The goals, objectives and tasks developed for this planning document represent reasonable outcomes and expectations that, for the most part, can be achieved by fisheries district staff during the next 15 years. All goals, objectives and tasks are not of equal importance and are therefore arranged in order of priority to reflect current basin needs related to aquatic habitats, fish communities, recreational use and water quality.

GOAL I: Reduce the supply and transport of coarse sediments in basin streams.

Status:

High quality instream habitat components such as abundant cover, high base flows, good water quality, diverse substrate composition and adequate depths are typical good channel conditions associated with most mainstem reaches. However, all disturbed soils in the basin are hazardously erosive and represent the highest potential for sheet, rill and gully erosion in the state. Consequently, the transport of coarse sediments (excessive gravel bedloads), caused by historically poor timber harvest and grazing practices in the uplands, and streambank instability, caused by occasional agricultural encroachments into some narrow or absent floodplain corridors, can cause changes in channel hydraulics and loss of streambank protection that can quickly lead to serious streambank erosion problems anywhere in the basin.

Objective 1.1:

Reduce soil erosion in the uplands.

Strategy:

Much of the gravel that has accumulated in the floodplains originated from the cherty residuum on the steep-sloped uplands, as evidenced by fresh gravel deposits at the mouths of many first and second order dry stream channels after storm events. The basin contains 2,893 first and second order channel reaches that total 2,415 miles. Landowner involvement and participation is, therefore, essential in order to effectively address upland soil disturbances and losses. We must focus on promoting and encouraging landowner awareness of good land stewardship practices, especially those timber harvest and grazing practices that will produce canopy closure, leaf litter accumulation and less soil compaction. This is a long-term objective that may not produce obvious results quickly.

Objective 1.2:

Reduce streambank erosion in the floodplains.

Strategy:

The extensive unconsolidated alluvium in the floodplains is a gravel source that enters stream channels primarily through accelerated streambank erosion. Reducing erosion and increasing streambank stability will depend on gaining private and public landowner acceptance of restorative and preventative erosion management approaches that include riparian corridor as well as streambank locations. Restoration will address correcting (with landowner cooperation) the most serious incidents of accelerated erosion that are within the limits of staff expertise, MDC guidelines and administrative approval. Erosion prevention will focus on increasing landowner awareness of and involvement in good streambank and riparian corridor stewardship.

Streambank and Corridor Restoration Tasks:

Erosion Prevention Tasks:

GOAL II: Maintain fish species richness at or above current levels while improving the quality of the sport fishery.

Status:

Species richness, as determined by our sampling efforts, has increased by 36% over the past 50 years to 113 species. Only the extirpated pallid shiner and watch listed pugnose minnow have failed to re-appear in post-1941 collections. Eight other state listed threatened fish species, 45 wetland species and 29 intolerant species have enjoyed widespread distribution and abundance throughout most of the basin since 1984. Reproduction, early survival and recruitment of young sportfishes to stock-size are apparently good. Some quality- and preferred-size recruitment are occurring for all fish species that provide angling interest. Recruitment to quality-size is particularly adequate for common carp, freshwater drum, shadow bass, channel catfish, flathead catfish, bluegill and redhorse suckers. Low recruitment of black basses to quality-size (>12 inches) and shadow bass to preferred-size (>9 inches) is cause for concern. Anglers have indicated disappointment in the density of catfishes and the size of crappies.

Objective 2.1:

The diversity and abundance of non-game fishes maintained at or above current levels.

Strategy:

We assume that healthy water quality, excellent habitat diversity and sampling methods are primarily responsible for the increase in species richness and the continuing presence of threatened species. We also assume that successful efforts to improve, protect, diversify or create additional stream habitats will promote the maintenance and possibly increase species abundance. And, we believe that our fish distribution data base is sufficient to document changes in species occurrence and relative abundance.

1. The remnant Dark Cypress Swamp; 4,400 acres on 11 miles of the left descending bank of the Diversion Channel above the Blockhole grade control structure.

2. The extreme lower reaches of Crooked Creek, Whitewater River and Hubble Creek which are part of the 23,000-acre dry detention storage area below the Blockhole grade control structure.

Objective 2.2:

Improve the densities of channel and flathead catfish and the size structures of white crappie, spotted bass and shadow bass to levels that will provide greater angler satisfaction.

Strategy:

We assume that recruitment to larger sizes, particularly into the quality- and preferred-sizes, can often be influenced by harvest regulations. We might also assume that angler harvest becomes progressively more critical in an upstream direction as channel environments are compressed into smaller units. We should not, however, assume that angler harvest is primarily responsible for sportfish population parameters until data that define subbasin fishing pressures and separates angling and natural mortalities are collected.

GOAL III: Increase appreciation for basin streams and improve public access to those which are capable of supporting additional recreational use.

Status:

Angler survey information indicates that most fishing activity is concentrated in the lower basin, on the Diversion Channel, where public access facilities are limited and crowded conditions often occur. Float fishing and recreational canoeing are not popular activities in the middle basin, even though stream flows are adequate throughout the year. Comfortable floating in the upper basin is seasonal and dependent upon discharges considerably greater than base flows. Some wade and bank fishing occurs throughout the basin on mainstems and major tributaries. Much of the fishery resource in the basin is probably under-utilized because of a lack of awareness or interest in small streams.

Objective 3.1:

Access sites developed at locations and in sufficient numbers to encourage dispersal of public use throughout the basin.

Strategy:

Completion of approved MDC stream area and stream frontage acquisition plans for the basin will do much to accommodate the expected increases in stream use activities that are predicted in the Department strategic plan. Rapid implementation of the acquisition plans, with some modifications and priorities that reflect current knowledge of basin conditions, will best provide the needed facilities to spread current and future use. Modifications should include additional access on the 34 miles of Diversion Channel where users are currently crowded onto a single site. Site priorities will focus on acquiring planned access sites that will immediately complement existing sites.

  1. Diversion Channel at the Allenville bridge (RM 15) - to relieve downstream congestion.
  2. Diversion Channel at Highway 91 bridge (RM 27) - to relieve downstream congestion.
  3. Whitewater River at RM 7 - to complement the proposed downstream Allenville bridge site on the Diversion Channel.
  4. Castor River at Crook's Landing (RM 34) - as the furthest upstream floatable (all year) site that will also complement the upstream Marquand Access.
  5. Castor River at Gipsy bridge (RM 17) - to complement the downstream Sweetgum Access and the proposed upstream Highway 34 site.
  6. Castor River at Highway 34 bridge (RM 27) - to complement the proposed upstream Crook's Landing site and the proposed downstream Gipsy bridge site.
  1. Whitewater River - north of Millersville.
  2. Whitewater River - north of Burfordsville.
  3. Whitewater River - north of Sedgewickville.
  4. Little Whitewater Creek - from the mouth to Patton.
  5. Crooked Creek - near Marble Hill.

Objective 3.2:

Awareness of stream recreational opportunities and appreciation of stream advocacy increased to a level that will encourage a widespread and diversified public interest in the basin.

Strategy:

Because of suspected low fishing pressure upstream from the Diversion Channel, particularly on Crooked Creek and the Whitewater River, it is assumed that many potential anglers may not be fully aware of all recreational opportunities available in the basin. Careful publicity which focuses on abundant or surplus local stocks, such as redhorse suckers, longear, large common carp or freshwater drum and crayfish, can promote increased use and appreciation of these types of resource elements with minimal risk to other basin populations.

Providing opportunities for the general public to learn about holistic stream ecology will, hopefully, create some stream advocates. More importantly, however, we believe that the ultimate key to sound basin management depends on recruiting, influencing and educating our youth, who will become our present stream advocates and our future stream stewards.

GOAL IV: Meet state standards for water quality.

Status:

Point and nonpoint source pollution is not a serious threat in the basin. Favorable hydrological and geological conditions have combined to produce the wettest basin in the state with permanent, clean, and well sustained base and subsurface flows. Low flow Q-values are high, summer recession rates are low and zero flows have never been recorded at a mainstem gage station. Furthermore, the lack of industrial effluents, the presence of updated municipal sewage treatment facilities and the near absence of irrigation withdrawals further decrease the potential for pollution. Organic nutrient loading from livestock waste runoff and breached no-discharge sewage lagoons probably constitutes the largest water quality threat in the basin. Leachates from sawdust piles and fine sediments from non-permitted gravel mining operations are other sources of pollution.

Objective 4.1:

Meet state standards for water quality.

Strategy:

Enforcement of existing state and federal water quality regulations will help reduce the violations that have occurred in the basin. Increasing public, industrial and local government awareness of potential threats should generate more local interest in water quality problems and solutions.