Whiskeytown Reservoir Aquatic Plant Perimeter Inventory

Sarr, Daniel; Truitt, Bob; Bunn, Wendy

The Klamath Region is noted for high proportions of rare and locally endemic plant species. Wetland and riparian, and aquatic plant habitats are undersampled in most of the Klamath Parks. These environments often harbor rare and unique species, and they are often heavily threatened by exotic species. Thirteen species of nonindigenous aquatic plants have been identified through the USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species list as potentially present in our parks (http://nas.er.usgs.gov/). Five of the species (Cotula coronopifolia, Egeria densa, Myriophyllum spicatum, Potamogeton crispus, and Spirodela punctata) have been identified from three of the parks (LAVO, REDW, and WHIS). The same three parks have public recreational boating (LAVO, REDW, and WHIS), the most common method for the distribution of nonindigenous aquatic species (Bratager 1996). Reservoirs such as Whiskeytown present a conundrum in resource management, because they are a nonindigenous ecosystem that nonetheless supports populations of native and non-native plant and animal species. In summer 2003, 67 target aquatic sampling sites were selected along the perimeter of Whiskeytown Reservoir. Out of this pool of samples, 30 sites were selected randomly for field sampling. On July 7-8, 2003, 17 sites were sampled using shoreline surveys and snorkeling. At each site, the crew surveyed a 100-200 m section of shoreline and one person spent fifteen minutes snorkeling the adjacent waters from the surface down to approximately 4 meter depth. Presence and abundance of all species were recorded and specimens were collected. At the same time boat-based crew made three to five benthic tows with a hook.

Whiskeytown Reservoir Aquatic Plant Perimeter Inventory

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