Restoration of Paddlefish in Alabama

Justification

  Like its closest living relative, the more well-known sturgeon, the paddlefish is an ancient fish that has been cruising the rivers and tributaries of the Mississippi River system for hundreds of thousands of years. Until recently, however, paddlefish populations in the Alabama River system–including the Alabama, Tombigbee, and Tallapoosa Rivers–have been studied less extensively than those in the Mississippi River system.

  Findings in the Alabama River system suggest that the paddlefish population located in the Tallapoosa River is spawning successfully in an area located downstream of Thurlow Dam. Given this, the Tallapoosa River may be an important location of spawning activity within the Alabama River drainage, and may serve an important function as a source for populations in downstream areas. Yet, despite this, relatively little is known about where paddlefish spawn, what habitat is used for spawning, and the factors that are influential in triggering spawning.

Objectives                                                         Researcher holding a paddlefish

(1) Locate adult paddlefish in the Tallapoosa River below Thurlow Dam.
(2) Identify paddlefish spawning locations in this area.
(3) Identify variables influencing paddlefish spawning.

Research

  Since 1993, researchers in the department of Fisheries and Allied Aquacultures have sampled the paddlefish populations in the Tallapoosa River, the Tennessee River, and the lower Alabama River. Beginning in spring 1997, and annually since, they have sampled the adult paddlefish population in the Tallapoosa River below Thurlow Dam to monitor their presence in preparation for spawning, and then to document their spawning status.

  Results show that paddlefish are stimulated to spawn when a combination of factors occurs: the water temperature is around 54o F and there is a pulse in flow due to water release from Thurlow Dam. Researchers continue to sample the populations annually in an effort to test this hypothesis.

Anticipated Impacts

  Results of this work will be used to better manage this unique resource so that in the future, scientists could modify flow patterns to stimulate spawning and produce consistently strong paddlefish populations in Alabama waters.

Principal Investigator

Dennis DeVries

Auburn University, Department of Fisheries and Allied Aquacultures

devridrr@auburn.edu

Affiliated Departments or Institutions

Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries