Geology topics

Henry F. Doyle

Publications and source records attributed to Henry F. Doyle.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

USGS2026

Controlling invasive carp ichthyoplankton dispersion using a streamwise-oriented bubble screen: A proof-of-concept validation in a laboratory flume

Recent evidence of invasive grass carp ( Ctenopharyngodon idella ) reproducing in tributaries to the Laurentian Great Lakes has highlighted the need for control efforts targeting multiple life stages. Initial attempts to control dispersal of downstream-drifting invasive carp ichthyoplankton (i.e., eggs and larvae) using an oblique bubble screen (OBS) revealed that nearly neutrally buoyant grass carp eggs and larvae enter helical-like motions driven by the OBS, preventing aggregation within a single capture location. To improve dispersal control methods for such early-life stage carp, we used a laboratory flume to investigate the efficacy of a streamwise-oriented bubble screen to facilitate their near-bank capture. Five early-life stages of grass carp were tested: live water-hardened eggs, pre- and post-gas bladder inflation larvae, dead larvae, and dead eggs (preserved in formalin solution and later rehydrated). A range of mean channel velocities (0.23, 0.45, and 0.75 m/s) was tested for all drifters. Capture percentages increased with increasing airflow. Preserved eggs, for instance, showed capture percentages up to 95 %, 87 %, and 69 % at low, medium, and high water velocities for the highest airflow rate, respectively, in contrast with the lower than 5 % capture measured for zero airflow cases. Symmetric secondary flow structures on either side of the bubble screen induced helical trajectories of drifters and facilitated their capture in net-arrays along each wall. Velocity data were used to estimate helical recirculation timescales, enabling calculation of optimal bubble diffuser and net-array lengths for desired capture rates. This study provides useful guidance for the design of effective systems to control dispersal of downstream-drifting ichthyoplankton of invasive carp in streams.

Journal of Great Lakes Research↗

USGS2026

Development and assessment of fluorescent-dyed, preserved invasive grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) eggs as surrogates for live eggs in transport and dispersal control experiments

Invasive species such as grass carp ( Ctenopharyngodon idella ) pose substantial ecological threats to North American freshwater ecosystems. Understanding their early life stage behavior is critical for management efforts. From spawning to hatching, invasive carp eggs must remain suspended in the water column while drifting downstream for the best chance of survival. This highly vulnerable life stage is a potential target for population control to reduce recruitment. However, studying egg transport and potential dispersal control techniques is challenging, because the availability of live eggs and time period for experimentation are extremely limited. Additionally, accurately replicating the physical characteristics and transport mechanisms of fish eggs using surrogates in laboratory and field studies is not trivial. This study presents a novel method to create fluorescein-dyed, preserved grass carp eggs as surrogates for live eggs in transport and dispersal control experiments. This technique enables year-round studies of grass carp egg transport, offering managers a reliable tool for developing and testing dispersal control and passive sampling methods for invasive carp eggs. In this study, we rehydrate and dye preserved grass carp eggs in varying concentrations of aqueous fluorescein for a range of rehydration times, evaluate dye retention and egg visibility under ultraviolet light (UV-A), and measure diameters and settling velocities for comparison with live eggs. Eggs rehydrated in 0.100 g per liter fluorescein for 30 min maintain adequate brightness for up to 40 min in mixed conditions and exhibit mean settling velocities and densities similar to live eggs, making them ideal for laboratory experiments using quantitative imaging techniques.

River Research and Applications↗

USGS2024

Special Contributing Area Loading Program user’s manual

The Special Contributing Area Loading Program (SCALP) is a hydrologic routing program that simulates reservoir routing through a linear-reservoir-in-series method. The Java version of SCALP was developed to replicate and replace the functionality of an older version of the program written in Fortran. SCALP models flow through three reservoirs in series using an input runoff depth time series and information describing the hydrologic characteristics and sanitary flow for one or more land areas within a basin, supplied by the user. Each basin is herein referred to as a “Special Contributing Area” (SCA); the SCAs are a central concept in SCALP. Although flow through each SCA is routed separately, the user may simulate multiple SCAs in a batch simulation. The outputs of SCALP include information about flows through and overflows from the three reservoirs in the series.

Open-File Report↗

USGS2024

Reproduction of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) in the Maumee River, Ohio: Part 2—Optimal river conditions for egg and larval drift

This study uses a one-dimensional steady-state hydraulic model and the Fluvial Egg Drift Simulator (FluEgg) to model the drift and dispersion of grass carp eggs and larvae in the Maumee River, Ohio, for 180 scenarios representing different combinations of 10 river flows, 6 water temperatures, and 3 spawning locations. The FluEgg simulations were used to quantify in-river suspended hatching rates (the percentage of eggs that hatch within the river and in suspension) and in-river larval retention rates (the percentage of larvae that reach the gas bladder inflation stage within the river after hatching in suspension), and identify which scenarios produce the highest likelihood of recruitment. The simulations indicate that at low flows, in-river suspended hatching and larval retention rates in the Maumee River are limited by the capacity of the flow to keep fertilized eggs in suspension, whereas at high flows, the limiting factor is the distance available for the eggs/larvae to drift in the river. A wide range of scenarios result in eggs hatching within the river, but all larvae drift into Maumee Bay prior to the gas bladder inflation stage when flows exceed the mean annual flow. The simulations were assessed in the context of the hydraulic conditions that trigger spawning and maximize egg fertilization and the nursery habitat requirements for larval grass carp. The results indicate that the Maumee River, although suitable for grass carp spawning, may not be an ideal setting for recruitment unless Maumee Bay provides adequate nursery habitat for larvae.

Ohio↗

USGS2024

Reproduction of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) in the Maumee River, Ohio: Part 1—Spawning area identification using bidirectional drift modeling

Control of invasive grass carp ( Ctenopharyngodon idella ) populations in the Western Lake Erie Basin merits adaptive management guided by the best available science. Presently (2024), capture of mature grass carp in rivers during spawning season is most efficient, so knowing when and where grass carp are spawning is essential information for natural resource agencies. Using bidirectional drift modeling and grass carp ichthyoplankton samples captured in the Maumee River during the 2017–2019 spawning seasons, this study identified 12 probable grass carp spawning areas in the lower 96.5-kilometers of the Maumee River. These spawning areas were located both above and below the Grand Rapids/Providence low-head dams. Three areas showed evidence of multiyear use, while nine had multi-event use. Spawning activity had no definitive diel variation and occurred at an average photoperiod of 15.15 h. The maturation metric ADD15, or annual degree days above 15 degrees Celsius, generally exceeded the 655 threshold for spawning; however, some spawning occurred when ADD15 ≤235, indicating spawners likely matured in a warmwater discharge. The probable spawning areas were generally characterized by mean velocities between 0.4 and 2.1 m per second (with locally higher velocities possible), areas of high turbulence produced by dam spillways or bedrock outcroppings, channel constrictions, confluences, islands, and bridges with piers in the water. Spawning suitability indices (SSI), based on velocity, varied considerably between spawning areas and SSI models. These results could be used to inform control efforts and predict potential grass carp spawning locations in other rivers under threat of invasion.

Ohio↗

USGS2021

Historical hydrologic and geomorphic conditions on the Black River and selected tributaries, Arkansas and Missouri

The Black River flows through southeast Missouri and northeast Arkansas to its confluence with the White River in Arkansas. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers operates Clearwater Dam on the Black River and a series of dams in the White River Basin primarily for flood control. In this study, the hydrology and geomorphology of the Black River are examined through an analysis of annual mean and peak discharges at streamgages, a specific stage analysis of stage and discharge at streamgages, and an examination of bathymetric data and aerial imagery. Five streamgages on the Black River were analyzed, in addition to four streamgages on Black River tributaries and one streamgage on the White River, located just downstream from the Black River confluence. The analyses indicated that regulation of discharges at the flood-control dams caused a decrease in the magnitude and variability of the peak discharges at several of the analyzed gages on the Black and White Rivers. Conversely, peak discharges on the Black River have been increasing since water year 2000, though this is not matched by an increase in peak discharges on the White River for the same time period. The specific stage analyses and the available morphologic data generally did not indicate pronounced changes in stage-discharge relations at streamgages on the Black River, with the exception of the gages nearest to Clearwater Dam.

Arkansas, Missouri↗