The Long-Term Illinois River Fish Population Monitoring Program Final Report (2004-2008) with Program Amendment, 2009.

During late August through early October each year for 2004-2008, 27 sites on the Illinois River Waterway and one site on Pool 26 of the Mississippi River were electrofished to monitor fish communities. A total of 35,446 fish representing 78 species (plus three hybrids) from 16 families were collected during 130.7 hours of sampling. Of these fishes, 34,478 individuals were collected from the Illinois Waterway sites, and 968 were collected from Brickhouse Slough of the Mississippi River. The year with the greatest overall catch of fishes was 2007 (8,768 individuals, CPUEN =332.9 fish per hour) and the year with the lowest overall catch of fishes was 2004 (3,655 individuals, CPUEN=139.1 fish per hour). The greatest number of fish species collected for all stations combined occurred in 2008 (60 species plus one hybrid) and lowest number of fish species collected occurred in 2004 (54 species plus one hybrid). Nine new fish species and one new hybrid were collected during 2004-2008; banded killifish, blacknose dace, blackside darter, common shiner, creek chub, longnose dace, ribbon shiner, round goby, southern redbelly dace, and yellow bass x white perch. Fish species collections from the Upper Waterway reaches ranged from 17 for Starved Rock Reach in 2004 to 36 for Marseilles Reach in 2008. Middle Waterway reaches collections ranged from 26 fish species for LaGrange Reach in 2004 to 44 for Peoria Reach in 2006. The number of fish species collected from the Lower Waterway (Alton Reach) ranged from 24 in 2008 to 30 in 2005. The Peoria Reach consistently had the highest fish species richness during all years (2004-2008) of sampling for this project. In May and June of 2009, experimental sampling for the amendment to project F-101-R was accomplished on the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers. Random pulsed-DC electrofishing collections were successfully conducted at 26 total sites in five Illinois River Waterway reaches (Alton, Peoria, Starved Rock, Marseilles, and Dresden) and two Mississippi River pools (Open River-Chain of Rocks Area and Pool 19). Multiple net gear collections (small and large mesh gill nets, benthic hoop nets, and standard hoop nets) were successfully conducted in the Open River-Chain of Rocks Area of the Mississippi River. A total of 1,240 fishes were collected representing 51 species (plus one hybrid) from 12 families. Pulsed-DC electrofishing collections resulted in 1,221 total fish (CPUEN=187.8 fish per hour) representing 51 species (plus one hybrid) from 12 families during 6.5 hours of electrofishing. Electrofishing collections were the highest in the Open River pool of the Mississippi River in terms of total fish (285), but highest in Dresden Reach of the Illinois River Waterway in CPUEN (396.0 fish per hour). The highest number of fish species collected was recorded in Peoria Reach of the Illinois River Waterway where 31 species were observed. Net gear collections resulted in 19 fish representing six species from four families during two small mesh and two large mesh gill net sets, two benthic hoop net sets, and six standard hoop net sets. Standard and benthic hoop nets collected the highest total number of fish (8 each), while standard hoop nets collected the highest number of fish species (5). Pulsed-DC electrofishing and net gears collected three species new to F-101-R sampling; blue catfish, speckled chub, and spotted sucker.Project F-101-R-16-20unpublishednot peer reviewe