Abstract
Recruitment of walleye (Sander vitreus Mitchill) is limited in irrigation reservoirs of the Republican River basin in southwestern Nebraska. The causal mechanism for this limited recruitment is unknown, but may be related to a lack of suitable spawning habitat. Patch occupancy models were developed to describe variation in detection probability and habitat selection during spawning season using shoreline electrofishing data. Detection of adult walleye was negatively affected by water temperature, silt substrate, and woody cover. Adult walleye selected sites with cooler water temperatures and greater fetch at Enders Reservoir, and large rock substrate and no cover at Hugh Butler Lake; these characteristics are limited to areas on or near the riprap dams in both reservoirs. Walleye eggs were also only found in these areas. We conclude that patch occupancy modeling provided valuable information when considering habitat improvement projects and propose a management approach for the addition of walleye spawning habitat in irrigation reservoirs.
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Acknowledgements
We thank Chris Lewis and many volunteers for assistance with field work. We also thank Mark Fincel and Mark Pegg for helpful comments on earlier drafts of this manuscript. This project was funded by Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration, project F-174-R, administered by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. LAP’s contribution was supported by Hatch Act funds through the University of Nebraska Agricultural Research Division, Lincoln, Nebraska. Reference to trade names does not imply endorsement by the authors or any U.S. Government. The Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit is jointly supported by a cooperative agreement among the U.S. Geological Survey, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, the University of Nebraska, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Wildlife Management Institute.
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Martin, D.R., Powell, L.A. & Pope, K.L. Habitat selection by adult walleye during spawning season in irrigation reservoirs: a patch occupancy modeling approach. Environ Biol Fish 96, 429–438 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-011-9939-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-011-9939-3