Electrofishing survey of the Great Miami River, September 17--18, 1996. Annual report

The electrofishing survey of fish from the Great Miami River at RM 19, 24 and 38 from late summer 1996 demonstrated the sensitivity of the fish community to microhabitat variation. The variation was particularly clear between the pooled, low flow sections of the river and the runs, where fast current habitats occurred. In 1996, like most recent years, the differences were obvious between Rm 24 and RM 19 and RM 38. River Mile 24 was characterized by a fish community of current-loving fish, dominated by Catastomidae (suckers), and Ictaluridae (catfish). In contrast, samples from pooled stations at RM 19 and 38 were dominated by Centrarchidae, Clupeidae and Cyprinidae, particularly the carp. The microhabitats sampled around the abutments of bridges at RM 19 and 38 where fast current and physical structure occurred, both resembled the community at RM 24. Changes in the fish communities associated with the upstream/downstream changes in stream volume, channel size, morphology, etc., were evidenced by the community coefficients which showed least similarity between the most distant sites