Pallid sturgeon and shovelnose sturgeon in the Missouri River from Fort Peck Dam to Lake Sakakawea and in the Yellowstone from Intake to its mouth : Fort Peck pallid sturgeon study

98 Pages·1994·6.1 MB·English

by  Tews, Anne Elizabeth

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Palll.d Sturgeon and Sbovelnose Eturgeon
tbs l,tissouri nivei fron Fort Peck Dan to Lalre Satalrawea
and in tbe Yellougtone Fron Intate to its Dtouth
Fort Peck Pallid Sturgeon StudY
Anne Tews
Fisheries Biologist
Montana Department of Fish' Wildlife, and Parks
FINAL REPORT
submitted to
IJ. S . ArmY CorPs of Engineers
Planning Branch
omaha, Nebraska
FebruarY L994
report period
January L, L989 November L | 1993
Mark Harberg
(t. S . ArmY CorPs of Engineers
Project Coordinator
'I
,r;.i;C; ;'t$i
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ABETRACT
pallid and shovelnose sturgeon were obsenred throughout the study
area by netting, radio telemetry, SCUBA and angler contacts.
From L9B9 L993 r 55 different pallid sturgeon and over LO00
shovelnose sturgeon were captured by the Montana Department of
Fish Witdlife ana Parks during netting and SCttBA diving. A
character index, based on morphological measurements,
differentiated pallid from shovelnose sturgeon. Based on this
index and field observation, Do suspected pallid/shovelnose
hybrids were' captured during the study. Pallids ranged in fork
lbngth from L090 l-556 nm, while shovelnose ranged from l-90
943 nm. Drift netting effort was concentrated in known paflid
habitat and resulted in average catch rates during L23 hours of
netting ( LOL2 drifts) of 0.4 pallids/hour and 8. O
shovelnoser/hour. All pallids caught with drift netting were
captured on the Yellowstone near its mouth or below the
confluence of the Yellowstone and Missouri Rivers. Seven pallids
and three shovelnose were recaptured during drift netting. Radio
and/or sonic transmitters $rere placed on 29 pallid and 30
shovelnose sturgeon. pallids in the confluence/Yellowstone
_AlI
areagenera1Iyiesidedbe16wtheconf1uencefromAugust
and moved up into the Yellowstone in April and May. Most
shovelnose in this area remained in the Yellowstone year long,
but some were found downstream of the confluence from August
October. Sturgeon telemetered in the Fort Peck tailrace
exhibited different behavior patterns. Pallids tended to move
downstream in April and returi to the tailrace by the winter
months, while shovelnose stayed in the tailrace area year longr.
Pallid sturgeon movement from the tailrace to below the
confluence (eOO kn) was documented. Standardized sampling done
in Lgg3, constituted 22.8 hours and 249 drifting efforts of 90
total km and resulted in capture of L84 shovelnose and O pallid
sturgeon. During standardized sampling shovelnose were captured
most-frequently in upstream stations in both the YeLlowstone and
Missouri over gravelly substrate. GilI nets (2.5 and 5 cm nesh)
$rere found to be better than trammel nets (25 .4 cm outer, 5 cm
inner mesh) at capturing sturgeon less than 65L IIllIl. Four
candidate endangered species were captured during the study'
including sicklefin chub, sturgeon chub, blue sucker and
paddlefish.
11
ACXNO.II.EDGEITBITTS
Research from l-989 July L992 was done by Pat C1ancey. He
initiated the study and hras instrumental in catching pallids with
SCUBA diving and for developing telemetry techniques. Volunteer,
GIen Meier, deserves special thanks for the extensive SCUBA
diving he did in the Fort Peck tailrace from 1-989 l-993. I
would also like to thank Phil Stewart, K.M. Backes and crew for
netting below Intake in L993. Fiel.d help lras provided by Jeff
Remus, Bob Bramblett, Bob Brandle, Mark Fliger, Chuck Howe, Doug
Megargle, and Region 6 personnel. The study was funded by the
U. S . Army Corps of Engineers, tt. S . Fish and Wildlif e Service
(Section 6 funding) and the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife
and Parks.
DISCLEIUER
Mention of conmercial products in this report does not inply
endorsement by the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and
Parks,
lll
TABI,E OF COITtsENlrS
Abstract. . o . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . o . . . . . . . . . I ' ' ' ' ' t ' ' t . ++
ACknOW1edgementS.. . . . r . . . . . r . . . . . . . . . . r . . . . . . . | . . . . . . . .'' "' 1]'I
Disclairnei. . . . o . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . r . . . . . . o . o''''''''' t' iii
LiSt Of FigUfeS.. ... . . o. . r... . . ... .. .. . . | . . . . o.. ... . " ' ' ' o .. V
List of Tables... |................................ ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' '\/ii
iist of Appendicgs.................. o..... o...... o...... ' o' viii
Introduction. . . ....
StUdy Afga....'.............. r o........ e .. o o. " " ' o t " " " t .. 2
ItgthOdS.......... o.......... |............ '.. ' t ' ' ' t o ' t " ' t t t ' I
Rgsults and Discussion. . . .. . . . . .. . ... . .... . . .. . . .. o . . . . . . ' t ' 15
Rgcommendations.................. !................. ' ' ' ' ' ' t ' ' 5]-
LitgfatUfg Citgd. . . . . I r . o . . . . . . . . . . r ... r . . . u. r . . . . . | . . . . ' ' ' ' o 52
Appendicgs. . . . . . ... . . . . . . .. . . . . .. o.... .... . ... o . . . . ' ' ' t ' ' ' " 57
tv
I,I8T OF FIGURE8
Figure l-. Map of Fort Peck pallid sturgeon study
area with river miles (kiloneters) . . . . . o .
Figure 2. Hydrographs for 1-993 of the Missouri
niver-be1ow Fort Peck Dam, the Missouri
at Culbertson and the Yellowstone River
at Sidney from preliminary USGS data . . . ' . '
Figure 3. Daily hydrograph of the Missouri at three
SiteS belOW FOft PeCk Dam . . . . . . . . . . . .
Figure 4. Morphological measurements taken from
pallidandshovelnosesturgeon' -.... " ' L0
Figure 5. Fork length distribution of palfid sturgeon . . L6
Figure 6. Weight distribution of pallid sturgeon. . . . . l6
Figure 7. Forlc length distribution of shovelnose sturgeon. t8
Figure 8. Mean shovelnose fork length by section,
compared with shovelnose captured in L981
by Gardner and Stewart (L987) and those
captured above Intake bY Backes et
al. (L992) and Watson and Stewart (L99L) . . o ' L9
Figure 9. Character index value freguency for pallid and
shovglnosesturgeon. . . . . - ... . . . . ' ' 22
Figure 10. Shovelnose and pallid catch rate from
L990 1993 by section and month.. . . . . . o . 25
Figure Ll-. Movement of a pallid sturgeon tagged in
April L992. . . o . . . . . . ' ' t ' ' ' ' ' ' 32
Figure L2. Movement of a wide-ranging shovelnose
sturgeon implanted with transmitters near
the confluence of the Yellowstone and
Missouri Rivgrs in L992. . . . o . - r . . . . 34
Figure L3. Drift netting catch of common non-
Scaphirhynchus species from 1990 L993. ..o.39
Figure L4. Length distribution of L993 blue sucker catch. . 40
Figure 15. Catch of common species during 1993
seining effort. . 41
Figure l-6. Rainbow trout redd counts from l-983
1993 in a side channel immediately below
Fort Pgck Dam. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Figure L7. Shovelnose catch per effort by month and
station during 1993 standardized sampling. . . . 45
Figure 18. Shovelnose' fork length distribution at
standardized sanpling stations during L993. . . 46
Figure l-9. Pie chart comparing catch and species
diversity of giIl and trammel nets during
L993 standardized sampling . . . o . . . . . . . 48
Figure 20. Shovelnose length distribution with gill
and trammel nets from 1993 standardized
sampling. . . . . . . . . o . . . . . . . . . . 48
vl-
LIST OF TABITBB
Table f- . Average daily mean, maximum and minimurn
flow at three sites in the study area for
1"988 l-993 calendar Years.
TabIe 2. Study area sections with location and
river miles (kn)
Table 3. Transmitter types used on sturgeon
relocated from L989 L993. . . - . - - - . . . L2
Table 4. Description of standardized sites
sampled in L993. . o . . . . . . o . . ' ' t ' ' L4
Table 5. Regression equations for palfid and
shovelnose sturgeon length (rnm)/w eight
(kg) and shovelnose FL to TL in the study
afea. . . . | . . . . . . . ' t t ' ' ' ' ' ' ' L7
Table 6. Range and mean of percent standard length
of ielected morphological characteristics
of pallid and shovelnose sturgeon
captured from 1-989 1993 . o - -, - - . . . . 20
TabIe Comparison of morphometric ratios of
pallid and shovelnose sturgeon found by
Bailey and Cross (L954) and those
captured in this study. . . o . . . - - . . . . 2L
TabIe 8. Annua1 (January March) pallid sturgeon
counts in the Fort Peck tailrace from
L988 L993 (from Pat Clanceyts dive
24
IOg) . . . . . . . . . . . . o . ' t ' ' ' ' ' '
Table 9. Incidental catch during 3L drifts in
which 55 pallid sturgeon were caught from
L992 ]-993. . . . . . . . . ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' 27
Table 1,0. Summary of pallid and shovelnose sturgeon
habitat measurements taken from 1989
36
t-99 3 MDFWP.
Table l- l- . Fish species caught during the Fort Peck
pallid sturgeon study from L989 l-993 . 37
v].1
TJIST OF APPENDTCES
Appendix L. Calculations used to determine
character index values found in
FigUre 9 o . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Appendix 2. Statistics of patlid sturgeon
captured from L989 L993. . . . . . . e . 58
Appendix 3. Length and weight of shovelnose
sturgeon captured by drift netting
and stationary sets from 1988 L993
by section . . . . . . . . . . . r . . . . . . 60
Appendix 4. Morphometrie ratios described by
Bailey'and Cross (L954) for pallid
sturgeon caught in L993. . . . , , . . . . . 6L
Appendix 5. Percent of standard length of
morphometric measurements of pallid
sturgeon captured in L993 . . . o . . . . . . .6L
Appendix 6. Drift netting effort by year, month
and section irom L990
Appendix 7. Catch rates by month and section for
conmon species caught during drift
netting effort L990 L993 . . . . . . . . . . 63
Appendix 8. Catch rates and number of conmon
species caught during drift netting
effort from L990
Appendix 9. Annual shovelnose catch rates (CPUE :
caEch/hour) with absolute numbers of
shovelnose caught by month and
sgction from L99O L993. . . . . . . . . o . 67
Appendix L0. Statistics of shovelnose sturgeon
transmittered from 1989 1,993 and
inplanted with radio and/or sonic (s)
transmittgrs . o . . . . . . . . . . . . . o . 68
Appendix 11. Movement of radioed palfid sturgeon
intheYellowstone/confluencearea......69
Appendix L2. Movement of radioed pallid sturgeon
in the Fort Peck tailrace and i; the
Missouri above the confluence. . . . . . . . . 72
Appendix l-3. Movement of shovelnose sturgeon in
theYellowstone/confluencearea.... ....73
viii
Appendix L4. Habitat measurements of pallid
sturgeon taken during radio telemetry
relocations in l-993 . 77
Appendix L5. Average catch per seine haul (nunber)
in L993 by sgction. . . . . - - . - . . . 78
Appendix 16. Fish species and number caught during
drift netting at each standardized
sampling station in 1993. . . . . . o - . . o 79
Appendix L7. Shovelnose catch in the Missouri
River above the confluence during
L993 standardized sampling. . . ' - - - . . . 80
Appendix l-8. Shovelnose catch on the Yellowstone
River during 1-993 standardized sampling- . . . 81-
Appendix l-9. Shovelnose catch on the Missouri
River below the confluence and the
average for all stations during 1993
standardized sampling. 82
Appendix 20. Mean surface and bottom velocitY
(mrlsec) at deep sites of standardized
samplingstationsbymonth.... -... 83
Appendix 2L. Mean surface and bottom velocitY
(mrlsec) at shallow sites of
standardized sampling stations, by
month. 84
Appendix 22. Mean nonthly secchi disk depth (cn)
ofstandardizedsamplingsites.... - -.. 85
Appendix 23. Mean nonthly temperature ('c) of
standardizedsamplingsites..... - -... 85
Appendix 24. Mean monthly conductivity (prnhos/ cm)
of standardized garnpling sites
(correctgd to 25" C)' . . . . . . o . - . o . 86
Appendix 25. Mean depth (n) at deeP and shal]ow
sites of standardized samPling
stations by month. . . . . . . o . . . . . . . 87
].X