Objectives

1) Determine spawning habitat selectivity of East Fork Black River lithophilic spawning fishes (which require gravel for spawning)
2) Examine summer habitat use and longitudinal differences in abundance of lithophilic spawning and riffle fishes downstream from the lower reservoir dam
3) Make recommendations for particle sizes and locations for gravel addition

Overview
In July 2014, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued a new license for Ameren Missouri (Ameren) to continue operation and maintenance of its Taum Sauk Pumped Storage Project.  Part of this requirement was to determine the use of coarse gravel from the reservoir’s sediment control sediment trap, particularly to enhance native fish spawning in downstream reaches were the river may be gravel starved.  Current information is not sufficient to determine the potential for populations of macroinvertebrates and fish species that require gravel areas to benefit from enhancement of habitat through long-term gravel addition. This study will provide MDC staff with information to evaluate the potential for long-term gravel addition in the East Fork Black River to enhance habitat for lithophilic spawning fishes (which require gravel for spawning) and riffle fishes, and develop recommendations for particle sizes and locations to use for any such augmentation.