Fish Distribution in the Skunk River below Ames, Iowa

Authors

Kenneth D. Laser, Culver Military Academy
Clair G. Rausch, Charles City High SchoolFollow
Craig L. Olson, Iowa State UniversityFollow
Kenneth D. Carlander, Iowa State UniversityFollow

Document Type

Research

Abstract

The Skunk River has been straightened most of the way from Ames to Colfax. In the summer of 1968, 24 species of fish were collected. There were few species other than minnows, and red shiner (Notropis lutrensis), bigmouth shiner (N. dorsalis) and sand shiner (N. straminous) were most abundant. Water levels were above normal during the study and effects of pollution upon fish distribution were not pronounced. The diversity index, d, at the station where treated-sewage wastes entered, was lower than at stations up and down stream but was higher than at the four stations farthest downstream. Uniformity of habitat resulting from stream-straightening probably limits species diversity.

Publication Date

1969

Journal Title

Proceedings of the Iowa Academy of Science

Volume

76

Issue

1

First Page

196

Last Page

205

Copyright

©1969 Iowa Academy of Science, Inc.

Language

en

File Format

application/pdf

Recommended Citation

Laser, Kenneth D.; Rausch, Clair G.; Olson, Craig L.; and Carlander, Kenneth D. (1969) "Fish Distribution in the Skunk River below Ames, Iowa," Proceedings of the Iowa Academy of Science, 76(1), 196-205.
Available at: https://scholarworks.uni.edu/pias/vol76/iss1/28