Lateral Lines

Hoosier Edition
Volume 25 Issue 2
Lateral Lines
President’s Message - Tom Bacula
Inside this issue:
Pres.Message
2
Chapter News
2
Upcoming Events
2
In the News
3
All in a Day’s
4
Who’s That Author
5
Catch of the Day
6
After two long and cold winters this mild winter and early (or normal)
spring weather is quite refreshing. The northern Indiana ice anglers enjoyed a few weeks of good ice, but with being busy and only a few inches it
wasn’t enough for me to venture out. I am spoiled from living in South Dakota where the ice season is long and most of the winter I drove my truck
to my ice fishing spot. I am glad spring is here and can get out in the nice
weather and catch some fish.
The spring meeting went great and a big THANK YOU to all that assisted
especially Reuben Goforth and Sally Weeks (The Wildlife Society) for organizing the meeting. There were some great poster and oral presentations that I hope you all caught. Rob Ackerson coordinated the judging of
these presentations with the help of quite a few people and the results are
later in the newsletter.
I was able to attend the Midwest Fish and Wildlife Conference (FWC) in
Grand Rapids, Michigan this year to represent the Chapter to the North
Central Division (NCD). Like the previous year’s Conference, it was a well
done meeting with some innovative conference ideas and plenary talks. A
highlight was the acceptance of the Best Small Chapter and Communication Awards to Indiana Chapter from the NCD president, Melissa Wuellner.
It was great to have the awards back to the Chapter, also Melissa is a long
time Indiana fan from her days at Ball State University and was very happy
to see the great work Indiana is doing. It is great to have so many active
Chapter members that we were able to win these awards and it is not without all of our hard work in events and submissions for Facebook, newsletter, and the website. Let’s keep up this work and hopefully win next year.
A few more tidbits that were discussed at the Spring meeting are the creation of the NCD job board that is free, this project was spearheaded by
Sandy Clark-Kolaks, NCD President-elect. http://ncd.fisheries.org/ncd-jobs
-board/.
At the Chapter level, it was decided to invest our seed money for the
next Midwest FWC with the AFS investment firm; hopefully we can get
some good returns for Continuing Education workshops. Another, decision
was to change the Joan Duffy Travel Award for Midwest FWC to an essay
submission (See awards section of this newsletter for more details).
Hope everyone has a safe and productive field season.
Page 2
Chapter News
Current Officers
President:
Tom Bacula
President Elect:
Reuben Goforth
Vice President:
Ben Miller
Message from the Editor - Sandy Clark-Kolaks
I know everyone is super busy with field work so a special “thanks” to
everyone for taking time to submit items to the Newsletter. I had the
pleasure of attending the Midwest FWC and being part of the acceptance for the Best Communication Award. As President Elect I got to
listen in on the conference call for the awards committee (and no I didn't vote), we had stiff competition from Missouri but due to all the hard
work by Drew and Jason we won. Our winning was also due to the variety and amount of content our Newsletter has, so keep up the good
work and don’t forget to take pictures while you are out working!
Sandy
Past President
Mark Pyron
Secretary/
Treasurer:
Daniel Arndt
Newsletter Editor:
Sandy ClarkKolaks
Visit us on the web
at:
www.indianaafs.org
Or on
Facebook
Continuing Education Chair - Steve Andrews
Based on the summary of results of a survey of future continuing education events conducted at the Fall 2015 Business Meeting the topic
that received the most votes was a minnow identification course. The
other topics that received the second through sixth most votes were:
fish population modeling, tour of Indiana shrimp farm, sediment
transport analysis, GIS, and invasive species respectively.
I will be working this summer to put together a workshop for the Fall
Business Meeting. More information to come.
Page 3
Message from the Awards Chair- Rob Ackerson
Hearty thanks go out to all who presented talks and posters at our recent meeting. I am sure that
all those who attended our meeting feel as I do, that all of the contributions are appreciated.
I would like to point out that all Presentations and Posters were very close. If any of the presenters/poster participants would like to know any of the remarks/comments (if any) they can contact me (for future improvements).
Awards will be presented at the Fall AFS meeting
Best Professional Paper:
Jason Doll—Understanding Macroecological Trends in North American Suckers
Best Student Poster:
Scott Zello—Multistressor Effects of PPCP’s on Daphnia Magna Growth, Reproduction, and Mortality
A big thank you goes to all our judges:
Rob Ackerson
Drew Holloway
Tom Bacula
Rebecca Pawlak
Sandy Clark-Kolaks
Jason Doll
Andrew Gima
Nicholas Haunert
Briana Ciara
*The student travel award this year will be decided by EXCOM. Any interested persons can submit a 1 page summary of the work they have completed, are presently working on or anything
else they feel may contribute. All interested applicants will need to have the summary submitted
to me by July 31, 2016. All applicants will need to keep in mind if chosen for the Joan Duffy
award they will receive $200 for travel to the Midwest which they will be required to present
their paper at the conference.
Rob Ackerson
IAFS Awards Chair
Phone: (219)369-9591
rackerson@dnr.in.gov
Page 4
Most Active Organization in Indiana Fisheries
West Boggs Park is located in south central IN, and is operated by the Daviess-Martin Joint County
Parks & Recreation Department.
For over 20 years this parks department has provided recreational opportunities, environmentally
friendly management practices and quality public service to the residents of IN and surrounding
states. An equitable funding formula between the two counties was so difficult that in 1994 West
Boggs Park was declared self-sustaining and was given no funding assistance from either county.
The partnership between West Boggs County Park and the Division of Fish and Wildlife at this time
was more important than ever. At 622 acres, West Boggs Lake is the second largest recreational
water resource for the Daviess and Martin County area and the only lake that accommodates pleasure boating as well as fishing. West Boggs Lake’s fishery has had its highs and lows. The first fisheries renovation occurred in 1994, in hopes of providing 10 years of quality fishing. Twenty years
later it was time to renovate the lake again.
For the past 20 years, West Boggs Park has maintained a partnership with 3 different district fisheries biologist, the DNR’s Lake and River Enhancement Program, as well as the initiation and installation of a combined sewer system to protect the watershed of West Boggs Lake. The park administers environmental and recreational programs throughout the tourist season, as well as administers
and regulates fishing tournaments in the spring and fall.
The most recent fisheries renovation was conducted in 2014. Mike Axsom and the staff at West
Boggs Park were instrumental in the success of the renovation of this fishery. They provided administrative, technical, historical, and public relations support throughout the entire process to make
this renovation a success. An outreach program has been initiated in 2016 to inform and educate
visitors as well as stakeholders in the watershed about best management practices for land and water.
Much of the credit the past 20 years was due to the vision and leadership of Park Superintendent
Mike Axsom. Mike Axsom pasted away on 1/17/16, but he has left a legacy of natural resource
best management practices, exemplary customer service and dedication to the visitors and residents of Daviess and Martin counties.
Current AFS president Tom Bacula presenting Jameson
Hibbs from West Boggs Park with the Most Active Organization in Indiana Fisheries at the 2016 Spring IN AFS
meeting.
Page 5
IAFS Spring Business Meeting Minutes
Four Winds Resort
Bloomington, IN
March 1st, 2016
Call To Order
The meeting was called to order at 4:34 pm by Tom Bacula.
Establish Quorum
The secretary confirmed that there was a quorum to conduct business. There were 26 members in attendance.
Agenda Editions/Deletions
None.
New Members/Guests
Sam Guffey with the Purdue University Research Lab, Brandon Peoples from Purdue University, and Jameson
Hibbs with West Boggs Park introduced themselves.
Secretary’s Report.
The Fall 2015 Business Meeting Minutes were included in the December 2015 newsletter. No comments were
received. A motion was made and approved to accept the report as written.
Treasurer’s Report
The treasurer’s report was passed out and Daniel Arndt briefly explained the report. See Attachment 1 for the
report. A summary of income and disbursements since the Fall Meeting were summarized along with account
balance totals. There was a motion to accept the report,
seconded, and approved as written.
Committee Reports
Standing Committees
Awards
Tom Bacula presented the NCD award for Most Active
Chapter and Best Communications. The Duffy award
was discussed. Students can write a one page essay
and submit to IAFS EXCOM and the best essay will be
awarded the Duffy Award. Rob Ackerson presented the
Past President Certificate to Mark Pyron and the Partners in Conservation Excellence to West Boggs Park. Jameson Hibbs from West Boggs Park was in attendance
to accept the award.
Programs
Tom Bacula thanked the Spring Meeting Planning Committee for their efforts and the success of the joint meeting.
Membership
Daniel Arndt stated there were 91 paid members, 4 of which were Sustaining Members. This total did not reflect the number of individuals who paid their chapter dues at the meeting.
Nominations
Mark Pyron nominated Jay Beugly and Drew Holloway as candidates for Vice President. No one was nominated
for Secretary-Treasurer.
Page 6
Resolutions
Dan Carnahan brought forth a resolution to discuss the potential support for the Mounds Greenway Project drafted
by the Hoosier Environmental Council (Attachment 3). Tom Lauer gave an update on the Mounds Reservoir Project. The resolution was discussed and tabled to be discussed at a later date.
Communications
Sandy Clark-Kolaks stated that the next IAFS Newsletter would be available in April 2016. Drew Holloway gave an
update on the IAFS Facebook page. Drew was encouraged on the increased activity on the IAFS Facebook page
and urged those in attendance to post more pictures of fisheries work on the Facebook page.
Ad hoc Committees
Continuing Education
Steve gave a summary of the continuing education workshop held at the Fall 2015 Business Meeting. Steve Andrews gave a summary of results of a survey of future continuing education events conducted at the Fall 2015
Business Meeting. The topic that received the most votes was a minnow identification course. The other topics
that received the second through sixth most votes were: fish population modeling, tour of Indiana shrimp farm,
sediment transport analysis, GIS, and invasive species respectively.
Certification
Daniel Arndt received his AFS certification as a “Certified Fisheries Professional”.
Legislative Communications
Bob Robertson gave an update on the Indiana Conservation Alliance, other legislative activities, IDNR job availabilities, and the IDNR budgeting process.
History and Archives
None.
Outreach
Clint Kowalik encouraged IAFS sub-unit presidents to inform him of officer changes. He announced the date of the
2016 Fish with a Fishhead date at the Indiana State Fair which is August 20th. He gave a summary of outreach
events he had been involved with where he promoted IAFS including: master naturalist training and a sport fishing
class at Butler University. He also promoted the “Take a College Buddy Fishing Day”.
Technical Committees
Tom Bacula informed those in attendance that a Salmonid Technical Committee would soon be forming.
Rivers and Streams
Jason Doll gave an update. Jason Doll submitted a copy of the Indiana Rivers and Streams Report to the NCD and
would gladly provide a copy to anyone interested.
Centrarchid
Tom Bacula informed those in attendance that the Centrarchid report was submitted to the NCD, of the upcoming
Black Bass Symposium at the AFS Annual Meeting, and that the NCD will provide up to $600 in travel assistance
to students presenting at the symposium.
Esocid
Nick Haunert gave on update on the IDNR District 6 2015 musky surveys.
Walleye
Jason Doll stated the Walleye Technical Report was posted on the Walleye Technical website and the summer
meeting will be held in Nebraska.
Page 7
Ictalurid
Craig Jansen gave an update on the catfish regulation changes that occurred in 2015, annual surveys on the Wabash and White Rivers, and a creel survey at Lake Monroe.
Reservoirs
Sandy Clark-Kolaks gave an update on the Reservoir Habitat Enhancement Project at Sullivan Reservoir. She informed those in attendance that a volunteer habitat build day would be held for this project on April 30th from 9
a.m. to 3 p.m.
Student Subunit Reports
Ball State
Crystal Nichols gave a report on the sub-units activities. The sub-unit in the past year has conducted an electrofishing workshop, knot tying, networking workshop, White River workshop, a presentation at an Audubon Society meeting, and White River cleanup. She stated that the Newport Aquarium would be coming to Ball State on March 25 th
from 5 p.m. to 7p.m. at the Cooper Science Building. The sub-unit is planning on conducting a pond assessment at
the Honda Plant in Greensburg Indiana.
Purdue
Jay Beugly reported that the sub-unit had conducted an outboard maintenance workshop, knot tying workshop, and
mussel workshop. The sub-unit was planning a 5k run as a community outreach to promote awareness on sturgeon
spawning issues.
Manchester
None.
Tom Bacula announced that a new sub-unit from Indiana University was in the process of formation under the leadership of Tom Simon.
Unfinished Business
2015 MW Fish and Wildlife Conference Seed Money
Three options were discussed related to investing the seed money for the next MW Fish and Wildlife Conference to
be held in Indiana. The options are presented in Attachment 2. A motion was made and passed to invest the money in the AFS Investment option through AXA.
IAFS Procedures Manual
Tom Bacula gave an update on the sections of the IAFS Procedures Manual that needs to be updated/revised and
suggestions. They included: changing the format, including hyperlinks, updating committees, updating secretary
forms, updating dues section, updating Strategic Plan, legislative actions, and online voting. The changes suggested were accepted.
New Business
Officer Election and Results
The candidates gave short biographies of themselves. Drew Holloway was elected as the new IAFS Vice President.
No one was elected as the new Secretary-Treasurer.
NCD President
Sandy Clark-Kolaks gave an update on the NCD Strategic Plan and new job board.
Announcements
The 2020 National AFS Meeting will be held in Cincinnati Ohio. An announcement was made that a job was available at Cikana State Fish Hatchery. Jay Beugly announced that the Purdue sub-unit had developed a list serve and
anyone interested in joining could contact him.
Adjourn
No more new business and a motion to adjourn was made and seconded at 6:15 pm.
Page 8
Attachment 1: IAFS Treasurer’s Report
Page 9
Attachment 2: Indiana AFS Seed Money Investment Options
AFS Investment option through AXA
The Society utilizes AXA (https://us.axa.com/home.html) to manage its portfolio. Investment advisor, Gretchen
Bolton works with AFS as our advisor and provides the Society with professional investment management advice. The AFS portfolio is managed to comply with an investment strategy developed by the AFS Investment
Committee. This investment policy reflects a relatively aggressive growth strategy focused on long term investing of funds. The AXA-AFS portfolio is currently 80% equity (60% US domestic equity, 10% global sector funds—
energy, natural resources, gold and health stocks, and 10% non-US international), with 20% invested in Fixed
Income (bond) funds, as well as the money market. Please refer to document titled “Guidelines for AFS Investment and Management of Unit Funds” for further details.
Potential Advantages
1. No one-time upfront 5% commission fee.
2. National AFS would have sole responsibility of maintaining the portfolio. This relates to keeping track of the
funds’ performance, managing all relevant documents and mailings from the portfolio’s account holder company, and any other relevant items.
3. Don’t have to pay taxes on returns.
Potential Disadvantages
1. Would have to pay part of the 0.5% annual fee to AXA based on the value of the fund.
2. Requires a minimum $10,000 investment.
3. Cumulative return based on previous eight years of performance lower than Fletcher Investment Management Portfolio (31.92% vs. 430.92%).
4. Fund could lose money due to poor stock and/or stock market performance.
Investment Portfolio through Fletcher Investment Management
This portfolio is a mix of mostly stocks with a little bonds. The stocks are comprised of a mix of U.S., non-U.S.,
Natural Resource (energy companies), and defensive funds (those that make money during good and bad markets). The portfolio would be managed through Fletcher Investment Management out of Indianapolis, Indiana.
The aim of the portfolio is to provide a good mix of more aggressive and stable funds that will allow for a solid
return over a ten year period. To open the portfolio, IAFS would have to pay a one-time 5% commission fee on
the amount we initially invest. There would be no annual account maintenance fee since this wouldn’t be a retirement account. Opening the fund would require a couple officer signatures, a Letter of Organization
(something that describes what we are), and no minimum investment amount. The funds would be fully liquid
and the original officers signatures who opened the fund would not be required to take the money out once we
host the MW Conference again in ten years.
Potential Advantages
1. Cumulative return based on previous ten year performance higher than AFS Investment Portfolio (430.92%
vs. 31.92%).
2. No minimum investment amount.
3. Don’t have to pay annual fee to Investment Firm.
4. Don’t have to pay taxes on returns.
Potential Disadvantages
1. Have to pay one-time 5% commission fee on initial amount invested.
2. IAFS would have sole responsibility of maintaining the portfolio. This relates to keeping track of the funds’
performance, managing all relevant documents and mailings from the portfolio’s account holder company, and
any other relevant items. This could become an issue as officers change over time and having to transfer information from one officer to the next.
3. Fund could lose money due to poor stock and/or stock market performance.
Page 10
Chase Bank Savings Account
This would involve establishing a traditional Savings Account at Chase Bank. Chase Bank is who IAFS currently
holds its accounts with. Chase does require a minimum account balance of $1,500 to avoid monthly fees.
Potential Advantages
1. No fees required to establish account.
2. No risk of losing money because of poor Stock Market performance.
Potential Disadvantages
1. Essentially zero return on investment (<1%).
Attachment 3: Resolution of support for the Mounds Greenway
Whereas, the West Fork White River is designated an Outstanding River of Indiana, and is a natural, free-flowing
river between Muncie and Anderson;
And whereas, a high-quality hardwood floodplain forest shelters the river and its adjacent bottomlands, interspersed with natural wetlands;
And whereas, Mounds State Park is located along the river, with mature hardwood forest and a unique natural
area, the Mounds Fen Nature Preserve, found in the park’s bottomlands which stretch for one and three-quarter
miles along the river;
And whereas, the Mounds State Park protects high-quality prehistoric Adena and Hopewell earthworks;
And whereas, a proposed reservoir project known as Mounds Lake would dam the West Fork White River and
inundate the river valley for seven to eight miles upstream, drowning nearly 1,000 acres of forestland and the
low-lying areas of Mounds State Park including the Mounds Fen, put the park’s prehistoric earthworks at risk,
and also flood local riverside parks in Anderson, Chesterfield, and Daleville;
And whereas, a linear park and trails plan known as the Mounds Greenway would protect the West Fork White
River and its adjoining bottomland forest and wetlands, prevent damage to Mounds State Park and the local
riverside parks, maintain a free-flowing natural river, provide trails, river access and other outdoor recreation
opportunities, and contribute to the region’s quality of life and economic well-being.
Therefore, be it resolved by _________________________________________:
1.
___________supports the Mounds Greenway plan; and,
2.
___________urges Governor Pence, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, and the elected officials of Anderson, Muncie, Chesterfield, Daleville, and Yorktown to collaborate in establishing the Mounds
Greenway in a timely fashion.
___[organization name]_______________________________
By:_______________________________
Date: ______________________
Page 11
Message from the Facebook Manager - Drew Holloway
Indiana
SubUnits
Field sampling season is just around the corner and I would like to encourage
everyone to post pictures on our Facebook page documenting your aquatic
encounters. Posting these pictures is an excellent way to quickly highlight the
work your organization is doing. I’m sure we can all agree that we would
have no problem “liking” photos of big bass, colorful darters, huge catfish
and regional species some of us might not get a chance to encounter. If you
still do not follow us on Facebook, we can be found at the link below.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/352017455532/
Page 12
I n t h e N ew s
Upcoming Events
Indiana Free Fishing Days
April 16, May 21, June 4-5

Eating Fish Linked To A Lower Risk Of
Depression
http://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/eating-fishlinked-decrease-risk-depression

Fish Are Smarter Than You Think
http://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/fish-aresmarter-you-think

How to Land a Technician Job in Fisheries and Wildlife
http://thefisheriesblog.com/2016/03/07/how-to-land-atechnician-job-in-fisheries-and-wildlife/

Statisticians issue warning over misuse
of P values
http://www.nature.com/news/statisticians-issue-warningover-misuse-of-p-values-1.19503

Looking to hire a new employee? Looking
for a job in the Midwest? Check Out the
New NCD Job Board. It’s free to post to.
http://ncd.fisheries.org/ncd-jobs-board/
Be sure to check out North Central Division
AFS President Melissa Wuellner’s latest
blog post!
http://ncd.fisheries.org/wpcontent/uploads/2016/03/Wuellner-Blog-April2016.pdf

Reservoir Habitat Enhancement
at Sullivan Lake
Volunteer Day
April 30, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m
Sullivan, IN
2016 Joint Meeting of the NCD
Centrarchid, Esocid, and Walleye
Technical Committees
July 25-28, 2016
Ak-Sar-Ben Aquarium, Gretna, Nebraska
http://www.super8.com/hotels/
nebraska/gretna/super-8-gretna/
hotel-overview
Page 13
A l l i n a D a y s Wo r k
Indiana DNR District 6 - Rebecca Pawlak
Since the last newsletter I have been assisting other districts with muskie and crappie
sampling. I also was able to complete a
crappie survey on Patoka Lake with the help
of Sandy, Andy, and Nick. If you are looking for a fishing spot to catch buckets of 6
and 7 inch crappie than Patoka is the place!
However, we did collect two White Crappie
that were 14 inches. We have seen a decline
in crappie size structure are Patoka since
Gizzard Shad were introduced.
I am planning my first angler recruitment
workshop with summer with Andy
Bueltmann. We are organizing a learn to
bowfish workshop at Hardy Lake with the
help of Bass Unlimited and the Hoosier
Bowfishing Association. This workshop has
two objectives: one to recruit new anglers to the sport and two to reduce
overabundant grass carp in the lake. The bowfishing event is on June
18th. We already reached our maximum with 25 people preregistered. There is a really wide range of people from ages 12-68 and this
will be everyone’s first time bowfishing!
Also a big congratulations to Becca on
her upcoming wedding in May!
Indiana DNR Southern Fisheries
Research - Sandy Clark-Kolaks
We have been busy, busy with field work and planning for our first reservoir
habitat enhancement project at Sullivan Lake. We are working with the Sullivan County Parks Department to construct over 100 habitat structures including
Georgia Cubes and Pennsylvania porcupine cribs. We would like to invite the
subunits to help out at our volunteer day on April 30th from 9 to 3 to build
structures. We have also been busy working with Tom Arthur, from DNR
hatcheries, to modify a pontoon to deploy these structures. If you know Tom
then you know this boat will be awesome and let’s just say you are going to
need sunglasses to look at her.
Page 14
We conducted our first Field to Table: Learn to Fillet Bluegill
workshops this spring. We held two workshops: Indianapolis and
Bloomington. These 2 hour hands-on workshops are designed to
take people who fish to that next level of being a consumptive
user which we all know is important to create balance fisheries.
Our Indianapolis workshop filled up in just 4 hours which was
wonderful and shows that many anglers want to bring home dinner. We also assisted several other DNR districts with spring surveys including muskie and crappie. We also conducted our own
Crappie evaluation on Dogwood Lake where this spring we are
implementing a new 9 inch MSL.
Andy and Becca with a Dogwood Lake Flathead.
Learn to fillet a Bluegill workshop.
“Funtoon” the new reservoir habitat pontoon.
Indiana Department of Environmental Management - Kayla Werbianskyj and
Reid L. Morehouse, Ph.D.
Monitoring Results from 2015
A total of 100 fish community samples were collected from 88 sites in various watersheds across Indiana. This resulted in the capture of 26,161 individuals representing 103 different species. Two State Endangered Species, Gilt Darter (Percina evides) and Redside Dace (Clinostomus elongatus); and one species of Special Concen, Tippecanoe Darter (Etheostoma tippecanoe) were identified and released.
Probabilistic Monitoring
The Watershed Assessment and Planning Branch (WAPB) collected 42 fish community samples at 38
sites on waterbodies in the Upper Wabash River Basin (17 counties: Allen, Carroll, Cass, Delaware,
Fulton, Grant, Howard, Huntington, Jay, Kosciusko, Miami, Pulaski, Randolph, Tippecanoe, Wabash,
Wells, and White) for IDEM’s Probabilistic Fish Community Monitoring Program. Of 203 fish species
expected in Indiana, a total of 88 different species were collected and 10,939 individual fish were identified. Gilt Darter (Percina evides) was collected in the Tippecanoe River. Tippecanoe Darter
Page 15
(Etheostoma tippecanoe) was collected in the Wabash River. Other interesting species, also collected
on the Wabash River, include: Mountain Madtom (Noturus eleutherus) and Ohio Lamprey
(Ichthyomyzon bdellium). The best site for fish community was Wildcat Creek near CR 350 S (Carroll
Co.); this site scored a 56 out of a maximum of 60 on the Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI). This site on
Wildcat Creek received a habitat score of 78 on the Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index (QHEI); the
maximum potential for a site is 100. The site with the best habitat score for fish community was
South Fork Wildcat Creek near Ripple Creek Drive in Tippecanoe County; it scored an 89. This site
on South Fork Wildcat Creek scored in the “good” range (45-52) on the IBI with a score of 50. Other
streams and rivers that scored within the “excellent” range (53-60) of the IBI include: one site on the
Eel River in Cass County and two sites on the Tippecanoe River in Fulton County.
Watershed Characterization Monitoring
In 2015, 24 samples at 21 sites were collected throughout the South Fork Blue River Basin in southern Indiana; all sites were in Washington County. A total of 38 species, were collected and 6,354 individual fish were identified. For fish community, three sites received a score 52 on the IBI. All three
sites were located on the South Fork Blue River: near SR 135, Big Springs Rd, and Martinsburg Road
- with QHEI scores of 67, 70, and 58, respectively. Six sites were considered impaired for fish community.
Performance Monitoring
WAPB staff revisited three sites in select sub-watersheds, as part of the Performance Monitoring Project, to determine if there have been improvements in the waterbodies’ ability to support aquatic life.
When determining a biological integrity improvement or impairment, IDEM requires both fish AND
macroinvertebrate samples to have IBI scores above 36 (out of 60) to be considered “supporting for
aquatic life use”. In 2003, sampling on Wilson Rhodes Ditch, near Warsaw Trail in Miami County
revealed biological impairment. Flowers Creek, near Broadway Street in Miami County was impaired for biology, nutrients, and dissolved oxygen. In 2010, Indian Creek near Posten Road, in Switzerland County was impaired for biology. In 2015, all sites passed for each of the parameters sampled
respective to the listed impairment. All biological samples scored within the “fair” (36-44) range,
with the lowest score of 40 and most of them bordering the “good” range.
Reference Site Monitoring
WAPB staff began sampling for a new project in 2015. The goal for this project is to sample 25 sites
per year for 10 years across the state of Indiana to identify reference conditions that would be considered the best for supporting aquatic life. These 250 sites were selected from 1200 previously sampled
location that were determined to have the best relative surrounding land use, QHEI score, and water
chemistry parameters. Twenty-nine samples at 25 sites were collected in two regions of the state:
West (parts of the Lower Wabash river basin and West Fork White River Basin) and East (throughout
the Great Miami Basin and Middle Ohio-Laughery River Basin). Western reference sites were located
in the following counties: Putnam, Boone, Vermillion, Montgomery, Fountain, Warren, Tippecanoe,
and Vigo. Eastern reference sites were located in the following counties: Franklin, union, Fayette,
Wayne, Switzerland, Dearborn, and Ripley. Of 203 fish species expected in Indiana, a total of 62 different species were collected and 515 individual fish were identified for this project. Redside Dace
(Clinostomus elongatus) was collected in the Whitewater River Basin.
Page 16
Of the 25 sites, 68 percent had a QHEI score exceeding 71. The best site for fish community of the
eastern sites, and of all potential sites this year, was Pipe Creek near Pipe Creek Rd (Franklin County); this site scored a 58 out of a maximum of 60 on the Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI). This site on
Pipe Creek received a habitat score of 75 on the Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index (QHEI). The
best site for habitat was South Hogan Creek near CR 50 N (Ripley County) with a score of 84; however this site scored poorly on the IBI at 38. Following the re-calibration of the IBI, IDEM will begin
assessment for determining the criteria necessary for sites to be considered reference condition. Other
streams and rivers that scored within the “excellent” range (53-60) of the IBI include: one site on
Morgan Creek in Wayne County; two sites on Big Raccoon Creek in Montgomery and Putnam County, respectively; and one site on Whitewater River in Fayette County. Of the 25 sites, 64 percent fell
within the “good” or “excellent range” and received an IBI score above 45.
Monitoring Efforts in 2016
In 2016, sampling for the Probabilistic Monitoring Program will focus on waterbodies in the Lower
Wabash River basin in west-central and southwest Indiana. Additionally, data collection will occur at
targeted sites in the Lower Fork Salt Creek watershed in Monroe, Lawrence, and northwest Jackson
County as part of the Watershed Characterization Monitoring and Total Maximum Daily Load project. As part of the Performance Monitoring Project, sampling will occur at sites in two subwatersheds: Busseron Creek (counties: Sullivan and Greene) and Eagle Creek (counties: Boone and
Hamilton). Data from the Performance Monitoring measures will be used to determine if there have
been improvements in the waterbodies’ ability to support aquatic life. Reference sites will be targeted
this year in the Great Lakes Basin and Kankakee Basin in northern Indiana; and Muscatatuck and Silver-Little Kentucky in southeast Indiana.
Fish Tissue Contaminants Monitoring Program
Fish tissue contaminant samples from our 2015 sampling efforts (Ohio River and Great Lakes basins)
were sent to the analytical laboratory in November. Data results are anticipated to be received by the
end of April 2016, at which time results will be, incorporated into Indiana’s Integrated Report, the
303(d) List of Impaired Waters, and the Indiana State Department of Health’s Indiana Fish Consumption Advisory. Plans are underway for 2016 fish tissue sampling in the West Fork White River and
Patoka River basins. For more information on IDEM’s fish contaminants monitoring program or to
inquire about fish tissue contaminants data, contact IDEM Watershed Assessment and Planning
Branch staff members Ali Meils, at ameils@idem.IN.gov or (317) 308-3204 or James Stahl, at
jstahl@idem.IN.gov or (317) 308-3187.
Other News-Congratulations to Monika Elion on her promotion to an Environmental Manager 2 in
the Targeted Monitoring section. Monika has worked as an Environmental Scientist and macroinvertebrate specialist since 2015 in the Probabilistic Monitoring section. She will continue to work with
macroinvertebrates but will incorporate water chemistry and E. coli sampling as well for targeted
studies. The WAPB would also like to congratulate Michelle Ruan on her promotion to an Environmental Manager position in the Probabilistic Monitoring
section. Michelle was working as an Environmental Scientist in the Technical and Logistics section since 2015,
working primarily with Geographic Information Systems
projects and Best Management Practices mapping. In her
current position, Michelle will be transitioning to phycology sampling and identification as well as conducting
Cyanobacteria sampling and identification.
Slenderhead Darter from Wabash River, Cass County – September 2015
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Ball State University - Mark Pyron and Robert Shields
We collected fishes by boat electrofisher at 11 sites on the Wabash River
in August 2015. Collections resulted in 22 Silver Carp in 2015, with a site
mean of 2 and range from 0-6. We did not observe Bighead Carp in 2015.
The first occurrence of Silver Carp in our long term data was in 2006. Between 2006 and 2015, abundance of Silver Carp increased with the highest
abundance in 2014. The condition of Silver Carp in the Middle Wabash
River was similar to the condition of Silver Carp 400 km distant in the
Lower Missouri River.
Abundances and relative weights (Wr) varied significantly with time in all
species we examined, but there was only one significant effect of Silver
Carp abundance, for Blue Sucker. Blue Sucker abundance declined during
years when Silver Carp had high abundance. No other significant effects of
Silver Carp abundance on abundance or Wr of other fishes were found.
Catch per km of Silver Carp in the Wabash River at all
sites from 2006-15.
Wabash River sites where
collections were made since
1967.
Mean CPUE of Blue Sucker decreased in years when
Silver Carp CPUE increased (F = 2.36, P = 0.005).
Condition factor of Silver Carp in the Middle Wabash River
can be modeled as
Log10weight = - 5.30 + 3.15 (Log10 length) (P < 0.001).
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Healthy Rivers Initiative - Ben Miller
The Healthy Rivers INitiative (HRI) was
launched in 2010 as the largest land conservation initiative to have been undertaken in Indiana. The
initiative includes a partnership of resource agencies and
organizations who are working with willing landowners to
permanently protect over 43,000 acres located in the floodplain of the Wabash River and Sugar Creek in west-central
Indiana and over 26,000 acres of the Muscatatuck River
bottomlands in southeast Indiana.
These projects involve the protection, restoration and enhancement of riparian and aquatic habitats and the species
that use them, particularly threatened and endangered species and migratory birds and waterfowl. This initiative also
reduces nutrient inputs, connects fragmented habitats, and provides flood protection to riparian landowners, and increased public access to recreational opportunities, such as hunting, fishing, trapping,
hiking, boating, and bird watching.
In 2015, IDNR with help from its partners, purchased 1,185 acres of riparian land in the Wabash River and Muscatatuck River project areas. Over two additional river miles of riparian habitat was protected in 2015. A new boat ramp was installed on an HRI property on the Wabash River near the town of
River View in Sullivan County as well.
Through conservation easements and land acquisition, the
Healthy Rivers INitiative has permanently protected over
33,000 acres in the three project areas since 2010. Over 13,000
acres have been protected through land acquisition and 11,000
of these acres have been opened for public recreation. In the
spring of 2016, an additional 1,000 acres along the Wabash
River are set to be opened to the public, just in time for Indiana
turkey season.
To learn more about HRI and properties open to the public visit: HealthyRivers.in.gov
Indiana DNR Northern Fisheries Research - Brianna Ciara and Steven Donabauer
The 2016 field season is off to an early start for North Fisheries Research! A mild winter and early
spring allowed for warmer than usual water temperatures in many of our northern glacial lakes. We,
along with D2 and D3 biologists, began our annual Northern Pike surveys on Wawasee and Syracuse
(Kosciusko County) and Jimmerson and Crooked (Steuben County) lakes two weeks earlier than
planned. Over the course of three weeks, we set 48 nets and caught 76 Northern Pike that measured up to
37 in (spent female, Crooked Lake). Perhaps we weren’t the only ones caught off guard by this early
spring weather!
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The field season continues on with Muskellunge broodstock collection the last week of March - early April on Lake Webster (Kosciusko County). This sampling provides the broodstock for all Muskie stocked in Indiana so we are hoping for a productive few weeks. Crappie and Largemouth Bass
sampling will be soon to follow, priming us for our annual June surveys intended to provide baseline data and track long term trends for Northern Indiana glacial lakes (Figure 1). All together, with
the help of the entire North Region field staff, we will conduct June fish and August aquatic habitat
surveys on 20 lakes, 8 of which will also be surveyed for angling pressure, harvest and satisfaction.
The summer also brings out the best of festival and fishing season which we’ll be sure not to miss!
There are several outreach events that we plan to participate in including fishing derbies, filet clinics, education days, fairs, and free fishing days. After a successful winter of data analysis, report
writing, repairs, and meetings, we are certainly looking forward to warmer days and a busy field
season!
Left: Assistant biologist Bri Ciara holds 33” Northern Pike
from Lake Wawasee (Kosciusko Co.).
Right: Bri Ciara and Josh Turner (NFR) display four of
many 13”+ Black Crappie from Lake Wawasee (Kosciusko
Co.).
Figure 1. Fixed site monitoring of Largemouth Bass and Bluegill at Crooked Lake (Noble/Whitely Co.). Data from 19692000 were standardized, yet the 1969 and 1978 surveys used
AC rather than DC electrofishing. Largemouth Bass numbers
have tripled at Crooked Lake since the 1990’s, which is a consistent pattern that has been observed among the glacial lakes at
a regional scale.
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Indiana DNR District 5 – Dave Kittaka and Debbie King
If April showers Bring May flowers, March brings Muskies! In March
the south region fisheries units conducted Muskie surveys in two districts. In District 5, we surveyed Duck Lake and Bass Lake which are
located in the Dugger unit of the Greene-Sullivan State Forest. Bass
Lake has been stocked with Muskie since 1997 and Duck Lake was first
stocked in 2008. We collected two Muskie at Duck Lake, the largest
was 36 inches. At Bass Lake we collected 29 Muskie. Lengths ranged
from 33.0 to 45.5 inches.
Everyone in the south region is scheduled for Brookville walleye collection. We also have a Black Bass survey at Monroe Reservoir and then
on to a new Impoundments status and trend survey schedule which will
cover 5 to 6 weeks in May and June. We have also added two new
lakes on the Wabashiki and Goose Pond Fish and Wildlife Areas, which
we will be looking at later this summer
Debbie King, Michelle Cain and Clint Kowalik have been working on a new angle for reminding
anglers or future anglers about free fishing opportunities at our urban fishing lakes.
You will see these signs at FishIN in the City lakes in Terre Haute this summer. Our own Michelle
Cain designed them. Thanks Michelle! The idea is to inform and entice lapsed anglers as well as
those who just need that little extra information
or nudge to get started as part of our recruitment
and retention plan.
In May, we are partnering with the DaviessMartin Joint Parks Department to hold the 1st
Annual West Boggs Conservation Day on May
14, 2016. The goal is to open up the lines of
communication with lake patrons and watershed
landowners to get everyone thinking and working proactively in the West Boggs watershed.
Have a safe and productive survey season!
District 5 fisheries
Bass Lake 45.5 inch Muskie.
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W h o ’s t h e Au t h o r ?
Kevin J. Haupt and Quinton E. Phelps—Mesohabitat associations in the Mississippi River Basin: a longterm studyon the catch rates and physical habitat associations of juvenile silver carp and two native
planktivores. Aquatic Invasions (2016) Volume 11, Issue 1: 93–99.
Fish community structure is a complex and integrated part of an aquatic ecosystem; a balanced system is
often rich in species diversity and abundance. Invasive species can alter this balance, and the expansion of
invasive silver carp may have similar deleterious effects. Recently, catches of silver carp in the Midwestern
United States have increased and there is evidence of successful spawning and recruitment.
However, early life history attributes of silver carp have not been fully evaluated within the Mississippi
River Basin. A thorough understanding of early-life history is imperative to facilitate control efforts for
silver carp populations. Furthermore, age-0 silver carp survival and subsequent recruitment may be regulated
by habitat availability during this critical life stage. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate age-0
silver carp mesohabitat (i.e., depth, velocity, and substrate) use in three reaches of the Mississippi River
Basin and potential habitat overlap with two native planktivorous fish species, gizzard shad Dorosoma
cepedianum and emerald shiner Notropis atherinoides. Using data collected from the three lower most
reaches of the Long Term Resource Monitoring Program (Pool 26 at Alton,
Illinois, USA; Open River at Cape Girardeau, Missouri, USA of the Mississippi River; and the LaGrange
reach at Havana, Illinois, USA of the Illinois River), we investigated age-0 silver carp, age-0 gizzard shad
and age-0 emerald shiner habitat associations from 2007 to 2012. Overall, 79,358 age-0 silver carp, 89,990
gizzard shad and 41,119 emerald shiner were captured with mini fyke nets during this long-term study.
Generally, all three species were collected most frequently in shallow (< 1.5 meters), low velocity (<0.6
meters/second) habitat with greater variability in substrate use ranging from silt to rock. Given the scarcity of
these habitat types in the channelized Mississippi River
Basin, our results suggest that invasive silver carp exhibit habitat overlap with gizzard shad and emerald
shiner. This overlap may result in reduced growth and body condition of these fishes. To this end, this
extensive data set has provided new information about silver carp early life history mesohabitat use and
overlap occurring between two age-0 native planktivores in the Mississippi River Basin and potential
consequences of this association.
http://www.aquaticinvasions.net/2016/AI_2016_Haupt_Phelps.pdf
Andrew T. Bueltmann and Quinton E. Phelps— Assessment of the Middle Mississippi River Channel
Catfish Population. Copeia (2015) 103(3):580-585.
Harvest regulations are important for fishes that are both commercially and recreationally sought
after such as Channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) throughout the Middle Mississippi River.
Monitoring total harvest and understanding Channel catfish population dynamics (i.e., recruitment,
growth, and mortality) are crucial for managing a sustainable population. Total commercial harvest
and current harvest regulations in the Middle Mississippi River have not recently been evaluated.
Thus, we evaluated total commercial harvest reports from 1945–2012 along with commercial
fishing effort, population dynamics for the Middle Mississippi River Channel catfish population,
and simulated the effects of various length limits on the reproductive potential and yield per recruit
of the Channel catfish population. Overall, total commercial harvest has drastically declined from
1990–2012, while commercial effort has remained relatively constant. We speculate
overexploitation as a possible cause to the decline in harvest given relatively constant commercial
fishing effort. We collected 501 Channel catfish from the Middle Mississippi River during spring,
summer, and fall of 2012–2013. Channel catfish were weighed, measured, aged (via lapilli otoliths),
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W h o ’s t h e Au t h o r ?
and egg samples were collected for fecundity estimates to obtain population level information. We used the
static form of the spawning potential ratio (SPR) and the yield per recruit model to simulate variable
exploitation rates at three different length limits (e.g., 356 mm, 381 mm, and 406 mm). Our yield per recruit
simulation modeling results identified that a 381 mm length limit would not lead to growth overfishing until
exploitation rates were between ~50 and 70%. Furthermore, simulation modeling predicted that the SPR was
not below a critical minimum conservative threshold of 20% until exploitation rates reached between 50 and
70%; therefore, the population appears to be sustainable under the current length limit of 381 mm, if
exploitation rates do not exceed 50–70%.
Andrew E. Honsey, Steven B. Donabauer, and Tomas O. Höök—An Analysis of Lake Morphometric and
Land-Use Characteristics that Promote Persistence of Cisco in Indiana. Transactions of the American
Fisheries Society 105(2) 363-373.
Remnant populations of Cisco Coregonus artedi persist at the southern extent of their range among northern
Indiana's glacial lakes, where most of their populations have become extirpated during the past century. Land
-use practices have likely accelerated lake eutrophication, while climate change threatens to further degrade
the habitat necessary to sustain Ciscoes in Indiana. However, because the effects of these stressors have not
been ubiquitous, an understanding of the factors that have contributed to either extirpation or persistence of
Cisco populations will better inform future conservation practices. We analyzed lake morphometric and land
-use data to identify lakes that (1) are most likely to sustain Ciscoes, (2) are most likely to lose Ciscoes, and
(3) have lost Ciscoes but are similar to current Cisco lakes and hence may be targets for restoration. We
found that large, deep lakes located further north were more suitable for Ciscoes in the past, but that smaller
lakes with a high ratio of lake area to catchment area have retained Cisco populations. This pattern supports
the hypothesis that non-point-source nutrient loading is a driver of Cisco extirpations. Our results provide
information to better manage a species of special concern in Indiana and of conservation interest in many
other areas.
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00028487.2015.1125949
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Catch of the Day
Who: Nick Haunert
What: Muskie
Where: Bass Lake
When: December, 2015
Size: 45.5 inches
Who: Emily Carnahan
What: Largemouth Bass
Where: Gibson County
When: March 13, 2016