Baseline fish health metrics in at-risk habitats critical for pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus) in the Upper Missouri River Basin and bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) in the Flathead River, Montana, 2017-18

Publication Date

2022-04-21

Start Date

2017-08-24

End Date

2018-08-22

Tillitt, D.E., Rouse, D. R., and Nelson, K.J., 2022, Baseline fish health metrics in at-risk habitats critical for pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus) in the Upper Missouri River Basin and bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) in the Flathead River, Montana, 2017-18: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P90DHO2E.

Enhanced oil and gas production in North America have led to large volumes of product transport in pipelines, railcars, and tanker trucks. Formations such as Three Forks and Bakken within the Williston Basin of Montana and North Dakota have produced more than 1 million barrels of oil per day. Along with the enhanced transport comes greater risks of spills within transportation corridors which often follow riverine habitat for fish species important for recreation, commerce, and conservation. Risk characterization identified potential threats from oil spills to populations of two threatened or endangered species, pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus) in the Upper Missouri River Basin and bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) in Montana. Baseline values were collected in case of a spill in the future. These metrics could be compared to the same metrics in fish from oil spill investigations. These data are critical to accurate evaluation of injury to fish populations in post-spill monitoring and assessments.

• Columbia Environmental Research Center (CERC)
• USGS Data Release Products