Long-Term Fish Community Response to a Reach-Scale Stream Restoration

At a global scale, aquatic ecosystems are being changed by human activities at a greater rate than at any other time in history. In recent years, grassroots efforts have generated interest in the restoration of degraded aquatic habitats, especially small watersheds where such projects are feasible with local resources. Here, we present ecological management lessons learned from monitoring the long-term fish community response to the channel relocation and reach-level restoration of Juday Creek, a 3^rd-order tributary of the St. Joseph River in Indiana. Completed in 1997, the restoration project at the Notre Dame Warren Golf Course was designed to increase habitat complexity, reverse the effects of accumulated sand and silt, and mitigate for the impacts of the golf course development.

Our 17-year monitoring program revealed that habitat conditions have supported the resurgence of native fish species (rock bass, largemouth bass, and smallmouth bass) from non-native Salmonidae (brown trout, rainbow trout). In addition, native, non-game species have remained stable or have increased in population abundance (e.g., Johnny darter, mottled sculpin). We focus our discussion on the lessons learned and the potential to incorporate historical, ecological, and legal perspectives into local planning and policy to adapt watershed management under Indiana Drainage Law.