THE GREAT RIVERS FIELD STATION: PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE HIGHLIGHTS FROM OVER A 
DECADE OF MONITORING POOL 26 OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER

Eric J. Gittinger, Robert J. Cosgriff, Lori A. Gittinger, Ben J. Lubinski, Eric 
N. Ratcliff, John K. Tucker, and John H. Chick, Illinois Natural History Survey, 
Great Rivers Field Station, 8450 Montclaire Ave, Brighton, IL 62012

      Since 1991, the Illinois Natural History Survey has operated the Great 
Rivers Field Station, one of six field stations associated with the Long Term 
Resource Monitoring Program (LTRMP), to monitor the water quality (WQ), fish, 
plants, and invertebrates in Pool 26 of the Mississippi River.  In addition to 
the LTRMP, several other projects have been conducted by the field station 
studying turtles, habitat rehabilitation projects, floodplain forests, and 
several student projects/theses.  We have recorded several notable developments 
in the last 10 yrs.  Our sampling shows an increase in water temperature in the 
main channel from 1994 to 2004, which matches an increase in the average air 
temperatures locally.  This warming trend appears to have affected some biota 
such as changes in turtle nesting habits and sex ratios, and it may be one of 
the factors explaining our dramatic increase in blue catfish populations, which 
are more common in southern latitudes.  LTRMP data were also useful for 
detecting the spread of exotic species into Pool 26, such as an increase in 
grass carp and the population explosion of bighead and silver carp.  Conversely 
the common carp has significantly declined in numbers, which appears to be a 
systemic trend.   We found evidence that the great flood of 1993 produced strong 
year classes for several species of fish.  The flood also induced changes in 
forest community structure and composition, leaving a long-term imprint on the 
ecology of the Upper Mississippi River System.  The purpose of this poster is to 
provide a brief description of the Great Rivers Field Station, highlight some of 
our findings from the last decade, and glimpse into the future of the field 
station.

Key Words: Mississippi River, Pool 26, Fish, Water Quality, Floodplain Forest