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

South Dakota Project

Influence of an Invasive Diatom Didymosphenia geminata on Food Availability and Brown Trout Energetics in Rapid Creek, South Dakota

September 2007 - June 2011

Personnel

Participating Agencies

  • South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks

Didymosphenia geminata (hereafter referred to as ‘Didymo’) is a relatively large, easy-to-identify diatom that historically occurred in low productivity streams and lakes at northern latitudes. Since the mid-1980s, the geographic range of Didymo has expanded in many regions of Europe and North America. In many cases, these populations have taken on characteristics of an invasive species – often forming large, nuisance growths that cover stream benthos. In 2002, Didymo was reported from the Rapid Creek drainage in the Black Hills of western South Dakota. Rapid Creek represents an important brown trout Salmo trutta fishery for South Dakota, particularly below Pactola Reservoir – a reach that has long been recognized as a ‘blue ribbon’ catch-and-release fishery.

Research Publications Publication Date
James, D. A., J. W. Wilhite, and S. R. Chipps. 2010. Influence of drought conditions on brown trout biomass and size structure in the Black Hills, South Dakota. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 30:791-798. | Download June 2010
James, D. A., S. H. Ranney, S. R. Chipps, and B. D. Spindler. 2010. Invertebrate composition and abundance associated with Didymosphenia geminata in a montane stream. Journal of Freshwater Ecology 25(2):235-241. | Download June 2010
Presentations Presentation Date
James, D. and S. Chipps. 2009. Factors associated with the distribution and abundance of Didymosphenia geminata in the Black Hills, South Dakota. Oral Presentation at the 139th Annual Meeting of the American Fisheries Society, Nashville, Tennessee. September 2009
James, D. A. and S. R. Chipps. February 23, 2010. Comparison of brown trout diets from Didymosphenia geminate impacted and non-impacted streams. Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Dakota Chapter of the American Fisheries Society, Spearfish, South Dakota. February 2010
James, D. A., J. W. Wilhite, and S. R. Chipps. February 24, 2009. Influence of drought conditions on brown trout Salmo trutta biomass in the Black Hills, South Dakota. Annual Meeting, Dakota Chapter, American Fisheries Society, Bismarck, North Dakota. February 2009
James, D.A., I.J. Csargo, A. VonEschen, M.D. Thul, J.M. Baker, C.A. Hayer, and S.R. Chipps. A Generalized Model for Estimating the Energy Density of Invertebrates. 141st Annual Meeting of the American Fisheries Society, Seattle, WA. September 2011
James, D.A., and S.R. Chipps. 2011. The Impact of Didymosphenia geminata on brown trout: Biological villain or ecological scapegoat? 141st Annual Meeting of the American Fisheries Society, Seattle, WA. September 2011
James, D., K. Mosel, and S. Chipps. December 2, 2009. Influence of light availability on Didymosphenia geminata in a montane stream. 70th Annual Midwest Fish and Wildlife Conference, Springfield, Illinois. December 2009
James, D., and S. R. Chipps. 2010. The influence of Didymosphenia geminata on fisheries resources in Rapid Creek, South Dakota –an eight year history. September 2010
James, C.A., I.J. Csargo, A. Von Eschen, C.A. Hayer, J. Howell, J. Krause, A. Letvin, M.D. Thul, and S.R. Chipps. 2011. Use of dry- to wet-weight ratios to estimate energy density of invertebrates. 48th Annual meeting of the Dakota Chapter American Fisheries Society, Bismarck, ND. February 2011