Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units Program: Iowa
Education, Research and Technical Assistance for Managing Our Natural Resources

Fish assemblages and habitat conditions in two streams in the Boone River Watershed (BRW), White Fox Creek and Eagle Creek, will be monitored to evaluate their potential as Topeka shiner population sources and conduits for associated oxbow habitats. Eagle Creek and associated natural oxbows support the only known remnants of the Topeka shiner distribution in the BRW. Topeka shiners are presumed extirpated from the White Fox Creek sub-watershed, but five oxbows have been restored there for Topeka shiners and three of them have subsurface tile inflow for maintenance of water supply and nitrate sequestration. The success of restored oxbows for Topeka shiners is dependent on existence of populations in associated streams with suitable habitat. Our monitoring and assessment results will help guide present and future oxbow restorations and inform potential future Topeka shiner reintroduction to the BRW.