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Experimental Control of Carp Reproduction through Water Drawdowns in Fort Randall Reservoir, South Dakota
Author(s) -
Shields James T.
Publication year - 1958
Publication title -
transactions of the american fisheries society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.696
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 1548-8659
pISSN - 0002-8487
DOI - 10.1577/1548-8659(1957)87[23:ecocrt]2.0.co;2
Subject(s) - netting , fishery , reproduction , limiting , shore , carp , environmental science , water level , fish <actinopterygii> , biology , geography , ecology , mechanical engineering , political science , law , engineering , cartography
Water drawdowns of 1 1/2 to 2 feet were effected at Fort Randall Reservoir immediately following periods of major carp spawning in 1955, 1956, and 1957. Eggs thus exposed were killed. Predictions of the time of spawning were based on gonadal conditions of mature fish, water temperature and weather forecasts. Major spawning occurred in shallow (less than 1 foot deep) flats during periods of warm, calm weather when open‐water temperature first reached 62–68° F. Effectiveness of the drawdowns in limiting carp reproduction was judged by the size of the age class produced each year in comparison to a previous year and to other species sampled by the same methods of spot‐poisoning, shoreline seining, gill netting and frame netting. Size of the age class of carp established each year was relatively small. It is concluded that the planned drawdowns were primarily responsible for poor reproduction.