Abstract
The Saline River of southwest Arkansas was impounded by Dierks Lake in 1975. Intensive collecting efforts were made in the river system above Dierks Lake during March, April, and May 1980. Collected specimens were compared with ichthyofaunal lists prior to impoundment. Historic occurrants which were not collected include Notropis amnis, Notropis ortenburgeri, Moxostoma duquesnei, Ammocrypta vivax, and Percina copelandi. Additions to the ichthyofaunal list for the drainage include Fundulus notatus, Etheostoma spectabile, and Percina caprodes. The evidence indicates that 33 species representing six families inhabit the system from the headwaters in Polk County, Arkansas, to Dierks Lake, Howard County, Arkansas. Erosion within the basin ranges from 956 kilograms per hectare per year on grassland to 158,263 kilograms per kilometer per year on roadbanks. Excessive levels of fecal coliform bacteria, cadmium, copper, lead, zinc, and sulfates were noted within the system. The relationship of these factors to the ichthyofauna is discussed.
Recommended Citation
Sewell, Stephen A.
(1981)
"Preliminary Report on the Fishes of the Upper Saline River, Polk and Howard Counties, Arkansas, and Observations on Their Relationships with Land Use and Physiochemical Conditions,"
Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science: Vol. 35, Article 16.
Available at:
https://scholarworks.uark.edu/jaas/vol35/iss1/16
