fathead minnows and brook sticklebacks, the usual 

 inhabitants, in the upper South Fork Moreau site 



#1. 



The influence offish stocking is considerable. 

 Green suntlsh and black bullhead, two introduced 

 fish species, dominated some sites. We know that 

 most stock ponds and reservoirs in this part of the 

 state have been stocked with various introduced 

 species of tlsh at some time (Doug Backland, SD 

 NHP, pers. comm. 2006). In addition to reducing 

 native fish numbers through competition, stocked 

 fish can often overwhelm a stream reach and 

 displace the natives. Since the non-native or 

 stocked fish now represent self-sustaining 

 communities, they have considerable influence on 

 the stream ecosystems. 



Macroinvertebrate Communities 



Overall. 1 18 macroinvertebrate taxa were reported 

 from the Slim Butte 2006 assessment sites. 

 Average macroinvertebrate taxa richness per site 

 was 29 and the highest taxa richness reported at 

 one site (Little Missouri) was 50 taxa (Appendix 

 B). Using the Montana DEQ macroinvertebrate 

 multimetric index (MMl), 9 of the 1 8 sites were 

 ranked non-impaired (good to excellent biological 

 integrity), 6 were slightly impaired and 3 

 moderately impaired (Table 7). South Fork Grand 

 River sites #1 & #2 had reference condition 

 macroinvertebrate scores for a Great Plains Prairie 

 Stream with DEQ MMl scores of 75.7 and 69.8, 

 respectively (Table 7). The Little Missouri River 

 sites ranked excellent with Montana MMl scores in 

 the 60"s and lower 70"s. Sites visited in the South 

 Fork Grand River basin received higher 

 macroinvertebrate scores than those in the Moreau 

 basin. The 3 sites in the Little Missouri River basin 

 that ranked high for tlsh as a Medium-Large 

 Prairie River, received excellent macroinvertebrate 

 integrity scores. Macroinvertebrate community 

 structure in the Slim Buttes sites responded to 

 similar landscape factors as found with tlsh (stream 

 size and lotic-connected vs. lentic-ponded- 

 unconnected conditions), but were less affected by 

 the connectivity of pools. However, most stream 

 sites that contained riffle areas between the pools 

 scored much higher with the MMl than sites with 

 exclusively pool areas. The Montana MMl was 



not as effective at ranking intermittent sites that 

 contained intact communities, but were dominated 

 by the more tolerant species of that assemblage. 



Dragonflies and Damselflies 



Incidental dragonfly and damselfly observations 

 were made and recorded during the fish and 

 macroinvertebrate surveys (Table 8). Three 

 dragonfly species were common across most sites 

 (Common Green Darner, Anax Junius; Eight- 

 spotted Skimmer, LibeUuIa forensis and the 

 Variegated Meadowhawk, Sympetrium 

 corruptum) and no species of concern were noted 

 at any sites. The pale snaketail, Ophiogomphus 

 sevenis, was only spotted at Medium Prairie River 

 sites with good flow and gravel substrates. The 

 damselflies (Familiar Bluet Enallagma civile. 

 Northern Bluet, Enallagma cyathigerum, Eastern 

 Forktail, Ischnura verticalis and the Common 

 Spreadwing, Lestes disjunctus) were common 

 among the sites. Sites with abundant aquatic 

 vegetation (South Fork Moreau # 1 . North Fork 

 Moreau #1. Crooked Creek, Campbell Creek and 

 Jones Creek #1 & 2) had abundant populations of 

 larval damselflies as well. 



Amphibian and Reptile Incidentals 



Incidental herpetofauna observations were made 

 and recorded in conjunction with the fish and 

 macroinvertebrate surveys. Three amphibian 

 species (Woodhouse's Toad. Bufo woodhousii. 

 Great Plains Toad. Bufo cognatus and the 

 Northern Leopard Frog, Rana pipiens ) and 2 

 reptile species (Snapping Turtle, Chelydra 

 serpentina and Plains Garter Snake, Thamnophis 

 radix) were recorded during the surveys. 

 Northern Leopard Frogs had the highest site 

 occupancy rate at 72%. 



13 



