Incorporating Movement Potential with Habitat Suitability Models: Implications for the Threatened Western Silvery Minnow (Hybognathus argyritis) in an Augmented Prairie River

Prairie streams have experienced widespread hydrologic alteration due to human activities, with impacts on fish habitats and communities widely acknowledged. Understanding these impacts is an ongoing area of research which relies heavily upon an accurate assessment of the relationship between fishes and their habitats. Many habitat suitability models rely largely upon empirical observations, with little inclusion of more mechanistic principles. Valuable information on the swimming performance of many prominent species is also readily available, though perhaps not in a form easily integrated into traditional habitat suitability models. We investigate the potential of integrating swim performance data collected in a laboratory setting with empirical habitat use observations into a single habitat suitability model. Considering the threatened Western Silvery Minnow (Hybognathus argyritis) in the Milk River of southern Alberta, we explore how hydrologic alterations may be affecting habitat availability and movement potential of the species. By relating swimming ability to movement potential we show that hydrologic alterations in the Milk River may be restricting Western Silvery Minnow movement and impacting overall habitat suitability.