CLASSIFICATION OF OKLAHOMA RIVERS AND PRELIMINARY DEVELOPMENT OF AN INDEX OF BIOTIC INTEGRITY

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1 CLASSIFICATION OF OKLAHOMA RIVERS AND PRELIMINARY DEVELOPMENT OF AN INDEX OF BIOTIC INTEGRITY Jeroen Gerritsen, T Michael T. Barbour, T Charles A. Potts, OKWR

2 Oklahoma Streams (RF) Oklahoma Watersheds (6 digit HUC Ecoregions Arkansas Valley Boston Mountains Central Great Plains Central Irregular P lains Central Olkahoma/Texas Flint Hills Ouachita Mountains Ozark Highlands South Central Plains Southern Rockies Southwestern Tablelands Texas Blackland Prairies Western High Plains N W E Miles S

3 Great Plains (77SP) Central Lowlands (39SP) Inter Highla (77S

4 Arkansas River

5 Canadian River

6 Cimarron River

7 Red River

8 Washita River

9 ombined River Basins

10 verview of Fish Monitoring Program 0+ years of data More than 00 sites in mainstem of Oklahoma s rivers -80 sites sampled annually Seining the gear of choice (0 beach seine hauls per site) Sampling reach per site was 00m Data analyzed were

11 Our Approach Aim Derive a classification scheme for biological assessments for Oklahoma rivers, thus increasing the regional precision and sensitivity of those bioassessments for detecting impairment. Task Examine the Oklahoma fish data for differences in assemblage attributes among rivers, major drainages, and among ecoregions or physiographic provinces.

12 Classification of Rivers Ecoregions do not account for biological differences among these long, arid-land rivers because each river traverses several ecoregions from its headwaters to its mouth. Three groups of rivers were identified large, prairie, and saline prairie.

13 Large rivers Arkansas River mainstem; Salt Fork of the Arkansas River and Red River below Arthur City, TX

14 Prairie Rivers Washita River; Red River to Arthur City; Deep Fork of the Canadian River; Arkansas River at Ponca City and Ralston; and Cimarron River above Englewood and below Dover.

15 Saline Prairie Rivers Beaver River at Turpin and Beaver; Prairie Dog Branch; Red River at Waurika; and Cimarron River from Englewood to Dover.

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19 iological Metric Calibration Impediments to Large River IBI Development Difficulties in the ease or accuracy of sampling river fish assemblages The paucity of appropriate least-impaired reference sites for setting metric expectations Gear specificity dictates candidate metrics 9

20 Criteria for Reference Sites No large discharger (STP) No industrial runoff (e.g., oil) No urban runoff No lake-like sites above dams BPJ of Jimmy Pigg 0

21 Biological Metric Calibration Selection Criteria Individual measures that provide unique information (i.e., not redundant) Have ecological relevance Are sensitive to environmental perturbation

22 Biological Metric Calibration Candidate Metrics Species richness Number of native species Number of darter species Number of sunfish species Number of sucker species Trophic composition Proportion of individuals as insectivorous cyprinids Fish abundance and composition Proportion of individuals to number of species Tolerance/Sensitivity Number of intolerant species

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24 Occurrence of fish species in Oklahoma rivers, example year 994 Common Name Central stoneroller Blacktail shiner Red Shiner Common carp Cypress minnow Mississippi silvery minnow Plains minnow Redfin shiner Speckled chub Silver chub Golden shiner Emerald shiner Red River shiner River shiner Ghost shiner Arkansas River shiner Chub shiner Silverband shiner Sand shiner Sand shiner X Red shiner Mimic shiner Suckermouth minnow Bluntnose minnow Fathead minnow Bullhead minnow Pimephales vigilax Species Campostoma anomalum Cyprinella venusta Cyprinella lutrensis Cyprinus carpio Hybognathus hayi Hybognathus nuchalis Hybognathus placitus Lythrurus umbratilis Macrhybopsis aestivalis Macrhybopsis storeiania Notemigonus crysoleucas Notropis atherinoides Notropis bairdi Notropis blennius Notropis buchanani Notropis girardi Notropis potteri Notropis shumardi Notropis stramineus N. Stramineus x C. lutrensis Notropis volucellus Phenacobius mirabilis Pimephales notatus Pimephales promelas Large Rivers % N (sites) Prairie Rivers % N (sites) Salinity Prairie Rivers % N (sites)

25 Occurrence of fish species in Oklahoma rivers, example year 994 (cont d) Common Name River carpsucker Quillback Smallmouth buffalo Bigmouth buffalo Black buffalo Golden redhorse Skipjack herring Gizzard shad Threadfin shad Black bullhead Yellow bullhead Blue catfish Channel catfish Tadpole madtom Freckled madtom Flathead catfish Redfin pickerel Paddlefish Spotted gar Longnose gar Shortnose gar Goldeye American eel Carpiodes carpio Hiodon alosoides Anguilla rostrata Species Carpiodes cyprinus Ictiobus bubalus Ictiobus cyprinellus Ictiobus niger Moxostoma erythrurum Alosa chrysochloris Dorosoma cepedianum Dorosoma petenense Ameiurus melas Ameiurus natalis Ictalurus furcatus Ictalurus punctatus Noturus gyrinus Noturus nocturnus Plyodictis olivaris Esox americanus Polyodon spathula Lepisosteus oculatus Lepisosteus osseus Lepisosteus platostomus Large Rivers % 5 N (sites) Prairie Rivers % N (sites) Salinity Prairie Rivers % N (sites)

26 Conclusions of a Fish IBI for Oklahoma River The IBI was most effective in detecting impairment in the Large River Class The IBI was least effective in the Prairie and Saline Prairie classes Use of seining is atypical for IBI development More sites along the disturbance gradient would be helpful for calibration and validation Depauperate species richness will be a hinderance to developing viable IBIs in prairie streams addition of macroinvertebrates and/or algae would be helpful 6