Access digital copies of guides and regulations publications from the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.
Issue link: http://digital.outdoornebraska.gov/i/1515540
Nebraska Game and Parks Commission 41 Research on the Missouri River focuses on walleye and sauger movement Walleye and sauger are among the most popular sport fish species to anglers fishing Lewis and Clark Lake and the upper Missouri River bordering Nebraska and South Dakota. Their populations, however, are dynamic, experiencing ups and downs based on several factors. To better understand these factors, a collaborative research project aims to: • determine walleye and sauger movement patterns in the river and lake system • determine fish entrainment through Gavins Point Dam. Insights into angler harvest and fish exploitation also are expected. Results from this project, which began in 2021, will be used to guide future fisheries management in the system and continue Game and Parks' focus on science-based natural resource management. Partners on the project include South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks; the University of Nebraska-Lincoln; and Nebraska Game and Parks. A walleye is fitted with a metal jaw tag as part of a study to understand declines in the walleye and sauger fisheries in the Missouri River. Snakes fitted with trackers New research is focusing on protecting the western massasauga and the people working where the snakes live. The western massasauga is a threatened snake species occurring in southeastern Nebraska. Recent studies show they are using green spaces in the right- of-way along several roads managed by the Nebraska Department of Transportation in Jefferson, Gage, Pawnee and Richardson counties. In an effort to protect them and the people working along these roadsides, several snakes were fitted with radio trackers in 2023 in order for Game and Parks to learn where they travel and hibernate and how they use the green spaces along these roadsides. One of the main goals of this research is to provide recommendations to avoid or minimize impacts to protected snakes for future NDOT maintenance and construction projects. A western massasauga rattlesnake is fitted with a radio tracker to document its movement.