Freezing temperatures and low water levels have created significant ice flows in portions of the Lower Missouri River during winter months. These conditions have made boat ramps unusable for our partners with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission (see photo below), hampering pallid sturgeon tracking efforts in the most upstream segments of the study area. Farther downstream, CSRP biologists located in Columbia, MO have been able to conduct their monthly river sweeps without difficulties arising from ice. Low water conditions; however, continue to restrict access to the river at several locations between Kansas City and St. Louis. In addition, shelf ice that forms along the banks of the river has made it difficult for CSRP biologists to retrieve submerged data loggers that monitor temperature throughout the year. For more information on how this past year’s weather conditions have affected our efforts on the Missouri River, see previous post “How Low Can It Go?”.