Project Grant F23AP02252

CURRENTLY, MORE INFORMATION ON THE ABUNDANCE AND DISTRIBUTION OF SILVER, BIGHEAD, GRASS, AND BLACK CARP (INVASIVE CARP) IS NEEDED TO INFORM THE STRATEGIC PLACEMENT, DEVELOPMENT, AND ASSESSMENT OF MANAGEMENT ACTIONS ACROSS THE MISSOURI RIVER BASIN. MONITORING PROVIDES EMPIRICAL DATA ABOUT POPULATION CHANGES OVER TIME AND SPACE, THE ABILITY TO COMPARE MULTIPLE POPULATIONS, AND A BASIS TO EVALUATE THE EFFICACY OF MANAGEMENT ACTIONS. FURTHERMORE, HISTORICAL, AND CURRENT INFORMATION ON SELECT SPECIES AND FISH COMMUNITIES CAN IDENTIFY SPECIES WHICH MAY BE NEGATIVELY IMPACTED BY INVASIVE CARP AND PRIORITY AREAS WHERE INVASIVE CARP MAY BE HAVING A GREATER IMPACT WHILE PROVIDING METRICS TO MEASURE SUCCESS OF FUTURE MANAGEMENT ACTIONS. TO EFFECTIVELY GUIDE EFFORTS TO MANAGE AND CONTROL INVASIVE CARP IN THE MISSOURI RIVER BASIN, MANAGERS MUST UNDERSTAND THE FACTORS INFLUENCING POPULATION DYNAMICS. EXAMPLES OF POPULATION VARIABLES THAT SHOULD BE ACCOUNTED FOR IN MANAGEMENT ACTIONS INCLUDE NUMBERS AND LOCATION OF DISTINCT POPULATIONS WITHIN THE BASIN, POPULATION SOURCES AND SINKS, AND MOVEMENT INTO, OUT OF, AND WITHIN THE BASIN.OBJECTIVES: 1)CHARACTERIZE INVASIVE CARP POPULATION DYNAMICS, 2)CHARACTERIZE THE HISTORIC AND CURRENT FISHCOMMUNITY TO ASSESS IMPACTS OF INVASIVE CARP, 3)DETERMINE THE FEASIBILITY AND EXPLOITATION OF VARIOUS REMOVALTECHNIQUES ON INVASIVE CARP TO INFORM CONTROL ACTIONS, 4)EVALUATE MOVEMENT AND HABITAT USE OF INVASIVE CARP.WORK WILL BE DONE ON THE MISSOURI RIVER FROM RIVER KILOMETERS 0 - 885 AND IN SELECT MISSOURI RIVER TRIBUTARIESAND POTENTIALLY 2 OXBOW LAKES. INVASIVE CARP WILL BE SAMPLED USING A SUITE OF GEARS SUCH AS ELECTROFISHING ANDGILL NETS. ALL SPECIES WILL BE MEASURED AND WEIGHED. A SUBSET OF INVASIVE CARP WILL BE KEPT AND AGING STRUCTURESPROCESSED, OR IMPLANTED WITH TELEMETRY TAGS AND RELEASED. ACTIVE AND PASSIVE TELEMETRY RECEIVERS WILL BE UTILIZEDTO HELP DETERMINE MOVEMENT. BASED ON DATA, LOCATIONS WILL BE SELECTED FOR REMOVAL. DURING MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES WHERE INVASIVE CARP ARE REMOVED, ALL FISH WILL BE GIVEN TO COMMERCIAL PARTNERS FOR USE.AN EXTENSIVE ACOUSTIC TELEMETRY NETWORK WILL BE MAINTAINED THROUGHOUT THE MISSOURI, UPPER MISSISSIPPI, AND LOWER MISSISSIPPI RIVER SUB-BASINS. ADDITIONAL TRANSMITTER-TAGS WILL BE SURGICALLY IMPLANTED IN INVASIVE CARP ANDNATIVE SPECIES. THIS WILL PROVIDE DETAILED INFORMATION ON MOVEMENT OF FISH THROUGHOUT THE BASIN. MOVEMENT DATAWILL HELP FILL IN INFORMATION GAPS, INFORM REMOVAL EFFORTS, AND DESCRIBE MOVEMENTS OF INVASIVE CARP IN RESPONSETO CONTRACT REMOVAL EFFORTS.AN INCENTIVIZED INVASIVE CARP HARVEST PROGRAM WILL EMPLOY CONTRACT FISHERS. MISSOURI REMOVAL EFFORTS WILL OCCURIN POOLS 20, 21, AND 22 TO ALLEVIATE UPSTREAM CARP MIGRATION PRESSURE ON LOCK AND DAM 19 AND REDUCE FURTHERSPREAD INTO THE INTENSIVE MANAGEMENT ZONE UPSTREAM OF LOCK AND DAM 19. REMOVAL EFFORTS WILL ALSO TAKE PLACE ON THE MAIN STEM LOWER MISSISSIPPI RIVER AS CONDITIONS PERMIT AND ONCE AGREEMENTS ARE IN PLACE WITH CONTRACTEDFISHERS. FISH ASSEMBLAGE MONITORING WILL BE IMPLEMENTED ON THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI RIVER AT STRATIFIED RANDOMLYSELECTED SITES WITHIN 4 MAJOR HABITATS. STANDARDIZED DATA COLLECTION WILL AID IN ESTIMATING INVASIVE CARPRELATIVE ABUNDANCE AND NATIVE FISH ASSEMBLAGE RESPONSES TO TARGETED CARP REMOVAL.ANNUAL REPORTS ON ALL ACTIVITIES WILL BE TURNED INTO THE USFWS BY MARCH 1, 2025.