There are several important considerations regarding walleye Sander vitreus management in Kansas. One such consideration is genetic purity of stocks, including potential hybridization with congeners, and back-crossing with saugeye Sander vitreus × Sander canadensis that are stocked by the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism (KDWPT). Introgression of sauger Sander canadensis alleles into walleye populations could have implications for broodstock collection and resulting stocking of progeny, unintended downstream genetic contamination of stocks, and genetic fitness of compromised populations. As such, the genetic purity of Kansas walleye populations is periodically assessed.
In 2000, KDWPT obtained tissue samples from walleye in 10 Kansas reservoirs to determine the genetic purity of walleye populations. In that study, malate dehydrogenase (MDH) and phosphoglucomutase (PGM) activities were examined, which were used to discriminate between walleye and sauger alleles. Data indicated sauger alleles were present in what were thought to be pure Kansas walleye populations. Backcrossing was also detected, but the exact nature of the hybridization was undetermined. Since it has been 15 years since this one and only genetic examination of Kansas walleye populations, further investigation of the purity of Kansas walleye populations was warranted. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the genetic purity of ten priority percid waters in Kansas.