OKRMT FISH KILL TRAINING FOR FIRST RESPONDERS Wes Watkins Center Stillwater, OK April 7, 2015 MODULE IV
Parkhill Creek Fish Kill Case Study Example Kills often reported first to game wardens ogame warden to local biologist obiologist to Supervisor --- Supervisor to ODEQ and to Tribes after confirmation of a fish kill
Biologist and Supervisor go on-site to investigate Do we have a fish kill? What is a fish kill?? o One fish, 20, 30..One species, 2, 10..Other aquatic organisms?? o Explainable reasons for dead fish that are not environmentally or sportfishing related???
Fish Kill determined!! ODEQ -- General public reporting number Investigation begins o Divide and conquer o Look for the obvious o Look for the start of the kill o Look for the end of the kill if readily discernible o Pay attention to odors.colors o Note the condition of the fish bulging eyes color of gills o Note the locations high in the weeds, on the bank o Note the amount of decay..signifying how long ago did the kill first occur o Take GPS coordinate of important locations beginning and end source of contaminate.any oddities ODEQ field representative calls me to discuss o Determined likely cause was nursery pollutant
Further discussion reveals Department of Agricultural is responsible for nurseries o Take water samples above and below the suspected spill/inflow/release etc. o Be timely with the collection Additional information o Visit with passersbys and landowners o Are there any noticeably missing species? o Note anything that is strange or out of the ordinary o Take notes. You will not remember what you think you will o Notes will become evidence if you have to go to court o Avoid personal comments
Sizing It Up First responder o Not expected to do a complete count o Changing Conditions o You may have the only opportunity to document o Important to document what you see acting in your role as a first responder o Take good pictures with some close-ups o Count how many representative piles of fish you see but don t photograph o If possible measure a few representative fish for reference Take good notes
How many fish?
Fish Count
Summary Be quick but be thorough Report as soon as you document the kill Document with detailed pictures, even with your smart phone Take water samples if possible Take good notes Ask neighbors and passers by
Questions? Jim Burroughs Jim.burroughs@odwc.ok.gov
Oklahoma Kill Response Management Team Fish Kill Response for First Responders Fish Identification April 7, 2015
Expectations Very basic skillset (A.M. Radio version) osmall number of species (or groups) overy basic identification ocorrelated to groupings on fish kill report form ofield cheat-sheet (brochure/flip cards) will be available
Fish Kill Report Form May be revised
Fish ID Guide Example
Identification Assistance Several individuals/groups of individuals competent in fish identification oconservation Commission oodwc oowrb oodeq ouniversities
Catfish Anatomy Dorsal Fin Adipose Fin Caudal Fin/Tail Barbels Pectoral Fin Pelvic Fin Anal Fin
Scaly Fish Anatomy Soft Dorsal Fin Spinous Dorsal Fin Lateral Line Caudal Fin Caudal Peduncle Anal Fin Pectoral Fin Pelvic Fin
Individuals Vary Flathead Catfish Flathead Catfish
Fish Groups to Cover Black Bass (Largemouth, Smallmouth, Spotted) Catfish (Blue, Channel, Flathead, Bullhead, Madtoms) Crappie (Black and White) Sunfish (Bluegill, Green, Longear, etc.) Common Carp Shad (Gizzard, Threadfin, etc.) Minnows (less than 3 inches) Unknown Other?
Largemouth Bass Deep notch Dark band Irregular spots Jaw extends behind eye
Spotted Bass Caudal Spot Horizontal Row of Dark Spots Shallow Notch Tooth Patch on Tongue
Smallmouth Bass Cheek bars Shallow notch Sides plain or vertical bars
Catfish
Channel Catfish Ictalurus punctatus Upper jaw protruding beyond lower Free adipose fin Deeply forked caudal fin Randomly scattered spots (or none) Short base, rounded margin
Blue Catfish Ictalurus furcatus Wedge shaped head, upper jaw projects beyond lower Deeply forked caudal No black spots Anal fin outer margin straight, long base
Flathead Catfish Pylodictis olivaris Projecting lower jaw Mottled body Free Adipose Fin Head flattened between the eyes Squared caudal fin
Yellow Bullhead Ameiurus natalis Free adipose fin Whitish chin barbels Straight or rounded caudal fin margin
Black Bullhead Ameiurus melas Free adipose fin Gray or black chin barbels Almost square or slightly notched caudal fin
Madtoms Small Generally <4 inches Adnate (connected) Adipose Fin
Crappie Small head, large mouth 6 dorsal spines Faint vertical bars 6 anal spines 7-8 dorsal spines Black Crappie White Crappie Irregular blotching
Sunfish Longear Bluegill 3 Anal spines Redear Warmouth Green
Longear Sunfish Elongated opercular flap Small mouth Short, rounded pectoral fin Bluegill Sunfish Dark blotch in soft dorsal fin Small mouth Green Sunfish Long, pointed pectoral fin Dark blotch on soft dorsal Large mouth Short, rounded pectoral fin
Common Carp Cyprinus carpio Long dorsal fin 2 pairs of barbels
Shad Deep bodied, compressed Filamentous posterior dorsal fin ray Blueish to green above with silvery or white sides
Gizzard Shad Blunt snout overhangs subterminal mouth Terminal mouth Chin speckled with black pigment Threadfin Shad Caudal fin yellow in life
Minnows
Common Minnows Fathead minnow Red shiner Golden shiner Brandon Brown
Livebearer - Mosquitofish Brandon Brown
Darters Orangethroat Darter Orangebelly Darter Brandon Brown Logperch Redfin Darter Brandon Brown Fantail Darter Brandon Brown
Gars Spotted Gar Prominent broad snout, top of head spotted Shortnose Gar Short, broad snout Snout and body without regular spots Longnose Gar Snout long and slender ; few spots, head and snout without spots
Suckers Deep-bodied Sucker Round-bodied Sucker
Deep-bodied Suckers Smallmouth Buffalo Semicircular Subopercle Bone River Carpsucker Subtriangular Subopercle Bone
Round-bodied Suckers White Sucker Very small scales Pappilose Lips Northern Hogsucker
Round-bodied Suckers Spotted Sucker Dark spot at base of each scale Black Redhorse Lips Grooved Golden Redhorse
True Bass White Bass Longitudinal dark stripes broken Deeper body Striped Bass Spinous and soft dorsal separate Longitudinal dark stripes solid
Redfin Pickerel Ducklike beak
Banded Sculpin
Freshwater Drum High arching back Blunt snout, subterminal mouth Lateral line Diamond shaped caudal fin
Paddlefish Paddle-shaped snout Heterocercal caudal fin (Shark-like)
Fish Kill Report Form May be revised
Fish ID Guide Example
Contact Information brooks.tramell@conservation.ok.gov
Threatened and Endangered Species Curtis Tackett Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation
Federally Listed Aquatic Species in Oklahoma (5 fish, 5 mussels) Leopard Darter - Threatened Arkansas River Shiner - Threatened Neosho Madtom - Threatened Ozark Cavefish - Threatened Arkansas Darter - Candidate Ouachita Rock Pocketbook - Endangered Rabbitsfoot Mussel - Threatened Scaleshell Mussel - Endangered Winged Mapleleaf - Endangered Neosho Mucket - Endangered
Leopard Darter Percina pantherina Currently in the Little River drainage of OK and AR In OK it is found in the Mountain Fork, Glover and Little Rivers and their larger tributaries Occupy intermediate to larger streams in quiet pools and use riffle habitats for spawning
Arkansas River Shiner Notropis girardi Historically was widespread throughout western OK but is now restricted to 500 miles of the Canadian River in OK, TX and NM Inhabits large sandy bottomed rivers and is considered a habitat generalist Can be very susceptible to changes in water quality and dewatering
Neosho Madtom Noturus placidus Small catfish less than 3 inches in length Currently occurs in Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma Found in the Neosho and Spring River drainages in Craig and Ottawa Preferred habitat is shallow riffles with loose uncompacted gravel beds
Arkansas Darter Etheostoma cragini Native to portions of the Arkansas River Basin Found in the Neosho River watershed as well as the Cimarron River in western OK Prefers medium sized streams with spring influence and vegetative cover
Ouachita Rock Pocketbook Scaleshell Arkansia wheeleri Leptodea leptodon Inhabits stable stream bottoms that contain gravel, sand, and other substrate materials Inhabits the Kiamichi and Little Rivers in SE OK Federally listed in 1991 Occupies medium to large rivers with stable channels and good water quality Inhabits gravel and sandy stream bottoms where it can bury itself almost entirely Known fish hosts species is drum Inhabits the Kiamichi River in SE OK Federally listed in 2001 Scaleshell Range
Neosho Mucket Rabbitsfoot Lampsilis rafinesqueana Quadrula cylindrica Prefers stable gravel and finer sediment in near shore and backwater habitats of small rivers Currently found in the Neosho and upper Illinois Rivers Requires clear streams with gravel substrate and moderate to stable flows Currently found in the Neosho, Spring, Verdigris, and Little Rivers
Winged Mapleleaf Quadrula fragosa Lives in medium to large sized rivers with high water quality Currently found in the Little River in SE OK Inhabits rivers with gravel, sand, and rubble substrates Federally listed in 1991
Collecting T&E Species The collection of T&E species does require a permit If you are within a T&E species range or if a particular T&E species is observed, report it to the USFWS immediately Currently only select individuals from certain agencies are permitted to collect T&E species ODWC is working with the Tulsa FWS Office to create a programmatic permit that would allow first responders to take T&E species samples since this can be a time sensitive matter if there is adequate stream flow
Conclusion There are 10 fish and mussel species that are federally listed in Oklahoma that are found in different watersheds It is important to know the watersheds that these species occur in so that first responders can be thinking about that as a priority If a fish kill is determined within the range of one of these listed species then the secondary responder or coordinator will need to contact the US Fish and Wildlife Service to report take of a listed species Having a general idea of where these species are located throughout the state as well as habitats they occupy can be important information for the follow up investigation
Other Wildlife Encountered During Fish Kills
Other Types of Wildlife Snakes Frogs Salamanders Turtles Birds Beavers Mussels Other types of wildlife that do not rely on water for respiration usually indicate some sort of pollution event or disease related kill These animals could be preying upon the impacted fish and/or mussel species or using the water for a drinking, basking, or swimming
Relic Mussel vs. Dying Mussel Mussels can be one of our best environmental indicators Usually dying mussels are not noticed until several days or possibly even weeks after the point source kill has occurred If mussels are observed at the site of a kill it is important to try to recognize if these are dying mussels or relic shells that had succumbed to natural causes Stream needs to be clear and wadeable with shoreline access If mussel shells are picked clean of all tissue and the shell is split open with a lot of wear then if is probably natural If shell is partially open with tissue still intact but mussel is not behaving normally then it is probably a dying a mussel This can be difficult to determine
Relic Mussel vs. Dying Mussel
Conclusion Always be aware of other types of wildlife that could be affected by a kill event Look for other dead wildlife as well as wildlife in distress Be sure to note this and report this information to the secondary responder Also be able to determine if the kill has only impacted fish are there other wildlife in the area that are healthy and behaving normally?
Fish Behavior and Condition Fish behavior is directly affected by toxins and other environmental stressors therefore fish behavior and condition can give us some hints as to what may have caused the kill.
Stressed Fish Behavior
Stressed Fish Behavior Cont.
Are Fish Gasping or Piping for Air? Fish are at surface of water piping with mouths open This usually indicates a drop in dissolved oxygen Drops in DO can be a result of many different things such as algae blooms, high water temperatures, suspended solids or can relate to certain pollution events Piping Oxygen, Ammonia
Are Fish Lethargic or Swimming Irregularly? Fish swimming in circles Fish swimming sideways or upside down Are bottom dwelling species seen swimming at the surface non typical behavior Are fish thrashing or are they seemingly in distress Lethargic Toxic Algae Swimming Irregularly Toxic Algae, Heavy Metals, Chemical Wastes, Pesticides, Toxins
If Fish are Dead, What are Their Condition? Bulging Eyes Bloated Body Cavities can give some indication as to when kill occurred Physical Injuries (puncture wounds, gashes etc.) Overall Discoloration (dark, light, patchy color) Body Covered By Substance (oil, mucus film, algae, etc.) Hemorrhaging (is body red in appearance or bleeding) o Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia (VHS?)
Questions? Curtis Tackett Fisheries Biologist Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation curtis.tackett@odwc.ok.gov