Background 



The electrofishing program described in this report adds to a data set begun in 

 1956 when Dr. William C. Starrett of the Illinois Natural History Survey initiated an 

 annual electrofishing survey of the Illinois River. The survey was supported from a 

 variety of sources until 1985 when funding lapsed. Field work resumed in the fall of 

 1989 with support from the federal program in sport fish restoration and the Illinois 

 Department of Conservation, as a 5-year Survey and Investigation that extends until 

 1994. 

 Organizat ion and Contents of Report 



This report is organized according to the 6 jobs described in the Annual Work 

 Plan for Segment 2, and covers the period 1 April 1990 to 31 March 1991. Although a 

 comprehensive analysis of the entire 40-year data set awaits completion of the 5-year 

 investigation in 1994, selected findings are highlighted in each year's annual report. This 

 past year's major findings are reported as Job 6, Presentation of Results, and are briefly 

 summarized below. 



The numbers, lengths, and weights of each species of fish caught in 1990 are 

 presented by sampling station in Appendix A. The collections are presented in order by 

 sampling date, and arc cross-indexed by location (see the index at the beginning of 

 Appendix A). The Appendix is 76 pages long, and was not attached to all copies of the 

 annual report to save copying and mailing expenses. Copies are available from the 

 Principal Investigator, Dr. Richard E. Sparks, Illinois Natural History Survey; Mr. 

 William Bertrand, Project Officer, Illinois Department of Conservation; and Mr. Jim 

 Allen, Head of the Programs Section, Illinois Department of Conservation. Data are also 

 available for IBM PCs on floppy disks in RBase for DOS. 



