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Growth and Spatial Distribution of Fishes in Hydropeaking Rivers of Northern Ontario Researchers: Matt Bond and Nick Jones Project Description: Hydroelectric dams alter the magnitude and frequency of flows and can have negative effects on downstream fish communities. Some of these dams operate as hydropeaking facilities, which are designed to adjust the level of power generation in accordance with energy demand. This hourly variation in flow can dramatically alter the quantity and quality of habitat available to fish and the resulting effects can be direct (e.g. stranding or habitat abandonment) or indirect (e.g. depleted food production or increased physiological stress). Several studies have investigated the effects of fluctuating flow on highly mobile species, such as rainbow trout and brown trout, however the effects on sedentary species, such as sculpin, are poorly understood. Sculpin may be more vulnerable to the effects of hydropeaking than mobile fish because they are less inclined to seek suitable habitat when flow conditions change. Furthermore, most of these studies have focused on the stranding of fishes when flows suddenly drop; very few studies have used growth as an indicator of increased physiological stress. Objectives: This research will examine the spatial distribution and somatic growth of fishes on both lateral and longitudinal gradients in hydropeaking rives. Fish will be sampled at base flow and peak flow conditions in two hydropeaking rivers in northern Ontario (Magpie and Michipicoten Rivers near Wawa, Ontario) to understand nearshore habitat use (fish density and biomass), and the effects of rapidly fluctuating flows on fish growth will be evaluated using slimy sculpin (Cottus cognatus). Several unregulated Lake Superior tributaries will be sampled as well to understand how sculpin grow under a natural flow regime. Collaborators and
Participants: Links: Indicators of Hydrologic Alteration, The Natural Flow Regime Interesting Facts: Streamflow quantity and timing, which is strongly correlated with many critical physicochemical characteristics of rivers, such as water temperature, channel geomorphology, and habitat diversity, can be considered a “master variable” that limits the distribution and abundance of riverine species and regulates the ecological integrity of flowing water systems.
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