# Presentation: 089027

## Smallmouth Bass Life History:      Know Thy Enemy

**Nonnative Fish Control Workshop**
- Grand Junction, CO
- December 12, 2006

- Smallmouth Bass Life History:      ***Know Thy Enemy***

**Patrick J. Martinez**** Colorado Div. of Wildlife Grand Junction**

## Smallmouth Bass Micropterus dolomieu

**Habitat:**	Water, substrate & thermal conditions
**Biological:** 	Age & growth, diet, reproduction
**Ecological:****	**Interactions with other biota
**UCRB:****	**Distribution in rivers & reservoirs; invasiveness
**Control:**	Mechanical, habitat, chemical, policies?

**Smallmouth Bass *****Micropterus dolomieu***

## Smallmouth Bass - Habitat

## Smallmouth Bass - BIOLOGICAL

## SMB Age & Growth and Body Condition

***Age & Growth***:

_**SMB Age & Growth and Body Condition**_

- Colorado River in Grand Valley
- & Middle Yampa River

## Smallmouth Bass - Ecological

**Some SMB cannibalism**

**SMB prey on native fishes**

_**Smallmouth Bass - Ecological**_

- SMB prey energy content (cal./kg): insects@400, fish@600 & crayfish@800; crayfish absent in YAR in 1977, now abundant

## Colorado  			Yampa

**Colorado  ****	****	****	****Yampa**

## Small-bodied Fish (SBF) Equivalents

- Estimated SBF biomass+annual production = 160 kg/km

## Smallmouth Bass - UCRB

## Slide 10

| Agency | River | Year | Habitat | Method | No. fish | No. SMB |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| CSU-BLM | YAR | 75-77 | MC & BA | EL & SN | 21,462 | 0 |
| USFWS | YAR | 81 | MC & BA | EL,SN,TN | 23,890 | 2 |
| CSU-CDOW | YAR | 81-82 | MC & BA | EL & SN | 25,798 | 1 |
| CDOW | YAR | 87-91 | MC & BA | EL & TN | 1,652 | 3 |
| ISMP | YAR | 86-91 | MC & BA | EL | 204 | 22 |
| ISMP | YAR | 92-97 | MC & BA | EL | 662 | 237 |
| CDOW | YAR | 95-00 | MC | EL | 1,757 | 66 |
| CDOW | YAR | 98-99 | MC | EL | 11,880 | 1,815 |
| CDOW | YAR | 00-01 | MC & BA | EL | 12,298 | 1,943 |
| CSU-LFL | YAR | 03 | MC & BA | EL | 2,314 | 1,135 |
| CDOW | YAR | 03-04 | MC | EL | 9,977 | 4,020 |
| CSU-LFL  | YAR | 04 | SH & BA | SN & EL | 3,937 | 1,535 |
| CSU-LFL | YAR | 04 | MC & BA | EL & TN | 6,251 | 5,231 |
| CSU-LFL | YAR | 05 | MC & BA | EL & TN | 6,740 | 5,240 |
| CSU-CDOW | YAR | 06 | MC & BA | EL & TN | 5,803 | 4,544 |

## Slide 11

| Agency | River | Year | Habitat | Method | No. fish | No. SMB |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| USFWS | CO | 86-92 | MC & BA | EL & SN | 27,135 | 1 |
| USFWS | GU | 92-93 | MC & BA | EL & SN | 100,617 | (1) |
| CDOW | CO | 93-95 | MC & BA | EL & SN | 45,072 | (129) |
| USFWS | CO | 93-97 | MC & BA | EL & SN | 8,251 | 1 |
| USFWS | CO | 96 | GP-PD | EL & TN | 2,185 | 2 |
| CSU-LFL | CO | 97-98 | BA | SN & EL | 108,542 | 0 |
| USFWS | CO | 98-00 | GP-PD | SN & TN | 16,227 | 15 |
| SWCA | CO | 99-01 | BA | SN | 207,734 | 0 |
| USFWS | CO | 99-01 | BA | EL | 27,977 | 27 |
| CDOW | CO | 99-01 | MC & BA | EL & SN | 29,938 | 47 |
| CDOW | CO | 03 | MC | EL | 7,864 | 45 |
| USFWS | CO | 03 | MC & BA | EL & FN | 3,6 | 318 |
| USFWS | CO/GU | 04 | MC & BA | EL | 2,203 | 1,165 |
| USFWS | CO/GU | 05 | MC & BA | EL | 3,363 | 1,366 |
| USFWS | CO/GU | 06 | MC & BA | EL | 3,616 | 751 |

## SMB Origins & Invasiveness in UCRB:

**Blue Mesa?**

**Bottle Hollow**

**Rifle Gap**

**Flaming Gorge**

**Starvation**

**Lake Powell**

**McPhee**

**Harvey Gap**

**Rio Blanco**

**Elkhead**

**Juniata**

## In CO

- COR		**abundant**		  rare			common

- GUR		none			  rare			none

- WHR		common		  rare			rare

- YAR		**abundant****	****	****abundant****	****	****abundant**

**In CO**

## Despite reported & purported angler enthusiasm for & utilization of SMB fishery in Yampa River: 

- -	SMB maintain widespread abundance, high densities in some reaches, and have recently expanded their range into DNM

- Despite reported & purported angler enthusiasm for & utilization of SMB fishery in Yampa River:

- -	SMB retain high PSD despite demographics suggesting only moderately productive population characteristics

- -	SMB display high Wr, which is more attributable to crayfish availability than to removal by angler harvest

## The Use of Water Temperature, Discharge & Turbidity to Approximate the Duration of Optimal Conditions for Smallmouth Bass Angling in the Yampa River

## RBT: decline in foraging strikes & feeding behavior at higher turbidity, also prey within visual field often ignored

**SMB**: increased turbidity reduced reaction to prey, but not foraging success upon reacting to prey

## QS = QW * SSC * 0.0027, where QS = sediment discharge in tons per day; QW = water discharge in cfs; SSC = suspended sediment concentration in mg/l

- -	YAR above LSR near Maybell, 1998-2002
- Q**S **= 0.0000581 Q**2.13**, where Q**S** = sediment discharge in tons per day; Q = water discharge in cfs
- -	**Elliot, J. G. & S. P. Anders. 2005. Summary of sediment data from the YAR & Upper GRR Basins, CO & UT, 1993-2003.**

_**Suspended sediment concentration (SSC)**_**:**
- Q**S** = Q**W** ***** SSC ***** 0.0027, where Q**S** = sediment discharge in tons per day; Q**W** = water discharge in cfs; SSC = suspended sediment concentration in mg/l
- -	**Dinehart, R. L. ????.  Sediment transport at gaging stations near Mt. St. Helens, WA, 1980-1990.  Data collection & analysis. USGS.** http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Projects/Sediment_Trans/PP1573/PDF/pg1-30.pdf

## -	RDcm = 65.0 * 2.718(-0.05 NTU)

- -	SCC**mg/l **= 3.399 NTU – 5.603
- -	**Barrett, J. C., et al. 1992. Turbidity-induced changes in reactive distance of rainbow trout. TAFS 121:437-443.**

_**Rainbow trout reactive distance vs. turbidity (NTU):**_
- -	RD**cm** = -1.09 NTU + 52.81, where RD = reactive distance in cm
- -	**Barrett, J. C., et al. 1992. Turbidity-induced changes in reactive distance of rainbow trout. TAFS 121:437-443.**

_**Smallmouth bass RD vs. NTU:**_
- -	RD**cm** = 65.0 * 2.718**(-0.05 NTU)**
- -	**Sweka, J. A. & K. J. Hartman.  2003.  Reduction of reactive distance & foraging success in smallmouth bass exposed to elevated turbidity levels.  Environ. Bio. of Fishes 121:437-443.**

## http://www.deq.state.or.us/WQ/WQRules/Rulemaking/Div041DraftTechBasisRevTurbidity.pdf

| Turbidity (NTU) | Condition or ecological significance |
| --- | --- |
| 0 | Perfectly clear water |
| <5 | Clear water |
| 5 | Turbidity just noticeable |
| 10 | Trout switch from passive to active feeding @ RD~ 40 cm (16 in.) - requires more energy & may reduce growth |
| 12 | Abrupt decline in RBT CPUE & angling effort (used as surrogate for SMB) |
| 15 | Turbidity pronounced |
| 20 | Periphyton productivity & invertebrate density severely reduced if turbidity persistent |
| 25 | Muddy |

## Slide 20

| Yampa River discharge (cfs) | Sediment transport (tons/day) | SSC (mg/l) | NTU | Reaction distance in cm (inches) |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|  |  |  |  | RBT | SMB |
| 10,000 | 19,239 | 712 | 211 | 0 | 0 |
| 5,000 | 4,395 | 326 | 98 | 0 | 0.5 (0.2) |
| 1,000 | 143 | 53 | 17 | 37 (14) | 28 (11) |
| 700 | 67 | 35 | 12 | 40 (16) | 36 (14) |
| 500 | 33 | 24 | 9 | 43 (17) | 41 (16) |
| 100 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 50 (20) | 56 (22) |

## 1996-2005 Discharge

**1998**
** “****High”**
**flow**

**2004**
** “****Low”**
**flow**

## 1998-2005 Temperature

**1998**

**2004**

## 1998 Temperature

**Jun 15-**
**Sept 30=**
**16 weeks**

## 1998 Discharge

**Aug 7-**
**Sept 30=**
**8 weeks**

**Access by boat**
**= 5 weeks**

## 2004 Temperature

**Jun 1-**
**Sept 30=**
**18 weeks**

## 2004 Discharge

**Jul 7-**
**Sept 30=**
**12 weeks**

**Access by boat**
**= 5 weeks**

## Yampa River smallmouth bass sport fishery

- - SMB fishability 6-10 weeks due to turbidity & access

- - further restricted by base flow storm induced turbidity

- - angler use characterized as low, fish “unpressured”

- - <200 cfs limits boat access for anglers to only 5 weeks

- - private land restricts public access in some reaches

- - shore access limited due to road conditions (storms)

- - angling unable to control SMB due to local conditions

- - unpredictable access & turbidity limits organized derby

- -  restricted to 8-12 optimum weeks in Jul, Aug & Sep

## June 2005

**June 2005**

**August 2005**

## Smallmouth Bass - Control

_**Smallmouth Bass - Control**_

## Slide 30

| Number of detected or established illicit fish introductions in western Colorado by decade |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1980 | 1990 | 2000 |
| 10 | 15 | 11 |