Alligator Gar Spawning Habitat in the Lower Mississippi River Corridor

The frequency, timing, duration, and spatial extent of inundation drive habitat quality in floodplains and determine the suitability of these important habitats for both aquatic and terrestrial organisms. However, refuge and fisheries managers have very limited information to consider when evaluating the suitability of the aquatic environment, especially with regard to how the dynamic process of inundation influences the refuge and its biota. The goal of this project was to develop spatial data related to the extent of inundation and environmental characteristics of flooding at known river stages on the lower Mississippi River corridor through analysis of remotely sensed satellite imagery. These data are necessary to evaluate fisheries habitat needs for Alligator Gar (AG) which has been identified by the US Fish and Wildlife Service Gulf Coastal Plain Ozarks Landscape Conservation Cooperative (GCPO LCC) as a species of concern in the Lower Mississippi Valley (LMV).