M. J. Van Den Avyle

We surveyed the extent and availability of fisheries data from major (>200 ha) impoundments in 2 southeastern U. S. drainage basins, the Apalachicola- Chattahoochee-Flint and Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa, both located primarily in the states of Georgia and Alabama. Data were used to generate regression models relating fish reproductive success to hydrologic variables. Results were used to define relationships between reservoir operations and abundance of young fishes. Of the 25 major mainstream and storage reservoirs in the 2 systems, 4 had sufficient historical data for fisheries and...

Relationships between fish abundance and diversity and stream pH and alkalinity were assessed to evaluate potential impacts of acidic precipitation on fish assemblages of southern Appalachian Mountain headwater streams. Data were obtained from first- and third-order reaches of 12 stream systems during spring and fall 1983 and spring 1984. Assemblages exhibited low diversity and typically had low biomass. All streams were slightly acidic (mean pH = 6.62; range 6.25-7.00) and very poorly buffered (mean total alkalinity = 58 /µeq/liter; range 16-33), indicating extreme chemical sensitivity to...

Tests were performed to determine the acute toxicity of simazine, a herbicide commonly used in pond aquaculture, to the cIadoceran Daphnia pulex and to 3- and 7-day old larval striped bass (Morone saxatilis). The 48-hour LC50 for 3-day-old striped bass was r8 mglIiter in hard water (220 mg/liter as CaC03 ) and r6 mglIiter in soft water (120 mglIiter as CaC03 ); corresponding estimates for 7-day-old larvae exceeded roo mg/liter. The estimated 48-hour LC50 for D. pulex exceeded 50 mg/liter in both hard and soft water. These estimates were considerably higher than recommended pond application...

Striped bass (Morone saxatilis) were collected from Watts Bar Reservoir, Tennessee, in 1977 and 1978 to assess relationships between growth rates, survival, stocking density, and distribution patterns of stocked fingerlings. Survival and average sizes attained at ages I and 2 were inversely related to stocking density and directly related to size at stocking. Average lengths of age 3. and older fish were not related to stocking size, and the principal advantage of stocking large fingerlings was improved survival. Fingerlings stocked during June and July 1978 dispersed rapidly but tended to...

Between March and October 1977, methods of local commercial fishermen were simulated to evaluate species composition, catch rates, and potential impact of the commercial fishery on striped bass (Morone saxatilis) in 2 Tennessee River mainstream impoundments. Estimated total commercial harvest rates during the sampling period were 26.6 kg/ ha and 23.1 kg/ ha in Watts Bar and Chickamauga Reservoirs. Because commercial fishing was concentrated in tailwater regions of both reservoirs, experimental catch rates and high estimated commercial harvest rates were probably not representative...

A tag-and-reward procedure was used to estimate exploitation rates of black bass (Micropterussp.) during 1975 and 1976 in Center Hill Reservoir, Tennessee. Returns of reward tags by anglers indicated annual exploitation rates of 13.3 (22.2%) for largemouth ·(M. saltnoides), [2.9 (15.6%) for smallmouth (M. dolomieUl) and [4.8 (18.5%) for spotted bass (M. punctulatus). Within each year, exploitation rates were not significantly different between species or size groups. Rates were lower in 1976 than in [975 for all species, but the difference was significant only for largemouth bass. In [975...