THE GREAT RIVERS NEWS
,™
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
EPA/620/N-05/003 Vol. 1 No. 3
July 2005
eNVIRONMBNTAU MONITORJNq ANIi ASS6SSM6NT
PROGRAM
J
River Darter Range Extension in Lower Missouri River Jason Crites (MDC)
The Environmental Monitoring
and Assessment Program of the
Great Rivers Ecosystem (EMAP-
GRE) has successfully completed
its first year of sampling and has
already made some interesting
observations. The Missouri De-
partment of Conservation (MDC)
is responsible for sampling the
unimpounded section of the up-
per Mississippi River and the
Missouri River from Kansas
downstream to the confluence of
the Mississippi River. MDC sam-
pled a few Missouri state-listed
and threatened species, as well
as range extensions of known
fish species to new locations on
the rivers.
Several blue suckers, Cycleptus
elongates, were collected along
the lower Missouri River. They
are a state-listed species, and
their decline has been attributed
to overfishing and dam construc-
tion.
Three Ohio shrimp, Macro-
brachium ohione, were collected
on the Mississippi River near
Cairo, IL. They were once abun-
dant from St. Louis, MO to Cairo,
IL in the Mississippi River drain-
age. Overharvesting in the
1930s, river channelization, and
EMAP-GRE Training 2005 Debra Taylor (USEPA)
Over 50 leaders and mem-
bers of EMAP-GRE field
crews met in St. Louis on
June 14-15 for a refresher
course on EMAP data collec-
tion, sample handling, and
Quality Assurance proce-
dures. Crews from the Mis-
souri, Mississippi, and Ohio
Rivers gathered to learn from
each other's 2004 sampling
experiences and to hear up-
dates and changes in EMAP-
GRE techniques for 2005.
Training included both class-
room and field sessions, and
featured a ten-boat flotilla of
researchers reviewing their
EMAP-GRE skills on the Mis-
sissippi River near Alton, IL.
Emphasis was on Quality
Assurance —since a number
of crews are collecting data
over a very large geographic
area, it is important that data
be collected with uniform
standards across all crews
and sites. Consistent sam-
pling procedures will insure
that the data will be compara-
ble when conclusions are
drawn on the condition of our
Central U.S. Great River eco-
systems.
habitat loss have drastically re-
duced their numbers, and they
are also a state-listed species.
While sampling a Missouri River
site near Jefferson City, MO, an
MDC electrofishing crew col-
lected a river darter, Percina shu-
mardi. This fish was sampled at
approximately river mile 121.
documented any farther on the
William Pflieger demonstrated in
"The Fishes of Missouri" fish key
that river darters had not been
Hrt-"n,-,
!iver darter, a likely range
extension in the Lower Mis-
souri River
Missouri River than St. Charles
Co. (just west of St. Louis, MO).
This makes the range extension
approximately 100 miles west of
its last known collection.
In our 2005 sampling season, we
hope to substantiate and further
document these unusual occur-
rences offish in the Mississippi
and Missouri Rivers.
A flotilla of training on the Mississippi River near Alton, IL. This area is
upstream of lock and dam No. 26 which is the last lock and dam on the
upper Mississippi River.
The Great Rivers Newsletter is periodic publication of the EPA's Mid-Continent Ecology Divi-
sion in Duluth, MN. The newsletter is designed to disseminate timely information about the
EMAP-GRE project among EPA investigators; state, federal, and tribal collaborators; and other
stakeholders. Contact Mark Pearson, editor (pearson.mark@epa.gov; 218-529-5205) to obtain
copies of the newsletter. The newsletter and other EMAP information can be found on this
website: www.epa.gov/emap/greatriver
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Page 2
THE GREAT RIVERS NEWS
LETTER
ADCP Technology Helpful to EMAP-GRE Debra Taylor (USEPA) and Gary Wilson (USGS)
Acoustic Doppler Current Profil-
ers (ADCP) are a new technol-
ogy being used to assess the
condition of our Great Rivers.
Great Rivers are much deeper
and swifter than wadeable
streams, so it is difficult to em-
ploy traditional methods of meas-
uring depth and velocity. His-
torically, Great River managers
and researchers collected hydro-
logical data from cables sus-
pended over rivers or were lim-
ited to working from highway and
railway bridges. But by using an
acoustic energy beam, today's
ADCP technology allows re-
searchers to quickly determine
water depths, current velocities,
and the concentration of sus-
pended sediment particles in the
deep water columns of Great
Rivers. By comparing profiles
taken at high and baseline dis-
charges, scientists can deter-
mine which areas of riverbank
have the greatest erosion poten-
tial and then use this information
to prioritize shoreline areas for
riverbank stabilization efforts.
The graphs at the right show the
same cross section of the Mis-
souri River on two dates: in the
upper graph the discharge was
around 94K cfs, and in the lower
graph the discharge measured
about 65K cfs. Note the in-
creased velocities at the higher
discharge and the comparatively
stagnant shallow water area on
the left side of the profile. This is
an area that may provide refuge
for fish during times of high dis-
charge and current velocity.
2005 Missouri River Natural Resources Conference Highlights Mark Pearson (USEPA)
The 9 Annual Missouri River
Natural Resources Conference
was held in Pierre, SD May 22-
25, 2005. The meeting is a fo-
rum dedicated to Missouri River
stakeholders to exchange infor-
mation, share perspectives, and
solve problems. The meeting's
theme was "Many Voices • One
Theme." Papers were presented
with diverse topics such as rec-
reational opportunities, changing
conditions, historical perspec-
tives, water quality and quantity,
biology and habitat, sediment,
and wind energy. The meeting
was an excellent opportunity to
present some preliminary data
and show Missouri River stake-
holders the benefits of the
EMAP-GRE project. Terri Jicha
(USEPA) presented a program
overview; Kathleen Rowland
(USGS) discussed water quality
patterns from 21 sites in the Ft.
Peck, Williston, and Garrison
reaches in MT and ND; Brenda
Woodward (USGS) presented
water quality data from 24 sites
along the NE border; Suzanne
Femmer (USGS) discussed wa-
ter quality data patterns from 24
sites from the Mississippi River
to the NE border; and Jason
Crites (MDC) discussed fish
data collected on the lower Mis-
souri River. A field trip to the
Lower Brule Sioux Tribal Reser-
vation concluded with traditional
entertainment and dinner at their
powwow grounds.
Updates, Meetings, Goings-On
The Narrows of the Missouri River on the Lower Brule Sioux
Tribal lands.
USEPA scientists David Bol-
grien and Brian Hill will be pre-
senting preliminary EMAP-GRE
data at the Mississippi River
Basin Nutrients Science Work-
shop in St. Louis, MO Oct. 4-6,
2005. David will present a talk
titled, "Demonstrating a consis-
tent and unified approach for
monitoring and assessing eco-
logical conditions of the Mis-
souri, upper Mississippi, and
Ohio Rivers." Brian will present
a talk titled, "Inter-river and
downstream patterns in Si, N,
and P: a preliminary assessment
of the upper Mississippi, Mis-
souri and Ohio Rivers."
An EMAP-GRE Technical Com-
mittee meeting will be held in
Duluth, MN in the fall of 2005.
Details are being worked out at
this time, but we anticipate a
workshop to discuss EMAP-
GRE reference conditions to be
held concurrently.
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