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#           Reproduction of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) in the Maumee River, Ohio: Part 1—Spawning area identification using bidirectional drift modeling      

      April 18, 2024    

Control of invasive grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) populations in the Western Lake Erie Basin merits adaptive management guided by the best available science. Presently (2024), capture of mature grass carp in rivers during spawning season is most efficient, so knowing when and where grass carp are spawning is essential information for natural resource agencies. Using bidirectional drift modeling and grass carp ichthyoplankton samples captured in the Maumee River during the 2017–2019 spawning seasons, this study identified 12 probable grass carp spawning areas in the lower 96.5-kilometers of the Maumee River. These spawning areas were located both above and below the Grand Rapids/Providence low-head dams. Three areas showed evidence of multiyear use, while nine had multi-event use. Spawning activity had no definitive diel variation and occurred at an average photoperiod of 15.15 h. The maturation metric ADD15, or annual degree days above 15 degrees Celsius, generally exceeded the 655 threshold for spawning; however, some spawning occurred when ADD15 ≤235, indicating spawners likely matured in a warmwater discharge. The probable spawning areas were generally characterized by mean velocities between 0.4 and 2.1 m per second (with locally higher velocities possible), areas of high turbulence produced by dam spillways or bedrock outcroppings, channel constrictions, confluences, islands, and bridges with piers in the water. Spawning suitability indices (SSI), based on velocity, varied considerably between spawning areas and SSI models. These results could be used to inform control efforts and predict potential grass carp spawning locations in other rivers under threat of invasion.

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November 21, 2022

####                 Hydraulic Model Archive and Fluvial Egg Drift Simulator (FluEgg) Results for Simulations of Invasive Carp Egg and Larval Drift in the Maumee River, Ohio (ver. 1.1, July 2023)              

Central Midwest Water Science Center

#### Patrick (Ryan)  Jackson, Ph.D.

##### Hydrologist

Central Midwest Water Science Center

pjackson@usgs.gov

217-328-9719

#### Charles V Cigrand

##### Physical Scientist

Central Midwest Water Science Center

ccigrand@usgs.gov

319-358-3617

#### Patrick M Kocovsky

##### Aquatic Invasive Species Program Manager

Ecosystems Mission Area

pkocovsky@usgs.gov

571-205-1487

####             Alan Kasprak (Former Employee)          

##### Research Geologist - Mendenhall Post-Doc

Southwest Biological Science Center

#### Henry F Doyle

##### Hydrologist

Central Midwest Water Science Center

hfdoyle@usgs.gov

217-328-9743

## Related Content

November 21, 2022

####                 Hydraulic Model Archive and Fluvial Egg Drift Simulator (FluEgg) Results for Simulations of Invasive Carp Egg and Larval Drift in the Maumee River, Ohio (ver. 1.1, July 2023)              

Central Midwest Water Science Center

#### Patrick (Ryan)  Jackson, Ph.D.

##### Hydrologist

Central Midwest Water Science Center

pjackson@usgs.gov

217-328-9719

#### Charles V Cigrand

##### Physical Scientist

Central Midwest Water Science Center

ccigrand@usgs.gov

319-358-3617

#### Patrick M Kocovsky

##### Aquatic Invasive Species Program Manager

Ecosystems Mission Area

pkocovsky@usgs.gov

571-205-1487

####             Alan Kasprak (Former Employee)          

##### Research Geologist - Mendenhall Post-Doc

Southwest Biological Science Center

#### Henry F Doyle

##### Hydrologist

Central Midwest Water Science Center

hfdoyle@usgs.gov

217-328-9743

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####               Great Lakes Science Center          

1451 Green RoadAnn Arbor, MI48105United States

734-994-3331

734-994-8780

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