Lake Erie Tributaries Research Articles

Fish community response to evolving channel complexity in an agricultural headwater system

Headwaters in many watersheds in the midwestern United States are often domi- nated by ditches that are dredged to drain farmland and are maintained as homogeneous channels. These ditches may provide important headwater habitat for fish but are rarely managed as such. With reduced dredging, these ditches tend to stabilize their cross-sectional profile with patchy sediment deposits and plant growth. We tested the impact of such channel complexity on the structure of fish communities in agricultural ditches of the upper Ottawa River (Ohio), a western Lake Erie tributary, by comparing twelve 20 m (66 ft) channel segments with and without such complexity (heterogeneous (Ht) and homogeneous (Ho), respectively). Fish communities were sampled at low water with block seines in each site eleven times between June 2005 and October 2006. Temperature, pH, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, and discharge were comparable between Ht and Ho segments during each sampling event. A total of 10,843 fish representing 24 species were identified, assessed for spawning condition and age class, and released. In spite of the large variability in fish com- munity metrics over time, Ht habitat had a higher species richness (Ht = 6.56 ± 0.63, Ho = 4.17 ± 0.63; p = 0.02), Shannon diversity (Ht = 1.33 ± 0.12, Ho = 0.90 ± 0.12; p = 0.03), and number of feeding guilds (Ht = 3.2 ± 0.20, Ho = 2.2 ± 0.20; p = 0.01). Fish abundance and Index of Biotic Integrity showed no significant effect for habitat. The community was dominated by tolerant cyprinids (Pimephales promelas and P. notatus) but also contained 1,514 Etheostoma microperca, a previously undocumented population and species listed as a State Species of Concern in Ohio. The majority (73%) of E. microperca were found in Ht segments. In spite of the prevalence of exotic species in other regional aquatic systems, only 0.7% of the total catch belonged to nonnative species. With the majority of headwaters in the midwestern United States consisting of dredged ditches, balancing management for efficient drainage while allowing some level of channel complexity may benefit native fishes and contribute to surprisingly rich communities.

Determinants of mussel diversity in Lake Erie tributaries

We examined recent faunal changes in freshwater mussels (Unionidae) in northern Ohio. We assessed species diversity in 2 agricultural watersheds, the Vermilion and Huron Rivers, and compared these faunas among 7 neighboring rivers within the Lake Erie watershed that varied in levels of human impact, geological structure, and fish diversity. We found 19 mussel species in each of the Huron and Vermilion Rivers, and 89% of species overlapped between the 2 rivers. Museum records suggested that as many as 4 species might now be missing from each river, and across the 9 tributaries in the region, species loss has been common. The total number of species once present in each river was positively correlated with watershed area, but the size of watersheds no longer provides a significant estimate of mussel or fish diversity. Current mussel faunas also were weakly correlated with the fish species present, suggesting that mussel species ranges have not been limited by a lack of available fish hosts.

Seasonal abundance, diet, and energy consumption of round gobies (Neogobius melanostomus) in Lake Erie tributary streams

Pennuto CM, Krakowiak PJ, Janik CE. Seasonal abundance, diet, and energy consumption of round gobies (Neogobius melanostomus) in Lake Erie tributary streams. Ecology of Freshwater Fish 2010: 19: 206–215. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/SAbstract – The invasive round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) is a benthic invertivore that has become established in many lake and river systems of Europe and the United States, especially within the Great Lakes basin. Multiple reports document its negative impact on benthic macroinvertebrates and fishes in lakes and recent studies show fish and invertebrate communities in streams are equally at risk. We assessed the seasonal abundance of round gobies and their summer diet composition in tributary streams to Lake Erie. Populations of round gobies in the lower reaches of two tributary streams peaked in abundance in early fall, were absent in late winter, and reappeared in early spring, suggesting a possible out‐migration to the lake in winter. Population size distributions show a peak recruitment of young round gobies in July and low‐level recruitment through October. In this study, round gobies obtained most of their energy from amphipods, chironomids, and caddisflies compared to other invertebrates, and midges were consumed in greater proportion than their availability suggesting a preference for these prey. As the stream lacked molluscs, large round gobies remained generalist invertivores without a diet shift to molluscivory as has been reported in lake studies. The observations on recruitment and abundance, and possible out‐migration suggest the lower reaches of tributary streams may act as source populations for lake‐bound round gobies. It may be possible to take advantage of this out‐migration behaviour as a control strategy to capture large numbers of round gobies each winter.

Improved water quality in Ohio tributaries to Lake Erie: A consequence of conservation practices

Sediment is an important pollutant for Lake Erie and its tributaries, both as a carrier of other substances, particularly phosphorus, and as a pollutant in its own right. Environmental managers have called for major reductions in sediment and phosphorus loadings from Lake Erie tributaries. In this study, thirty-year datasets (Water Years 1975-2004) with daily resolution are analyzed to identify and interpret trends in suspended sediment and particulate phosphorus concentrations and loads in two major US tributaries to Lake Erie. The Maumee and Sandusky Rivers in agricultural northwest Ohio show continual decreases in concentrations and loads throughout this period. The greatest decreases are observed in summer and fall and under low flow conditions, whereas the smallest decreases are observed in the spring and under high flow conditions. Analysis of concentration-flow relationships indicates that these changes are not due to weather but reflect the successful use of agricultural practices to reduce erosion and prevent sediment loss. Opportunities for further reductions in suspended sediment and particulate phosphorus loads and concentrations lie in better management of sediment losses during winter and spring.

Thirty‐Year Trends in Suspended Sediment in Seven Lake Erie Tributaries

Sediment is an important pollutant for Lake Erie and its tributaries as a carrier of other substances and as a pollutant in its own right. Environmental managers have called for major reductions in sediment loadings in Lake Erie tributaries. In this study, 30-yr (1975-2005) datasets with daily resolution are analyzed to identify and interpret trends in sediment concentrations and loads in major US tributaries to Lake Erie. The Maumee and Sandusky Rivers in agricultural northwest Ohio show continual decreases throughout this period, but the River Raisin shows increases, especially in the last decade. The urban and forested Cuyahoga River shows little trend before 2000 but shows increases since then. The mostly forested Grand River shows strong decreases before 1995, little change thereafter until the early 2000s, and then increases. In most cases, the greatest decreases or smallest increases, depending on the river, are associated with summer and fall and with low flow conditions, whereas the smallest decreases or greatest increases are associated with the spring and with high flow conditions. Analysis of concentration-flow relationships indicates that these changes are not due to weather but reflect positive and negative anthropogenic influences. Sediment decreases in the northwestern Ohio tributaries seem to reflect the successful use of agricultural practices to reduce erosion and prevent sediment loss. Opportunities for further reductions in sediment loads and concentrations lie in better management of sediment losses during winter and spring.

Riverine fluxes of pollutants: Towards predictions of uncertainties by flux duration indicators

Discrete river water quality surveys (sampling frequencies from 2, 3, …, 30 days) are simulated using a Monte Carlo technique on a set of four French stations (Seine, Marne, Oise, Loire Rivers) and two Lake Erie's tributaries (Grand, Cuyahoga Rivers) surveyed daily during at least 10 years, for various riverborne materials (Total Dissolved Solids–TDS, Cl −, NO 3 −, NH 4 +, PO 4 3−, total N, total P and Suspended Particulate Matter–SPM), corresponding to 300 years of daily records. Related interannual and annual fluxes are then calculated using the discharge-weighted concentration method. The comparison between sorted fluxes and reference fluxes, as determined from daily records, gives the errors distribution: imprecisions (ranges between upper and lower deciles of errors) and biases (median of errors). For a given sampling frequency, both errors can be predicted from a single indicator, the percentage of riverine long-term flux transported in 2% of the time ( M 2). The nomograph linking imprecisions and biases to M 2, for a given frequency, has been established and validated previously for SPM. We demonstrate here that the M 2 nomograph is applicable to all other types of river material (major ions, dissolved and total nutrients). Flux errors are also determined on an annual basis and compared to annual flux duration indicators ( m 2): the same M 2 – error nomograph is still applicable. Station comparison suggests a possible regionalisation of M 2 indicators – for a given class of river material and for similar stations – and, therefore, of flux errors and/or a possible optimization of river surveys for a given targeted error.

Modeling Dissolved Oxygen in a Dredged Lake Erie Tributary

A two-dimensional numerical model was developed to study dissolved oxygen (DO) kinetics in a dredged Lake Erie tributary. The model design was aimed to specifically address the fact that many tributaries to the Great Lakes are dredged periodically for navigation, and that resultant changes in morphology and hydraulics can have significant impacts on DO. Due to the greater depths caused by dredging, river velocities slow considerably and vertical mixing is not as effective, leading to thermal stratification and potential short-circuiting of warmer upstream flow. The model solves the two-dimensional (laterally averaged) hydrodynamic and mass balance equations to simulate transport and transformation relevant to dissolved oxygen using an alternating direction, implicit finite difference method. Effects of oxygen-demanding pollutants from municipal and industrial discharges and also from nonpoint sources are included. A model application was developed for the Black River (Ohio), a tributary of Lake Erie. The river is dredged periodically, becomes stratified during the low flow summer months, and is affected by changing lake levels associated with seiching in Lake Erie. After calibration and confirmation, the model was used as a diagnostic tool to understand the impact of various loading sources on low DO levels observed along the bottom of the river. It is shown that sediment oxygen demand (SOD), combined with the river hydraulics, is the primary cause for low DO levels in the Black River.

Fish Assemblages and Environmental Conditions in the Lower Reaches of Northeastern Lake Erie Tributaries

Lake Erie and its tributaries have experienced extensive changes in environmental conditions and community structure during recent decades. To assess the relative importance of environmental conditions in determining fish community composition, fish communities and their associated environmental conditions were sampled from the lower reaches and mouths of the tributaries flowing into the northeastern basin of Lake Erie. These data were used to assess relationships between habitat and fish community composition on spatial and temporal scales using correspondence analysis and canonical correspondence analysis. Multivariate analyses revealed that the fish assemblage was size structured and related to water chemistry but also showed influences due to temperature, sampling date and aquatic macrophytes. The community composition showed the effects of biotic interactions, predominantly negative predator-prey associations, but there were also assemblage differences specific to particular tributaries and sampling methodologies.

Relationship between Habitat Quality and Occurrence of the Threatened Black Redhorse (Moxostoma duquesnei) in Lake Erie Tributaries

Abstract Recovery planning for the nationally threatened black redhorse (Moxostoma duquesnei) is limited by a lack of knowledge regarding species ecology, population size and factors that affect distribution and abundance. Generalized additive models (GAM) were used to evaluate the influence of habitat quality on the distribution of the black redhorse in the Grand River (Ontario) and 11 western Lake Erie tributaries (Ohio). Black redhorse were captured at 26% of Grand River sites and 6% of western Lake Erie tributary sites. In western Lake Erie tributaries, black redhorse were more likely to be found at sites of intermediate upstream drainage area (a surrogate for watercourse size) and less likely to be found at sites with poor substrate, pool, cover and channel conditions. In the Grand River, occurrence was negatively associated with higher gradients and small and large upstream drainage areas. Habitat quality was found to be associated with the distribution of golden redhorse (M. erythrurum) but not the other two co-occurring redhorse species. Site occupancy was negatively associated with poor substrate and pool conditions. Results from this study indicate that, in areas of black redhorse occurrence, river reaches with clean, coarse bed material, well-developed riffles and pools, and stable channels require specific protection. Repatriation efforts in formerly occupied watercourses will likely require restoration of the condition of these habitats.

The Value of Steelhead ( Onchorhynchus mykiss) Angling in Lake Erie Tributaries

Steelhead ( Onchorhynchus mykiss) have been stocked in Ohio tributaries to Lake Erie for over a decade yet little information on the value of this fishery exists. A steelhead angler intercept survey was conducted in fall, winter, and spring of 2002–2003. Almost 77% of the anglers surveyed (375) responded to a mail survey with useful information. Typical steelhead anglers were 46 years old, middle class, male, and had 9 years steelhead angling experience. Less than two-thirds of respondents fished with spinning tackle and one-third used fly tackle. On average, individuals traveled with 1.7 people in their group. They mostly took single day trips (94% of respondents), traveling approximately 84 kilometers round trip. Steelhead catch rates are positively related to number of trips taken, angler experience, number of streams visited per trip, number of hours fished per trip, and type of tackle used. The value of the steelhead angling experience to participating anglers is estimated at $36 to $46 per trip while the money spent to participate in steelhead fishing is estimated at $26 per trip. Annual value of the Lake Erie tributary steelhead fishery in Ohio could be as high as $12 to $14 million compared to the $600,000 cost for the stocking program. The fishery provides economic benefits to the coastal areas where adequate access for stream steelhead anglers exists during parts of the year when recreational demand is lowest. This information can be used by policy makers to justify expenditures on stocking, public access, and water quality improvements that enhance angling.

Modeling Effects of Forest Cover Reduction on Larval Walleye Survival in Lake Erie Tributary Spawning Basins

An integrated modeling approach is used to link land use to river discharge, and then to survival of larval walleye that hatch in northern Ohio streams draining into Lake Erie (USA). First, to link land use and river discharge, the parameters of a simple hydrologic model are statistically related to watershed landscape attributes, including forest cover. One such relationship allows estimation of the change in daily river discharge that could result from a reduction in basin-scale forest cover. Second, to represent the river discharge-larval survival link, we reexamine a dataset from Mion and others to propose a relationship between daily flow velocity, water temperature, and walleye larval survival. Together, these linked models provide estimates of the reduction in larval survival due to reduction in forest cover, along with the uncertainty of those estimates. For the Grand River watershed, decreasing forest cover from 45.2 to 30% is projected to reduce average larval survival by about 45%. In the adjacent Chagrin River, dropping cover from 62.5 to 30% reduces survival by almost 60%. The greater rate of reduction of survival in the Chagrin River as forest levels fall is explained by a relatively greater increase in storm flows for the Chagrin, due to more frequently saturated soils. Therefore, forest preservation in the Chagrin River watershed is projected to be more effective in preserving walleye larval tributary habitat.

Evaluating Agricultural Nonpoint‐Source Pollution Programs in Two Lake Erie Tributaries

Evaluating Agricultural Nonpoint‐Source Pollution Programs in Two Lake Erie Tributaries

Biliary PAH metabolites and the hepatosomatic index of brown bullheads from Lake Erie tributaries

Abstract In studies designed to investigate the environmental exposure of fish in Lake Erie tributaries, a benthic fish, the brown bullhead ( Ameiurus nebulosus ), was collected from the industrially contaminated Detroit River, Ottawa River, Black River, Cuyahoga River-harbor and -upstream, Ashtabula River, Buffalo River, and Niagara River, and the non-industrialized Old Woman Creek during 1997–2000. Biliary benzo[ a ]pyrene (B[ a ]P)- and naphthalene (NAPH)-type metabolites and the hepatosomatic index (HSI) were measured in fish and compared between different sites. Fish from all of the contaminated sites except Niagara River had significantly higher concentrations of both types of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) metabolites than fish from the Old Woman Creek. Concentrations of PAH metabolites in bile of fish were positively associated with concentrations of PAHs in sediments, supporting the use of bile metabolites as a measure of PAH exposure. Relatively low concentrations of PAHs detected in fish bile and sediments of the Niagara River, which had undergone extensive remediation, suggested a lowered PAH exposure for fish at this site. No apparent trend was observed in HSI between the industrialized and non-industrialized sites. This study demonstrates that biliary PAH metabolites are an effective indicator of exposure of fish to PAHs. However, because factors other than contamination could also affect the liver size of wild fish, HSI alone may be not a reliable biomarker for assessing contaminant stress.

Copper Complexation and Toxicity to Phytoplankton in the Huron River, a Lake Erie Tributary

The effect of speciation on the toxicity of copper to phytoplankton in the Huron River watershed was assessed by changing the copper complexation capacity in water samples and measuring the levels of chlorophyll a. Differences in strength of conditional stability constants (log K′) of coppercomplexes found in these samples (Ford Lake: 8.8 ± 0.3, Huron River: 10.3 ± 0.4) suggested that coppercomplexing ligands in Ford Lake were mainly derived from humic material, whereas in the lotic environment, they might have been biologically produced. Appearance of the voltammograms obtained for water samples from each of the environments indicated that different biological components predominated in these two ecosystems. Despite the relatively high copper complexation capacity observed when 51 nM of copper was added to water samples, adverse effects reflected as lowered chlorophyll a levels were observed in the phytoplankton, suggesting some buffering of the electrolabile copper at a critical safe dose.

Evaluating Agricultural Nonpoint‐Source Pollution Programs in Two Lake Erie Tributaries

During the past three decades, numerous government programs have encouraged Lake Erie basin farmers to adopt practices that reduce water pollution. The first section of this paper summarizes these state and federal government agricultural pollution abatement programs in watersheds of two prominent Lake Erie tributaries, the Maumee River and Sandusky River. Expenditures are summarized for each program, total expenditures in each county are estimated, and cost effectiveness of program expenditures (i.e., cost per metric ton of soil saved) are analyzed. Farmers received nearly $143 million as incentive payments to implement agricultural nonpoint source pollution abatement programs in the Maumee and Sandusky River watersheds from 1987 to 1997. About 95% of these funds was from federal sources. On average, these payments totaled about $7000 per farm or about $30 per farm acre (annualized equivalent of $2 per acre) within the watersheds. Our analysis raises questions about how efficiently these incentive payments were allocated. The majority of Agricultural Conservation Program (ACP) funds appear to have been spent on less cost-effective practices. Also, geographic areas with relatively low (high) soil erosion rates received relatively large (small) funding.

Evaluating Agricultural Nonpoint-Source Pollution Programs in Two Lake Erie Tributaries

Evaluating Agricultural Nonpoint-Source Pollution Programs in Two Lake Erie Tributaries

Population Biology of Steelhead Spawning Runs in Three Pennsylvania Tributaries to Lake Erie

Little is currently known about the population biology of steelhead ( Oncorhynchus mykiss) that spawn in Pennsylvania's Lake Erie tributaries or the role of natural reproduction in supporting this fishery despite its popularity and importance. The goal of this study was to describe the population characteristics of steelhead spawning runs in Crooked Creek, Godfrey Run, and Trout Run, three Pennsylvania Lake Erie tributaries that are annually stocked with 80,000 to 200,000 yearling steelhead. From fall 1997 to spring 1999, returning adult steelhead were sampled during both fall and spring spawning runs using seines and backpack electrofishing gear. Sex was determined using external characteristics, total length was measured, and a scale sample was collected from each fish. Scales were analyzed to determine age, life history patterns, and relative contributions of wild and hatchery-reared fish to seasonal spawning runs. Male steelhead dominated sex ratios in both Godfrey Run and Trout Run during both seasons, while female steelhead were more prevalent in Crooked Creek. Stream-age 1 steelhead were predominant in both fall and spring runs in all three streams. During both seasons in all streams, the majority of males returned after spending only one summer in Lake Erie while most female steelhead returned at lake-age-2. The relative contribution of wild steelhead to Pennsylvania spawning runs was minimal in all three streams for both seasons. As a result, future success of Pennsylvania's steelhead fishery will likely require the continuation of annual tributary stocking of steelhead smolts.

Use of molecular markers to study the effects of environmental impacts on genetic diversity in brown bullhead (Ameirus nebulosus) populations

Conservation biology needs sound biological information in order to maintain biological diversity in the face of the current rate of loss. An important component of the information needed is the level of genetic diversity within and between populations, especially for those species faced with exposure to environmental stressors. We applied multilocus DNA profile analysis (highly variable number tandem repeats [HVNTR] and randomly amplified polymorphic DNA [RAPD] techniques) and allozyme analysis to test whether individuals from historically degraded sites display levels of genetic diversity different from individuals taken from reference sites. Four Lake Erie tributaries, two impacted and two reference sites, were the sources of brown bullhead (Ameiurus nebulosus) samples. Pairwise comparison of the sampled populations demonstrated an association of decreased genetic diversity with exposure of brown bullhead to stressors using both RAPD and HVNTR analysis.

Examination of a New Remedial Technology for Capping Contaminated Sediments: Large‐Scale Laboratory Evaluation of Sediment Mixing and Cap Resistance to Erosive Forces

AbstractThe potential effectiveness of a new composite‐aggregate capping technology, AquaBlokTM—in physically isolating contaminated, fine‐grained sediments derived from an Ohio, Lake Erie tributary—was evaluated in the laboratory. In particular, large‐scale settling‐column studies were conducted to determine the degree to which composite‐aggregate material penetrates into and/or mixes with the sediment, perhaps affecting the degree to which sediment could be physically isolated through capping. Additionally, large‐scale flume studies were conducted to determine resistance of the composite‐aggregate material to significant and long‐term, fluvial‐like erosive forces; the resistance of other potential capping materials was also evaluated for comparison. Experimental results indicate that the composite‐aggregate material effectively isolates sediment through the formation of a continuous and relatively erosion‐resistant, hydrated capping layer atop the sediments.

Annual reproductive cycle of the zebra mussel in the Ohio River: a comparison with Lake Erie

In order to evaluate the effect of temperature and trophy on zebra mussel reproduction, the annual reproductive cycle of Dreissena polymorpha was determined by histological examination of the gonads. Populations from Lake Erie, its tributaries, and the Ohio River were compared since they varied systematically in these parameters. The timing of gonadal changes in Lake Erie mussels and that of its eutrophic tributaries were identical. Gonadal development commenced overwinter. By August, spawning had commenced and ovarian tubules contained oocytes of varying stages and sizes, males possessed fully developed testes, and mature sperm were evident. Mussels from Lake Erie spawned only once during a season but approximately 30% of mussels from Lake Erie tributaries (Sandusky Bay, Huron River, Old Woman Creek) had an additional spawn. By October, the gonads of all mussels were regressed and empty, and it was difficult to determine sex histologically. In contrast, complete gonadal regression was not seen in the Ohio River population. Some females contained yolked oocytes throughout the year, and some males possessed spermatids during the winter months. Females were generally gravid from May through September although there was considerable variation among individuals at any point in the year. Spawning in the river populations was estimated to occur from March through September. Evidence of two sets per year was observed in the middle Ohio River mussels. Temperature appeared to regulate the onset of major reproductive events, but food must have played a role in determining the frequency of reproduction.