American Eels in Virginia Mountain Streams

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American Eels in Virginia Mountain Streams Andy Dolloff 1,Craig Roghair 1, Colin Krause 1, Dawn Kirk 2, Scott Smith 3, Andy Strickland 4 1 US Forest Service, Southern Research Station 2 GW-Jeff National Forest 3 Virginia DGIF 4 Florida FWC American Fisheries Society, Atlantic City, August 2018

Background/Objectives 1999: US Forest Service & VDGIF Headwater stream eel survey on USFS lands Eels found in several streams in summer Gone in fall where did they go?? 2000 2001: P. A. Strickland, Virginia Tech Thesis 2002 Habitat preference, pop. density, growth, movement 2002 Present: US Forest Service & VDGIF Annual sampling for long-term monitoring of growth & movement

Study Sites Rappahannock R. Lexington James River

S.F. Tye River Study Sites Stream Description Habitat pool, riffle gravel, cobble, boulder gradient 5% Avg. width 8 m S.F. Tye R. 2 km sample reach Shoe Creek Shoe Cr. 2 km sample reach Fish American Eel Blacknose Dace Bluehead Chub Brook Trout Central Stoneroller Longnose Dace Mountain Redbelly dace Rosyside Dace Torrent Sucker and others

2000-2001 P. A. Strickland PIT tag 2 km reaches, 3 streams Multiple pass efishing for population est. Radio telemetry for movement & habitat preference PIT (passive integrated transponder) tagging for growth estimates Electrofishing www.flickriver.com Methods 2002-Present USFS 2 km reaches, 2 streams Single pass efishing in summer PIT tagging Location, length, & weight Shoe Creek

P. A. Strickland s Results (2000-2001) Habitat Preference (telemetry) Deep pools; large substrate Movement (telemetry) Greatest in summer, least in winter Daily activity greatest at night Mid-fall to mid-spring, eels moved very little, burying in substrate and under stream banks Density estimates, population estimates, growth rates Strickland, P.A. 2002. American eel distribution and growth in selected tributaries of the James River. MS Thesis, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg. http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/browse/

P. A. Strickland s Results (2000-2001) USFS continues monitoring in Shoe Cr. & Tye R. b/c of high densities. 7 Density (eels/100 m 2 ) 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 2000 2001 2000 2001 2000 2001 S.F. Piney R. Shoe Cr. S.F. Tye R. Comparison Data: <2 eels/100 m 2 in James R. & Shenandoah R. drainage streams (Smogor et al. 1995, Goodwin and Angermeier 2003)

Strickland & USFS Results (1999-2018) Results: PIT tagging Size Growth Range Recapture rates

Tagging Summary # Tag Yrs. # Recap. Yrs. # Captured (new eels only) S.F. Tye River 18 (2000 2018*) 17 (2001 2018*) Shoe Creek 6 (1999 2004) 11 (2000 2010) 1,978 543 # Tagged 1,748 283 # Recaptured (no duplicates) 770 (44%) 115 (41%) *Did not sample in 2011

Size Length and weights typical for VA streams. 800 Length (mm) 800 Weight (g) 700 700 Length (mm) 600 500 400 300 372 339 Weight (g) 600 500 400 300 200 200 100 0 100 85 64 0 S.F. Tye R. Shoe Cr. S.F. Tye R. Shoe Cr. (n = 3,312) (n = 682) (n = 3,312) (n = 682) Comparison Data: Adults 220 1,000 mm (Jenkins and Burkhead 1993) Lower Potomac tribs, 76-820 mm (Goodwin and Angermeier 2003) Shenandoah drainage, 292 1,023 mm (Goodwin and Angermeier 2003)

Annual Growth Growth variable; comparisons difficult. 200 Growth/Year (mm) 200 Growth/Year (g) 150 150 Length (mm) 100 Weight (g) 100 50 50 0 21 25 19 22 0 S.F. Tye R. Shoe Cr. S.F. Tye R. Shoe Cr. (n = 760) (n = 103) (n = 760) (n = 103) Comparison Data: Shenandoah drainage, 43 mm/yr. (Goodwin 1999) Coastal GA streams, 57-62 mm/yr. (Helfman et al. 1984) Coastal RI streams, 23-33 mm/yr. (Oliveira 1999) Coastal ME rivers, 18-32 mm/yr. (Oliveira and McCleave 2002)

Range i.e. the difference between min. & max. capture distance When recaptured, the majority of eels were very close to the location they were 1 st captured at 1-17 years earlier. Range (m) 2,000 1,500 1,000 Radio Telemetry (Strickland 2002) Summer Mean Range (m) n 2000 228 (±114) 18 2001 36 (±24) 15 500 0 100 58 S.F. Tye R. Shoe Cr. (n = 760) (n = 103)

Multiple Recaptures ~40% of recaptured eels were recaptured 2 or more times. S.F. Tye River (1,748 tagged, 770 recap.) Shoe Creek (283 tagged, 115 recap.) # Eels 450 400 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 55% 424 45% 177 107 38 19 3 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 8 Times Recaptured 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 62% 71 38% 30 11 0 3 1 2 3 4 5 Times Recaptured

New Recaptures Every year we sample, we often catch eels that have never been recaptured before! S. F. Tye River New Recaptures per Sample Year Total 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Tag Year Tagged 2000 279 97 32 11 8 7 6 4 4 2 5 1 2 1 1 1 2001 225 56 18 15 10 3 4 5 2 4 3 2002 149 97 65 25 43 16 45 32 8 24 8 18 3 16 4 14 2 14 4 1 7 4 2 1 1 1 1 0 2003 76 11 8 3 New 1 + 4Multiple 1 Recaptures 3 4 1 1 1 1 2004 116 21 8 3 6 7 4 10 4 3 1 1 2005 72 10 5 8 5 3 3 1 1 1 1 2006 49 6 6 2 2 4 1 2007 61 8 5 2 7 4 2 3 1 2008 67 4 6 8 1 2 1 4 2009 62 10 5 1 6 1 2 1 2010 88 13 4 6 4 3 5 2012 98 8 8 6 9 7 4 2013 38 3 3 3 1 2014 73 5 10 4 4 2015 47 1 5 3 2016 59 9 3 2017 112 15 Shoe Creek 1999 68 22 5 1 2 1 1 2000 93 19 7 3 4 1 1 1 2 1 2001 41 3 4 2 1 1 3 2002 22 2 3 1 2 1 1 2003 16 2 1 1 1 1 2004 43 1 5 3 4 1

New Recaptures If you sample once after tagging, the % recaptured is low. S. F. Tye River Total New Recaps % Recaps at 1st Sample Yr. Tag Year Total Tagged 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Total % Recaps 2000 279 97 32 11 8 7 6 4 4 2 5 1 2 1 1 1 182 35% 65% 2001 225 56 18 15 10 3 4 5 2 4 3 120 25% 53% 2002 149 25 16 8 8 3 4 2 4 1 1 72 17% 48% 2003 76 11 8 3 1 4 1 3 4 1 1 1 1 39 14% 51% 2004 116 21 8 3 6 7 4 10 4 3 1 1 68 18% 59% 2005 72 10 5 8 5 3 3 1 1 1 1 38 14% 53% 2006 49 6 6 2 2 4 1 21 12% 43% 2007 61 8 5 2 7 4 2 3 1 32 13% 52% 2008 67 4 6 8 1 2 1 4 26 6% 39% 2009 62 10 5 1 6 1 2 1 26 16% 42% 2010 88 13 4 6 4 3 5 35 15% 40% 2012 98 8 8 6 9 7 4 42 8% 43% 2013 38 3 3 3 1 10 8% 26% 2014 73 5 10 4 4 23 7% 32% 2015 47 1 5 3 9 2% 19% 2016 59 9 3 12 15% 20% 2017 112 15 15 13% 13% Avg. 14% 41% Shoe Creek 1999 68 22 5 1 2 1 1 32 32% 47% 2000 93 19 7 3 4 1 1 1 2 1 39 20% 42% 2001 41 3 4 2 1 1 3 14 7% 34% 2002 22 2 3 1 2 1 1 10 9% 45% 2003 16 2 1 1 1 1 6 13% 38% 2004 43 1 5 3 4 1 14 2% 33% Avg. 14% 40%

New Recaptures Additional sample years increases % recaptured. S. F. Tye River Total New Recaps % Recaps at 1st Sample Yr. Tag Year Total Tagged 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Total % Recaps 2000 279 97 32 11 8 7 6 4 4 2 5 1 2 1 1 1 182 35% 65% 2001 225 56 18 15 10 3 4 5 2 4 3 120 25% 53% 2002 149 25 16 8 8 3 4 2 4 1 1 72 17% 48% 2003 76 11 8 3 1 4 1 3 4 1 1 1 1 39 14% 51% 2004 116 21 8 3 6 7 4 10 4 3 1 1 68 18% 59% 2005 72 10 5 8 5 3 3 1 1 1 1 38 14% 53% 2006 49 6 6 2 2 4 1 21 12% 43% 2007 61 8 5 2 7 4 2 3 1 32 13% 52% 2008 67 4 6 8 1 2 1 4 26 6% 39% 2009 62 10 5 1 6 1 2 1 26 16% 42% 2010 88 13 4 6 4 3 5 35 15% 40% 2012 98 8 8 6 9 7 4 42 8% 43% 2013 38 3 3 3 1 10 8% 26% 2014 73 5 10 4 4 23 7% 32% 2015 47 1 5 3 9 2% 19% 2016 59 9 3 12 15% 20% 2017 112 15 15 13% 13% Avg. 14% 41% Shoe Creek 1999 68 22 5 1 2 1 1 32 32% 47% 2000 93 19 7 3 4 1 1 1 2 1 39 20% 42% 2001 41 3 4 2 1 1 3 14 7% 34% 2002 22 2 3 1 2 1 1 10 9% 45% 2003 16 2 1 1 1 1 6 13% 38% 2004 43 1 5 3 4 1 14 2% 33% Avg. 14% 40%

Recapture Rates The more years we sample, the higher the % recaptured. 70% % Recaptures - S.F. Tye River 60% 50% % Recaptured 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Years Since Tagging (i.e. # of samples)

Eels Recaptured 10 Years Later Tagging small eels offers long-term recapture possibilities. 700 S.F. Tye River 600 Length (mm) 500 400 300 200 386 293 2000 2010 (n = 278) (n = 14) Eels recaptured 10 yrs. later were <400 mm when tagged.

Eel Length vs. Years Since Tagged Estimated 15 20 years of recapture data for eels tagged when <400 mm. S.F. Tye River Years Since Tagging 20 15 10 5 Yrs. To Maturation 4-18 yrs. (Jenkins and Burkhead 1993) 8-24 yrs. (ASMFC 2000) 0 150 250 350 450 550 650 750 Length at Tagging (mm)

Study Sites Staunton River Staunton R. 3.5 km sample reach Stream Description Habitat pool, riffle gravel, cobble, boulder gradient 10% avg. width 3.5 m Fish American eel Blacknose dace Bluehead chub Brook trout Common shiner Fallfish Longnose dace Mottled sculpin Mountain redbelly dace Rosyside dace Smallmouth bass Torrent sucker White sucker

Eels in the Staunton River 800 700 600 dam removal eels return Embrey dam removed 2004 6.7 m high (22 ft) Located 153 km (95 mi) downstream of Staunton R. Length (mm) 500 400 300 200 100 0 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 Year Hitt et al. also found an increase small eels after the removal of Embrey dam. Nathaniel P. Hitt, Sheila Eyler & John E. B. Wofford (2012): Dam Removal Increases American Eel Abundance in Distant Headwater Streams, Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, 141:5, 1171-1179 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 http://ian.umces.edu http://ian.umces.edu

Conclusions Highly mobile or highly sedentary depending on life stage Don t move much in headwaters Stay a long time Local conditions important Long-term studies have great benefits High recapture % Small eels return in Staunton

Future Work Continue annual sampling Additional data analysis Annual mortality Expand PIT tagging to Rapidan headwaters? Any PIT monitoring downstream on James River?

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