On a rainy October afternoon, three fish species were reintroduced into the beaver ponds of the Big Darby Headwaters Nature Preserve in East Liberty, Ohio.
These species included the blacknose shiner—which is state-endangered—and two state species of concern—the western creek chubsucker and the least darter.
This release was in collaboration with The Ohio State University's School of Environment and Natural Resources. Brian Zimmerman, a research associate for rare and endangered fish at Ohio State University, is leading the project.
“The blacknose shiner was completely eliminated from Ohio at one point. But we have several projects with them elsewhere in Ohio, so they are now state endangered. We are hoping this adds to another population of that species,” says Zimmerman.
Historically, all three of these fish species were documented in the Upper Big Darby Creek watershed, but all have not been found in the area in recent years. This project aims to reintroduce populations of the three species.
On the preserve, the fish were released in a series of wetland pools. Here, beavers have helped to develop this habitat, which will in turn benefit these fish.
“This series of beaver ponds acts like a filter for the water. They function as a silt trap, which is beneficial for the system,” says Zimmerman.
Releasing the Fish
All three species of fish were released from their separate coolers into the beaver ponds at Big Darby Headwaters Preserve.
This collaboration with The Ohio State University is something The Nature Conservancy (TNC) in Ohio looks forward to continuing.
“TNC is very excited to welcome back these lost members of Big Darby Creek’s riverine wetland ecosystem. It is not clear what ecosystem functions may have been lost with the extirpation of these niche species, and we are excited to see how this beaver-made wetland system will continue to evolve with these new members of the community,” says Adam Lehmann, TNC's Central Ohio Water Manager.
A number of the western creek chubsuckers were tagged prior to release, so that they can be differentiated from their offspring during monitoring. The blacknose shiner and least darter—the smallest fish species in Ohio—were too small to tag. Once a year, Zimmerman and his team will conduct fish surveys in the wetland to monitor the establishment of these species via natural reproduction and survivorship of the stocked fish.
“TNC has made great progress in restoring wetland habitat throughout the state, and we look forward to continued collaboration with this team toward establishing stable populations of wetland fishes in Ohio,” says Lehmann.
Quote: Brian Zimmerman
The blacknose shiner was completely eliminated from Ohio at one point. But we have several projects with them elsewhere in Ohio, so they are now state endangered. We are hoping this adds to another population of that species.
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