potential Program water management activities, there are hydrological conditions <br />184 and Program water actions that could result in some short-term loss of habitat connectivity unless <br />185 preventative measures were undertaken to avoid the potentially negative impacts. According to <br />186 the ISAC guidance, a next step should be taken through telemetry and habitat selection research <br />187 to determine how pallids move from the Missouri to the Platte and if this movement is related to <br />188 reproduction and recruitment (among other life history requirements). Then, results of this <br />189 research could be used to test priority hypotheses PS -4 and potentially additional Tier 2 or Tier 3 <br />190 hypotheses. In addition, this data could be used to refine the pallid sturgeon CEM and develop <br />191 measurable indicators for assessing the current pallid sturgeon management objective. <br />192 <br />193 Additional IMRP pallid sturgeon tasks also link to this potential habitat selection research: <br />194 <br />195 IMRP Task #1— Summary of existing information on the pallid sturgeon <br />196 Status: Complete; information review completed in 2008 and all documents available for <br />197 consideration. <br />PRRIP Pallid Sturgeon Assessment Page 5 of 8 <br />