THE DISTRIBUTION AND GROWTH OF FISH IN THE RED CEDAR RIVER DRAINAGE IN RELATION TO HABITAT AW VOLUME OF FLOW The“: for the Degree of DII. D. MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY William Robert Meehan 1958 THESIS: 0-169 II I I” III I “I ”III I! III {III I! I}!!! I! I! I!!! II T 3 1293 10273 8493 This is to certify that the thesis entitled THE DISTRIBUTION AIRLD GRONTd CF F ISH IN THE RED CEDAR RIVER DRAIIIAGE IN RELATION TO HABITAT AND VOLUME OF FLCH presented bg William Robert Meehan has been accepted towards fulfillment of the requirements for Ph.D degree in Fisheries & Wildlife / / I.) .7 / . . ' ,x 6. (1 1'. [2/ .11).). Major prclessor Date May 20. 1958 g in”! LIBRAR/ 5 I‘lliclfimm Starr; UflIVCl‘Slty vi .. I ‘3ng 1 5 1599 ( m. .- a _‘:;J /J I r, a) I L A: £32031 Jun; .108 80,01 U4219§ ’ Irl‘az 1‘. THE DISTRIBUTION AND GROWTH OF FISH IN THE RED CEDAR RIVER DRAINAGE IN RELATION TO HABITAT AND VOLUME OF FLOW by WILLIAM ROBERT MEEHAN AN ABSTRACT Submitted to the School for.Advanced Graduate Studies of Michigan State University of.Agriculture and Applied Science in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR CW‘ PHILOSOPHY Department of Fisheries and Wildlife 1958 Approved Cfdéb/ lkéilfigz‘ William Robert Meehan FiSh populations were sampled throughout the drainage system of the Red Cedar River in the central portion of Mich- igan's Lower Peninsula. Sampling was done primarily with an .A.C. shocker and a drag seine. ‘The AJC. shocking unit was the most effective gear hi obtaining numbers (n? individuals and variety of species. Over half of the total population of the system in numbers are minnows. Of these, the northern common shiner, bluntnose minnow, and northern creek chub are the most numerous. The most important game fish is the northern pike, while the smallmouth bass and the rock bass are angled for to a lesser extent. The greatest diversity of species was found in the larger section of the river. Data are presented for some of the more common species concerning length-weight relationships,body-scalelength rela- tionships, coefficient of condition, and age and growth. For the most part, growth is as good.orbetter than it is in other midwestern streams. Differences in growth increment in white suckers and rock bass above and below a source of domestic pollution are not significant, but the differences are greater in the white sucker which is a bottom feeder. Differences in the average total length of northern com- mon shiners throughout the drainage were found, but could not be correlated Math: (1) volume of flow; (2) date of collec- tion; (3) habitat; or (4) gear used to make collections. 1 THE DISTRIBUTION AND GROWTH OF FISH IN THE RED CEDAR RIVER DRAINAGE IN RELATION TO HABITAT AND VOLUME OF FLOW by WILLIAM ROBERT MEEHAN .A THESIS Submitted to the School for Advanced Graduate Studies of Michigan State University of Agriculture and Applied Science in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR (N? PHILOSOPHY Department of Fisheries and Wildlife 1958 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The writer wishes to express his sincere thanks to Dr. Eugene Wleoelofs, under whose guidance this study was undertaken. He is likewise grateful to Dr.Philip J.Clark, who was most helpful in evaluating the data statistically. Mr. Joseph B. Hunn and many other of the author's colleagues in the fisheries and wildlife department are gratefully acknowledged for their assistance in much of the field work. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I DESCRIPTION OF STUDY AREA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Watershed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Climate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2O Geology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Soils . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . 2h Land Use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2S METHODOLOGY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Selection of Sampling Stations . . . . . . . . . 28 Gear and Techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 RESULTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6h Species Distribution and Composition . . . . . . 6h Efficiency and Selectivity of Gear . . . . . . . 71 Length- weight Relationships . . . . . . . . . . . 78 Body-scale Length Relationships . . . . . . . . 93 Differences in Coefficient of Condition . . . . . 97 Age and Growth . . . . . . . . . . 101 Size Differences Compared with Volume of Flow . . llO DISCUSSION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ll3 SUMMARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118 LITERATURE CITED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121 TABLE I. II. III. IV. VI. VII. VIII. IX. LIST OF TABLES Description of sampling stations on the Red Cedar River . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Species composition of habitat types, expressed in numbers and percent . . . . . . . . . . Distribution of fishes collected in the Red Cedar River, by species and mainstream sec- tions. Figures represent the percentage of each species occurring in each of the five sections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Species present in mainstream sections 2 and u and their tributaries . . . . . . . . . . . Comparison of seine and AJC. shocker catches taken from the same location in Button Drain on successive days . . . . . . . . . . . Comparison of three samples taken under similar conditions on July 5, 1957, using two differ- ent kinds of gear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Species distribution and average total length of fish taken from riffle areas in three sections of the main stream, using three different types of gear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Species distribution and average total length of fish taken with AJC. shocker from the same location in Button Drain at different times during the study period.. . . . . . . . . . . . Species distribution and average total length of fish taken at station lR with the A.C. shocker at different times during the study period . . A.small portion of the length and weight data collected on the northern rock bass to demon- strate the method used to tabulate length- weight relationship figures . . . . . . . . . . iv PAGE 29 65 68 70 72 73 75 76 77 79 TABLE XI. XII. XIII. XIV. XVII. Results of analysis of variance of coefficients of condition of northern creek chubs through- out the Red Cedar River Drainage, showing heterogeneity of the data . . . . . . . . . . Results of analysis of variance of coefficients of condition of northern rock bass at three stations on the Red Cedar River, showing heterogeneity of the data . . . . Average calculated length at end of each year of life and average growth increment of northern smallmouth bass in the Red Cedar River . Average calculated length at end of each year of life and average growth increment of northern rock bass in the Red Cedar River . . . . Average calculated length at end of each year of life and average growth increment of common white suckers in the Red Cedar River . . Results of analysis of variance of lengths of common white suckers and northern rock bass from above and below the Williamston sewage treatment plant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Results of analysis of variance of lengths of northern common shiners throughout the Red Cedar River Drainage . . . . . . . . . . . PAGE 98 100 102 105 107 109 Ill 4'! FIGURE 1. 2. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. ll. 12. 13. IL. 15. 16. 17. 18. LIST OF FIGURES Drainage area of the Red Cedar River and its tributaries. Overlay shows location of sampling stations . . . . . Mean discharge of the Red Cedar River for the years 1951 to 1957 and for 1957 . Photograph of the Red Cedar River to show the apparent reddish-brown color (somewhat overemphasized) Photograph of the Red Cedar River to show the turbidity Which is more apparent downstream. Gillnet is being lifted . . . . . . . . . . . . dam . Photograph of backwater formed by the Williamston Climatic diagram for Howell, Michigan . . . . . . . Station 13 Stations 1R and lP Stations ZS and 2P . Station Station Station Station Station Station .Station Station Station 2R as 3R 3p LLR up Is 5p 55 vi PAGE 13 1h 16 18 22 37 39 Lil us #5 A? A9 51 53 55 57 59 FIGURE 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 2h. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 3h. PAGE Station 511 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Length-weight relationship of the northern pike in the Red Cedar River . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 Length-weight relationship of the northern rock bass in the Red Cedar River . . . . . . . . . . 82 Length-weight relationship of the northern small- mouth bass in the Red Cedar River . . . . . . . 83 Length-weight relationship of the common white sucker in the Red Cedar River . . . . . . . . . 8h Length-weight relationship of the western mud- minnow in the Red Cedar River . . . . . . . . . 85 Length-weight relationship of the bluntnose minnow in the Red Cedar River . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 Length-weight relationship of the northern common Shiner in the Red Cedar River . . . . . . . . . 87 Length-weight relationship of the western blacknose dace in the Red Cedar River . . . . . . . . . . 88 Length-weight relationship of the hornyhead chub in the Red Cedar River . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 Length-weight relationship of the northern creek chub in the Red Cedar River . . . . . . . . . . 9O Length-weight relationship of the northern rainbow darter in the Red Cedar River . . . . . . . . . 91 Length-weight relationship of the blackside darter in the Red Cedar River . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92 Body-scale length relationship of the common white sucker in the Red Cedar River . . . . . . . . . 9h Body-scale length relationship of the northern smallmouth bass in the Red Cedar River . . . . . 95 Body-scale length relationship of the northern rock bass in the Red Cedar River . . . . . . . . 96 vii FIGURE PAGE 35. Calculated total length attained by northern smallmouth bass at the end of each year of life and average annual growth increment . . . 103 36. Calculated total length attained by northern rock bass at the end of each year of life and average annual growth increment . . . . . 106 37. Calculated total length attained by common white suckers at the end of each year of life and average annual growth increment . . . 108 viii ‘5 .“ INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION For many years, one of the major problems confronting aquatic biologists has been the difficulty of investigating stream fish populations on aquantitative basis.. Extreme vari- ations in environmental conditions, mobility of these fish populations, and varying efficiencies and selectivities of different types of sampling gear are some of the principal factors which limit the extensiveness of a quantitative study. Environmental conditions in a lotic situation are much more variable than conditions found in standing waters. Tem- perature of the water, turbidity, and other physical and chem— ical characteristics of the water in a stream or river may vary daily with varying weather conditions over the watershed, and certainly seasonal changes are much more extreme than would be the case in a lake or pond. A.hard rain for a period of only a few hours may increase the volume flow of a stream by four or five times. The effects of such an occurrence on the vari— ous types of habitat found in the stream may be devastating. A small stretch of gravel, perhaps the spawning site of a number of fish, may be completely silted over. This would perhaps be considered as a detrimental effect. On the other hand, some "desirable" conditions may be set up at the.same time. The increased discharge and its accompanying debris may undercut a bank on the outside of a meander to a depth 2 3 which will afford suitable cover for one or more fish in an area where there was previously none. This same hard rain over a lake might affect the surface temperature slightly or cause some roiling near the shores, but no major environmental changes would take place. The mobility, or at least the potential mobility, of stream fish populations is another factor which presents dif- ficulties in studying them quantitatively. Scott (l9h9), Gerking (1950), and other investigators agree that certain species native to the stream move about very little. Gerking (1950) and Larimore (1952) further suggest that certain species have definite home ranges. On the other hand, the movements of some species may be quite widespread, as is the case with the white sucker. Funk (1957) divides certain species each into two groups, onea "sedentary" group which remains within a limited area, and the other a ”mobile" group which ranges more freely. 'With respect to the sedentary group, the factors which may determine the stability of the group are a homing instinct, social behavior, and recognition of a home range. Larimore (1952) demonstrates the attachment of smallmouth bass to home pools in Jordan Creek, Illinois. Gerking (1953) shows that the home range of the rock bass, green sunfish, and longear sunfish in streams which he studied is 100 to 200 feet of stream, while the smallmouth bass, golden redhorse, and hog sucker have home ranges of 200 to BOO feet. Barriers of a temporary or permanent nature, such as low water levels and II dams, are likewise important factors in limiting fish move- ments. Mill-dams on tributary streams were found to be effec- tive barriers to upstream movements from impounded waters in Tennessee (Ruhr, 1957). The efficiency and selectivity of various types of gear used to sample fish populations has long been a subject of dis- cussion among fisheries investigators. While collections made with several types of gear, such as electric Shockers, drag seines, and gill nets, will show the diversity of a fish popu- lation more effectively than would be shown by the use of any one gear alone, still there remains the problem that each gear will indicate a different species composition. Also, different kinds of gear have different efficiencies when used in various types of habitat. For example, the electric shocker can be used successfully to collect fishes such as centrarchids from brushy areas along the stream bank, while a drag seine would prove to be highly ineffective because of obstructions. .A combination of several types of gear has been used successfully by some workers, such as a drag seine used as a block seine in conjunction with a shocking unit. It is generally agreed upon by biologists that electrofishing gear (AJC. and D.C. Shockers, electric seines, et cetera) is the most efficient means of cap- turing most species of fish. There are of course exceptions. Funk (1957) finds the electric seine the most effective of the three kinds of gear used (electric seine, drag seine, hoopnet) for capturing hog suckers, black redhorse, gizzard shad, 5 smallmouth buffalo, river carpsucker, golden redhorse, green sunfish, and bluegills in Missouri streams. The hoopnet was most effective in capturing yellow bullheads and flathead cat- fish. The electric seine and drag seine were equally effective .in taking longnose gar, river carpsucker, northern redhorse, smallmouth bass, and freshwater drum. As a result of his in- vestigations, Funk feels that the electric seine gives the best indication of population makeup of any one gear. Another of the often-asked questions is the suitability of alternating current units versus those employing direct cur- rent. Ruhr (1957) found the D.C. unit to be favorable in its feature of attracting fish to the positive electrodes, but limited in its effectiveness by excessively hard or soft waters. His work on Tennessee streams with an ARC. shocker demonstrated that poor results were obtained when total alkalinities were below 20 p.p.m., and best results were obtained when alkalini- ties were 75 p.p.m. or somewhat higher. Manipulation of the control button so as to produce a pulsating current was more effective than merely using a steady flow of current. Experi- ence of the crew in operating the shocker and netting the af- fected fish was another important consideration. Rotenone has been used as a stream sampling agent with excellent results. It gives the largest sample from a popula- tion, but has several drawbacks. Chief among these are the fact that it destroys the fish collected, which is not permis- sible in many methods of population estimation, and the fact 6 that it is generally restricted to smaller tributaries and isolated sections because of the public resentment to the damage downstream from the sampling area. With respect to the first disadvantage of the use of rotenone as a stream sampling agent, some effort is being made to perfect methods of reviving fishes which have been affected. Furthermore, the use of potassium permanganate as an oxidizing agent to counteract the effect of rotenone below the sampling area has been tried, but at the present time has not been developed sufficiently to warrant its general use. This study was undertaken with several objectives in mind. Primarily, a survey of the fishes of the Red Cedar River was desired, including information concerning growth, condition, and general ecology wherever this type of data could be obtained. In addition, differences in growth of fishes resulting from pollution by domestic sewage were to be considered, as well as size and species distribution of fishes in relation to the volume of flow of the river at various stations. DESCRIPTION OF THE STUDY AREA DESCRIPTION OF THE STUDY AREA Watershed The Red Cedar River has its source in Cedar Lake which is located hisouthwestern Livingston County hiSections 28 and 29, Township 1 North, Range 3 East of the Nfichigan Nkridian. It flows generally northwestward through Livingston County for approximately 18 miles and then continues westward through Ingham County for 28 miles, where it enters the Grand River within the city of Lansing (Figure 1). The river and its tributaries drain an area of about M75 square miles, one-fourth of which is drained by Sycamore Creek and its feeder streams. The river has an average gra- dient of 2.51 feet per mile, with about one-half of the fall occurring within the uppermost one-third of the river. Cedar Lake lies at an elevation of 93h feet above sea level,znuithe confluence of the Red Cedar River with the Grand River lies at 817 feet above sea level. The stream pattern of the river and its tributaries is a combination of trellis and dendritic types of drainage, as is well illustrated by Figure l. The flow of the river is usually highest during the late spring, when a combination of melting snow, rather heavy rains, and not yet thawed ground occasionally brings about serious floods. The lowest flows are found in the late fall before the ground has begun to freeze again and prior to 8 .mcofiuwpm mCAEQEwm mo cowpwuofi m30nm hm~cm>o .wofipmpsnfihu mp“ 6cm no>Hm umuou com map mo mmum ommcfimcm .H enamfim 10 ' ‘ :— m—C‘ 0 ‘00 ...-var? I. . '0 '0 D a a I’\ / 5 v I 9 1 K - 7 ‘ “‘4 O .1 ‘ g iii-“1' ‘ J . 4 I 0 I a.“ ..n «a any. «s 84' o‘A ‘6 C C (’0 Io IOIIU‘I'I ‘IO ‘8 O O . ‘1 ll winter precipitation (Figure 2). The river in its upper reaches is generally quite clear following the initial spring floods, but quite often an apparent reddish-brown color is observed which is caused primarily by reflections from the bottom in the relatively shallow water(Figure 3). The lower stretches of the river, however, usually appear more turbid, largely be- cause the deeper water here accentuates this condition (Figure u). There are three artificial permanent impoundments on the Red Cedar River. The most significant of these structures is located at Williamston, and was originally constructed to facilitate the operation of a sawmill. The original dam has since been replaced by one which maintains a 13-foot head and aids in providing power for a private frozen food and refrig— eration plant (Brehmer, 1956). The backwaters of this dam extend upstream for about 2 miles, but are contained for the most part within a narrow belt extending a short distance out from the main channel (Figure 5). The other two artificial dams, one of which is located at the picnic ground in Okemos (Figure 8), the other on the Michigan State University campus in East Lansing, serve recreational and aesthetic purposes. The East Lansing reservoir also supplies a campus power plant. .A continuous recording flow gauge is located beneath the Farm Lane Bridge in East Lansing, and is maintained by the Lansing Division of the United States Geological Survey. The data recorded represent the discharge from about 355 square 12 miles of the drainage area. .A Taylor continuous recording thermograph is maintained by graduate students at Michigan State University engaged in limnological studies on the river, and has been in operation since the summer of 1957. 13 .35: 5x83 Amos .2: BE 3:: e203 Amos 8. Hm? mcwoz sap cog cm>wm cmuoo com esp mo omcwcomfiu new: m¢m> mmh m0 rezoz .>oz .pamm Adan km: .m masmwm .cmz .Gmfi OOH com 000 co: com 000 com com GNOOHS Hid 133d DIEGO NI HDHVHOSIG 0. W459. ILL .Aumuwmmcaseem>o OmQBoEOmV eofioo c3ocnunmfiuumc pneumaam ocb 30cm 0“ co>fim umuou uom one we nowcm0pozm .m scamfim 15 l6 .uopmfifi mcwon mu bmcfigwo .Emocpmc3ou pneumaaw ocoE ma nofinz ADHUHQRSD may 3onm 0g no>fim umumu com map mo nawcm0ponm .: shaman 17 .S.. If». £0.21 .- ~...~—..... PI. 37... .... r. 18 .m enamfim 19 Tm "if .U' 1‘». .4 531...? Am... ”J. . ‘u WV”. ‘ a n . v ‘ x 0.. .... «a 3.... 20 Climate The study area is located within a climatic type des- cribed by Koeppen (Finch et a1., 1957) as Dbf. In this system of climatic classification, the symbols Dbf indicate the fol; lowing conditions: D - a humid microthermal climate; that is, one in which the mean temperature of the coldest month is less than 32° F. and the mean temperature of the warmest month is more than 50° F. Rather cold winters and large annual temperature ranges are found in this type. b - the mean temperature of the warmest month is less than 71.6° F. f - moisture throughout the year. The location of the study area just to the east of Lake Michigan and the prevailing westerly to southwesterly winds bringing moisture from the lake are factors impor- tant in determining this condition. Although precipitation is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year, the period of maximum rainfall is in late spring and early summer. The normal annual precipitation is about 30.5 inches, including melted snow. Snowfall gener- ally averages about h5 inches, and this snow cover is generally of sufficient duration to have a marked effect upon winter temperatures. Sunlight falling upon the snow is reflected to a great extent, so that little of the solar energy is 21 effective in heating the ground or the atmosphere. Also, the low conductivity of snow tends to retard the flow of heat from the ground below to replace that which is being lost. Winter precipitation is largely cyclonic in origin. Maritime tropical air masses from the Gulf of Mexico travel northward up the Mississippi valley, gradually being chilled by the cold ground surface and by colder and denser continental polar air which they override. Summer precipitation is for the most part of a convectional nature, often falling from cumulo—nimbus clouds in the form of sharp showers and accompanied by thunder and lightning. The same maritime tropical Gulf air masses which penetrate the area set up conditions favorable for convection. The mean annual temperature for the area is 116.80 F., with a winter mean of approximately 2u.0° F. and a summer mean of approximately 68.50 F. The frost-free Season generally is about 160 days and extends from the first week in May to the first week in October. Winds rarely attain high velocities in the area, evapo- ration is generally low, and humidity is moderately high. Figure 6 is a climatic diagram which was compiled from the records of the United States Weather Bureau station at Howell, Michigan, and contains precipitation and temperature data which characterize the study area. Seasonal weather is characterized by rapid and nonperi- odic changes. During the winter, when the sun (and along with it the storm belt) has retreated south, weather conditions are PRECIPITATION IN INCHES 22 ht. 3 F’ ‘ 1—1' Fri—7 ...— 2 .— I—q fl ...?— 1 l- ’ . I i I I o Jan. Mar. May July' Sept. MONTH OF THE YEAR Figure 6. Climatic diagram for Howell, Michigan. Nov. 80 70 so 50 L10 30 20 10 TEMPERATURE IN DEGREES FAHRENHEIT 23 dominated by cyclones and anticyclones associated wflflishifting polar and trOpical air masses, and the fronts which deve10p along their boundaries. An anticyclone made up of cold polar continental air descending from arctic Canada may produce a bitter "cold wave” over the area for several days or weeks, and then be replaced by warmer maritime tropical air from the south. Geology The rock strata which lie immediately beneath the gla- cial drift in the area in which the study was undertaken are of the Pottsville series of Pennsylvanian age. This series varies in thickness from O to 535 feet, and includes shales, coal beds, the Parma sandstone, and a persistent, shaly lime- bed called the Verne limestone. The topography of the area is nearly level to rolling, resulting from the Cary phase of the late Wisconsin glaciation. The drift is quite calcareous, containing large quantities of limestone debris. Among the landforms which typify the region are the characteristic deposits of continental glaciation. Between the recessional moraines which run in an east-west direction in the area are found areas of gently undulating ground moraine or till plain. A.few eskers are found running in a north-south direction, most of them in the southern portion of the watershed. These mounds of water-sorted mate- rials serve as a source of gravel for road construction and 21+ concrete in the area. Numerous depressions, some Cd'them holding water, are found throughout the watershed. These are called pits if they are found in an outwash plain, or kettles when they are found .hl morainic deposits, but they are formed similarly in either case. Blocks of.nx3are left buried beneath the drift as the glacier'zmelts away, and as these ice blocks melt the overburden slumps into the vacan- cies forming the pits or kettles. In terms of the fluvial cycle, the Red Cedar River is in the mature stage of valley development. Meanders are com- mon in the lower reaches of the river, and one oxbow has been cut off about a mile downstream from Okemos. Soils The soils of Ingham and Livingston Counties are derived mainly from limy loam glacial till (Whiteside et a1., 1956). The primary soil series in the area are the Miami and the Con- over, which are essentially gray-brown podzols of good to intermediate drainage. The unweathered drift underlying the Miami soils is alkaline and contains considerable amounts of limestone debris. More specifically, the soils in the immediate vicinity of the Red Cedar River can be considered to be of three main types: 1. Genesee fine sandy loam. This well—drained alluvial soil is found along the lower reaches of the river and extends 25 upstream from the mouth almost to the city of Williamston. 2. Griffin loam. These alluvial deposits are more poorly-drained than the Genesee loam, and range from slightly acid to alkaline:h1reactionn They are found from the vicinity- of Williamston upstream to the vicinity of Fowlerville. Here the soils along the river give way to the Carlisle muck. 3. Carlisle muck. This organic soil type is found from the proximity of Fowlerville upstream to Cedar Lake,tflmzsource of the river. This soil is characteristically medium acid to alkaline in reaction. It is generally rich in lime and phos- phorus but poor in potash. Land Use Dairy and general farming predominate in the area as a whole, with hogs, poultry, and sheep as minor enterprises (Hill and Mawby, 195A). Most of the crops grown are the feed crops of hay, pasture, corn, and oats. The major cash crop is wheat, with sugar beets and field beans important in areas with favorable soil conditions. The major factors influencing the choice of these particular enterprises are: (l) the rela- tively long growing season; (2) the predominancecfi‘sandy loams, silt loams, and loams of medium to high fertility; and (3) the good market for whole milk in the area. For the most part, land use practices and agricultural techniques in the study area seem to be sound. .As a result, excessive run-off during times of the year when the soil is A. .- ..7 hf "Cu. \ ..l: 26 capable of absorbing water is not a problem. In the upper portions of the watershed, the river and its tributaries have in many places been dredged to straighten and deepen the chan- nel for agricultural purposes. The high incidence of wetlands in the upper portion of the watershed was partially responsible for this work which had marsh and swamp drainage as the objec- tive. Wood lots, a few of them grazed quite heavily, dominate the use of the land immediately adjacent to the river. .A few small fields of corn and other grain crops are found along the river banks, and other fields which have been allowed to lie fallow for various periods are occasionally encountered. In the wooded areas, the main species of trees are the white oak, elm, ash, soft maple, shagbark hickory, and basswood, while the muck soils are dominated by tamarack, aspen, and shrubs of various kinds. METHODOLOGY 27 METHODOLOGY Selection of Sampling Stations For the purposes of this study,tjmzRed Cedar River was divided into five sections, each approximately 9 miles in length. Three sampling stations were then selected within each of these sections on the basis of general habitat types. The author found three major habitat types in the Red Cedar River and broadly classified them as follows: 1. Riffle areas (R) 2. Pools (P) 3. Sluggish stretches (S) Although most of the river was described by the third category, at least one area in each of the other two categories was found in each sampling section. Hence 15 mainstream sta— tions were designated, a riffle area, a pool, and a sluggish stretch in each of the five sections. Wherever possible,the stations were selected so as to give the broadest coverage possible. iHowevery in section 1 the riffle and pool stations were in the same general area, and in section 2 the pool and sluggish stretch stations were:h1close proximityu .A descrip- tion and a photograph of each of the sampling stations is in- cluded (Table 1; Figures 7 through 19). .Also see Figure l. 28 29 meOp swam“ mayhem 3mm a ufio>wum scam N: mezzo“: damage“: oEom macaw omuwoo m.H n: mm Zn : Eoum Ewoppmo: we» om «we mmecam am Nessa ofifim ucw comm scam m.~ m: mm Zn : 80cm anaconda we» mp mwn mxooc vowfim Esaume ob “amen mmeacm pa kmznmfim .w.: 3mmm~o>wcm omumoo N.H mm MH 2: am Eonm Emoopmao mum om ”mm m N cofibmom Hm>mpm scam m.:nm 00 3L 2: mm Eocm Emocbmoo wok om “mm amuaam em a»e<:m> comm mwcmoo m.mnN 00 3H 2: mm Souk Susanna: we» 0mm mwN mxooc Hdem 6cm m ~_cofiompm Hm>mcm omcmoo m om 3~ z: Hm Scam Emocomczou we» om m." ucooam cacofio Emu ocoom Hamsm ow mmufinm um moonO an cashew oflmmfic oHHm 6cm 6cmm m.o om 3H 2: Hm Eocm Sophomos we» omd m.“ madame am: no mmuficm ocwq Epwm 50cm monocmLQmeczmcflhéc pawn scam mu: om 3H 2: ma Ewocbma: oHHE.d\m m." mxcmsmm _afiamomz Sappom poem pope omcmm .ozh .oow deflowuoq ofimfiomam .oz spasm 23a“; .mpm uo>fim ago no mowumfinouowumco Cofiowpm mo cofiowooq mm>Hm m¢am0 Qmm mmh ZO wZOthbw OZHAm2Hmcopxm wowso ouoo xuflap meow“ noofigou pdochu mo moufimpoo no mxcmo pounced: zfiooou oomomo Emocomufis ow cmoucmm om mm Zooo mo Eoouon a“ noowfioeooom “can looms oficmmco nose Ho>mhm scam ucm ucmm omcmoo bass 32am xoaeD Zm>mum scam 6cm pawn mmuwoo and» xoano Ho>mnm acme made use Scam A.-m. n n.a-a A was 02 H mauoa m.m -m.s mm m-m.c mntmm n-m.m on Mn Mn Mn mm Zn Zn Zn Zn Zn Zn Zn Nn nN NN ma mmeacm em down: Eoum Encapm taxou zfiopmfiuoEEH omuficm um co3om Scum Emocuwczou mum mm mmaaam um oHZH>aoH3om Eonm Emocpmczou mum mm mmuaem um Cmpnm cm> Eocm Ewocowczou mph ooH omufinm um huommpo n Eocm Ewocomczou mph om H omufium um cmswno Eocm anaconda mu%.oom mmedum am maca>aanaa3 Eoum Sundown: mum mm ”mm mum ham m+~ all .3 mm. 31 Besides these 15 mainstream stations, 7 tributary streams were sampled periodically throughout the study period. These streams were (Figure l): l. Entering the river from the north: a. Coon Creek b. Squaw Creek c. Wolf Creek 2. Entering the river from the south: a. Button Drain b. Sloan Creek c. West Branch of the Red Cedar River d. Middle Branch of the Red Cedar River Collections were made as frequently as possible throughout the summer and fall of 1957. Sampling Gear and Techniques Six different types of collecting gear were used in this study, for the purpose of obtaining as diverse a sample as possible as well as for sampling as efficiently as possible in various habitats. Wherever possible, an A.C. shocker was used to make the collections. Hand-held electrode poles 6% feet in length with circular copper tubing electrodes were employed. 'The power source was a Universal 110-120 volt AsC. generator. For the most part, only two persons operated this unit, each one han- dling an electrode and one retrieving the stunned fish with a 32 dip net. The most successful technique was found to be a manipulation of the electrodes in a pulsating manner. When th 1 s technique was used, considerably fewer fish were seen to rush away from the field ahead of the crew. A clip net with a graduated mesh size of 0.50 inch to 0.125 inch at the bottom of the bag was used to retrieve affected fish. Two collections were made employing a Homelite 230 volt D. C. generator placed in a 7-foot wooden pram with a metal center strip on the bottom. This strip of metal acted as the negative electrode, and fish were attracted to two hand-held Positive electrodes similar in design to those used with the alternating current unit described previously. In using this unit, one person guided the boat by means of a rope harness attached to the bow, one person operated each of the two Positive electrodes, one person on either side of the boat, and a fourth person dipped stunned fish and transferred them to a container in the boat where they remained until they Could be processed. At stations where bottom conditions permitted, a drag Seine II x 15 feet and with a 0.25 inch mesh was used at times. A few stations were better suited for seining than for shock- ing, and here the drag seine was used almost exclusively. The L1311611 procedure was to work upstream toward some natural ob- St—I‘uction, near which one person would pivot while the other CiI‘czled around him, the two poles then being brought together near shore and the seine lifted. 33 Two sizescfl‘gillnets were used at station 18 to obtain samples. One was a l-inch bar mesh net 5 x 100 feet enui the other a 2-inch bar mesh net of similar dimensions. They were set by boat (Figure A) for periods of from 2 to 12 hours. Several funnel-type glass minnow traps with l-inch en- trances were used to collect minnows at station.lFL'where con- ditions were ideal for their use. The traps were baited with cracker crumbs and set for lO-minute periods. Several collections were Inade by hook and line, using spinning tackle and small spoons. Rock bass,smallmouth bass, znui northern pike were the species most frequently taken by this method. Most of the larger fish were fin-clipped in such amanner that the section in which they were taken could be determined upon recapture, and following determinations of total length, weight, and the removal of some scales for age and growth de- terminations, they Rmre released at timir'site of capture. Mosttyfthe smaller fishes,snufl1as the minnows and the darters, were preserved in 5 percent formalin for further study in the laboratory. Fishes Rwre identified by keys written by Hubbs and Lagler (l9h9) and Harlan and Speaker (1956). Scales were prepared for studylnrimpressing them on plastic squares using a scale press. They Rmre examined in; projecting them at 10 times their size with a Ken-A-Vision micro-projector, and annuli determined. Measurementscfi‘flow were taken using the floating bob— ber system of Robins and Crawford (Lagler, 1956) in which the 3L1 time required for-at float to traverse a given. distance is measured, anui the volume of flow is determined iuwmi these figures and stream dimensions. These measurements compared favorably with those recorded by a Gurley current meter and by the U. 5. Geological Survey continuous recording fknvgauge. The following measurements of volume of flow taken at each secthNIOfthe river on Novemberll,l957,by'means of the floating bobber method, indicate the proportioncfl‘total flow at each section: Section 1 - 89.0 cfs (cubic feet per second) Section 2 - 66.0 cfs Section 3 - 39.0 cfs Section A - 12.0 cfs Section 5 — 3.6 cfs On this day, the U.S. Geological Survey fhnvgaugerecordedzi discharge of 8h cfs. If the volume of flow at section 1 is considered as 1, then the proportion of flow at each of the sections would be: Section 1 - 1.00 Section 2 - 0-7h Section 3 - 0.hh Section R - 0.13 Section 5 - O-ON When this set of measurements was made, stations at or near the center of each section were selected. Other observations routinely recorded were water tem- perature, air temperature, and general weather conditions. Temperatures were recorded in degrees Centigrade by means of a small pocket thermometer. 35 Check List of Fishes Recorded During the Present Study in the Red Cedar River Drainage Petromyzontidae Ichthyomyzon castaneus Girard - chestnut lamprey Catostomidae Moxostoma erythrurum (Rafinesque) - golden redhorse Moxostoma aureolum (LeSueur) - northern redhorse Hypentelium nigricans (LeSueur) - hog sucker Catostoma commersonnii commersonnii (Lacepede) - common white sucker Cyprinidae Cyprinus carpio Linnaeus - carp Semotilus atromaculatus atromaculatus (Mitchill) - northern creek chub Hybopsis biguttata (Kirtland) - hornyhead chub Rhinichthys atratulus meleagris Agassiz - western blacknose dace Notemigonus crysoleucas auratus (Rafinesque) — western golden shiner Notropis rubellus (Agassiz) - rosyface shiner Notropis cornutus frontalis (Agassiz) - northern common shiner Notropis deliciosus (Cope) - sand shiner Pimephales notatus (Rafinesque) - bluntnose minnow Campostoma anomalum pullum (Agassiz) - central stoneroller Ameiuridae Ameiurus melas melas (Rafinesque) - northern black bullhead Ameiurus natalis natalis (LeSueur) - northern yellow bullhead 36 Schilbeodes mollis (Hermann) - tadpole madtom Schilbeodes marginatus marginatus (Baird) - common eastern madtom Umbridae Umbra limi (Kirtland) - western mudminnow Esocidae Esox vermiculatus LeSueur - mud pickerel Esox lucius Linnaeus - northern pike Percidae Hadropterus maculatus (Girard) - blackside darter Etheostoma nigrum nigrum (Rafinesque) - central Johnny darter Etheostoma caeruleum caeruleum (Storer) - northern rainbow darter Centrarchidae Micropterus dolomieui dolomieui Lacepede - northern smallmouth bass Lepomis gibbosus (Linnaeus) - pumpkinseed Lepomis macrochirus macrochirus Rafinesque - common bluegill Ambloplites rupestris rupestris (Rafinesque) - northern rock bass Pomoxis nigromaculatus (LeSueur) - black crappie Atherinidae Labidesthes sicculus sicculus (Cope) - northern brook silverside Gasterosteidae Eucalia inconstans (Kirtland) - brook stickleback 37 mH cowpmpw .N madman 39 I L! mH new a: 3335 . m and? m ltl hm N can mp w macaw O N m 0 opsmfim ‘4. ' . . \ a -‘I \_. .93 ......i a" ~:~ ,1. Ar Q l '\'\ ‘O Q c'v I l l O D a: h o . 1 B3 III-Ill. II III. Lilla re a ~ZN eoabaam OH oesmfim “' ‘ fi’s‘t‘.‘ . " “fa‘a‘; "‘ w.‘ v“. ’— -..—7 r In aré’ W '9 .- '71! _ ' . . . ‘v 9 r . - . ’ '4'” (I . 7 «has a: I W ' T I ' AS mm eoaaaam .ZH enamwm s . .I. . . -.Ilh I . 89% girl...’ -..-I ..-- “II at- up} . . :47. w. . . « .yuA'h ....n -....VIMUIITTIZTII. .. {I -. -.‘xfi’gil. . g . :l”- C . ll . . OI I... II: I ..A. Ir.l..w.-----.. . . - t .I»,TI..tv 11.11.. . o at . .\. ...)! odfiu . Rt- .. ... 1,1,! I \ LI? mn cofipmom .NZ ocsmwm . . I -. , l I ' ' ' '1: ‘. J \ ‘ ‘vt \‘ ‘ I : ‘ I I “ \J‘. ‘ ‘ . .P I s. 'v ..4 en - I ‘\. "r ‘ ’- 5 ‘ o N"P A ‘ I: T I“. " .fi. , ‘v ‘ \ ‘ ':‘. "b |' N A ' ' I '~"; I o I . " ‘V l , p . .42 ~— . . I .V ' ‘ I ~. "‘5: ““V‘ ‘ udfm‘) ’ \ ‘ ‘0‘! \ ‘ I L L l O s t ““4 I II ‘ .'). I' f ‘ - K I _.. .. nv _,_~ 6 r I. ' 9A . . I. . V 2 ¥ v‘h‘ ’ 3 I . ‘,‘- " a I“ 13119 '9’" . ti‘d;‘2f,lj I . . ;§;¢51 xi .0 o’. 3.- . . tant |‘ . . .I‘ n. 7 . ‘ J" ‘ a. .7 ’ ._ e.‘ .' . V ‘.3 'tn ‘ "u - I :‘l7 n“ , p. . , - 7 I “I." a 9' ' v. "p’X\'" ' S . ‘0‘“. . ..- O I, .‘v' ' n . . uh, , I..." . " A9 a m eoabaam .nH oeomam vii—— fv -O- r03} I 51 , I- m : coaoabm :H mcnmwm 4— :.. . ..W‘ I; .J.’ . It.‘ . . 9 . 5". .1 a I . «I ’8 .. I u.’ \ . . Onl.( I 53 a: 5:33 .mZ opsmam 55 m: eofiaam .OH shaman .'\ m ‘FTT’W” cyan—rm . ‘a. I --—‘.-.' -_ 57 d m coimpm .NZ oosmfim . X 15395..“ “‘ v’;"v; ’a $5. $763.1? 59 w m eoaaabm .ma aaamaa —. , ' " "r i ' -f ‘5. .- —. ~r~~.w-«-' ~- -." fl'v"0"" . - ‘- - . ”Z"? t" ' 4’64? 61 m m 538% .oH ocsmfim RESULTS 63 RESULTS Species Composition and Distribution During this study, 1131 fish representing 32 species were collected. The species composition and distribution of the fishes collectedittmithe Red Cedar River duringtImzcourse of the investigation is illustrated in Table 11. Over 87 percent of all the fishes collected during the study period were forage fishes, or those species having rather small adult forms. Of this group, over 60 percent were mem- bers of the minnow family, with the northern common shiner as the most abundant species, and the bluntnose minnow and north- ern creek chub almost twice as numerous as anycn‘the remaining species. These three species of minnows represented almost half (h3.7 percent) of the entire collection. Of the coarse fishes, the common white sucker was by far the most numerous; fish of this species were almost twice as abundant as any other species of coarse fish. The rock bass was the most common of the game and pan fishes; the northern pike and the smallmouth bass were the only other species of this group which were fairly common. Riffle areas were the most productive of the three main habitat types sampled. Over half of the fish collected were captured in riffle areas. This result is undoubtedly due to 6h 65 0.0 w an m I .. I I 900 m.a 02 0.2 a 0.0 n 0.2 03 amanaaaa zoaaa> a To H m.o H I I I .. 002215 xowfim m m.N Nn n.m NH m; b :.m a: umxonm 0.333 :05800 W m.o m m.o H I I m:o H nexus» mo: .3 m.o m m4 n I I I I 0.0.3508 ccococoz m... N.o m 0.0 m I I I I omuozuoc covfioo H To Z I I I I. m..o H >895: ..SEomQO 0.0 00 0.ma 0m :.m ma n.0 mm Haaoe H.“ 2 n.N m NJ 3 0.0 : mwmo nonoEZmEm camcpcoz 0 To Z I I n.o H I I 0250.3 xomfim m :.a 0n 0.0 0 0.m 0 0.0 mm mama xooa aaaaatoz m 0.0 a m.0 a I I I I aaamcaxassa p m.0 0 0.0 m 0.0 m m.0 a aaaaaaamq m mJ 5 En n n.o H :4 m 05o chococoz d n.o n mJ n I .. ... I Houoxufla 602 m. odoocom .5952 odoocom .5952 .258ng 0085.2 ocoocmm .5832 coim mcwpcm monooonpm 200m mmofiw och; mofiomom 00000000 HZmommm 0Z4 wmmmEDZ ZH Qmwwmmmvam .mmnCC. H<9Hm00m xoo0m 0.0 00 0.0 00 0.00 0: m.0 0m 000000 000000000 0.0 0: 0.0 0 0.m 00 0.0 00 000000 000000 0000000 m.m 0: 0.0 N 0.0 0 :.0 00 000000 300000m 0.00 mm0 0.00 mm 0.00 m: 0.0 0: 0000 00000 00000002 0.0 0N N.n 0 N.0 : 0.0 0 0000 000050000 mu 0.0 000 0.00 00 0.0 00 0.00 00 0000 000000000 0000003. m m.0 N I I 0.0 m I I 000000 000000 0% m.0 00 I I I I 0.0 0: 000000 00000000 “m 0.0m 00m 0.00 mm 0.0m :0 0.0m mm0 000000 006800 00000002 MW 0.0 0 m.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 m 000000 0000 3.00 000 m.m 0 0.0 00 0.00 000 300008 00000000m 0.0 00 I I 0.0 00 I I 00000000000 0000000 :.0 J 0.0 m 0.0 0 I I 500005 0000009 0.0 m I I I I m.0 0 800005 0000000 008500 0.: 00 0.00 00 0.0 0 0.: mm 30000000: 000 00 0.00 00 0.0 0 0.: 00 00000 67 the fact that riffle areas are a favored habitat for many of the minnows, and minnows represented a large proportion of the total collection. Table 111 represents the species composition and dis- tribution of fishes collected in each of the five sections of the main stream. Due to the small sample sizes of certain species, some of the figures are misleading when the river as a whole is considered. For example, only one carp was taken from the main river during the study period. Hence, the sec- tion in which it was taken (section 1) contained 100 percent of all carp taken. However, the author has observed carp in at least two other sections, and this species may possibly be more numerous in some other section. More species were taken in section 1 than in any of the other four sections. This observation substantiates the find- ings of other investigators who have correlated diversity of species with increased size of the river (Starrett, 1950). The lack of sufficient data from section 3 is due to the fact. that hook and line samples were the only ones taken from the mainstream in that section. Sections 2 and Llwere seleCted to present data comparing fish populations of the mainstream and adjacent tributaries (Table 1V). The absence of the larger fishes in the tribu— taries would be expected. Smallmouth bass were restricted to the lower portions of the river, and large northern pike were not taken in the headwaters. The western mudminnow was taken only-in the upper reaches of the drainage system. 68 0.0 I 0.mm I 0.0 0.00 00 000000 00003 000000 0.0 I 0.00 I I 0.00 0 000000 000 m0 I I I I 0.000 0 00000000 00000002 W 0.0 I I I I 0.000 m 00000000 000000 N.0 I 0.000 I I I 0 2000800 00000000 0.0 I I 0.0 0.00 0.00 00 0000 0000000000 00000002 N.0 0.000 I I I I 0 0000000 0000m m0 0.0 0.00 0.00 I 0.00 0.00 00 0000 0000 00000002 M 0.0 I I I I 0.000 0 00000000030 m 0.0 0.00 0.00 I I 0.00 0 0:00:00 0. 0.0 I 0.0.00 m.0m 00.00 I 0.0 0000 00000002 W 0.0 0.000 I I I I N 00000000 052 00000 00 m 0 0 0 0 000002 0000000 000000m m00o0aw 0.00.050 000 mOm 0mm>0m m00 mrh LO mu00m 00000 000000 000000000 000000 >00000 0000000 000000 3000000 0000 00000 00000002 0000 00005000: 0000 000000000 0000003 000000 0000>mom 000000 000000 00000002 000000 000w 300008 00000000m EOHUME Ch wumw w COEEOU 300008002 0000 00000000 30000> 00000000 00000 QSIJ éfieaog asaeog 70 TABLE IV SPECIES PRESENT IN MAINSTREAM SECTIONS 2 AND L]. AND THEIR TRIBUTARIES Game and Pan Fish Coarse Fish Forage Fish Species Mud pickerel Northern pike Bluegill Northern rock bass Northern smallmouth bass Chestnut lamprey Hog sucker Common white sucker Yellow bullhead Mudminnow Common eastern madtom Bluntnose minnow Sand shiner Northern common shiner Rosyface shiner Western blacknose dace Hornyhead chub Northern creek chub Rainbow darter Central Johnny darter Blackside darter Brook stickleback Section 2 Section E Main Tribu- Stream taries X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X Main Tribu- Stream taries X X X 71 Efficiency and Selectivity of Gear Several samples were compared to give an indication of the efficiency and selectivity of the three main types of gear used to sample fish populations in the Red Cedar River Drain- age. These were the drag seine, A.C. shocker, and D.C. shocker described earlier. Samples 2 (seine) and 3 (A.C.) were taken on two con- secutive days, July 2 and July 3 respectively (Table V). They were taken at the same location in a long pool in Button Drain, a tributary to the mainstream at section 2 (Figure l). The AuC. shocking unit was definitely moreeffectivethanifim:seine at this station; almost five times as many fish were captured with the shocker as were taken with the seine. The absence of the western blacknose dace in the seine sample is characteris- tic of this study. In most cases, the average size of each species was larger in the A.C. samples. Another comparison of seine and AJC. shocker samples (Table VI) shows somewhat similarresultsixnthoseillustrated by Table V. Samples 6, 7, and 8 were taken on the same day (July 5) in three tributary streams with similar habitat types (Coon Creek, Squaw Creek, and Wolf Creek; see Figure 1). Again the AHC. unit was more effective in taking the western black- nose dace. The central stoneroller was never found in Squaw Creek or in Wolf Creek, and its presence in Coon Creek when this sample was taken may be indicative of a preference for conditions at that station rather than a selective effect of 72 TABLE V COMPARISON OF SEINE AND AJC. SHOCKER CATCHES TAKEN FROM THE SAME LOCATION IN BUTTON DRAIN ON SUCCESSIVE DAYS Sample Number 2 Sample Number 3 (seine) (AJC. shocker) 1 Average Average Spec es Total Total Length Length Percent in Percent in Num- of Centi- Num- of Centi- ber Sample meters ber Sample meters Common white sucker 1 7.1 9,4 - - _ Bluntnose minnow l 7.1 3.7 , 15 15.5 5.u Northern common shiner h 28.6 5.6 6 6.2 6.8 Western blacknose dace — _ - - u? u8.5 5.5 Northern creek chub 2 lu.3 6.7 7 7.2 10.1 Rainbow darter 2 lu.3 5.5 18 18.5 5.1 Central Johnny darter h 28.6 u.7 u u.l 5.6 Total Number in Samples 1k 97 73‘ mus ms 0mg mmbasmm.caamaagfibmboe . - u u - - m.m m.~m om xomnwfixoflpm xooam H.m w.~ m u u u u s n cognac mofimxomflm o.m w.~ N u n : :.: m.n o cmpcwu zcczofi Happcou 0.0 w.~m mm - - - m.m o.mm on asao xmmao camapaoz N.m 0.0 a a n n a n u naco umo:>:uom N.b N.®N on u a u 1.: 3.0 OH mono omocxomfin Compmmz - - - o.m 0.2H m - - - awcszm cwuboo m.~ :.o~ NH 0.: m.m~ :L m.w o.m 3 cocfizm coEEoo auonbpoz H.~ n.m o - - - m.m n.a m sounds mwocbcsfim n u n n u a o.m H.w HS podfioumcobm HmuDCmo m.w m.ms Sm :.m o.m H - - - soccfisasz 6.22 m.: m 6.02 o.m s n.a m.n m amxosm mbfizz coesoo . - - - - n m.: n.H m Huammssm m.wb 0.0 L - - - - u - Hwaoxofia as: muopme oHaEmw can mpmuoE oHQEmw con moouoE oHQEww con nfipcoo CH aEsz uHSCoU CH 18:2 ISSCoU CH assz a“ numamq “coo CH nSQCmq Sumo CH nmemq “Coo Hobos upon “woos upon “oboe loom mowomqm omwpo>< mmmho>< ommpo>< xoopo Mao: xmmoo Smsvm xompu coco 70:5 mconfidz 39.5w A6563 mcmgz 395m 336m; 0 pmnEdz 392mm m42s zo monHHozoo m<4Hsz mmaz: zmx mqm I I I N.:N 0.0 HH m.® O.m H waufim mpfifl3 COEEOU I I I H.mN 0.0 H I I I coxo:m mom I I I H.: 0.0 H I I I zmumewb bacpmono I I I I I I o.N o.m H mwmn apnoEHHme agonppoz I I I m.mH H.m o n.N ®.HH N wmmn xoou chmcpuoz I I I o.o~ N.m w I I I oxfim cuonpuoz I I I N.:H 0.0 H I I I Hmuoxofim 6:2 mpmuos ofiaEmw Lon wpmuoE ofiaswm hon muopos mHQEmw hon IHpCoo ca IEdz Iabc60 ca Iesz ISDCmU a“ Issz cw numcoq adoo a“ abmcoq bamo a“ spasm; “coo a Hmboh Iumm Hooch Ipom Hmpoe Icon mmfiom m mmmuo>< ommcmzfi. ommpo>¢ AH .mnb BzmmmmmHD MMmIH.OZHwD .Z¢ QZ¢ ZOHHDmHmHmHQ meOmmm HH> MAQ 7 8 TOTAL LENGTH IN CENTIMETERS Figure 30. Length—weight relationship of the northern rain- bow darter in the Red Cedar River. WEIGHT IN GRAMS 92 LOG OF LENGTH Figure 31. LOG OF WEIGHT 2305678910 TOTAL LENGTH IN CENTIMETERS Length-weight relationship of the blackside darter in the Red Cedar River. 93 Body-scale Length Relationship The relationship existing between the magnified scale radius and the total length of three species of fish in the Red Cedar River was determined (scales were taken from the left side of fish, above the lateral line in the case of soft— rayed fishes, below in the case of spiny-rayed fishes). This relationship may be expressed by the equation: L = a + c S, where L = the total length of the fish in centimeters, S = the length of the scale radius x 10 in centimeters, and a and c are constants. In this relationship, a is the intercept of the ordinate and c is the regression coefficient which gives the slope of the regression. The slope c may be found by using the formula: -—%i%,— where 2 is the sum and x and y are de- viations from the means S and L, respectively. Sufficient specimens of early age were not obtained, so that the body-scale length relationship was determined as one regression rather than as two, with a separate regression for earlier ages as shown by Patriarche and Lowry, 1953. The body-scale length relationship for the common white sucker, northern smallmouth bass and northern rock bass in the Red Cedar River were described as linear regressions expressed in centimeters by the following equations: 1. Common white sucker: L = 1.88 + 3.07 S (Figure 32) 2. Northern smallmouth bass: L = 2.20 + 2.69 S (Figure 33) 3. Northern rock bass: L = 2.67 + 1.12 S (Figure 30) 911. 60 SOI- 30 p TOTAL LENGTH IN CENTIMETERS 10 P L 1.88 + 3.078 . L l j 4 1* J L Figure 32. w fiv— 0 6 8 10 12 10 16 18 SCALE LENGTH X 10 Body—scale length relationship of the common white sucker in the Red Cedar River. 95 00 O 3:) L = 2.2Lt-l- 2.698 E3 30- E: z 01 L) E 20- z [.4 O 2 LL] ...} j 10 - [... O E... 0 ”L J L 1 J j 0 2 0 6 8 10 12 H1 SCALE LENGTH X 10 Body-scale length relationship of the northern Figure 33. smallmouth bass in the Red Cedar River. ’O‘a ‘0. 96 20+ L=2.67+l.12S TOTAL LENGTH IN CENTIMETERS I I O l, l __j 1 01 | I I . 6 8 10 12 10 16 18 SCALE LENGTH X 10 Figure 30. Body-scale length relationship of the northern . rock bass in the Red Cedar River. 97 Differences in Coefficient of Condition The coefficient of condition, K, was determined for the northern creek chub and the northern rock bass, using the fol- lowing formula: : W x 100 L3 K where W = weight in grams and L = total length in centimeters. When expressed logarithmically, the formula becomes: log K = log W + 2 - 3 log L The coefficients of conditions were then analyzed sta- tistically to determine whether differences existed in the condition of each of the two species in various sections of the river. To remove the error which might be produced by fish of different sizes having different condition factors, fish of one size class in each species were selected for the determinations. Northern creek chubs between the total lengths of 6.1 and 10.0 centimeters, and rock bass of 11.0 to 16.0 centimeters total length were used. Table XI shows the results of an analysis of variance (Snedecor, 1956) of coefficients of condition for the northern creek chub. After this highly significant "F" value was cal- culated, a further test was run to ascertain exactly where the differences were to be found. A.multiple range test for cor- related and heteroscedastic means, described by Duncan (1955 and 1957), was performed with the following results: (DBEA) (C) at the 1% level of significance. 98 TABLE XI RESULTS OF ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE OF COEFFICIENTS OF CONDITION OF NORTHERN CREEK CHUBS THROUGHOUT THE RED CEDAR RIVER DRAINAGE, SHOWING HETEROGENEITY OF, THE DATA Source of Degrees of Variability Freedom Sum of Squares Mean Square Total 66 1.96 - Within Samples 62 1.12 0.018 Between Samples 0 0.80 0.210 F = 43—1—9— =11.67"""" .018 99 The letters designate samples from the following stations: D - station at Button Drain B - station 5P E - station 1 R A.- station at Wolf Creek C - station at Coon creek .All samples appearing within the same parenthesis are homoge- neous. Hence, the average coefficient of condition of northern creek chubs in Coon Creek differs significantly from that of all other samples. The average K factor for the Coon Creek sample was higher (1.61; that is, the creek chubs were in a better condition) than at other stations in the drainage (1.29 to 1.01). The reason for this greater K is at present not known, but very high fertility of the lands which Coon Creek drains may possibly increase production to the extent that the greater food supplies allow the fishes to attain greater plumpness or robustness, the measure of K. Only three rock bass samples were tested; one from sta- tion 1 R, one from station SP, and one from station 0R. The results of an analysis of variance of the coefficients of con- dition of these rock bass is shown in Table XII. In order to determine where the differences actually were, the multiple range test described above was employed. The results at the 1 percent level of significance were: (AB) (BC). The letters designate samples from the following stations: 100 TABLE XII RESULTS OF ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE OF COEFFICIENTS OF CONDITION OF NORTHERN ROCK BASS AT THREE STATIONS ON THE RED CEDAR RIVER, SHOWING HETEROGENEITY OF THE DATA Source of Degrees of Variability Freedom Sum of Squares Mean Square Total 10 0.83 - Within Samples 12 A 0.05 0.038 Between Samples 2 0.38 0.190 F =——-——---'190 = 50’" .038 101 .A - Station 11% B - Station 5P C - StationIIR Hence, the K at station.0gR differs significantly from the K at station lPL In this comparison, the highest average K was found at station 04R (2.22), the lowest at station.l R (1.85), and the value at station 513 was 2.01. Age and Growth Very little work has been published on the growth of stream fishes, and since this phase of fisheries biology is extremely important, particularly in the recognition of suit— able or unsuitable environmental conditions for sportznuifood fishes, a brief study of the age and growth of three species, the northern smallmouth bass, the northern rock bass, and the common white sucker, has been included in this study. In Tables XIII-XV, the average growth increments were determined by averaging the increments of each age group for a given year. Patriarche and Lowry (1953) found that the growth rate of smallmouth bass in the Black River, Missouri, began to de- crease after the third year of life. Stroud (1909) found a similar situation in several TVA.storage reservoirs in Ten- nessee and North Carolina. The growth rate of northern small- mouth bass in the Red Cedar River increased slightly each year up to and including the fourth year of life (Table XIII and Figure 35). Unfortunately, no fish of age group V were taken. 102 TABLE XIII AVERAGE CALCULATED LENGTH AT END OF EACH YEAR OF LIFE AND AVERAGE GROWTH INCREMENT OF NORTHERN SMALLMOUTH BASS IN THE RED CEDAR RIVER Total Calculated Total Length in Number Length in Centimeters at .Age of Centimeters End cfl‘ Year Group Fish at Capture l 2 3 0 I 3 13.2 6.2 II 5 20.7 6.0 12.7 111 2 30.0 5.8 10.3 23.3 IV’ 2 37.6 6.0 10.5 22.5 32.3 Grand Average 6.1 13.8 22.9 32.3 Average Increment 6.1 7.8 8.5 9.8 Number of Fish 12 9 0 2 103 no 311 35 I- I I III, If) D: 1‘1 :12: 25 r 6« :z [1.] L) E 20 z [.0 <3 2: .‘3‘ 15 21 E... C) [... 10 ‘_ o" -..-..----‘7’ S o L I L -__ _ O 1 2 3 0 YEAR OF LIFE Calculated total length attained by northern Figure 35. smallmouth bass at the end of each year of life (solid line) and average annual growth increment (broken line). 100 The growth rate of the northern rock bass in the Red Cedar River (Table XIV and Figure 36) agreed very closely with those obtained by Patriarche and Lowry (1953) in Missouri and by Scott (1909) in his study of a rock bass population in the Tippecanoe River in Indiana. The growth rate of the common white sucker in the Red Cedar River (Table XV and Figure 37) begins to decrease at the end of the fourth year of life, after a fairly uniform annual increase up to that time. In order that some idea might be gained of the effects of the addition of domestic sewage treatment effluents to the river at Williamston upon the growth of fishes in the river, an analysis of variance was performed on the average growth increment between ages 0 and I, and between ages I and II of the common white sucker and the northern rock bass. The ef- fects on sucker growth were of particular interest since this group feeds close to the base of the food chain, and would be the most likely group to be affected. Each species was lumped into two groups, those taken above the Williamston sewage treatment plant, and those taken below it. Only fish taken from the main river were used. The results of "F" tests on these data are shown in Table XVI, and it is seen that no sta- tistically significant differences in growth increment can be detected. It is of interest, however, to note that the dif- ferences are greater in both cases in the white sucker than in the rock bass. 4.1,. .5. ....n ...o. fan“ ..oiv .7 .... AVERAGE CALCULATED LENGTH AT END OF EACH YEAR OF LIFE AND AVERAGE GROWTH INCREMENT OF NORTHERN 105 TABLE XIV ROCK BASS IN THE RED CEDAR RIVER Total Calculated Total Length in Number Length in Centimeters at .Age of Centimeters End cfi‘ Year Group Fish at Capture 1 2 3 0 5 I 2 6.6 3.3 11 16 11.9 5.3 7.2 111 7 15.1 0.5 7.9 11.8 IV 3 16.0 3.0 6.7 10.0 10.0 V 6 18.5 2.6 5.8 9.7 13.0 16.0 Grand Average 3.7 6.9 10.5 13.5 16.0 Average Increment 3.7 3.1 3.7 3.7 3.0 Number of Fish 30 32 16 9 6 106 20 15.0 10 P TOTAL LENGTH IN CENTIMETERS Figure 36. 1 2 3 0 5 YEAR OF LIFE Calculated total length attained by northern rock bass at the end of each year of life (solid line) and average annual growth increment (broken line). 107 TABLE XV AVERAGE CALCULATED LENGTH AT END OF EACH YEAR OF LIFE AND AVERAGE GROWTH INCREMENT OF COMMON WHITE SUCKERS IN THE RED CEDAR RIVER Total Calculated Total Length in Number Length in Centimeters at .Age of Centimeters End cfi‘ Year Group Fish at Capture 1 2 3 0 5 6 1 5 10.5 5.7 11 15 21.7 5.7 13.9 111 1 26.0 3.0 7.0 16.5 1v 3 01.0 6.3 15.3 25.8 35.3 v 1 05.0 0.5 15.5 26.0 37.0 00.0 v1 2 07.3 7.8 10.0 22.5 31.3 37.5 03.0 Grand Average 5.5 13.1 22.7 30.5 00.8 03.0 Average Increment 5.5 7.7 9.8 9.8 6.6 5.5 Number of Fish 27 22 7 6 3 2 108 LIE 00 35 30 25 20 TOTAL LENGTH IN CENTIMETERS 15 10 /—--——«. YEAR OF LIFE Figure 37. Calculated total length attained by common white sucker at end of each year of life (solid line) and average annual growth increment (broken line). 109 TABLE XVI RESULTS OF ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE OF LENGTHS OF COMMON WHITE SUCKERS AND NORTHERN ROCK BASS FROM ABOVE AND BELOW THE WILLIAMSTON SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT Average Increment of Growth in Centimeters 5139919S Between Years O-I I-II Above Plant 5.6 7.8 Common White Sucker Below Plant 6.3 8.1 "F" Value 0.920 0.073 Above Plant 3.3 3.8 Northern Rock Bass Below Plant 3.2 3.7 "F" Value 0.108 0.038 110 Size Differences Compared With Volume of Flow In order to ascertain whether volume of flow had any bearing on the average size of a given species of fish present in various sections of the river, several statistical tests were made on the average lengths of northern common shiners taken at various stations throughout the Red Cedar River Drain- age. An analysis of variance showed that highly significant differences did exist (Table XVII). 1n order to determine where these differences actually were, the multiple range test described in the section concern- ing coefficient of condition was employed. The results of this test at the 5 percent level of significance were as follows: (CALF) (ALFBJ) (LFBJKE) (FBJKEIDG) (BJKEIDGH). The letters designate samples from the following stations: C — station at Squaw Creek A.- station.1 R 1. - station 1 P F - station.0_R B - station at Button Drain J - station at West Branch of the river K - station.1 R E - station 2I1 I - station at West Branch of the river D - station at Wolf Creek G - station 5? H - station at Button Drain I‘ ‘20.). 3. g 111 TABLE XVII RESULTS OF ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE OF LENGTHS OF NORTHERN COMMON SHINERS THROUGHOUT THE RED CEDAR RIVER DRAINAGE Source of Degrees of Variability Freedom Sum of Squares Mean Square Total 215 826.32 - Within Samples 200 623111 3.05 Between Samples 11 203.21 18.07 I ... 1.8.01 _ 3.60.1» 3.05 7 112 Since samples occurring within the same parenthesis are homo- geneous, H G B another differs differs differs differs differs differs differs differs way of stating the results is: significantly from C, significantly from C, significantly from C, significantly from C, significantly from C, significantly from C, significantly from C significantly from C A, L, F .A, L. A, L. A, L A .A The reasons for these differences in average length of northern common shiners could not be determined. Individual tests showed no correlation between size differences and any of the following factors: (1) volume of flow; (2) date of capture; (3) habitat (riffle, pool, or sluggish stretch); or (0) gear used to make the collection. DISCUSSION 112a. DISCUSSION Since the chief aim of the Red Cedar River investigation was to obtain a knowledge of the species present and their dis- tribution throughout the drainage system, different types of sampling gear were used to make the collections. As a result, accurate comparisons of the species composition between the various sections of the river are not feasible. With this limitation in mind, however, the general pattern of distribu- tion and abundance may be seen. Because of the large proportion of minnows in the Red Cedar River, it might well be classed asarminnow stream. Sev- eral commercial bait dealers in the area recognize this fact and obtain large quantities of minnows for sale to sport fish- ermen in the area. The game fish which are sought (although the fishery seems to be quite under-exploited) are the northern pike, small- mouth bass and rock bass, the latter being a favorite fish of many youngsters in the vicinity of the river. .A few people also fish occasionally for coarse fish, with the white sucker. and the carp as the usual goals. Riffle areas were found to have the largest numbers of fish and the widest diversity of species of the three major habitat types sampled. This type of habitat may be more of a feeding ground than a home site for many of the fishes, 113 110 such as the minnows. Since there is generally a pool connected with a riffle, it would seem quite likely that a groupcfl‘fish might actually reside in the pool but make foraysto the riffle to feed. In sampling the Red Cedar River Drainage, the A.C. shocker is the most effective gear. The conditions encountered on the river are for the most part prohibitive to the use of drag seines. Snags in the form of branches, jagged rocks, and litter from man's activities are common. In the upper reaches of the river in the few sections which have not been dredged, and in most of the tributaries, overhanging shrubs and thick vegeta— tion along the banks and sometimes in the stream itself make seining impractical. .A portable back-pack fish shocker such as those described by Haskell et a1. (1950) would seem to be a very suitable device for collecting fishes in these areas, and could be operated quite efficiently by a crew of two. An electric seine such as that described by Funk (1907) might prove very effective hisampling the lower reachescfl‘the river. 1n the wider and slower section of the river (section 1), gill nets are a good means of obtaining samples of the larger fish. This method along with the electric seine should yield a quite complete representative sample. In riffles, the use of glass minnow traps such as those described in the chapter on methods is a fine way to obtain samples of many of the smaller fishes. Another fact in the favor of this gear is that it can be fished by one person. o 115 In general, the growth of the three fishes considered in this study is as good or somewhat better in some cases (smallmouth bass, for example) than the growth of the same species in other midwestern streams (refer to section on age and growth). The species composition could certainly be more favorable than it is at present from the sport fisherman's point of view. Either a greater variety of game fishes or a larger number of those already established would please the angler. The effects which pollution may have on the species composition in the Red Cedar River were not studied, but they may be of considerable importance. All of the larger fish which were taken alive were fin- clipped and returned to the site of capture. They were marked in a manner which would reveal the section of their original capture upon subsequent capture. The major stations at which fish were marked were as follows: Station 11? - l smallmouth bass 6 rock bass Station 211 - 3 smallmouth bass 7 rock bass Station 011 - 9 rock bass 8 northern pike 16 common white suckers Throughout the study, no fin-clipped fish were recaptured. Although the proportion of larger fish was quite small, this observation may still indicate that either the populations of 116 the species tagged are quite large, or the movement of these fish is rather widespread. Finally, the concept of "instantaneous conditions" is of major importance in evaluating the information gathered in a survey such as the Red Cedar River study. A.popu1ation of minnows may be congregated in or passing through a small por- tion of the stream at the time when a sample is taken, giving an erroneous picture of the "normal" situation. The true condition can be determined only by taking the whole system into consideration. SUMMARY 117 SUMMARY 1. The fishes of the Red Cedar River Drainage area were studied to determine their~ distribution enui composition, and to establish a foundation of ageauuigrowth material upon which further investigation could be based and expanded. 2. The Red Cedar River was divided into 5 sections, and 3 sampling stations were designated in each section. TTmtselec- tion of these sampling stations was based on 3 major habitat types. 3. Collections were made using primarily an A. C. shocker and a drag seine. Other gear employed in the study included a D. C. shocker, gill nets, glass minnow traps, and hook and line. 0. Thirty-two species of fish comprised the total popu- lation. The minnows made up over 60 percent of the total number of all fishes. The northern common shiner was the most abundant species. 5. The length-weight relationship is presented for 12 species. 6. The body-scale length relationship is presented for the smallmouth bass, rock bass, and white sucker. 7. The coefficient of condition of the northern creek chub and the rock bassijscompared throughout the drainage sys- tem. There are differences in condition between one tributary 118 119 and the rest of the system, but at present the reason is not definitely known. I-v. L I TERATURE CITED 120 LITERATURE CITED Beckman, William C. 1908. The length-weight relationship, factors for conver- sions between standard and total lengths, and coef- ficients of condition for seven Michigan fishes. Trans. Am. Fish. Soc., Vol. 75 (1905), pp. 237-256. Brehmer, Morris L. . 1956. .A biological and chemical survey of the Red Cedar River in the vicinity of Williamston, Michigan. M.S. thesis, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University. Duncan, David B. 1955. Multiple range and multiple F tests. Biometrics, Vol. 11, No. 1, pp. 1-02. 'Duncan, David B. 1957. Multiple range tests for correlated and heteroscedas- tic means. Biometrics, Vol. 13, No. 2, pp. 160-176. Finch, Vernon C. et a1. 1957. Physical elements of geography. 0th ed., McGraw- Hill Book Co., New York, x and 501 pp. Funk, John L. 1909. Wider application of the electrical method of col- lecting fish.‘ Trans. Am. Fish Soc., Vol. 77 (1907), pp. 09-60. Funk, John L. 1957. Movement of stream fishes in Missouri. Trans. Am. Fish. Soc., Vol. 85 (1955), pp. 39-57. Gerking, Shelby D. 1909. Characteristics of stream fish populations. Investi- gations of Indiana lakes and streams, Vol. 3, No. 7, pp. 283-309. Gerking, Shelby D. 1950. Stability of a stream fish population. Jour. Wild- life Man., Vol. 10, No. 2, pp. 193-202. Gerking, Shelby D. 1953. Evidence for the concepts of home range and territory in stream fishes. Ecology, Vol. 30, No. 2, pp. 307- 365. 121 122 Harlan, James R. and Everett B. Speaker 1956. Iowa fish and fishing. 3rd ed., Iowa Conservation Commission, 377 pp. Haskell, David C. et a1. 1950. Two back-pack fish shockers. New York Fish and Game Jour., Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 65-70. Hill, Elton B. and Russell G. Mawby 1950. Types of farming in Michigan. Mich. State Coll. Agr. Exp. Sta., Spec. Bull. No. 206, 80 pp. Hubbs, Carl L. and Karl F. Lagler 1909. Fishes of the Great Lakes region. Cranbrook Insti- tute of Science, Bull. No. 26, xi and 186 pp. Lagler, Karl F. 1956. Freshwater fishery biology. 2nd ed., Wm. C. Brown Co., Dubuque, Iowa, xii and 021 pp. Larimore, R. Weldon 1952. Home pools and homing behavior of smallmouth bass in Jordan Creek. 111. Nat. Hist. Surv., Biological Notes, No. 28, 12 pp. Patriarche, Mercer H. and Edward M. Lowry 1953. .Age and rate of growth of five species of fish in Black River, Missouri. The University of Missouri Studies, Vol. 26, No. 2, pp. 85-109. Ruhr, C. E. 1957. Effect of stream impoundment in Tennessee on the fish populations of tributary streams. Trans. Am. Fish. Soc., Vol. 86 (1956), pp. 100-157. Scott Donald C. 1909. .A study of a stream population of rock bass, Amblop- lites rupestris. Investigations of Indiana lakes and streams, Vol.73, No. 3, pp. 169-230. Snedecor, George W. 1956. Statiscal methods. 5th ed., Iowa State College Press, Ames, Iowa, xiii and 530 pp. Starrett, William C. 1950. Distribution of the fishes of Boone County, Iowa, with special reference to the minnows and darters. Am. Midland Naturalist, Vol. 03, No. 1, pp. 112-127. 123 Stroud, Richard H. 1909. Rate of growth and condition of game and pan fish in Cherokee and Douglas Reservoirs, Tennessee, and Hiwassee Reservoir, North Carolina. Jour. Tenn. Acad. Sci., Vol. 20, No. 1, pp. 60-70. Whiteside, E. P. et a1. 1956. Soils of Michigan. Mich. State Univ. Agr. Exp. Sta., Spec. Bull. No. 002, 52 pp. 4t (‘1’ "111111111111