AUTHORS: Natalie Coash, Missouri Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit; Ashley Hrdina, Missouri Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit; Craig Paukert, US Geological Survey, Missouri Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit; Emily Tracey-Smith, Missouri Department of Conservation; Jason Persinger, Missouri Department of Conservation
ABSTRACT: Missouri’s cold and cool water stream systems face ecological challenges due to historical alterations, land use, and chronic climate pressures. Effective management of these systems requires an applied science-based approach that considers fundamental processes such as thermal regimes, flow variability, and knowledge of surrounding land use, all of which influence aquatic habitat and biotic distribution. Water temperature, in particular, plays a critical role in shaping fish assemblages and stream biota, affecting physiology, behavior, reproduction, and overall habitat suitability. Current data limitations, including a lack of comprehensive water temperature data and insufficient aquatic community data, hinder our ability to characterize and conserve cold and cool water stream habitats effectively in Missouri. This study aims to address data gaps by estimating the distribution and extent of significant cold water stream habitats in Missouri by characterizing fish, macroinvertebrate, and macrophyte communities within these habitats and their thermal transition zones, while complementing sampling with continuous seasonal temperature monitoring and eDNA analysis. Through field sampling and analysis of existing spatial data, this research will refine our understanding of cold, cool, and warm water stream systems statewide. While this study can be useful in identifying thermal refugia and the extent of trout habitat in Missouri; the outcomes of this study will directly benefit stream resource management and conservation by providing critical data pertaining to the unique cold and cool water biological communities beyond our current policy criteria and classification of waters “that support a naturally reproducing or stocked trout fishery”. This improved characterization will support the Missouri Department of Conservation in guiding the development of habitat criteria relevant to resource management, influencing thermal designations under Missouri’s Water Quality Standards, and protecting species of conservation concern. Join us to review the project’s impetus, objectives, site selection, field methods, next steps, and key deliverables.
