Chip Walton Undergraduate, Department of Biology Tennessee Tech University

1. Habitat Used By the Spotfin Chub In the Emory River During High Flow and Cold Water Temperatures; preliminary study • Chip Walton • Undergraduate, Department of Biology • Tennessee Tech University

2. Project Summary • Spotfin Chub is an endangered species • Find significant habitat variables during high flow and cold water temperatures • Multiple Regression Analysis

3. In 1977 the Spotfin Chub was placed as a threatened cyprinid species. It was endemic to the Tennessee River drainage of AL, GA, NC, TN, and VA. Now it can only be found in the Duck, Little Tennessee, Emory and North Fork Holston systems Very little information is known on its exact habitat requirements (Jenkins and Burkhead 1984) Background

4. Objectives The objective of this study was to obtain significant habitat variables related to the spotfin chub during a high flow and cold water temperature event in the Emory River, TN.

5. Hypothesis The hypothesis of this preliminary study is that the spotfin chubs will use a specific type of habitat during high flows and cold water temperatures on the Emory River.

6. Methods and Materials • Snorkel and find Spotfin Chub • Collect the 8 variables from each location • Do a multiply regression analysis with a significance level of 0.05

7. Results • 50 spotfin chubs, 23 juveniles and 27 adults • Four variables were significant • Distance to upstream riffle • Depth • Dissolved Oxygen • Substrate • R-Square value was 0.8142

9. Discussion • Depth and Substrate were believed to be the most significant • Burkhead and Jenkins state that a common habitat is gravel and very rarely sand but no spotfin chubs were found on gravel and they were found on sand substrates. • The Emory River is a large river system

10. Conclusion • The spotfin chub has a specific habitat that it lives in or can survive in during high flows and cold water temperatures.

11. Questions? ? Thank you: Dr. Cook, TR Russ, and Brian Fleming