Beneficial Effects Of Missouri River Flood

[Tim Smith]

We had some discussion on this earlier and as predicted, the flood this year has been a boon for fish on large rivers.

(and if the corn crop is down this year it's because there hasn't been enough rain rather than the other way around)

From the AFS message board...

Missouri River is a "biological payday" for fisheries

by Dar Danielson <http://www.radioiowa.com/author/ddanielson/> on August

15, 2011.www.radioiowa.com

While the flooding on the Missouri River has caused a lot of headaches for

the people living there, an expert with the Iowa Department of Natural

Resources says it looks like its going to be a good thing for the animals

that live in the river. Southwest Iowa fisheries supervisor, Chris Larson

(AFS member, '91) , says the flooding is having a major impact on the

habitat.

"It's kind of a biological payday for us in fisheries because the fish have

been restricted to the channel for almost 57 years, and now they have this

huge expanse of area to live and reproduce and grow and things like that,"

Larson explains. Larson says there was an effort to improve the habitat

before the flooding, and this is an extra benefit.

He says they obviously did not want to see the river flood to such extent

that it damaged human property and lives, but he says there will be a small

benefit from shallow habitat areas created that weren't here before. He says

the floodwaters are teaming with life.

Larson says crews have been doing some sampling and they are seeing "young

of year" fish species all over the flood plain that they have not seen in

the past, especially above Omaha where the river has rarely been out of its

banks. He says they are seeing "paddlefish and saugers and blue suckers and

all different kinds of species that're taking advantage of the smorgasbord

of food that's left out there for 'em."

Larson says there should be a wealth of good new fishing in the area after

the floodwaters finally recede. Larson says he can't think of any fish

species that have not been found in the floodplain in their limited

sampling. The floodwaters are expecting to continue recede through the month

of August.