Iowa Department of Natural Resources Blue Sucker in Des Moines River, Iowa (DSMRBLS2024)

The Lower Des Moines River runs for approximately 140 miles from Red Rock Dam to its confluence with the Upper Mississippi River at Keokuk, Iowa. The river is home to a complex fisheries biota and is important to several species of Greatest Conservation Need. One of these species is the Blue Sucker Cycleptus elongatus. Thirteen Blue Suckers were implanted with acoustic transmitters and their movements were evaluated on an extensive array of 17 receivers located in the Lower Des Moines River. Initially, two of the 13 individuals likely perished post-surgery. Of the surviving 11, most exhibited relatively extensive downstream movements through the summer of 2023. Three of these individuals moved between 10 and 60 miles downstream by mid-summer whereas five individuals were ultimately determined to have reached pool 20 of the Upper Mississippi River. However, no detections of fish within the Lower Des Moines River were recorded following mid-July, 2023. This lack of observed detections may be partially the result of little movement of fish remaining within the Lower Des Moines River during low flows resulting from severe drought conditions. Alternatively, these same low flows may have resulted in poor detection probability.

Points of Contact

• Mark Flammang

  Iowa Department of Natural Resources

  Principal Investigator