Long-Term Pallid Sturgeon and Associated Fish Community Assessment for the Missouri River

We are the lead office for the long term monitoring project designed to assess the native fisheries on the unchannelized Missouri River between Fort Randall Dam and the headwaters of Lewis and Clark Lake (Recovery Priority Management Area #3; [RPMA]).  In 2005, all recaptured pallid sturgeons (n = 46) were of hatchery origin and readable passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags were found in 87% of the fish.  Recaptured pallid sturgeon represented all seven classes that have been stocked (1997 - 1999 and 2001 - 2004) into RPMA #3 as part of population supplementation efforts.  A total of 129 pallid sturgeon have been captured during our three year involvement with this program.  Information from this work will be used to evaluate any changes implemented in current operations of the Missouri River mainstem dams.  The U. S. Army Corps of Engineers is working in conjunction with Federal and State resource management agencies as well as academia to develop a long-term native fisheries monitoring program for the Missouri River.  This effort is partly in response to the US Fish & Wildlife Service=s recommendations provided in the Missouri River Operations Biological Opinion and in particular how the continued operations impact the endangered pallid sturgeon.  

The Upper Missouri River Basin Pallid Sturgeon Work Group has also identified the need to evaluate sampling techniques and gear, particularly for juvenile pallid sturgeon.  Gear type, habitat, and species behavior, all contribute to seasonal variability in catch per unit effort and these factors need to be evaluated before reliable results can be established within a monitoring program.   As part of the monitoring program, we are developing and utilizing a standardized sampling protocol and have also developed research projects that can be implemented in conjunction with the standardized sampling.