Stauffer creek

[Don Andersen]

Folks,

Over the past number of years I've noticed a lot of the fish have part of their gill plate missing. Anyone's else see this?

Regards,



Don

[Lornce]

Funny that you pointed this out. It was something that was in the back of my head. I kind of wondered if it was predator related, not sure if say otters would target the head.

[rycoma]

http://www.aps.uoguelph.ca/aquacentr...0of%20Fish.pdf

This pertains to mostly stocked fish. Page 5 talk about long term infection and gill plate degradation. Just a thought maybe some bacteria in the water shed

[Don Andersen]

Creek was stocked about 1928 or so. Have a tough time believing any issues still exist with those stockings.


Don

[rycoma]

I don't think it is a stocking issue either Don. It is a gill disses that is related to trout but more so to trout farms. Maybe the same bacteria is in the water shed there.

[Don Andersen]

Hi,

I was reading the information on selenium in the Elk River and saw some pictures that mirror some of the trout I've seen on Stauffer.
The report is here: http://www.teckelkvalley.com/res/vpl/do ... canada.pdf

Going to do more research on the type of testing needed & pricing.

Regards,



Don

[robson3954]

Shouldn't be too expensive to test for heavy metals. I know there's a place in calgary you can drop off your well samples to have them tested

[chucky]

This year I caught at least half a dozen brookies with the gill plate partially missing on one side, I thought there must have been traces from a predator and they grew with it.

[greylynx]

Has there been any recent fish pathology examinations on the Stauffer in the last few years?

If so, there should be a report.

If not, I would say the local fisheries biologist, technicians and person who replaced Bev Larson should do a little sampling.

My advice is to take pictures of different sick fish you have noticed and send them to the ADM's office for the most expeditious reply.

A lot of the pictures that Rycoma's post showed are a result from fish that are under stress of some sort.


And how are diseases transferred into the Stauffer? Let us say I was fishing an area that contained a certain disease yesterday, and my still damp waders are going to be used in the Stauffer today.

[Don Andersen]

Grey...

One test I didn't do was pathology on the fish flesh.

I'd be surprised that any have been done by Govt. Will ask though.

Did ask the TUC Biologist about the gill plate thing and he just shrugged it off.


Don

[AlbertaCutthroat]

I understand this may be due to some other factors as well. I have noticed it especially in brookies across the province, even in streams with no concerning heavy metals. I think it may have to do with genetics (especially if a low number of fish were originally stocked, shallow gene pool) and oxygen levels (more common in creeks with lower oxygen). I have fished many of the selenium "laden" waterbodies and do not notice the operculum defects to be more common than in other "clean" streams. I have also wondered if it's a more common defect in extremely cold streams but I have seen minimal literature discussing that possibility.

[Don Andersen]

Alberta cut..

Where did you find out the selenium concertrations in Alberta waters?
How did you determine the heavy concentration ones? Which lab did you use and what collection protocol was used.

And the water temperature in the top end of Stauffer is ice clear year around suggesting a warmer wared that ice covered streams.

Regards,


Don

[kinwahkly]

Caught a bunch of Bull trout out of upper k lake in K country a few years back and their gill plates were short.

[Lornce]

Actually I haven't noticed it on any the the 150 + Brook trout I took from various streams this season. Only fish on Staffer.

[AlbertaCutthroat]

Originally Posted by Don Andersen

Alberta cut..

Where did you find out the selenium concertrations in Alberta waters?
How did you determine the heavy concentration ones? Which lab did you use and what collection protocol was used.

And the water temperature in the top end of Stauffer is ice clear year around suggesting a warmer wared that ice covered streams.

Regards,


Don

I would suggest spring creeks are cold during the summer but warm enough to stay open in winter (constant), and oxygen may be low. There is a small spring creek by Sundre that has constant cold flow with fairly low oxygen (around 5 ppm) and lots of those fish had funny gills. Great deals of water quality data can be gained from government documents as well as industry baseline reports (they often test local waterbodies near potential disturbance). Even without tests, selinium is generally sourced from very specific geological formations so I would think its unlikely to he your culprit. Test away though, couple hundred bucks a sample for routine metals.