a) FOGR Activities Supported by OMNR P&E Funding

Water Temperature Monitoring

FOGR volunteers, and Dr. Rutherford's student Laura Lojek of Wilfrid Laurier University (WLU) deployed dataloggers (tiny computers that are put into the water to record temperature data for months at a time) in early July of 2000. Loggers were set to measure temperature every 30 min., and were installed at 13 of the 16 stations in the WLU study looking at the benthic ("bottom-dwelling") community, water chemistry and water temperature. Loggers were retrieved in early December of 2000. One logger was lost, owing to vandalism. Temperature data were successfully downloaded from the retrieved data loggers, and will be made available for distribution. Keep an eye on the FOGR web pages for this report.

Brown Trout Spawning Redd Survey and Mapping

As was reported at the Grand River Fisheries Management meeting in November of 2000, FOGR carried out an annual spawning survey. Thirty-eight FOGR volunteers walked the tailwater section, from Regional Rd. 86 at Westmontrose, to the Shand Dam. Paper maps were generated for use in the geographic information systems (GIS) project to map out suitable spawning habitat.

FOGR CPR Training Session

Nine FOGR volunteers who have agreed to help with electrofishing surveys under the OMNR funded study were certified in CPR at a training session on 18 November, 2000. CPR certification is necessary for OMNR certification in electrofishing. An electrofishing certification course for FOGR volunteers is tentatively scheduled for mid-April, 2001.

Redd Marking

In preparation for studies on swim-up of brown trout fry in spring 2001, spawning redds were marked with stakes on 01 December, 2000. FOGR volunteers, and University Waterloo M.Sc. fisheries student Derek Parks marked redds in areas of concentrated spawning activity defined during the 2000 Redd Survey. These were in the upper river above 2nd Line Garafraxa; at Gilkison St. between Fergus and Elora; and, at the Musselman's access point below the Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA) Elora Gorge Conservation Area.

b) Studies of River Habitat Conditions and Quality Using Invertebrate and Fish Communities at Wilfrid Laurier University

Summary of Sampling Efforts to Date

The portions of the proposed study plan that are under the supervision of Dr. J.E. Rutherford of Wilfrid Laurier University include a) benthic ("bottom-dwelling") invertebrate (mostly bugs and worms) community study, b) fish community study, and c) water chemistry study. This report details the progress made on these three projects.

Benthic Invertebrate Community Study

As proposed, triplicate samples of the benthic invertebrate communities at the 16 stations established in previous studies, have been collected. The sampling was carried out by Laura Lojek, using the same techniques that she used to complete her Bachelor of Science thesis project based on samples taken in 1998 and 1999. The sampling was carried out in the summer of 2000, between early July and mid August; sampling dates for particular stations were generally within a week of sampling carried out at those stations in the previous year. Consequently, comparison of the samples between the years will not be confounded by any seasonal effects. The processing of the samples - picking, sorting, identification, and enumeration - is well underway. Two individuals are carrying out this work. John Klymko, an OAC co-op student, has been working on the sorting of picked samples, as well as retrieving small specimens from materials scraped from the rocks at the time of sampling. He has been performing these duties as part of his work-term placement responsibilities for course credit, and consequently, is not paid. Mark Horsburgh, a biologist with an Masters of Science degree from U. of Waterloo, is carrying out identification. J. Rutherford confirms final identifications of animals collected. We are confident that the identifications of all specimens in the samples collected during the summer of 2000 will be completed by May 1, 2000. When this is complete, we will have an excellent dataset, with detailed records of the identity and relative abundances of the benthic invertebrates of the Grand River in the stretch from the Shand Dam, to West Montrose, starting with summer-collections made in 1997. The full datasets will be made available, in electronic form, to Friends of the Grand, the Ministry of Natural Resources, and the Grand River Conservation Authority. Included in this report is a summary of the payments made to Laura Lojek and to Mark Horsburgh for sampling (including mileage payments to L. Lojek) and sample processing.

Fish Community Study

Sampling of the forage fish communities of the riffle habitats of the same 16 stations in the Grand River was completed in the fall of 2000 (from early October to late November). A B.Sc. thesis student, Kim Horne, carried out the sampling and identification of the fishes under the supervision of Dr. Ed Kott. Several volunteers helped with the seine netting of the fishes, including John Klymko and Jay Dietrich (a Master of Science candidate at the University of New Brunswick). All specimens were identified in the field, with the exception of voucher specimens (bugs and worms which are collected for careful identification saved in formalin). These samples are deposited in the WLU museum collection. Dr. Kott obtained a sampling permit to carry out this study. No game fishes were collected by this sampling technique, at any of the stations. The final thesis produced by K. Horne, based on the data collected this fall, will be made available to Friends of the Grand, the Ministry of Natural Resources, and the Grand River Conservation Authority.

Dr. Ian Martin, Dr. Kott and Dr. Rutherford met in late fall to discuss the fish sampling project. We agreed that it would be useful to repeat the sampling effort, with focus on the pool communities, at the 16 stations, in early summer of 2001 (most likely June). Dr. Kott will apply for a permit to carry out this study.

Water Chemistry Study

Water chemistry data was collected by L. Lojek at 15 of the stations in late summer of 2000. The following parameters were measured and recorded: ambient water temperature, conductivity, pH, alkalinity, total hardness, nitrate, nitrite, phosphate, total iron, and sulphate. These factors are all critical to fish survival and successful fish spawning). In addition, several "spot" samples of water, from stations chosen from those along the full length of the river study-section, have been taken and analyzed this fall. John Klymko, using Hach kit procedures, performed the water chemistry tests. A full set of 16 samples representing winter conditions, and another set of samples representing spring conditions, will be taken and analyzed. These samples will be comparable to previous information on Grand River water chemistry included in a thesis project carried out by Colin Darling (under the supervision of J. Rutherford), and completed in the spring of 1999.

Ian Martin, Ph.D.

Vice-president, FOGR

Chair, FOGR Biological Projects