PARENT SESSION
Poster Session #21: Riparian and Wetland Restoration.
Tuesday, August 6. Presentation from 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM. Exhibit Hall B & C, TCC

Effects of habitat enhancement on fish assemblages in a golf course stream.

Becker, Tristin^*,1, Crow, Erin¹, Toepfer, Conrad¹, ¹ Millikin University, Decatur, IL

ABSTRACT- A golf course in Macon County, Illinois has enhanced stream habitat structure in order to gain recognition as an environmentally-friendly course. During the summer and fall of 2001, we compared habitat structure and fish assemblages of the stream to nearby streams located in conservation areas. Three sampling sites in the stream, located above the course and on the upper and lower areas of the course, were surveyed. Three additional sites were chosen in two streams that were similar in size and located in protected areas. Species richness and diversity values were highest in the golf course stream, with 11-17 species and diversity values ranging from 0.93-1.06. The streams on the protected areas had 8-16 species and diversity values ranging from 0.68-0.915. A cluster analysis indicated that the golf course sites had fish assemblages similar to one of the conservation sites while assemblages in another conservation area were considerably different. The sites were widely divergent in habitat structure with higher temperatures, more instream cover, and less silt in the golf course sites and deeper, wider channels in two of the three protected sites. The presence of some species seemed to be associated with habitat conditions found in the golf course stream. For example, Etheostoma spectabile prefers riffles and pools which were found only in that stream. Silt-intolerant species, such as Campostoma pullum and Pimephales notatus also were more abundant there. Managers at the golf course have actively modified habitat by enhancing riffle/pool structure in the stream. The habitat modification, close proximity of a larger river, and lack of impacts outside the golf course likely resulted in the higher species richness and diversities.

KEY WORDS: habitat enhancement, fish assemblages