Project Number: 6408-13660-005-03
Project Type: Specific Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: Sep 01, 1999
End Date: Aug 31, 2004

Objective:
Document the changes in water quality and ecology of oxbow lake ecosystems resulting from the implementation of different intensities and types of best managment practices in a management system evaluation area. Examine the relationships between quality of agriculture runoff, lake productivity, and vertebrate and invertebrate communities as water quality improves as a result of management practices.

Approach:
The relationships between "best management practices" (BMP) and primary and secondary productivity will be quantified. The relationships among modified agricultrual practices, agricultural runoff, aquatic habitat characteristics, and aquatic organisms will be examined. The efficacy of system renovation and imposition of modified agricultural practices regarding the establishment and maintenance of exploitable centrarchid fish stocks in oxbow lakes will be determined. Changes in oxbow lake water quality, fish community structure, and aquatic habitat over time will be measured. Models of the relationship between water quality variables and ecological characteristics will be developed. Examine the efficacy of system renovation and imposition of modified agricultural practices regarding the establishment and maintenance of biotic integrity in oxbow lakes.