Fish Community Monitoring at Ozark National Scenic Riverways: 2005 - 2007 Status Report
Dodd HR. 2009. Fish Community Monitoring at Ozark National Scenic Riverways: 2005 - 2007 Status Report. NPS/HTLN/NRTR—2009/224. Ft. Collins, CO
The fish communities of the Current River and its tributaries are good indicators of water quality and stream integrity. Fish perform many ecological functions in lotic ecosystems and have varying tolerances to anthropogenic disturbances. Fish are also longer-lived than many other aquatic organisms; thus fish community composition can be indicative of past environmental conditions. Several species of fish found in the Current River are endemic to the Ozark Plateau region and many other species are extremely sensitive to poor water quality conditions. In October 2005, annual monitoring was initiated at OZAR to assess the status and obtain baseline information on fish communities, physical habitat, water quality, and overall stream integrity of the Current River and Jacks Fork. Six sites on the mainstem of the Current River and three sites on the Jacks Fork were sampled annually in 2005-2007. Tributaries were also sampled during this time period. The first set of three tributaries was sampled in 2006 and a second set was sampled in 2007.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Dodd, Hope
- Date of Issue
- 2009-01-01
- Units
- HTLN , OZAR
- Keywords
- Aquatics Fish Communities Monitoring Reports, HTLN Fish Community Brief, HTLN Fish Community Monitoring
- Subjects
- Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | Focal Species or Communities | Freshwater Communities