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

Fishes of large river ecosystems provide important recreational fisheries with real economic contributions. Management of these large river fish populations, however, is often limited owing to a lack of ecological information. Currently little information is known about the population ecology of Blue Catfish and Flathead Catfish in the Ohio and Kanawha Rivers of West Virginia. This collaborative study involves researchers from the USGS West Virginia Cooperative Research Unit, West Virginia University, West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, and Missouri State University. Data from this study on population demographics, habitat use, and movement of Blue Catfish and Flathead Catfish will inform management decisions for these species, providing data to aid the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources toward further development of these large river fisheries.