Herring Highway A Study of a New Fish Passage for River Herring at Rock Creek National Park

Transcription

1 Bridging the Watershed An Outreach Program of the Alice Ferguson Foundation in Partnership with the National Park Service and Area Schools Herring Highway A Study of a New Fish Passage for River Herring at Rock Creek National Park Student Field Study Guide Name Date

2 Group Members Date School BTW Educator(s) Teacher(s) Ranger(s) Volunteer(s) Herring Highway Field Data General Information Site Peirce Mill Dam - Picnic Grove 1 (check one) Milkhouse Ford - Picnic Grove 6 Latitude N Longitude W Water Temperature Dissolved Oxygen ph Water Quality Data Celsius milligram/liter Cloud Cover (circle symbol) Air Temperature Weather Data Celsius 0% 25% 50% 75% 100% Clear Partially Cloudy Overcast Current Precipitation (Circle one of the choices to the right) None Mist Rain Thunderstorm Snow Monthly Precipitation Total centimeters Stream Bottom Substrate (Circle one of the choices below) Habitat Assessment Stream Habitat Type (Circle one of the choices below) Stream Channel Width Water Depth Stream Speed Stream Flow (10 x Ave Depth x Channel Width Ave Speed) Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Average Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Average meters meters meters meters meters seconds seconds seconds seconds meters³/second 2

3 Sketch of Site Sketch and label your site from overhead. Show the creek, runs/pools/riffles, blockages, fish ladder, buildings, road, trails, vegetation (trees, shrubs, etc.). Indicate sampling site for fish collection/water quality study/measurement of width, depth, speed. Draw an arrow indicating north. This sketch is an important aspect of the scientific documentation of your field study. It is not a measure of artistic ability. 3

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5 Fish Sampling Data Common Name Scientific Name Migratory Pattern Sea Lamprey American Eel Yellow Bullhead White Sucker Tessellated Darter Gizzard Shad Blueback Herring Alewife Bluntnose Minnow Spotfin Shiner Swallowtail Shiner Fallfish Blacknose Dace Longnose Dace Bluegill Sunfish Pumpkinseed Sunfish Satinfin Shiner Petromyzon marnius Anguilla rostrata Ameriurus natalis Catostomus commersoni Etheostoma olmstedi Dorosoma cepedianum Alosa aestivalis Alosa pseudoharengus Pimephales notatus Cyprinella spiloptera Notropis procne Semotilus corporalis Rhinichthys atratulus Rhinichthys cataractae Lepomis macrochirus Lepomis gibbosus Cyprinella analostana Catadromous Anadromous Anadromous Anadromous Number Collected Other Other Fish Characteristics Key to Identification 5

6 Fish Identification Key Begin Description With A Body long and snake-like, pelvic fins absent A Body not long and snake-like, pelvic fins present B Jawless, mouth in center of round disk, 7 pairs of gill openings, no pectoral fins Go To B C B Jaws present, one pair of gill openings, pectoral fins present Sea Lamprey American Eel C Pelvic fins thoracic D C Pelvic fins abdominal F D Black flap on gill cover (operculum) E D No black flap on gill cover (operculum) E Orange or red spot on rear of black flap on the gill cover (operculum) Tessellated Darter E No orange or red spot on black flap of gill cover (operculum) Pumpkinseed Sunfish Bluegill Sunfish 6

7 Begin With F Description Adipose fin present, chin barbels present Go To Yellow Bullhead F Adipose fin not present G G Lateral line absent H G Lateral line present J H Upper jaw overhangs lower jaw, black spot behind gills as big as eyes H Lower jaw protrudes past upper, black spot behind gills is small I Dark blue back without significant hump, saw teeth on belly smaller and not obvious Gizzard Shad I I Greyish-green hump, saw teeth large and obvious Blueback Herring Alewife J Black spot on dorsal fin K J No black spot on dorsal fin L K Blunt snout, dorsal fin with black spot located in first few rays, lateral line ends in black spot K Snout not blunt, dorsal fin with black spot located in last few rays, lateral line does not end in black spot Bluntnose Minnow Spotfin Shiner 7

8 Begin With Description Go To L Lateral line shaded and dark M L Lateral line slightly dark or indistinct N M Scales distinctly diamond shaped, lateral line dark, but not heavily so M Scales not distinctly diamond shaped, lateral line dark and heavy Swallowtail Shiner N Upper jaw severely overhanging lower jaw N Upper jaw and lower jaws relatively even O Large sucker-like lips, very blunt snout, fish typically larger than 10cm Blacknose Dace O P O No sucker-like lips, snout not as blunt, fish not larger than 10cm White Sucker P Fins appear white and frosted at the tips, fish typically no larger than 10cm Longnose Dace P Tips of fins without frosted appearance, fish often larger than 10cm Satinfin Shiner Fallfish 8

9 Alewife Spawns late February to April Blueback Herring Spawns March to early May Chemical and Habitat Tolerances for Migrating and Spawning of Alewife and Blueback Herring Migrating Spawning Alewife Blueback Herring Alewife Blueback Herring DO > 5 mg/l DO > 5 mg/l Chemical ph ph Chemical H 2 O Temp > 5 C > 7 C H 2 O Temp C C Substrate Any Substrate Sand, Gravel or Silty Rocky Habitat Habitat Type Any Type Pool Riffle or Run Flow Any Flow < 0.5 m³/s m³/s

10 Herring Highway Data Analysis Using the data collected during your field study, answer the following questions for both fish. 1. Is it currently spawning season for either of these fish? Elaborate. 2. Summarize your findings of chemical and habitat tolerances for both fish. If it is spawning season for either or both fish, use your findings to explain the absence or presence of these anadromous fish.