Page 44 - 2020 Jan/Feb Outdoor Oklahoma

Going with the Flow
Research Projects Show Water Flow Vital
to Stream, River Conservation
By Kurt Kuklinski, Research Supervisor, Oklahoma Fishery Research Laboratory

Going wiLDLiFeDePartment.com

With

the

Flow Barren Fork Creek

As Oklahomans, we are blessed to have a diverse landscape complement-
ed by flowing rivers and streams that host a variety of plants and animals.
Research Projects Not only do these streams add to our strong outdoor culture and tradition,
but they also provide Oklahomans with clean flowing water that contributes
Show Water Flow to a robust quality of life.
The conservation of our streams and rivers is a priority at the Oklahoma
Vital to Stream, Department of Wildlife Conservation, and much of our investment in aquatic
River Conservation research is directed toward instream flow, or the amount of water that flows
in a river or steam. Maintaining and improving the ecological health of our
flowing waters is critical to providing a legacy of sustainable outdoor recre-
By Kurt Kuklinski, Research ational opportunities for future generations.
Supervisor, Oklahoma Fishery In collaboration with many talented in-state university researchers, the
Research Laboratory Wildlife Department is actively working to conserve and protect our streams
and rivers. These partnerships, along with our own internal research efforts
at the Oklahoma Fishery Research Laboratory, are providing data and
shannon K. brewer/ProViDeD answering key research questions that enable the Department to support
scientifically sound management practices that benefit all Oklahomans.
This article highlights some of the ongoing research efforts focusing on
our rivers and streams and the species that live there.
Project T-104-R-1: Movement and Flow-
recruitment Relationships of Prairie Chub: An
Endemic Great Plains Cyprinid.
Project Leader: Shannon Brewer, Oklahoma State University.
The prairie chub is one of 20 species of fish currently listed as a Tier 1
Species of Greatest Conservation Need in Oklahoma. Despite being a con-
servation priority, very little research has been done that explores how the
amount of flowing water in its environment affects this fish.
With increasing tension over water allocation and the threat of more
droughts in the Great Plains, it is imperative to understand how prairie
While small and unassuming, the prairie chub
is a tough fish. Adapted to survive the volatile chubs use water flow and how changing flow patterns affect their survival.
conditions of Oklahoma’s prairie rivers, it can This study aims to understand just that while also estimating the current
overcome natural drought, flooding and high population of prairie chubs in the upper Red River.
salinity levels. However, the prairie chub has
disappeared from much of its former range. Ultimately, this study will help the Wildlife Department understand the
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