A low-water crossing impacts Northern Hog Sucker Hypentelium nigricans movement in an Ozark stream

Abstract

Streams are complex systems that rely on connectivity to maintain natural ecological function. Low-water crossings are common in small-intermediate sized streams and can restrict longitudinal movement of fishes. The Current River in Missouri (USA) contains a single anthropogenic barrier to longitudinal connectivity: the Cedar Grove low-water crossing, which spans the main channel (10 culverts) and a side channel (4 culverts). In July 2017, we radio-tagged Northern Hog Sucker Hypentelium nigricans upstream (henceforth 'above'; N ¼ 24) and downstream (henceforth 'below'; N ¼ 26) of the crossing and followed their movements monthly for a year to assess fish passage and maximum displacement. Passage was limited to four below-tagged fish passing upstream of the crossing with one fish making an additional downstream and then upstream passage. Passage was more likely to occur during high flow. On average, below-tagged fish exhibited more than seven times greater maximum displacement (Mean (M) ¼ 6.55 km, Standard Error (SE) ¼ 2.91 km) than abovetagged fish (M ¼ 0.92 km, SE ¼ 0.33 km). The majority (71%) of fish exhibited stationary behavior (<1 km) compared to mobile behavior (>1 km). Among mobile individuals, maximum displacement was greatest away from the crossing, with above-tagged fish favoring upstream movements (100%) and below-tagged fish favoring downstream movements (67%). Our results suggest the crossing is a semi-permeable barrier in which fish passage primarily occurs during high flows. Alternatives to the low-water crossings at Cedar Grove should be considered to promote natural longitudinal movement of fishes. The side channel provides a potentially impactful and economically feasible management opportunity to act as a fish bypass channel on the Current River. ARTICLE HISTORY