By Ev Hoyt
You will recall the presentation a couple of months ago by Jeff Shearer and Ron Koth, resident GFP
biologists, in which they confirmed that electroshocking results in Spearfish Creek in 2006 showed a
continued and dramatic decline in the population of adult fish in certain sections of Spearfish Creek,
reaching near-lows based on historic records since 1993. BHFF fly fishermen who fish Spearfish
Creek on a regular basis had formally reported to GFP in 2005 their concerns that a significant,
unexplained fish loss had occurred in Spearfish Creek.
The “State of the Fishery” throughout the Black Hills area is presently at a low point in recent history.
As a result of the continued drought, Spring Creek below Sheridan Lake has been dry for the past
several years, and a couple of years before going dry Spring Creek suffered through high water
temperatures which cooked most of the resident brown trout. Rapid Creek, from Pactola Dam to
Rapid City, has been severely impacted by Didymo and fish populations have dropped to less than
ten percent of historic averages -- in the 100 meter electroshocking site near Jim Hawke’s place, you
can now count the number of wild adult fish on one hand.
So, the recent GFP news confirming that the fishery in certain sections of Spearfish Creek had lost
significant numbers of adult fish is cause for alarm for Black Hills fly fishermen. Drought and low
flows could not be the explanation, because flows in Spearfish Creek have been relatively stable,
and in the section from Savoy to Hydro No. 2 flows have been enhanced by increased stream flows
at Savoy.
GFP biologists Koth and Shearer believe that part of the problem may be that the natural carbonate
cementation of the creek bottom in Spearfish Creek has affected the population of aquatic insects,
leading in part to the decline in fish numbers in certain sections of Spearfish Creek. They point out
that Spearfish Creek has not experienced stream flows sufficient to mobilize the creek bottom since
the flood of 1995. Following a recent meeting with Mayor Jerry Krambeck of Spearfish, who is
concerned about the decline of the fishery in Spearfish Creek within the City of Spearfish, Koth and
Shearer indicated that they are considering limited stream habitat work and stream bed disturbance
in Spearfish Creek within the City of Spearfish as an initial approach to study the resulting effects of
stream bottom disturbance on the aquatic invertebrate populations and the fishery.
On a recent Saturday morning, the regular group of BHFF coffee drinkers at Dakota Angler &
Outfitter began to speculate that there may be other contributing factors to the dramatic decline in
the fishery in certain sections of Spearfish Creek. Certainly, there has been some fish movement
and relocation in the stream as a result of increased flows from Savoy to Hydro No. 2, but that could
not account for the anecdotal evidence that fish numbers had decreased in most sections of
Spearfish Creek. Fish loss due to predators such as mergansers, mink, herons, and others was
discussed but thought to be a relative constant since 1993. Harvest of fish by fishermen and
increased fishing pressure due to the loss of the fisheries in Rapid Creek and Spring Creek were
discussed, but fish numbers are also down significantly in the catch and release section of Spearfish
Creek. If there were sudden disease or event, more dead fish bodies at the bottom of pools. Should
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we expect a ransom note from fish terrorists who might have
sneaked across the border and captured thousands of fish from
Spearfish Creek?
The discussion continued, with all sorts of wild speculation and
theories about possible causes of the fishery decline – and at
this time only the reclassification of Pluto has been ruled out of
further discussion and speculation. But, the inquiry is ongoing,
and all BHFF members are invited to present your own theories
for critique by the distinguished panel of kibitzers on any
Saturday morning – you need only be creative in your
presentation and thick-skinned during the critique.
The conclusion of the group of learned fl y fishermen from
various fields of academic discipline was that perhaps a number
of factors could be ruled out by conducting fish flesh testing of
fresh fish cadavers from Spearfish Creek. The theory was that
through fish flesh testing, we might determine if the fish were
diseased or had ingested over a period of time harmful
elements which had accumulated in lethal quantities in their
sensitive systems. Would it be useful research if BHFF were to
fund and conduct a fish flesh testing experiment in Spearfish
Creek? Resident fisheries whiz Hans Stephenson, owner of
Dakota Angler and Outfitter and armed with a biology degree
and post graduate research, was drafted by the group to lead
the BHFF effort into these uncharted waters, so to speak.
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After initial inquiry with a number of sources in the environmental testing field, we found that fish
flesh testing is not done in the normal course of business in stream and fishery research. Apparently
some fish flesh testing was done in Spearfish Creek in 1993, and those results did not indicate a
problem in the fishery. Fish flesh testing was apparently done in Rapid Creek in 2002, and we’re
following up on that. We have discussed the possible experiment with Jeff Shearer, and he has
volunteered his support and observations to the experiment. Patrick Snyder of DENR in Pierre has
offered some suggestions about the protocols which might be followed in conducting a fish flesh test,
and he has suggested that DENR might be interested in conducting fish flesh testing in Spearfish
Creek in 2007. We want to include GFP and DENR as participants, or at least observers, in our effort
so that the results of any test will be considered to be of scientific value to them.
Leah Elwell, Conservation Coordinator for FFF in Livingston, has been very helpful in locating a US
Fish and Wildlife Service lab in Bozeman which does fish flesh testing and analysis. She has
contacted a friend there who has explained that they may be able to provide some support to a joint
BHFF/SDGFP testing effort. Results of the tests by the USFWS lab might be provided with three
months. Roger Hodson, a fl y fisherman and BHFF member who leads the private environmental
testing firm of American Engineering Testing in Rapid City, has also offered some advice and
support.
So, we’re continuing to collect and evaluate information about the value and protocol for a possible
fish flesh testing experiment in Spearfish Creek. Next step will be to contact a number of the
laboratories which conduct such tests to evaluate their suggestions about a possible experiment.
With Captain Hans at the helm, we venture forth with great anticipation into the unknown regions of
fish science in search of answers to the mystery of the dramatic disappearance of fish from
Spearfish Creek. Stop down at Dakota Angler & Outfitter some Saturday morning, after the
Legislative Crackerbarrel at Tech, and join in the speculation about the missing trout of Spearfish
Creek.
Stay tuned……………
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