LaShell Harper (left), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Rock Island District, and Jean Favara, Clarence Cannon National Wildlife Refuge, hold up a 52-pound lake sturgeon captured at Lock and Dam 22 in May. Missouri Department of Conservation Biologist Travis Moore (background) implanted an ultrasonic transmitter in the big sturgeon to track its movements in the Mississippi River. - FWS Photo by Nate Caswell

Carterville FRO participated in planning and preliminary evaluation of fish passage projects at two of the main stem locks and dams on the Upper Mississippi River. 

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) St. Louis and Rock Island Districts are currently planning fish passage projects at Mel Price Lock and Dam near Alton, Illinois and Lock and Dam 22 near Hannibal, Missouri. 

Part of the planning process is the evaluation of the fisheries at the dams before, during, and after construction of the fish passage structures. 

The purpose was to determine which species were concentrating in the area below the dams during the spring season.  This project was similar to the fishery surveys completed in 2005 and 2006, but staff standardized and intensified our efforts only during the spring season. 

Staff used deep-water electrofishing and netting to determine their species composition of fish aggregations below both dams.

More than 2,000 fish from over two dozen species were captured at each dam.  Catches at Mel Price Lock and Dam were dominated by blue catfish, shovelnose sturgeon, and silver carp.  Deep-water electrofishing again proved to be especially effective in capturing blue catfish on the bottom of the river.  

They captured 549 individuals ranging from just a few ounces up to more than 70 pounds.  The most abundant species we captured at Lock and Dam 22 was the shovelnose sturgeon. 

This species accounted for more than 61% of the overall catch at Lock and Dam 22 with nearly 1,650 individuals.  

Staff also captured several large lake sturgeon at Lock and Dam 22, including one that weighed more than 50 pounds.  This fish was tagged by biologists from the Missouri Department of Conservation with an ultrasonic transmitter.  Hopefully it will provide river biologists with a lot of good data on the movements of these large fish.  

They also recently completed a draft report summarizing work in 2007.  This project is an ongoing part of a multi-faceted fisheries monitoring plan for these fish passage projects.  Partners in this project include the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Missouri Department of Conservation, and Southern Illinois University.