Depth average velocity of select Rock Outcrops of the St. Croix River, May 2021

Publication Date

2022-11-08

Start Date

2021-05-03

End Date

2021-05-05

Hanson, J.L., Strange, J.M., Sattler, S.R., Hoy, E.E., and Newton, T.J., 2022, Hydroacoustic mapping of physical habitat for imperiled freshwater mussels in the St. Croix River: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9EUMCSF.

Data were collected to quantify water depth, flow, and rock configuration (e.g., spatial arrangement, size, shape) associated with habitat (e.g., bedrock, rock outcrops, etc.) occupied by imperiled mussels Spectaclecase (Margaritifera monodonta) and Salamander (Simpsonaias ambigua). Combining these types of information with measures of slope, roughness, and backscatter may provide more information to qualitatively and quantitatively describe these rock habitats. Information on habitat associations can be used by managers to identify and characterize existing occupied habitats, identify potential reintroduction areas, and implement restoration programs. Acoustic Doppler velocity profilers are specifically designed to measure river discharge, three-dimensional water currents, depths, and bathymetry from a moving vessel. Measuring the flow and velocity around a study site can help understand how suspended sediments and nutrients are moving through the river system - a key factor for understanding imperiled mussel habitats. The averaged flow mosaics are intended to be assessed among the different rock sites and determine whether associations might exist among the rock habitats, flow velocities, and mussels.

ScienceBase WMS

ScienceBase WCS

• Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center (UMESC)

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