U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey WATER-QUALITY ASSESSMENT OF THE OZARK PLATEAUS STUDY UNIT, ARKANSAS, KANSAS, MISSOURI, AND OKLAHOMA--FISH COMMUNITIES IN STREAMS OF THE OZARK PLATEAUS AND THEIR RELATIONS TO SELECTED ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS By James C. Petersen Water-Resources Investigations Report 98-4155 National Water-Quality Assessment Program U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BRUCE BABBITT, Secretary U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Thomas J. Casadevall, Acting Director For additional information Copies of this report can be write to: purchased from: District Chief U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Geological Survey, WRD Branch of Information Services 401 Hardin Road Box 25286 Little Rock, Arkansas 72211 Denver Federal Center Denver, Colorado 80225 This information will help support the develop- FOREWORD ment and evaluation of management, regulatory, and The mission of the U.S. Geological Survey monitoring decisions by other Federal, State, and local (USGS) is to assess the quantity and quality of the earth agencies to protect, use, and enhance water resources. resources of the Nation and to provide information that The goals of the NAWQA Program are being will assist resource managers and policymakers at Fed- achieved through investigations of 60 of the Nation’s eral, State, and local levels in making sound decisions. most important river basins and aquifer systems, which Assessment of water-quality conditions and trends is an are referred to as study units. These study units are dis- important part of this overall mission. tributed throughout the Nation and cover a diversity of One of the greatest challenges faced by water- hydrogeologic settings. More than two-thirds of the resources scientists is acquiring reliable information that Nation’s freshwater use occurs within the 60 study units will guide the use and protection of the Nation’s water and more than two-thirds of the people served by public resources. That challenge is being addressed by Federal, water-supply systems live within their boundaries. State, interstate, and local water-resource agencies and National synthesis of data analysis, based on by many academic institutions. These organizations are aggregation of comparable information obtained from collecting water-quality data for a host of purposes that the study units, is a major component of the program. include: compliance with permits and water-supply stan- This effort focuses on selected water-quality topics using dards; development of remediation plans for a specific nationally consistent information. Comparative studies contamination problem; operational decisions on indus- will explain differences and similarities in observed trial, wastewater, or water-supply facilities; and research water-quality conditions among study areas and will on factors that affect water quality. An additional need identify changes and trends and their causes. The first for water-quality information is to provide a basis on topics addressed by the national synthesis are pesticides, which regional and national-level policy decisions can be nutrients, volatile organic compounds, and aquatic biol- based. Wise decisions must be based on sound informa- ogy. Discussions on these and other water-quality topics tion. As a society we need to know whether certain types will be published in periodic summaries of the quality of of water-quality problems are isolated or ubiquitous, the Nation’s ground and surface water as the information whether there are significant differences in conditions becomes available. among regions, whether the conditions are changing over time, and why these conditions change from place to This report is an element of the comprehensive place and over time. The information can be used to help body of information developed as part of the NAWQA determine the efficacy of existing water-quality policies Program. The program depends heavily on the advice, and to help analysts determine the need for and likely cooperation, and information from many Federal, State, consequences of new policies. interstate, Tribal, and local agencies and the public. The assistance and suggestions of all are greatly appreciated. To address these needs, the Congress appropriated funds in 1986 for the USGS to begin a pilot program in seven project areas to develop and refine the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program. In 1991, the USGS began full implementation of the program. The NAWQA Program builds upon an existing base of Robert M. Hirsch water-quality studies of the USGS, as well as those of Chief Hydrologist other Federal, State, and local agencies. The objectives of the NAWQA Program are to: •Describe current water-quality conditions for a large part of the Nation’s freshwater streams, riv- ers, and aquifers. •Describe how water quality is changing over time. •Improve understanding of the primary natural and human factors that affect water-quality conditions. Foreword III CONTENTS Abstract................................................................................................................................................................................1 Introduction .........................................................................................................................................................................1 Purpose and Scope.....................................................................................................................................................2 Acknowledgments .....................................................................................................................................................2 Description of Study Area ...................................................................................................................................................2 Field Methods......................................................................................................................................................................4 Statistical Methods ..............................................................................................................................................................6 Environmental Factors.........................................................................................................................................................6 Community Structure ........................................................................................................................................................10 Species and Taxa Richness ......................................................................................................................................11 Relative Abundance of Taxonomic Groups.............................................................................................................11 Stoneroller Abundance and Community Functions.................................................................................................17 Temporal and Spatial Variability .............................................................................................................................18 Results of Ordination Analysis..........................................................................................................................................18 Detrended Correspondence Analysis.......................................................................................................................18 Canonical Correspondence Analysis.......................................................................................................................22 Results of Classification Analysis .....................................................................................................................................24 Implications for Water-Quality Assessment......................................................................................................................24 Summary............................................................................................................................................................................28 Selected References...........................................................................................................................................................30 Appendix 1. List of scientific and common names of collected fish.................................................................................33 ILLUSTRATIONS Figure 1. Map showing physiographic subdivisions of the Ozark Plateaus study unit and adjacent areas ....................................................................................................................................................3 2. Map showing location of sampling stations.......................................................................................................4 3. Graphs showing relative abundance of selected taxa at individual reaches.....................................................14 4. Detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) ordination plot of reach scores showing generalized correlation with environmental factors ........................................................................................20 5. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) ordination plot of reach scores with selected environmental factors ......................................................................................................................................23 6. Diagram showing classification of fish communities by two-way