Summary
Recently, the
negative effects of stream crossing structures have come under closer
scrutiny. Of the stream crossing structures, culverts are the most
widely installed and have the most severe impacts on the surrounding
stream habitat and biota. Past research and management efforts have
focused solely on stream crossing inventory programs or have
prioritized the conservation of charismatic commercial and
recreationally valuable fish species. With the growing emphasis on the
importance of maintaining biodiversity, it is essential to determine
how stream crossing structures are affecting entire stream fish
communities.
In this study, a stream crossing inventory
was used to identify the extent of road/stream crossing problems. This
was coupled with measurements of stream characteristics. Additionally,
backpack electrofishers were used downstream and upstream of a stream
crossing to quantify stream fish assemblages.
Objectives
In
the proposed research I will study how road/stream crossing structures
affect stream fish communities. More specifically, I will determine if
culverts impede upstream fish passage.