Papers/Reports/Book Chapters

Plymesser, K., Blue, T., Kappenman, K., Blank, M., Cahoon, J., & Dockery, D. (2023). Flow Control Plates to Manage Denil Fishways in Irrigation Diversions for Upstream Passage of Arctic Grayling. Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management. https://doi.org/10.3996/JFWM-22-041

Plymesser, K., Blank, M., Conley, M., Kappenman, K., Cahoon, J., Dockery, D., & Zale, A. (2022). A scaled Denil fishway for upstream passage of Arctic Grayling. Journal of Ecohydraulics, 1-11 https://doi.org/10.1080/24705357.2022.2105756

Triano, Ben, Kevin M. Kappenman, Thomas E. McMahon, Matt Blank, Kurt C. Heim, Albert E. Parker, Alexander V. Zale, Nolan Platt, and Katey Plymesser. "Attraction, entrance, and passage efficiency of Arctic Grayling, trout, and suckers at Denil fishways in the Big Hole River basin, Montana." Transactions of the American Fisheries Society (2022). https://doi.org/10.1002/tafs.10362

Matt Blank, Kevin M. Kappenman, Erin Ryan & Katharine Banner (2021) The effect of water depth on passage success of arctic grayling through two Denil fishways, Journal of Ecohydraulics, DOI: 10.1080/24705357.2021.1978346

Blank, M. D., Kappenman, K. M., Plymesser, K., Banner, K., & Cahoon, J. (2020). Swimming Performance of Rainbow Trout and Westslope Cutthroat Trout in an Open-Channel Flume. Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management, 11(1), 217-225.  Link to Article

David R. Dockery, Erin Ryan, Kevin M. Kappenman & Matt Blank (2019) Swimming performance of Arctic grayling (Thymallus arcticus Pallas) in an open-channel flume, Journal of Ecohydraulics. Link to Article

Joel Cahoon, Kevin Kappenman, Erin Ryan, Audrey Jones, Kathryn Plymesser and Matt Blank "Swimming Capabilities of Arctic Grayling," Northwest Science 92(3), (1 October 2018).  Link to Article

Juras, M., Albertson, L. K., Cahoon, J., Johnson, E. (2018). Incorporating macroinvertebrate biological structures into gravel-bedded fluid dynamics using 3D CFD modeling. Ecological Engineering, 119, 19-28. Link to Article

Huijser, M.P., C. Riginos, M. Blank, R. Ament, J.S. Begley, E.R. Jenne. Teton County Wildlife Crossings Master Plan. A report prepared for Teton County. May 2018. 

Holmquist L.M., K.M. Kappenman, M. Blank, and M., Shultz.  Sprint swimming performance of shovelnose sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus platorynchus) in an experimental flume. Northwest Science, 92(1), (1 January 2018). Link to Article

Plymesser, K., & Cahoon, J. (2017). Pressure gradients in a steeppass fishway using a computational fluid dynamics model. Ecological Engineering, 108, 277-283.  Link to Article.

Dockery, D. R., McMahon, T. E., Kappenman, K. M., & Blank, M. (2017). Swimming performance of sauger (Sander canadensis) in relation to fish passage. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 74(12), 2035-2044.  Link to Article.

Dockery, D. R., McMahon, T. E., Kappenman, K. M., & Blank, M. (2017). Evaluation of swimming performance for fish passage of longnose dace Rhinichthys cataractae using an experimental flume. Journal of fish biology, 90(3), 980-1000.  Link to Article.

Ottburg, F., & Blank, M. (2015). Solutions to the impacts of roads and other barriers on fish and fish habitat. Handbook of Road Ecology, 364.  Link to Chapter.

Conference Presentations

Blank, M., C. Buller, K. Plymesser, K. Kappenman, D. Dockery, and A. Zale.  Westslope cutthroat trout passage through scaled Denil fishways.  15th International Symposium on Ecohydraulics and Fish Passage 2024, May 5 – 9, 2024.  Quebec City, Canada. 

Plymesser, K., M. Blank, M. Conley, K. Kappenman, J. Cahoon, D. Dockery, A. Zale. A scaled Denil fishway for upstream passage of Arctig Grayling.  Fish Passage Conference, June 2022. Hosted by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, WA.

Conley, M., K. Plymesser, K. Kappenman, M. Blank, J. Cahoon.  Arctic grayling (Thymallus arcticus) passage through a scaled Denil fishway.  Western Division AFS Annual Meeting, May 2021.  Online, hosted by Utah AFS Chapter.

Conley, M., K. Plymesser, K. Kappenman, M. Blank, J. Cahoon.  Small scale Denils for headwater streams.  Montana AWRA Annual Conference, October 2021.  Online.

Triano, B., Kappenman, K., M. Blank, T. McMahon and A. Zale. Efficiency of Denil Fish Ladders for Upstream Passage of Arctic Grayling, Brook Trout, and Other Fishes Evaluated Using PIT Technology in the Big Hole River Basin, Montana., The Wildlife Society and American Fisheries Society, Sept. 2019. Reno, Nevada.

Triano, B., Kappenman, K., M. Blank, T. McMahon and A. Zale Evaluating the Efficiency of Denil Fish Ladders for Upstream Passage of Arctic Grayling and Other Species on the Big Hole River. January, 2019 Montana Chapter of AFS, Billings Montana.

Plymesser, K, T. Blue, K. Kappenman, M. Blank, J. Cahoon. 2018. Assessing the Efficacy of Flow Restrictor Plates in Denil Fishways for Upstream Passage of Arctic Grayling.  A presentation to the International Conference on River Connectivity and Fish Passage, December 12, 2018, Albury, NSW, Australia.

Plymesser, K. K. Kappenman, M. Blank, N. Platt, B. Triano, T. McMahon, J. Cahoon, A. Zale, W. Rice. 2018. Improving the conservations status of Arctic grayling: combining laboratory, field and modeling techniques to support the agency-irrigator decision making process. A presentation to the International Conference on River Connectivity and Fish Passage, December 11, 2018, Albury, NSW, Australia.

Kappenman, K., M. Blank, J. Cahoon, D. Dockery, A. Jones, T. McMahon, K. Plymesser, B. Rice, E. Ryan. 2018. Arctic Grayling and Denil Fishways: Research to Determine Swimming and Passage Capabilities of Grayling in Relation to Fish Barriers. A presentation to the International Conference on River Connectivity and Fish Passage, December 11, 2018, Albury, NSW, Australia.

Plymesser, K, T. Blue, K. Kappenman, M. Blank, J. Cahoon. 2018. Assessing the Efficacy of Flow Restrictor Plates in Denil Fishways for Upstream Passage of Arctic Grayling.  A presentation to the American Water Resources Association, Montana Chapter Conference, October 18, 2018, West Yellowstone, MT, United States.  

Platt, P.  2018.  Assessing Connectivity Benefits of Denil Fishways, an Integrated Approach.  A presentation to the American Water Resources Association (AWRA) Montana Chapter 2018 Annual Meeting, October 18, 2018, West Yellowstone, Montana, USA.

Blank, M., D. Dockery and C. Pohl.  2017.  Sizing hydraulic structures in cold regions to balance fish passage, stream function and operation and maintenance cost.  A presentation to the Center for Environmentally Sustainable Transportation in Cold Climates,  August 10, 2017, Pullman, WA. 

Snyder, L., K. Plymesser, J. Cahoon, E. Johnson. 2017.  Effects of Scaling on Turbulence in a Denil Fishway.  A presentation to the International Conference on Engineering and Ecohydrology for Fish Passage, June 19-21, 2017, Corvallis, OR.  Link to Presentation.

Ryan E., M. Blank, K. Kappenman and O. Dudley. 2017.  Arctic grayling and Denil fishways: a study to determine how water depth affects passage success of Arctic grayling through Denil fishways.  A presentation to the International Conference on Engineering and Ecohydrology for Fish Passage, June 19-21, 2017, Corvallis, OR.  Link to Presentation.

K. Kappenman, D. Dockery, T. McMahon and M. Blank.  2017.  Swimming performance of sauger in relation to fish passage.  A presentation to the International Conference on Engineering and Ecohydrology for Fish Passage, June 19-21, 2017, Corvallis, OR. 

Ryan, E., K. Kappenman, and M. Blank.  2017.  A baseline swimming assessment for Arctic grayling: characterizing the volitional swimming performance of Arctic grayling to inform passage studies.  A presentation to the American Fisheries Society Western Division and Montana Chapter Annual Meeting, Change and Continuity: Celebrating 50 Years of Fisheries in the West.  May 22-27, 2017, Missoula, MT.

Blank, M., K. Kappenman, E. Ryan and O. Dudley.  2017.  Arctic grayling and Denil fishways: a study to determine how water depth affects passage success of Arctic grayling through Denil fishways.  A presentation to the American Fisheries Society Western Division and Montana Chapter Annual Meeting, Change and Continuity: Celebrating 50 Years of Fisheries in the West.  May 22-27, 2017, Missoula, MT.

 K. Kappenman, D. Dockery, T. McMahon and M. Blank.  2017.  Swimming performance of sauger in relation to fish passage.  A presentation to the American Fisheries Society Western Division and Montana Chapter Annual Meeting, Change and Continuity: Celebrating 50 Years of Fisheries in the West.  May 22-27, 2017, Missoula, MT.

Kevin Kappenman, Erin Ryan, Matt Blank, and Katey Plymesser presented at the 2017 Montana Arctic Grayling Recovery Program annual workshop.  The presentation focused on the ongoing work at the BFTC to assess Arctic Grayling passage in Denil fishways as well as plans for future work in the Big Hole River watershed. Bozeman, MT. 2017.

Presented at the International Fish Passage Conference in 2016.  Ryan, E.R., T. A. Stephens and B. P. Bledsoe.  Effects of hydraulic structures on fish passage: An evaluation of 2D vs 3D hydraulic analysis methods.  A Presentation to the 2016 International Conference on River Connectivity.  Amherst, MA. 2016.  

Kevin Kappenman, Erin Ryan and Matt Blank presented at the 2016 Montana Arctic Grayling Recovery Program annual workshop.  The presentation focused on the present facilities at the BFTC, the volitional study on Arctic grayling, and the Denil study.  Bozeman, MT. 2016.

Presented at the national AFS conference- Holmquist, L., K.M. Kappenman*, M. Blank. 2014. Sprint Swimming Performance of Wild Shovelnose Sturgeon in an Experimental Open Channel Flume. Annual Meeting of the American Fisheries Society, August 17-21, Quebec, Canada.  

Presented at the Plains and Prairie Potholes- Landscape Conservation Cooperative, Connections II Workshop.  Billings, MT, July 9 – 10, 2014.  Presented research findings and participated in discussions to improve the connection between land managers and research.  

Presented at the Montana Chapter of AFS in 2014. Blank, M., K. Kappenman, M. Schultze, J. Cahoon, K. Plymesser, and B. Bramblett.  Volitional and sprint swimming performance of rainbow trout and westslope cutthroat trout.  A presentation to the 47th Annual Meeting of the Montana Chapter of the American Fisheries Society.  Chico Hot Springs, MT. 2014. 

Presented at the Dakota Chapter of AFS in 2013.  Blank, M., K. Kappenman, T. McMahon, M. Schultze, and D. Dockery.  Fish passage in plains and prairie waterways: characterizing swimming performance for fish passage assessment and design.  A presentation to the 49th Annual Meeting of the Dakota Chapter of the American Fisheries Society. Bismarck, N.D. 2013. 

Presented at ICOET in 2011.  Blank, M., K. Kappenman, K. Plymesser, J. Cahoon, T. McMahon, and B. Bramblett.  Characterizing volitional and forced fish swimming abilities under changing flow and temperature regimes.  A Poster Presented to the 2011 International Conference on Ecology and Transportation.  Seattle, WA. 2011.