PA319: Natural Features of the PA Watershed (fish)

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Arcadia Creek

Axtell Creek

West Fork Portage Creek

Portage Creek

Natural Features Inventory

Natural Features of the P/A Watershed

Bird
Data

Reptile/Amphibian
Data

--Fish Data:

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources stocks Brown Trout in the following areas of the Portage Arcadia Watershed:

Portage Creek, Centre Avenue, City of Portage, 1,000 individuals.
Portage Creek, Garden Lane, City of Portage, 500 individuals.
Portage Creek, Milham Road, City of Portage, 1,000 individuals.

In August of 1997 the Department of Natural Resources sampled fish by electrofishing from four locations in Portage Creek:

Portage Police Station on South Westnedge Avenue; from rip-rap at downstream end of trout rehabilitation area upstream 320 feet to "deep water" sign.
Kilgore Road; from the downstream side of the bridge to the second railroad bridge.
Milham Road; from the large willow at the seawall 500 feet downstream from bridge.
Romence Road Parkway; from 25 feet downstream from the bridge, 975 feet upstream to a log jam at the island.

A summary of those fish collected is provided in the following table.

Sampling Locations

Species	Common Name	Portage Police Station	Kilgore Road	Milham Road	Romence Road Parkway
Rhinichthys cataractae	Blacknose Dace	56		51	108
Salmo trutta	Brown Trout	2	15	6	11
Umbra limi	Central Mudminnow
Semotilus atromaculatus	Creek Chub	6	26	46	31
Lepomis cyanellus	Green Sunfish	4	2	45	7
Etheostoma nigrum	Johnny Darter		8		106
Ichthyomyzon spp.	Lamprey (Family)				2
Micropterus salmoides	Largemouth Bass		8		4
Cottus spp.	Sculpin (Family)	103	37	29	71
Ampbloplites rupestris	Rock Bass			1
Gasterosteus aculeatus	Threespine Stickleback		1	34	1
Catostomus commersoni	White Sucker	3	60	8	65
Etheostoma caeruleum	Rainbow Darter		5

At the Portage Police Station site, many more sculpins and dace were observed than collected. The habitat appeared suitable for trout however; none were collected. Undercut habitats under the improvement structures had potential to support trout. Many big chubs were collected in these locations. Larger rocks also provide good cover.

The Kilgore Road site had an abundance of in-stream vegetation and long, deep runs. Most trout were collected in deeper runs along the stream banks under overhanging brush. Approximately 500 two-four inch dace were observed but not collected.

At the Milham Road site, much of the substrate is soft and silty. Four of the trout collected were from the rock riffle at the bridge.

At the Romence Road Parkway site, many more sculpins and dace were observed than collected.

Source: Michigan Department of Natural Resources.Fish Collection System. Water Survey, Portage Creek, August 6 - 18, 1997.

Fish data from the Western Michigan Asylum Lake Preserve is located at:
http://www.wmich.edu/asylumlake/natural/knc/fishtable.html

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