Partners of the Habitat Assessment and Monitoring Program (HAMP) met with Sustainable Ecosystems Incorporated (SEI) in Sioux Falls, South Dakota to discuss the results of an independent science review of HAMP. 

Experts from various fields, including sturgeon biology and large river hydrology, reviewed the progress of various facets of HAMP.  The independent science review provides an unbiased opinion of this monitoring program.

Reviewers on the panel are from outside the program and the Missouri River basin.   This is the second time that HAMP has met with SEI and the meetings are to keep the program on track and ensure that sound science is being conducted. 

The first review was conducted in the spring of 2006 and was tasked with evaluation of the biological sampling portion of the program.  This latest meeting was focused primarily on the physical mapping of the selected sampling areas.  The physical mapping and the biological sampling data are combined to provide habitat requirements for pallid sturgeon and other related species. 

Both the biological and physical modeling portions of HAMP monitor shallow water habitat that is currently being constructed by the Army Corps of Engineers on the channelized portion of the Missouri River.  These projects provide aquatic diversity to this portion of the Missouri River that was been lost due to modifications to the river to meet the needs of the Bank Stabilization and Navigation Program. Although the intent of these projects is to recover the pallid sturgeon, it is recognized that improved aquatic habitat will be beneficial to many other species including those sought by anglers.

Results were generally good and progress is what would be expected for a program of this size. Areas that need improvement will be addressed when SEI provides a report summarizing the findings of this meeting and data collected during the 2006 sampling season is analyzed.   The results of this review will assist in changes to improve the quality of the program .