Geology topics

Anna C. Senecal

Publications and source records attributed to Anna C. Senecal.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

USGS2016

Population characteristics and the suppression of nonnative Burbot

Burbot Lota lota were illegally introduced into the Green River, Wyoming, drainage and have since proliferated throughout the system. Burbot in the Green River pose a threat to native species and to socially, economically, and ecologically important recreational fisheries. Therefore, managers of the Green River are interested in implementing a suppression program for Burbot. We collected demographic data on Burbot in the Green River (summer and autumn 2013) and used the information to construct an age-based population model (female-based Leslie matrix) to simulate the population-level response of Burbot to the selective removal of different age-classes. Burbot in the Green River grew faster, matured at relatively young ages, and were highly fecund compared with other Burbot populations within the species’ native distribution. The age-structured population model, in conjunction with demographic information, indicated that the Burbot population in the Green River could be expected to increase under current conditions. The model also indicated that the Burbot population in the Green River would decline once total annual mortality reached 58%. The population growth of Burbot in the Green River was most sensitive to age-0 and age-1 mortality. The age-structured population model indicated that an increase in mortality, particularly for younger age-classes, would result in the effective suppression of the Burbot population in the Green River.

North American Journal of Fisheries Management↗

USGS2015

Fish assemblage shifts in the Powder River of Wyoming: an unregulated prairie river system previously considered to be relatively pristine.

W y oming ’ s P owder River is considered an example of a pristine prairie river system. While the river hosts a largely native fish assemblage and remains unimpounded over its 1,146-km course to the Y ellowstone River confluence, the hydrologic regime has been altered through w ater dive rsion for agriculture and natural gas extraction and there has been limited study of fish assemblage structure. W e analyzed fish data collected from the mainstem P owder River in W yoming between 1896 and 2008. Shifts in presence/absence and relative abundance of fish species, as well as fish assemblage composition, were assessed among historical and recent samples. The recent P owder Rive r fish assemblage w as characterized by increased relative abundances of sand shiner Notr opis stramineus and plains killifish Fundulus zebrinus , and decreases in sturgeon chub Macrhybopsis gelida . Shifts in fish species relative abundance are linked to their reproductive ecology with species with adhesive eggs generally increasing in relative abundance while those with buoy ant drifting eggs are decreasing. Assemblage shifts could be the result of landscape level changes, such as the loss of extreme high and low flow events and changing land use practices.

Montana, Wyoming↗

USGS2010

Potential effects of coalbed natural gas development on fish and aquatic resources

The purpose of this chapter is to provide a summary of issues and findings related to the potential effects of coalbed natural gas (CBNG) development on fish and other aquatic resources. We reviewed CBNG issues from across the United States and used the Powder River Basin of Wyoming as a case study to exemplify some pertinent issues. The quality of water produced during CBNG extraction is quite variable. High total dissolved solids in many CBNG produced waters are of concern relative to fish and other aquatic organisms. Untreated CBNG produced water has the potential to be toxic to fish and aquatic organisms. Of particular concern at some locations in the Powder River basin are elevated concentrations of sodium bicarbonate which have been shown to be toxic to some species of larval fish and aquatic invertebrates. The areas affected by direct toxicity were limited to headwaters and small tributaries studied in the basin. The potential effects of organic compounds used during well drilling and CBNG production on water quality, fish, and aquatic organisms are not well defined. Water produced from CBNG wells that is low in salts or has been treated to remove salts may be discharged into ephemeral or perennially-flowing streams. Higher flows in small streams can enhance erosion and affect habitat for fish and aquatic organisms. In Great Plains rivers, such as the Powder River, fish and aquatic invertebrate communities are structured by extreme environmental conditions. Direct discharge of CBNG produced water during periods of very low or no surface flow may cause shifts in the aquatic community structure. Additional effects of CBNG development on fish and aquatic organisms may stem from road building and pipeline construction, roads crossing streams and ephemeral water courses, the possible spread of invasive organisms, potential spills of toxic substances, and increased harvest of sport fish.

Book chapter↗