**ABSTRACT NOT
FOR CITATION WITHOUT AUTHOR PERMISSION. The title, authors, and abstract
for this completion report are provided below.
For a copy of the full completion report, please contact the author via
e-mail at Cheryl_Kaye@fws.gov or via telephone at 906-226-1217. Questions?
Contact the GLFC via email at frp@glfc.org
or via telephone at 734-662-3209.**
SURVIVAL OF
STONECATS (NOTURUS FLAVUS) DURING A STREAM TREATMENT
WITH THE LAMPRICIDE TFM (3-TRIFLUOROMETHYL-4-NITROPHENOL)
May 2014
ABSTRACT:
Representatives from state and environmental
organizations in the state of Ohio have expressed concern about the effect that
lampricides may have on non-target species in treated
systems. The stonecat was chosen as an
indicator for non-target fish by representatives from the Ohio Environmental
Protection Agency because it is the most common of the potentially affected
fish species. The purpose of this study
was to determine the proportion of a stonecat population that survives a TFM
treatment and to demonstrate that their continued existence in TFM treated
streams is not jeopardized. The study
was conducted at two large riffle sections of the Chippewa River (Isabella County,
Michigan) that were surveyed using AbP-2 backpack electrofishers
before, and about 2 weeks, three months, and 1 year after the
TFM treatment. Dead stonecats were
collected during the treatment and survey counts of marked and unmarked
stonecats before, during and after the stream treatment were to be used to
estimate the survival of stonecats exposed to TFM. Fewer stonecats than expected were captured
during all surveys and only one marked fish was recaptured. In addition, evidence collected during field
collections suggested that there was substantial movement into and out of the
survey area, violating the assumption of a closed system. Therefore, the
proportion that survived the treatment could not be estimated.