“We don’t see the amount or size of fish like it in many other places,” Kimmel said. “They are consistently found there. They like it a lot of the time and will come back. We found the Mississippi River has a natural connection to the floodplain.”

Spawning a connection

The Mississippi River plays a role in St. Catherine Creek’s Alligator Gar spawn. When the river floods, the Alligator Gar swim into backwater covering the floodplains beneath the loess bluffs. These shallow waters serve as a place to lay eggs and are a nursery for the fry.