demonstrated that fish will move into flooded 

 areas duririg high water stages . He eradicated 

 fish from a rearing pond at the U.S . Fishery 

 Station, Guttenberg, Iowa, which had been dry 

 in the fall of 1950 but from which 124 pounds 

 of fish per acre were obtained after recession 

 of the flood water in the spring of 1951 . Fish 

 had access to the pond for approximately 2 

 weeks, during which time 16 identified sp)ecies 

 had moved into the area . Random movement 

 of several species into and out of a Mississippi 

 River backwater area has also been reported 

 (Upper Mississippi River Conservation Com- 

 mittee, 64). Surfaer (54) related similar 

 activity in Mississippi River sloughs to changes 

 in water level. 



Bluegill:--The growth of bluegills was 

 determined from 169 fish collected from area 

 A. and area B, 1948 and 1949 . Althoi jh this 

 sample was larger than that of any other species 

 examined, the oldest age group was in its fifth 

 season of growth (age group IV) and was repre- 

 sented by only two specimens . The average 

 calculated total lengths at the end of each year 

 of life of the four age groups present were 2.0, 

 4.4, 6.4, and 8.4 inches, respectively (Table 

 23). 



With two exceptions , the growth of the 

 black crappie in the Fountain City backwater 

 areas was generally faster than that cited in 

 several waters in various localities (Table 26). 

 After the third growing season, average calcu- 

 lated growth in areas A and B was greater than 

 the Michigan (Beckman, 1949) and southern 

 Wisconsin (Mackenthun, 29) average total 

 lengths at capture for corresptonding age groups. 



-3c^ail iTW^g* uluilllta to^al Ingtbs la Inches at zImc ot 

 wmoljis foisatioD of the blTiegi 11, se2BS oambLnedf froa =Tes 

 A, 19LS, ano ares r, IptiS aid TSIS. 



The bluegills collected in areas A and B 

 grew much faster than those from waters in 

 various localities listed in table 24 . The 

 average calculated total lengths of age groups 

 III and rV exceeded the average total lengths 

 at capture for the corresponding age groups of 

 the bluegill in 17 southern Wisconsin lakes 

 (Mackenthum, 30) and were larger than the 

 Michigan average total lengths at capture for 

 the same two age groups (Beckman, 4) . 



Black crappie:--Growth rate of the black 

 crappie collected in area A, and area B in 1948 

 and 1949 was calculated from 132 scale samples . 

 Since the five year classes found in these areas 

 were all well represented, we believe the 

 average growth calculated from this ccliection 

 more truly represents actual conditions than 

 those determined for other species. *c the end 

 of each of the first five growing seasons , the 

 black crappie averaged 2.7 , 5.7, 8.5, 10.3, and 

 11.4 inches, respectively, in total length 

 (Table 25). 



blasgill fr3B different localities. 



V lT*r3f= grawti: rvL^jr Ue by CaJ-'a-T^er 'l^Cdj; 



36 



