FISHERIES DIVISION MONTHLY ACTIVITY REPORT May 2012

Transcription

1 FISHERIES DIVISION MONTHLY ACTIVITY REPORT May 2012 Byron SFH: Activities completed this month by the Byron hatchery staff include the following activities. Hybrid striped bass ponds were fed, monitored, fertilized, and sampled until fish were ready to harvest. Four ponds of hybrid striped bass were harvested and shipped to various lakes in Oklahoma. Two ponds of sunfish adults were harvested and sorted. Three ponds were set, filled, and stocked with bluegill and green sunfish adults to produce hybrid sunfish. Two ponds were set, filled, and stocked with bluegill adults and 1 pond was set, filled, and stocked with bluegill and redear sunfish adults for farm pond distribution. Two ponds were set, filled, and stocked with channel catfish fry and one pond was set, filled and stocked with Florida strain largemouth bass fingerlings. Largemouth bass fingerlings were picked up at Manning and distributed as farm pond fish. Maintenance activities completed this month include mowing and trimming weeds on the hatchery, grading roads, and servicing vehicles. Several pond water supply valves were cleaned and fixed, and the fish house, shops and offices were also cleaned this month. Staff picked up new truck in Oklahoma City and supplies were ordered and picked up this month as well. Hatchery supervisor met with the engineers this month on the Durant Hatchery repair project, the foreman for a seismograph crew for work to be done later this summer, and inspected hatcheries at Holdenville, Manning, and Durant. Several tours were given this month as well. Steve Spade. Durant SFH: Hatchery personnel completed harvesting and stocking Flmb fingerlings into public waters with assistance from SCR, SER, CR, NCR and Streams personnel. Flmb fingerlings, for future broodstock use, were pellet trained in the DH fish building and later stocked into a rearing pond. Some pellet trained Flmb were also sent to the BH for further growth as future broodstock. A goldfish and a koi spawning pond were harvested and forage stocked out into Flmb broodstock ponds. A golden shiner spawning pond was harvested and fingerlings stocked back into a rearing pond for further growth. Broodstock golden shiners, goldfish, and koi were stocked back out into holding ponds for possible additional spawning. Channel catfish fry were transported from the Tishomingo NFH to the DH for 9 production and for fall s farm pond application use. Nlmb fingerlings were transported from the Holdenville Hatchery to the DH for use in filling farm pond applications in Durant and Muskogee. Hatchery section supervisor visited hatchery, picked up Flmb fingerlings and discussed engineering information to be discussed at OKC meeting. DH staff met with ODWC personnel and Garver Engineers in OKC central office to discuss upcoming hatchery renovation details. Two Hatchery Technicians attended a Leadership Development Workshop at the Arcadia Office. Assistant Director toured hatchery and met with hatchery and regional personnel. Purchases of needed hatchery supplies were made and P-Card purchases were processed accordingly. Two new air blower motors were purchased and installed. Repairs were completed to 1 turbine pump and motor and were installed. Brett Gantt, Wildlife Division, assisted DH staff by hauling turbine pumps to and from the repair shop. Tours were given to 31 people, and packets with general ODWC information were distributed, and numerous walk-in visitors were assisted during this

2 reporting period. All fish species were monitored and fed as water temperature and weather conditions permitted, sampled regularly, water quality maintained and recorded, and nuisance aquatic vegetation was controlled. Requested aquatic plants were split and ongoing production continued. Fish feed was delivered and stored accordingly. Hatchery grounds, buildings, equipment, and vehicles were maintained. Repairs to equipment, dip nets and seines were completed. DH staff continued monitoring and deterring otters, cormorants, and herons. The shop and office were cleaned weekly and as needed. Gordon Schomer. Holdenville SFH: Various fish were sampled and feeding rates were adjusted accordingly. Water quality parameters were monitored in culture ponds. Holdenville personnel assisted the Durant Hatchery with the distribution of Florida largemouth bass to public waters. Hatchery reservoir water level and pumps were monitored daily. Four ponds of Hybrid Striped bass fry were harvested and stocked into public waters. Two ponds of northern largemouth bass were harvested and fingerlings were distributed to farm pond applicants. Channel catfish spawns were collected bi-weekly then eggs were transferred to the Tishomingo National Fish Hatchery for their production needs. Channel catfish fry (100,000) were stocked into one pond for additional growth. Aquatic Education catfish were delivered to the hatchery and stocked into holding ponds. Coordinated and distributed the stocking of eight aquatic educational clinic ponds. Hatchery personnel sprayed Roundup around hatchery building and structures to assist in weed control. Hatchery staff deterred herons, egrets, cormorants and river otters from culture ponds. Ponds were mowed, disked and graded for upcoming culture season. Hatchery roads were graded and maintained. Hatchery grounds were maintained though out the month. Repairs were made to ponds, nets, seine and screens where needed. Shop and vehicle storage buildings were cleaned as needed. Repairs and maintenance to buildings, equipment and hatchery grounds were made as needed. John Davenport. Manning SFH: Performed routine maintenance to equipment and vehicles as scheduled or needed. Installed new pond gate on one pond. Harvested goldfish brooder pond and moved brooders to spawning pond. Picked up new Ford 550 truck and took it to Loyal to have new bed installed. Took new F 550 to Brinkley, Arkansas to have new hauling tank installed. Harvested bass ponds and moved fingerlings to holding tanks and brooders to holding pond. Gave out farm pond bass. Stocked leftover farm pond bass into ponds in OKC, Norman, Yukon and Edmond. Collected fish for fish health sampling. Harvest channel catfish and stocked fish into Lake Helen in Lawton and OKC ponds. Picked up feed from the dock in OKC. Harvested hybrid ponds and stocked fingerlings into lakes across the state. Feed catfish daily and monitored water quality. Gave tours to school groups. Took pickup and trailer to town to get brakes installed on trailer and wiring done to truck. Picked up channel catfish fry from Tishomingo National Fish Hatchery and stocked them out into our ponds. Technician picked up hybrid striped bass fingerlings from Byron Hatchery and stocked them into Waurika Lake. Tyler Wright.

3 Southeast Region: Staff researched in-stream flow/ecology relationships. Schedules, maps and equipment for catfish sampling were prepared. Staff conducted maintenance of office and grounds. Fin clips were delivered to Bass committee chair. Sampling data was entered and submitted to OFRL for analysis. Discussed research proposal ideas with OFRL staff and worked on preparing research proposals. Broken Bow bass otoliths were read. A SER staff meeting coordinated upcoming project and discuss priorities. Trash was picked up at Nanih Waiya, Schooler and Ozzie Cobb. Nanih Waiya grounds were maintained via brush hogging, weed eating, and herbicide application. Weighing scales were collected and certified. Schooler lake maintenance needs were conveyed to lake maintenance supervisor. SER staff coordination meeting to discuss upcoming projects and priorities. End of year budget items were purchased. Habitat barge requisition was submitted. Repairs were made to equipment trailers. Annual requisitions were prepared and submitted as required. Meeting was attended with Congress Boren s office, USACE, and SWPA to discuss low flow tubes on LMFR. Boating and Fishing access files/documents, Broken Bow and Pine Creek hydropower files/documents were sorted, cleaned, and compiled into binders. SER inventory records were sorted, cleaned and compiled for easier access. LMFR TVIA temperature study was reviewed. Hugo COE Project Manager was contacted regarding cleaning sediment off boat ramps while repairs are made to flood gates. Security lights on Higgins office were replaced. Monthly paperwork, bills and p-card documents were completed. Request to renew lease for Broken Bow bubble plume site was submitted to USACE. LMB fin clips were collected from Cedar Lake and Raymond Gary Lake. Catfish hoop-netting was conducted on Schooler Lake and Cedar Lake Schooler. Nine buoy anchors and thirty spider-blocks were constructed. Technical assistance was provided to anglers concerning Hugo Lake bass status and fishing attractor locations. DEQ needs list was updated and samples were collected from Cedar, Carlton, Ozzie Cobb and Nanih Waiya, and delivered to DEQ staff. Conducted a site visit with Spirit Aerosystems Facility Manager to discuss goose problems/numbers and provided contact/site information to Migratory Bird Biologist. Age-1 bass were collected from Sardis for FLMB research on SEVERAL occasions. Aquatic education equipment was picked up from Hugo COE project office. Repairs were made to rods and reels. Collected and delivered log perch for Oklahoma Aquarium to staff. Prepared an informational poster on Wister Lake. Biologist provided interview to Poteau newspaper writer regarding Wister FLMB stocking article. Florida largemouth bass fry were stocked into Broken Bow lake and Wister Lake at multiple sites using acclimation cages and monitoring water quality while the fish were in cages. Trout were stocked on the Lower Mt. Fork River. Biologist attended NE streams tech interview. SER assisted ANS biologist with Asian carp sampling in Kiamichi River. SER reserve officers attended defensive tactics LE training at Higgins. Attended 3 rd District LE staff meeting. HACCP protocol was conducted on all boats, nets and hauling tanks as required. The windshield on technician truck was replaced. Don Groom. North Central Region: Staff collected fish samples for the Kaw Nation Environmental Group. Gill net mesh panels were sorted and evaluated for demand. The proposed Kaw Lake Water Level Management Plan was reviewed. Fishing clinics were conducted at Boomer Lake, Pawnee Bill State Park, Osage Hills State Park, Marland

4 Children s Home, Marland Mansion pond, Ponca Tribe and two YMCA Fishing Camps. The Kaw Lake Outdoor EXPO was attended with the Fishing Simulator. Loaned OSU AFS unit fishing poles to conduct a fishing clinic. All poles were repaired and readied for service after each clinic. Habitat work was accomplished at Birch Lake. Buoy anchors were constructed; trailer bearing were replaced on equipment trailer and 75 spider blocks were placed at locations in Birch Lake. Staff replaced tire on agitator trailer and prepared for service. A hatchery truck was picked up and white bass and sauger brooders were stocking into the Arkansas River below Kaw Lake. The Hatchery truck was taken to Durant Fish Hatchery and loaded with Florida Largemouth Bass and delivered to Skiatook Lake. FLMB fingerlings were stocked into Turkey Creek and Cedar Creek areas of the lake. Three tag detection trips were made on Kaw Lake to evaluate movements of striped bass and hybrid striped bass. Out of the 24 tags, only 5 fish were unaccounted for. Four fish were detected in the Kaw Lake Stilling Basin from emigration through the dam. Three out of the six hybrids tagged, showed up in the tailwater. One hybrid was caught by an angler and the tag was returned. Staff pulled the SUR from the Stilling Basin and from the Kaw Dam buoy line; data was dumped and units were re-deployed. Detection distance of the Kaw Dam SUR was tested with live tags. A presentation was given to the Skiatook Lake Association and ideas were discussed on special projects for them. The Skiatook Lake Nursery Pond was picked to discuss in greater detail. A letter was written to the Zink Ranch Foundation requesting permission to gain access to their property for nursery pond operations. Supervisor attended Lone Chimney Lake Water Board meeting to discuss closure of boat ramp and access area. Documents from the Boating Access projects at Ponca City and Pawnee were obtained and reviewed showing their 25% match. Canceled checks were obtained and submitted for auditors. Vegetation control was discussed with Ponca City concerning the Marland Mansion Pond. Treatments and chemicals were discussed. Ideas were discussed on things to include on the ODWC Intra-net and delivered to Andrea. Technician assisted with the Kaw Lake Blue catfish jugging trip given away at the 2011 EXPO. Twenty-four keepers were caught and cleaned for the winners. Summer intern was trained with weekly and monthly report writing. Equipment maintenance and grounds maintenance was performed as needed. Roof leak was repaired on office building. All boats and motors were tagged. FY12 budget was updated to track balances for expenditures. Office duties were performed and constituent s requests were performed through phone calls and drop-ins in a professional manor. Bill Wentroth. Northeast Region: Provided general assistance to public. Ensured routine maintenance of state vehicles was performed. Turned in older vehicles and acquired new ones from Headquarters. Attended HRDS courses in Team Building, Effective Time Management, Performance Management Process, Motivating for Performance, and Coaching and Mentoring. Attended Ft. Gibson meeting in Oklahoma City. Participated in regional staff meeting. Maintained fish division equipment for NER. Completed weekly and monthly timesheets, vehicle logs, and P-card paperwork. Ordered supplies and equipment for NER fish management. Continued literature review of catch and release mortality of paddlefish in preparation of research proposal. Prepared requisitions and phone bids for potential purchases. Prepared purchase order requisitions for possible end of fiscal year purchases. Began researching and crafting fisheries rule change

5 proposals for paddlefish, shovelnose sturgeon, and bighead carp. Continued data analyses on RPC paddlefish Entered and archived SSP data and performed SSP database maintenance. Entered lower Mississippi River basin paddlefish MICRA data. Drafted and submitted comment letter to USACE on project to expand Port 33 on McClellen-Kerr Navigation System. Continued transferring threadfin shad from Tenkiller Lake to Bixhoma Lake. Worked with GIS to begin generating lake maps for fall SSP. Performed creel surveys on Chimney Rock Lake for GRDA. Performed flathead catfish electrofishing on Chimney Rock Lake. Performed water quality surveys on Keystone and Oologah Lakes. Provided technical assistance to multiple private pond owners on fish stocking, fish management, and aquatic vegetation control. Reviewed GRDA and FERC documents received via e-subscriptions. Attended Neosho Bottoms meeting with GRDA and Ducks Unlimited in Langley, OK. Attended Neosho Bottoms Workshop in Miami, OK. Reviewed and commented on GRDA dock proposals for Grand Lake. Worked on Chimney Rock Fisheries Survey Report, Lake Hudson Stocking Plan and GRDA Tailrace Fish Mortality Protocol for GRDA. Assisted USACE Oologah field office with moving fish from Oologah Lake to nearby pond for fishing derby. Continued ongoing paddlefish telemetry research in Grand Lake including relocation of SURs from river to lake deployments, construction of new concrete anchors, and data assembly/analyses. Organized and administered fishing clinics at Afton and Pryor. Tagged and stocked fish for clinics. Participated in radio interview for KRMG on paddlefish caviar, poaching, and conservation. Brent Gordon. Paddlefish Research & Processing Center: Attended HRDS course. Paid bills. Completed change orders. Worked with caviar buyers, sold 10,000 lbs. caviar. Mowed RPC. Planted aquatic vegetation. Met electricians. Assisted with paddlefish telemetry project. Submitted bids for surveillance. Tim completed 12 hours ride-a-longs. Wrote 1 warning for jug line violation. Sold 1 temporary resident fishing license. Purchased temperature alarm. Worked fishing clinic in Pryor. Keith Green. East Central/Central Region: Draft research proposal regarding stream sampling protocol. Worked with IT and others to try to resolve computer issues. Attended a meeting with the COE and SWPA to continue negotiations involving the construction of a bypass piping system and an SDOX system in the tailrace area below Tenkiller Reservoir. Continued with weekly calls and conference calls to discuss management options below Tenkiller. Drafted fishing regulation change proposals. Attended leadership development class. Drafted map of landowners along Flint Creek. Contacted land owners along Baron Fork, Flint, Lee, and Little Lee Creeks, and the Illinois River. Conducted stream position and reservoir technician interviews. Continued with maintenance of the watts property via spraying weeds and cutting brush. Continued drafting the Fort Gibson Lake Management Plan. Installed an air supply system for the office shop. Completed setup of the new shocking boat. Met with responsive management specialist to discuss habitat questionnaire. Discussed the questionnaire with the SDAFS Reservoir committee chair. Conducted general maintenance of boats and grounds. Conduct water quality sampling in Fort Gibson tailwaters to monitor conditions relating to potential striped bass die offs. Conducted water quality profiles in Tenkiller, below the reservoir, and in the surge tank above the powerhouse. Temperature tidbits were installed in the surge tank and will be left there for

6 approximately 3 weeks to monitor any temperature variations that might occur as a result of water exchange during or following generation. Prepared requisition for the purchase of temperature/oxygen probes and associated hardware required for seasonal monitoring of temperature and oxygen levels in the lower Illinois River at various locations. Sent redbelly dace samples to university for dace genetics study. Prepared ID key for hard to ID shiner and Pimephales species. Conducted backpack electrofishing on the lower Illinois River. Collected LMB, sunfish and shad from Konawa Lake for disease testing. Continued with a creel survey on the North Canadian arm of Eufaula Lake. Continued with aquatic plant nursery maintenance. Delivered plants to Fort Cobb for vegetation project with OWRB. Installed pallet structures in Taft Lake. Assisted with building plant cages in Fort Cobb. Delivered the habitat barge back to OFRL. Answered calls about pond management in Hughes and Lincoln Counties. Assisted Durant hatchery staff with Florida bass stockings in Sportsman, Prague, Okmulgee, and Beggs lakes using new stocking protocol. Collected green sunfish from Holdenville, Sportsman, and Okmulgee lakes for hybrid sunfish production by Holdenville hatchery. Continued with scheduled trout stockings in the lower Illinois River. Continued discussions with the mayor of Webbers Falls to answer questions regarding their proposed boating access project. Loaned rods to warden for Aq. Ed clinic at NWTF Jakes Day event. Set up for clinic at Okmulgee Kiddy lakes for Dewar summer school program but was cancelled due to weather. Conducted a fish biology class for Connors University including age and growth, sampling, fish ID, and pond management. Conducted a presentation for the Oklahoma School of the Blind for their water world theme. Removed sauger otoliths from a control group of individuals to better ascertain the marking success of OTC marked fish. Readied truck for turn in and picked up new truck form OKC. Drove wildlife personnel to airport. Observed fishermen on Flint Creek with the area game warden. Performed HAACP procedures on equipment as necessary. Jim Burroughs. South Central Region: Assisted with stocking of FLMB at Arbuckle, Broken Bow, and Texoma. Looked over Department web site and submitted changes. Collected bass for research project at Sardis Lake. Collected tissue samples and delivered to OU Biological Station for DNA analysis. Held meetings with regional staff to coordinate upcoming activities, future directions and to clarify staff responsibilities. Attended coordination meeting at Cross Timbers WMA. Provided Lake Texoma tour to a SEAFWA law enforcement meeting. Worked on Murray Lake Management Plan. Coordinated FLMB stockings and prepared equipment. Entered spring sampling data and sent to OFRL for analysis. Maintenance of office building, grounds and equipment. Office organization and filing. Review of budget and final purchasing assignments. Provided oversight and direction to contract painting at the office. Area maintenance at BRPFHA including litter removal, road work, pressure washing of restrooms for pending painting, hauling gravel. Design and ordering of BRPFHA area information signs. Seining was performed at Lake Texoma to document striped bass recruitment. Assisted OFRL staff with yoy gar sampling at Texoma. Provided technical assistance to multiple pond owners. Bryan County site visit to provide stocking and management advice. Investigated Red River fish kill in Love County. Assisted with Asian carp sampling at Kiamichi River. Vehicle maintenance. Assisted state game wardens. Matt Mauck.

7 Northwest Region: Research proposals were submitted to OFRL for review. Installed sign at American Horse Lake closing boat ramp. Stocked largemouth bass at Lake Etling, hybrid striped bass fingerlings at Lake Chambers and sunfish fingerlings at Carmen City Pond. Two fishing clinics were conducted and equipment provided for a third fishing event Expo jug line winners experienced a good day jugging on Kaw Lake. Cedar brush structures were installed in two hatchery reservoirs. Assisted Byron Hatchery personnel with hybrid striped bass production, sunfish pond harvest and collected sunfish brooders for hybrid sunfish production. Technical assistance was provided to 16 land owners. John Stahl. Southwest Region: Electrofished Waurika for LMB SSP. Catch rates were low as expected. Hoopnetted and electrofished Hunter Park in Hobart. High catch rates of LMB with half over 2.5 pounds; moderate catch rates of channel catfish. Installed new GPP unit in electrofishing boat. Collected blue catfish for Lawton and Fort Sill aquatic education events. Coordinated fishing pole exchange with boy scout camp. Took aquarium to Ft. Sill fishing clinic with 300 kids. Wrote article about 65lb flathead catfish caught at lake Ellsworth for newspaper. Stocked VA pond for upcoming event. Repaired Crows Roost East dock. Inspected docks at Vanderwork, Rocky, Hall, and Frederick. Purchased supplies and worked on signs for Lake Vanderwork entrances. Worked out funding issue for Duncan lakes projects. Built 4 new cages and planted vegetation at Ft. Cobb with OWRB. Enclosed and planted areas now total one acre. Installed hazard buoys at pens. Picked up Bluewave from repair shop. Met with USFWS to discuss prairie chub sampling. Prepared for and attended 5-year fisheries management plan meeting for Lake Ellsworth, reviewed additional public comments and edited plan. Assist hatchery with channel catfish harvest. Checked aquatic ed ponds in Lawton. Investigated fish kill at Red River- 255 primarily large catfish and buffalo near mouth of Red Creek near Ketchum s Bluff. Investigated potential pollution sources for kill. Supervisor attended HRDS class on negotiation skills. Larry Cofer. Fish Kill Investigation: Investigated fish kill at Arcadia Lake. Coordinated with City of Edmond and ODEQ staff to determine effects on fish and wildlife resources. Ordered equipment to assist with investigation of fish kills. Review eight (8) project proposals and respond to requests for input on projects that potentially impact species of greatest conservation need and fish and wildlife resource. Coordinated with Wildlife Diversity staff on multi-divisional intern program. Drafted and revised project statements for continuation of federal aid projects. Attended coordination meeting to discuss and plan prairie chub sampling. Worked with NE regional Fisheries staff on fish kill protocol for Hudson Lake tailrace. Participated in meeting with USACE, Southwest Power Administration, and Parks Department staff to discuss the logistics of a potential cleanout of rereg dam on the lower Mountain Fork River. Attended quarterly Wildlife Diversity Program Meeting. Buck Ray. Streams Programs: Coordinated and conducted bi-weekly, mitigation and surplus trout stockings at the lower Mountain Fork River with Crystal Lake Fisheries and hatchery staff. Facilitate Meeting for SEAFWA planning. Conduct tour of the lower MFR for Leadership Development Program for the USACE. Process bass for fin clips and otolith extraction. Held meetings with streams management staff to coordinate upcoming

8 activities, future directions and to clarify staff responsibilities. Continued to monitor flow and thermal changes along the Lower Mountain Fork River. Cleaned and maintained office, grounds and equipment at streams management facilities in Caddo. Solicit pricing for budget items. Provide technical assistance to private landowners. Continued assisting OBS staff with documenting the presence and spread of Didymosphenia geminata (i.e., didymo) at the lower Mountain Fork River. Maintenance was performed on state vehicles. Completed HACCP and equipment maintenance logs. Law Enforcement at the lmfr. Conduct sampling for Asian Carp in the Red River and tributaries. Jay Barfield. Lake Maintenance: Lakes American Horse, Burtschi, Jap Beaver, Hall and Vanderwork were mowed and trash was picked up. The little dozer and backhoe were transported to the OKC headquarters to build a new parking lot. The little dozer was transported to Lake Hall to repair the roads. Ten loads of top soil was transported to Arcadia Lake to repair erosion. Both big dozers are still at the Grady county WMA clearing firelanes. All vehicles, equipment, buildings and grounds were serviced and maintained as scheduled or as needed. Todd Waters. OFRL/Central Region: An EXCEL SSP data summary template was created. Alligator gar otolith growth ring validation tank experiments are ongoing. Texoma was also sampled for YOY alligator gar. Alligator gar were collected weekly from Tishomingo NFH to verify daily growth rings. Planning continues for a proposal to examine river/reservoir connectivity to be funded by the Gulf Coast Prairie LCC and jointly undertaken between the ODWC and the TPWD. Server maintenance was performed. A webpage was modified for downloading GSP points of reservoir fish attractors. Three CTHFP were stocked with hybrid bluegill. A leadership workshop Organize to Maximize was attended. Research ideas and proposals are being logged as they arrive at OFRL. Research ideas will be sent to Fisheries Division staff in August for review. Paddlefish manuscript for NAJFM was prepared. Participation in Reservoir Fish Habitat Partnership meetings continues. Spring electrofishing SSP analysis has been completed for 33 lakes. Analyses have been sent back to regional crews for review and a summary is being prepared for public release. Boats and equipment were maintained and HACCP procedures were performed after sampling. Staff participation in the Leadership Development Program continued. Technical assistance was given to 18 private pond owners and two public entities. Fish feeders were maintained and filled at OKC metro CTH ponds. Fish regulation signs were installed at Griffin Park pond in Norman by the CRW technician and summer intern. Staff attended a water quality meeting hosted by the ODEQ regarding Thunderbird Reservoir. Comments and questions were heard regarding proposed solutions addressing low dissolved oxygen and turbidity problems during the summer months. Set, ran and pulled hoop nets at Yukon and Del City. Plant growing cells at the OFRL were maintained. Four hundred spider blocks were constructed by OFRL and OKC P&R personnel. One hundred spider blocks were set out at two CTH ponds in Yukon, some marked with buoys. Technical assistance was provided to 14 stakeholders regarding a white bass kill at Arcadia Reservoir, saugeye angling methods for Lake Thunderbird, fish stocking information for farm pond owners and a Norman resident regarding a fish kill. Staff

9 assisted the Logan County NRCS office with a pond management workshop near Langston that included fish population assessment methods, interpreting results, pond dam maintenance, aquatic plant identification / control and turbidity solutions. Staff assisted the Manning Hatchery with stocking channel catfish at OKC metro ponds and northern largemouth bass into Griffin Pond in Norman. Staff met with the Public Works supervisor from the City of Guthrie to review and organize plans and cost estimates for the installation of a boat courtesy dock at Liberty Lake. Loaner fishing poles were rigged for upcoming fishing clinics with 4H and Moore Schools and items coordinated for fishing clinics at Santa Fe pond in OKC. Personnel hauled aquatic plants to Ft. Cobb Reservoir and planted plants in constructed exclosures. Greg Summers. Research: Arkansas River Striped Bass Evaluation: PIT tagging of striped bass continues in the Arkansas River system. To date, a total of 757 striped bass have been implanted with PIT tags and 36 have been recaptured. Future sampling trips are being planned around water releases. Kurt Kuklinski. Grow-out catfish stocking: Sampling gear was prepared and cheese bait was ordered for upcoming sampling season. American Horse Lake was sampled before drawdown. Catch rates were lower than previous years although a wide size distribution of channel catfish were caught. Data entry is ongoing. Chas Patterson. Walleye stocking evaluation: Project summary and report updating was completed following the 2012 stocking of walleye fry and fingerlings. Kurt Kuklinski. Tailwater Blue Catfish Food Habits: The Eufaula tailwater was sampled although no blue catfish were captured. Thirty blue catfish from the Kaw tailwaters were collected. Otoliths were pulled for age and growth analysis. Stomach samples were collected to identify food habits. Chas Patterson. Golden Alga Research OU: The lake monitoring program and sample analyses, excluding zooplankton, were completed. Zooplankton analyses will be completed by students in support of their dissertation research. Purification of golden algal DNA was completed for genomic analysis of toxin production and regulation. Investigation continued into the stability of golden algal toxins. Analysis also continued on population dynamics and ecology. A manuscript was submitted describing fish community response to golden algae in Lebanon Pool to Freshwater Biology. The first draft of manuscript was completed for Environmental Microbiology describing seasonality and responses of bacterial assemblages to golden algae in Lake Texoma. David Hambright. Economic Impact of the Cold-water Fishery in the Lower Mountain Fork River: Data analyses and preparation of the Final Report continued. David Lesley. Post-hooking Mortality of Blue Catfish Caught by Jug Fishing: Preparation of the Final Report continued. David Lesley. Effectiveness of Stocking 7-inch Channel Catfish to Reservoir Fisheries: Channel catfish populations were sampled using 16 baited tandem hoop net series from 7 May

10 through 4 June. Preliminary evidence suggests that relative abundance of channel catfish decreased by > 20 fish at McMurtry (N = 990; 62 fish series-1), Lone Chimney (N = 529; 33 fish series-1), Okemah (N = 792; 53 fish series-1), and Okmulgee (N = 100; 6 fish series-1) reservoirs since In contrast, relative abundance of channel catfish at Greenleaf Reservoir increased and remained unchanged at Ponca Reservoir compared with estimates from Preparation of the Annual Performance Report was initiated. David Lesley. Habitat Use and Movement by Fishes using Shallow-water Habitats in Three Scenic Rivers in Oklahoma Information for Developing Instream Flow Guidelines: Tag retention and mortality trials on madtom (Noturus exilis), darter (Etheostoma spp.), and smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) were completed. Analyses of growth data show no fitness consequence due to internal PIT tagging. Field work began for the 2012 season. Shallow-water-channel units (21 riffles, 13 runs, 12 pools, 12 backwaters, and 14 vegetated edge waters) were delineated, and wetted-area analyses were collected over two discharges in Flint Creek, Barren Fork, and upper Illinois River. Habitat parameters for stream temperature models were collected, and SSTEMP model calibration began. David Lesley. Survey of Freshwater Turtle of Eastern Oklahoma: Preparation of the Final Report was continued. David Lesley. Effects of Hydrologic Alteration on Species of Greatest Conservation Need in Lee Creek, Oklahoma: Spring sampling was completed. We continued to work on land-use and precipitation change analysis of Lee creek's watershed. Preparation of the Annual Performance Report was initiated. David Lesley. Developing a Multiple Spatial Scale Model to Predict the Distribution of Oklahoma s Freshwater Mussel Assemblages with an Emphasis on the Small Rivers of Southeastern Oklahoma: Data were entered into a completed database and analyses are in progress. Scour chains were installed in various areas within and surrounding mussel beds to further investigate hydraulic factors that relate to where mussel beds are located. An extended reach was selected for up-coming sidescan sonar detection of mussel beds. Sampling to collect fish that have been infected by mussel glochidia began and will continue through June. David Lesley. Determining Factors Affecting the Distribution of Endangered Fish and Crayfish Species With Emphasis on the Ozark Region of Northeastern Oklahoma: Thirty-one sites in the Upper Illinois and Neosho Grand drainages have been sampled for fish, crayfish, macroinvertebrates, water chemistry, and habitat parameters. Samples are in the lab and ready to be sorted and analyzed. As samples are collected, GPS coordinates are added to the niche modeling part of the study. David Lesley. Impact of Flow Alterations to Crayfishes in Southeast Oklahoma, with an Emphasis on the Mena Crayfish (Orconectes mena): Species distribution models with current environmental variables were completed. We will continue to build models to predict effects of global climate change on species distribution. Reaches for the PIT tag field experiment were selected, and habitat data were collected. We have tagged ca. 150

11 crayfish in the field thus far. Efforts will continue until we tag ca. 500 crayfish or recapture rates approach 30%. David Lesley.