Bioscience Tech Brian Elkington and Joanne Grady, Branch Chief for Fish Conservation, met in April with state and university partners to coordinate Osage River activities.

Joshua Lallaman, graduate student at University of Missouri-Columbia, is working with Dr. David Galat to determine if paddlefish are able to pass over or through Lock and Dam #1.

Trish Yasger of the Missouri Department of Conservation coordinates Missouri’s paddlefish marking, stocking and recreational harvest programs. Columbia FRO coordinates the MICRA National Paddlefish Stock Assessment Program database, which houses paddlefish sampling data and unique tag codes for paddlefish throughout the United States.

All parties came to the table with their specific data requirements and agreed to share data, supplies or staff as needed.

The Missouri Department of Conservation is responsible for funding the paddlefish telemetry project and is providing weekly helicopter surveys to locate paddlefish during the snagging season.

 Lallaman’s data will provide valuable information to Missouri and MICRA to better understand paddlefish populations within the lower Osage River.