April 2009 page 6 Technical News

December 2011		The REDD Missouri Chapter - American Fisheries Society Est. 1965 Page 4
'Circling the Redd' President's Message Treasurer's Report MOAFS News Articles Current Events and News Legislative Awareness Officers and Chairs Words from the Editor Newsletter Editor Joe McMullen Web Assistant: Andrew Branson		Articles Recreation and Research Meet On an Ozark River Missouri Chapter of the American Fisheries Society (MOAFS) past president and lifetime member, Steve Eder, used a broad array of sampling methods to capture fish and advance fisheries management in Missouri during his long career with the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC). Since retiring from the MDC, Steve has continued to pursue fish, but now he is catching fish for pleasure rather than as a profession, and now sampling is solely with hook and line. Fishing for fun crossed paths with fisheries science when Steve hooked a smallmouth bass towards the end of a rainy day on the Current River in mid-October. Not only did the 18-inch-plus fish have Steve’s lure dangling from its jaw… it also had a tag in its back, and an antennae trailing from its belly. The fish was one of 30 smallmouth tagged by MOAFS members, Hope Dodd and Mike Siepker, as part of a cooperative research effort between the National Park Service and MDC to learn about the seasonal and diel movement patterns and habitat use of bass that inhabit springs within Ozark National Scenic Riverways during the winter. All the fish in the study were captured near Big Spring in late-January. Big Spring is Missouri’s largest spring with a mean daily discharge of 286 million gallons. The three-pound-plus, antennae-totting, bronzeback that Steve caught remained near Big Spring for three weeks before it began moving upstream. Two weeks later, it was found 30 miles upstream in a deep hole at the base of a bluff. It remained “on-the-air” among the pool’s boulders and logs for the next six and a half months, until it mistook Steve’s lure for a meal. After the strong fight, followed by a brief photo and measuring session, the fish was returned to the river to continue broadcasting its whereabouts to fisheries researchers. Mike indicated that this bass was one of four that made large upstream moves away from Big Spring, with two fish traveling more than 70 miles up into the Jacks Fork River. The rest of the radio-tagged bass moved downstream of Big Spring, and remained within ten miles their winter home for the duration of the summer. As of mid-November, 14 smallmouth were still transmitting their locations to researchers. And what of Steve’s catch? Well, it hung around it’s summertime haunt for a couple of weeks after its battle, before deciding that it was getting a bit chilly and time to move south. A week later it had returned to its winter home at Big Spring. M.A. Zurbrick & Mike Siepker Porous Soled Waders Banned In Missouri Trout Waters In a recent Redd article by James Civello you read about the threat from Didymosphenia geminata, “didymo” or “rock snot,” an invasive alga that forms large, thick mats on the bottom of cold-water lakes and streams. These blankets of algae eventually alter the population dynamics of aquatic life vital to the food chain. It interferes with fishing gear and lines, making fishing nearly impossible, and has potentially devastating economic and environmental consequences. Didymo is native to northern parts of North America and Europe. While it has not been found in Missouri, rock snot has been found just south of the Missouri-Arkansas border in the White River system. Didymo is kept in check naturally in other areas by water chemistry, lower pH levels in the water being one deterrent. The Ozark’s wealth of limestone creates higher pH levels which, combined with the colder water temperatures and a lower nutrient base typical of Missouri trout streams, can allow didymo to spread unchecked. Currently there is no practical control or eradication process available once didymo gets established. Recreational equipment such as boats, lifejackets, and fishing gear--particularly porous-soled waders--are the most likely vectors for the spread of didymo. In August 2011 the Missouri Conservation Commission approved a regulation change to the Wildlife Code of Missouri which will go into effect, March 1, 2012 3 CSR 10-6.415 Restricted Zones. The commission proposes to add section (6) to this rule. PURPOSE: This amendment prohibits the use of porous soled waders or footwear incorporating or having attached a porous sole of felted, matted, or woven fibrous material in specified trout waters. (6) The use of shoes, boots, or waders with porous soles incorporating or having felt, matted, or woven fibrous materials is prohibited on the following department areas: (A) Barren Fork Creek in Shannon County; (B) Blue Springs Creek in Crawford County; (C) Capps Creek in Barry and Newton counties; (D) Crane Creek in Stone and Lawrence counties; (E) Current River in Dent, Texas, and Shannon counties; (F) Dry Fork Creek in Crawford and Phelps counties; (G) Eleven Point River in Oregon County; (H) Hickory Creek in Newton County; (I) Lake Taneycomo in Taney County; (J) Little Piney Creek in Phelps County; (K) Meramec River in Crawford and Phelps counties; (L) Mill Creek in Phelps County; (M) North Fork of White River in Ozark County; (N) Niangua River in Dallas and Laclede counties; (O) Roaring River in Barry County; (P) Roubidoux Creek in Pulaski County; (Q) Spring Creek in Phelps County; and (R) Stone Mill Spring Branch in Pulaski County. PROPOSED AMENDMENT 3 CSR 10-12.150 Fishing, Trout Parks. The commission proposes to add subsection (1)(F) to this rule. PURPOSE: This amendment prohibits the use of porous soled waders or footwear incorporating or having attached a porous sole of felted, matted, or woven fibrous material when fishing in the trout parks. (1) On Maramec Spring Park, Bennett Spring State Park, Montauk State Park, and Roaring River State Park (F) The use of shoes, boots, or waders with porous soles incorporating or having felt, matted, or woven fibrous materials is prohibited. Anglers can adapt felt-soled and other porous-soled waders to comply with the new regulation by sealing the soles with solutions of contact cement or marine rubber cement rendering them temporarily nonporous. The cement may need to be reapplied periodically. MDC offers an instructional video for sealing waders at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_udcfZqA_w. Adapting waders or even banning porous soled waders is not a cure. It is just one step in prevention. It is vital to check and clean or dry all waders and all other gear. Anglers are encouraged to replace their porous-soled waders with ones that have non-porous rubber or the next generation alternative non-slip soles. Most wader and wading boot manufacturers are offering a variety of alternative sole waders that provide excellent traction in streams. Many of you will have the opportunity to inform the angling public of these efforts. For more information or materials you can use in speaking to the public please contact: Mark Van Patten Tim Banek Fisheries Management Biologist Invasive Species Coordinator Missouri Department of Conservation or Missouri Department of Conservation 573-522-4115 ext. 3892 573-522-4115 ext. 3371 Mark.vanpatten@mdc.mo.gov Tim.banek@mdc.mo.gov $Description: D:\McMullen\MO AFS\December 2011\Boulder Bugger.jpg$ $Description: D:\McMullen\MO AFS\December 2011\059.JPG$ $Description: D:\McMullen\MO AFS\December 2011\060.JPG$ $Description: D:\McMullen\MO AFS\December 2011\061.JPG$ 2011 Missouri State Record Fish Big Head Carp Snagging – 106 lbs. 0 oz. – Lake of the Ozarks – April 23^rd, 2011 – Gene Swope – Excelsior Springs, Mo. $Description: C:\Temp\Temporary Internet Files\Content.Outlook\GNG2VBRF\BigHeadDock.JPG$ Bighead carp were accidentally introduced to the lake in the mid-1990’s from a commercial fish hatchery. To date, there is no indication that these fish are successfully reproducing as each individual that turns up is larger than the last one. In the late 1990’s, a handful of 20 to 40 pound bigheads were caught. In 2004, two 80 pound fish were harvested by anglers. This year, we have seen an 86 pound specimen and well as the most recent 106 pound fish caught last week. Greg Stoner Fisheries Management Biologist Lake of the Ozarks Striped Bass Pole and line – 60 lbs. 9 oz. – Bull Shoals Lake – June 18^th,2011 – James B. Cunningham – Fordland, Mo. $Description: D:\McMullen\MO AFS\December 2011\IMG_0246.JPG$ Highfin Carpsucker Archery – 1 lbs. 6 oz. – Meramec River – May 21^st, 2011 – Dereck J. DePew – De Soto, Mo. $Description: C:\Temp\Temporary Internet Files\Content.Outlook\GNG2VBRF\Highfin Carpsucker.JPG$ Gizzard Shad Gigging – 1 lbs. 8 oz. – Beaver Creek – January 15^th, 2011 – Hayden Crouch – Bradleyville, Mo. $Description: C:\Temp\Temporary Internet Files\Content.Outlook\GNG2VBRF\Gizzard Shad January 2011 (2).JPG$ Spotted Gar Archery – 9 lbs. 15 oz. – Wappapello Lake – October 8^th, 2011 – Eric D. Whitehead – Puxico, Mo. $Description: C:\Temp\Temporary Internet Files\Content.Outlook\GNG2VBRF\Spotted Gar OCT 2011 (3).JPG$ More information about Missouri fishing records is available at mdc.mo.gov/fishing/reports/records. Missouri Stream Teams 2011 The Missouri Stream Team Program can loosely be described as an “adopt a stream” program and is sponsored by the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC), the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR), as well as the Conservation Federation of Missouri (CFM). Stream Team is a program that will allow for as much or as little involvement as volunteers prefer depending on their needs and interests. There is no cost to join, and all the materials are provided free to registered Stream Teams. Volunteers can select their own stream to adopt, or a list of potential streams can be provided. Teams determine how active they choose to be and what activities they would like to do. Check out the Stream Team Program at www.mostreamteam.org. Stream Team 2011 Accomplishments: 1,155 tons of trash collected 1,109 water quality monitoring trips 17,621 trees planted 32,075 total participants 146,361 total hours $3,126,274.80 value of volunteer time A big thanks goes out to all the Stream Teams for the amazing amount of work they do in maintaining or improving the health of Missouri streams! Check out the Stream Team Program at www.mostreamteam.org and the Missouri Stream Team Newsletter Channels. A Salamander Under Assault If you were a hellbender laying under a rock in a Ozark river you would have probably noticed that there are not as many fellow wrinkly-skinned, beady-eyed, large-tailed amphibians in the neighborhood as there once was, and those few still hanging around don’t look to be in that great of shape. Life as a hellbender just ain’t what it used to be. Fortunately, some humans were also noting and taking an interest in this critter’s plight. Scientist recognized that this salamander was increasingly in danger of vanishing from the planet. In 2001, the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) placed the Ozark Hellbender, Cryptobranchus alleganiensis bishopi, on the list of candidates for protection under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Two years later, this salamander subspecies joined 43 other vertebrate species (sadly, more than a quarter of all vertebrate species found in the state) listed as being imperiled in Missouri and protected by the Wildlife Code and State Endangered Species Law. $Description: D:\McMullen\AOP\Fish Passage Conference\Big River\hellbender.jpg$ After ten years as a candidate, the Ozark Hellbender became a federally protected species under the ESA, effective November 2, 2011. The ESA makes it illegal to kill, harm, or otherwise “take” a listed species. The ESA also requires all federal agencies to ensure that actions they authorize, fund, or undertake do not jeopardize the existence of a listed species. In addition to increased protection under the ESA, export of both the Ozark and the Eastern Hellbender, will be restricted in May of 2012 under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Collection of both subspecies is a growing concern. As they become rarer, they also become a more valuable commodity in the international pet market. In the 174 member countries, trade in these two salamanders will only be permitted with an export permit and a certificate of origin. This questionably photogenic, but unquestionably unusual, aquatic salamander is the largest amphibian in North America, reaching nearly two feet long. It is a habitat specialist requiring relatively stable flows of cool, well-oxygenated, water found in some streams of the Ozark Plateau. Unlike most amphibians, hellbenders complete their entire live cycle in water and have been known to live as long as 30 years in the wild. Adults spend most of their life residing under large rocks during the day, coming out at night to breed or feed on macro-invertebrates. Although it is not nearly as pretty as a yellow songbird, when it comes to the overall health of the streams it inhabits, the Ozark Hellbender may be an aquatic version of the “canary in a coal mine”. While it’s “cousin” the Eastern Hellbender, Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis, is found in the central and eastern Ozarks of Missouri along with portions of fifteen state east of the Mississippi, the Ozark Hellbender’s historical range is confined exclusively to rivers in the White River drainage of southern Missouri and northern Arkansas. While there are no clear estimates of how many Ozark Hellbenders historically inhabited the Ozarks, surveys over the past three decades have shown substantial declines in this subspecies abundance and range. The Ozark Hellbender is thought to be nearly extirpated from five of the eight rivers that they had been found to inhabit in the past. In two of the three remaining rivers, capture rates declined by more than 90% from the late 1980s to the mid-2000s. Decreasing numbers of juvenile hellbenders in recent surveys are thought to indicate reproduction or juvenile survival problems. It is thought that less than 600 of these animals remain in the wild, and that if this precipitous decline is not halted soon, the Ozark Hellbender will be functionally extinct by 2026. A relatively large list of issues and factors have been offered as possible causes of the Ozark Hellbender’s decline, including: habitat degradation resulting from impoundments, gravel and hard-rock mining, nitrification, sedimentation, urbanization, livestock agriculture, timber harvesting, recreational boating, horseback riding, off-road vehicle operation, campground and wastewater treatment facilities, removal of large rocks and boulders for navigation or home landscaping, “rock-flipping”, collection for commercial and scientific purposes, chytrid fungus, secondary bacterial and fungal infection, intentional and accidental killing by anglers and giggers, predation by trout and Esox ssp, and climate change. Several of the contributing factors such as the taking of hellbenders for the illegal pet trade, the spread of the chytrid fungus throughout the subspecies range, and increases in severe physical abnormalities, have been fairly well documented. However, adverse impacts due to other factors such as gigging, trout stocking, and floating are not well documented and merit additional scientific examination. Usually, when a species is declared endangered under the ESA, critical habitat is designated, indicating areas that are essential to the conservation of the species. However, in the case of the Ozark Hellbender, the USFWS decided that designating critical habitat was not prudent because such a designation would require publication of detailed descriptions of hellbender locations, making illegal collection for the pet trade more likely. Some recovery efforts had already been implemented prior to ESA listing, including artificial propagation at the St. Louis Zoo and MDC’s Shepard of the Hill Hatchery. Now that the Ozark Hellbender is listed, the USFWS, in cooperation with other federal, state, local, and private agencies and partners, will develop a recovery plan that outlines and prioritizes actions believed to be necessary to pull the subspecies back from the brink of extinction. Listing will also allow federal grants to help fund Ozark Hellbender conservation projects. More information on the listing of the Ozark Hellbender in ESA and CITES can be here. M.A. Zurbrick