Aquatic resource elements at Ozark National Scenic Riverways, Missouri

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Aquatic resource elements at Ozark National
Scenic Riverways, Missouri
Victoria Grant Natural Resource Program
Manager Ozark National Scenic Riverways Van
Buren, Missouri
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May 2004
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Establ. 1964 the template for the Wild and
Scenic Rivers Act
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Aquatic Biodiversity Significance

• Probably the most significant middle sized river
  in midcontinental North America
• 35 species of conservation concern are found
  here 25 of these have their best, most viable,
  populations globally at this site
• Ozarks Ecoregional Conservation Assessment,
  The Nature Conservancy, 2004

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• Issues
• Human growth (ag, mining, urbanization,
  timber
• conversion, recreation) in sensitive areas
  affecting
• discharge and water quality
• Declining species
• Recreational use impacts (roads, ATVs,
  boats, horses)
• Exotic spp invasion/expansion
• Adequate resource inventory/basic research
• Adequate monitoring of status/trends, with
• adequate IT structure
• Development of restoration methods/BMP

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Strahler Stream Orders 1-6 Gradient Avg 3.9
ft/mile (range 900 - 480 ft above m.s.l.)
Sinuosity 1-1.75 with small segments of 1.75
2 Channel Width 50-350 ft Channel Depth 0
25 ft Valley Width 150-2400 ft
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(From Panfil and Jacobson 2001)
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Longitudinal Profile of Sinking Creek (from
Panfil and Jacobson 2001)
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(From McKenney and Jacobson 1996)
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Aquatic Habitat Classification
From Rabeni and Jacobson 1993
From Panfil and Jacobson 2001
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Crayfish Habitat Use in Ozarks Streams
Crayfish Habitat Use in Ozarks Streams
Crayfish Habitat Use in Ozarks Streams
Crayfish Habitat Use in Ozarks Streams
Crayfish Habitat Use in Ozarks Streams
Our study showed that no Ozarks stream habitats
are being "wasted" the crayfish community is
using them all. Yet surprisingly, some of the
least common habitats held the most crayfish. We
identified two very important habitat types
vegetation patches and backwater pools.
Vegetation patches are those shallow plant beds
(called water willow) that are usually found
along the edge of stream banks or gravel
bars. Backwater pools are small, shallow pools
that often appear to extend up into the upper or
lower ends of gravel bars or are completely
separated from the mainstream by decreasing water
levels.
We calculated that these two habitats together
make up only about 10 of the area in a typical
Ozarks stream. Yet, they held numbers of
crayfish that were as high as any reported
anywhere in the world! Typically, in an area
about half the size of your kitchen table (a
square meter), we caught an average of 30 to 35
crayfish.
From http//mdc.mo.gov/about/research/fish/crayfi
sh/
Most of us have heard the story about the country
mouse and his cousin the city mouse. For whatever
reasons, some of us "mice" feel more comfortable
living in a country habitat, whereas others
become panicked if they leave the bustle of the
city. And then there are those that can call just
about any habitat a home as long as they can find
a way to rustle up three meals a day. As it turns
out, we see the same types of differences in
habitat use or preference within many groups of
animals. A recently completed study by MDC
fisheries research biologists found that
Missouri's crayfishes are no exception. Crayfish
are an important food for more than 100 species
of fish and wildlife in and around Missouri
streams. Fisheries biologists estimate that
crayfish make up about 2/3 of the diet of some
popular sport fish such as smallmouth bass and
goggle-eye, and they are also found on the menus
of largemouth bass, spotted bass, flathead
catfish, blue catfish, and several species of
sunfish. Crayfish are important to the
maintenance of stream ecosystems, so biologists
need to learn everything they can about them so
they can better manage them. Knowledge of their
habitat needs is critical to that management. We
recently completed a study of crayfish habitat
use in the Jacks Fork and Big Piney rivers. Many
Ozarks streams contain 2 or more species of
crayfish, so we wanted to examine their habitat
use on three levels. First, we looked at the
entire crayfish "community" in those streams to
determine which habitats were or were not being
used. Second, we studied how individual species
used (or not) the habitats that were available to
them. Finally, we were interested in whether or
not juvenile crayfish require different habitats
than adults. Our study showed that no Ozarks
stream habitats are being "wasted" the crayfish
community is using them all. Yet surprisingly,
some of the least common habitats held the most
crayfish. We identified two very important
habitat types vegetation patches and backwater
pools. Vegetation patches are those shallow plant
beds (called water willow) that are usually found
along the edge of stream banks or gravel
bars. Backwater pools are small, shallow pools
that often appear to extend up into the upper or
lower ends of gravel bars or are completely
separated from the mainstream by decreasing water
levels.
We calculated that these two habitats together
make up only about 10 of the area in a typical
Ozarks stream. Yet, they held numbers of crayfish
that were as high as any reported anywhere in the
world! Typically, in an area about half the size
of your kitchen table (a square meter), we caught
an average of 30 to 35 crayfish.
Most of us have heard the story about the country
mouse and his cousin the city mouse. For whatever
reasons, some of us "mice" feel more comfortable
living in a country habitat, whereas others
become panicked if they leave the bustle of the
city. And then there are those that can call just
about any habitat a home as long as they can find
a way to rustle up three meals a day. As it turns
out, we see the same types of differences in
habitat use or preference within many groups of
animals. A recently completed study by MDC
fisheries research biologists found that
Missouri's crayfishes are no exception. Crayfish
are an important food for more than 100 species
of fish and wildlife in and around Missouri
streams. Fisheries biologists estimate that
crayfish make up about 2/3 of the diet of some
popular sport fish such as smallmouth bass and
goggle-eye, and they are also found on the menus
of largemouth bass, spotted bass, flathead
catfish, blue catfish, and several species of
sunfish. Crayfish are important to the
maintenance of stream ecosystems, so biologists
need to learn everything they can about them so
they can better manage them. Knowledge of their
habitat needs is critical to that management. We
recently completed a study of crayfish habitat
use in the Jacks Fork and Big Piney rivers. Many
Ozarks streams contain 2 or more species of
crayfish, so we wanted to examine their habitat
use on three levels. First, we looked at the
entire crayfish "community" in those streams to
determine which habitats were or were not being
used. Second, we studied how individual species
used (or not) the habitats that were available to
them. Finally, we were interested in whether or
not juvenile crayfish require different habitats
than adults. Our study showed that no Ozarks
stream habitats are being "wasted" the crayfish
community is using them all. Yet surprisingly,
some of the least common habitats held the most
crayfish. We identified two very important
habitat types vegetation patches and backwater
pools. Vegetation patches are those shallow plant
beds (called water willow) that are usually found
along the edge of stream banks or gravel
bars. Backwater pools are small, shallow pools
that often appear to extend up into the upper or
lower ends of gravel bars or are completely
separated from the mainstream by decreasing water
levels.
Most of us have heard the story about the country
mouse and his cousin the city mouse. For whatever
reasons, some of us "mice" feel more comfortable
living in a country habitat, whereas others
become panicked if they leave the bustle of the
city. And then there are those that can call just
about any habitat a home as long as they can find
a way to rustle up three meals a day. As it turns
out, we see the same types of differences in
habitat use or preference within many groups of
animals. A recently completed study by MDC
fisheries research biologists found that
Missouri's crayfishes are no exception. Crayfish
are an important food for more than 100 species
of fish and wildlife in and around Missouri
streams. Fisheries biologists estimate that
crayfish make up about 2/3 of the diet of some
popular sport fish such as smallmouth bass and
goggle-eye, and they are also found on the menus
of largemouth bass, spotted bass, flathead
catfish, blue catfish, and several species of
sunfish. Crayfish are important to the
maintenance of stream ecosystems, so biologists
need to learn everything they can about them so
they can better manage them. Knowledge of their
habitat needs is critical to that management. We
recently completed a study of crayfish habitat
use in the Jacks Fork and Big Piney rivers. Many
Ozarks streams contain 2 or more species of
crayfish, so we wanted to examine their habitat
use on three levels. First, we looked at the
entire crayfish "community" in those streams to
determine which habitats were or were not being
used. Second, we studied how individual species
used (or not) the habitats that were available to
them. Finally, we were interested in whether or
not juvenile crayfish require different habitats
than adults. Our study showed that no Ozarks
stream habitats are being "wasted" the crayfish
community is using them all. Yet surprisingly,
some of the least common habitats held the most
crayfish. We identified two very important
habitat types vegetation patches and backwater
pools. Vegetation patches are those shallow plant
beds (called water willow) that are usually found
along the edge of stream banks or gravel
bars. Backwater pools are small, shallow pools
that often appear to extend up into the upper or
lower ends of gravel bars or are completely
separated from the mainstream by decreasing water
levels.
Most of us have heard the story about the country
mouse and his cousin the city mouse. For whatever
reasons, some of us "mice" feel more comfortable
living in a country habitat, whereas others
become panicked if they leave the bustle of the
city. And then there are those that can call just
about any habitat a home as long as they can find
a way to rustle up three meals a day. As it turns
out, we see the same types of differences in
habitat use or preference within many groups of
animals. A recently completed study by MDC
fisheries research biologists found that
Missouri's crayfishes are no exception. Crayfish
are an important food for more than 100 species
of fish and wildlife in and around Missouri
streams. Fisheries biologists estimate that
crayfish make up about 2/3 of the diet of some
popular sport fish such as smallmouth bass and
goggle-eye, and they are also found on the menus
of largemouth bass, spotted bass, flathead
catfish, blue catfish, and several species of
sunfish. Crayfish are important to the
maintenance of stream ecosystems, so biologists
need to learn everything they can about them so
they can better manage them. Knowledge of their
habitat needs is critical to that management. We
recently completed a study of crayfish habitat
use in the Jacks Fork and Big Piney rivers. Many
Ozarks streams contain 2 or more species of
crayfish, so we wanted to examine their habitat
use on three levels. First, we looked at the
entire crayfish "community" in those streams to
determine which habitats were or were not being
used. Second, we studied how individual species
used (or not) the habitats that were available to
them. Finally, we were interested in whether or
not juvenile crayfish require different habitats
than adults. Our study showed that no Ozarks
stream habitats are being "wasted" the crayfish
community is using them all. Yet surprisingly,
some of the least common habitats held the most
crayfish. We identified two very important
habitat types vegetation patches and backwater
pools. Vegetation patches are those shallow plant
beds (called water willow) that are usually found
along the edge of stream banks or gravel
bars. Backwater pools are small, shallow pools
that often appear to extend up into the upper or
lower ends of gravel bars or are completely
separated from the mainstream by decreasing water
levels.
We calculated that these two habitats together
make up only about 10 of the area in a typical
Ozarks stream. Yet, they held numbers of crayfish
that were as high as any reported anywhere in the
world! Typically, in an area about half the size
of your kitchen table (a square meter), we caught
an average of 30 to 35 crayfish.
We calculated that these two habitats together
make up only about 10 of the area in a typical
Ozarks stream. Yet, they held numbers of crayfish
that were as high as any reported anywhere in the
world! Typically, in an area about half the size
of your kitchen table (a square meter), we caught
an average of 30 to 35 crayfish.
We calculated that these two habitats together
make up only about 10 of the area in a typical
Ozarks stream. Yet, they held numbers of crayfish
that were as high as any reported anywhere in the
world! Typically, in an area about half the size
of your kitchen table (a square meter), we caught
an average of 30 to 35 crayfish.
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Selected Monitoring Conducted at Ozark NSR
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Big Spring Ozark National Scenic Riverways,
Missouri
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