Water-Quality Assessment of the Ozark Plateaus
Study Unit, Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and
Oklahoma-Habitat Data and Characteristics at
Selected Sites, 1993-95
By Suzanne R. Femmer
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Abstract
The characterization of instream and riparian
habitat is part of the multiple lines of evidence
used by the U.S. Geological Survey's National
Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program to
assess the water quality of streams. In the
NAWQA Program, integrated physical, chemical,
and biological assessments are used to describe
water-quality conditions. The instream and riparian
habitat data are collected at sites selected for
surface-water chemistry analyses and biological
assessment.
Instream and riparian habitat data are structured
in a nested scheme—at sampling reach, segment,
and basin scales. The habitat data were
collected in the Ozark Plateaus study unit at 41
sites during 1993-95. Thirteen of these sites, representative
of selected combinations of physiography,
land use, and basin size, have longitudinal,
transverse, and quarter point vegetation plot surveys
in addition to the Level I survey measurements
(reach length, depth, velocity, dominant
substrate, embeddedness, and vegetation quarter
points, for example) recommended by the
NAWQA Program protocols. These habitat data
were from onsite measurements, U.S. Geological
Survey topographic maps, and a geographic information
system.
The analyses of the habitat data indicates
substantial differences between sites of differing
physiography and basin-scale land-use activities.
The basins range from 46.4 to 4,318 square kilometers
and have stream orders from 2 to 6. All
streams studied are a riffle/pool type, and most
have cobble that is less than 50 percent embedded
as the dominant streambed substrate.
Of the three physiographic sections studied,
the Boston Mountains have the largest mean segment
and sideslope gradients, basin relief, woody
species diversity, and stream depths when compared
with sites of similar size. Channel sinuosities,
mean velocities, and canopy angles are
largest at sites in the Springfield Plateau physiographic
section. The sites in the Salem Plateau
physiographic section have the largest woody
vegetation densities and mean channel widths.
Sites in basins with predominantly agricultural
land use tend to have more open canopies,
steeper segment gradients, and more sinuous
stream channels than the forested sites. Sites in
predominantly forested basins tend to have deeper
and swifter flow, smaller channel widths, and
more dense woody riparian vegetation (at small
basins) than the agricultural sites.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Abstract
- Introduction
- Description of the Ozark Plateaus Study Unit
- Methods
- Habitat Data at Selected Sites
- Salem Plateau Physiographic Section
- Forested Land Use-Large Basins
- Forested Land Use-Small Basins
- Agricultural Land Use-Large Basins
- Agricultural Land Use-Small Basins
- Forested and Mining Land Uses-Large Basins
- Comparison of Fixed Site Characteristics by Basin Size and Land Use
- Springfield Plateau Physiographic Section
- Land Use-Large Basins
- Forested Land Use-Small Basins
- Agricultural Land Use-Large Basins
- Agricultural Land Use-Small Basins
- Mixed Land Use-Large Basins
- Comparison of Habitat Data by Basin Size and Land Use
- Boston Mountains Physiographic Section
- Habitat Characteristics by Physiographic Section
- Salem and Springfield Plateaus-Forested Land Use
- Large Basins
- Small Basins-Including Two Sites in the Boston Mountains Physiographic Section
- Salem and Springfield Plateaus-Agricultural Land Use
- Large Basins
- Small Basins
- Habitat Data by Land Use and Basin Size
- Summary
- References Cited
FIGURES
- Map showing physiographic sections and location of sites with habitat data in the Ozark Plateaus study
unit, 1993-95
- Map showing ecoregions and major river systems of the Ozark Plateaus study unit
- The Jacks Fork above Alley Spring, Missouri (station number 07065495)
- Paddy Creek above Slabtown Spring, Missouri (station number 06929315)
- The Niangua River at Windyville, Missouri (station number 06923250)
- Dousinbury Creek near Wall Street, Missouri (station number 06923150)
- The Black River near Lesterville, Missouri (station number 07061400)
- The Buffalo River near St. Joe, Arkansas (station number 07056000)
- North Sylamore Creek near Fifty Six, Arkansas (station number 07060710)
- The Illinois River near Tahlequah, Oklahoma (station number 07196500)
- The Elk River near Tiff City, Missouri (station number 07189000)
- Yocum Creek near Oak Grove, Arkansas (station number 07053250)
- The Kings River near Berryville, Arkansas (station number 07050500)
- Center Creek near Smithfield, Missouri (station number 07186480)
- The Buffalo River near Boxley, Arkansas (station number 07055646)
TABLES
- Characteristics of sites with habitat data in the Ozark Plateaus study unit
- Habitat data for forested sites in large drainage basins in the Salem Plateau physiographic section
- Habitat data for forested sites in small drainage basins in the Salem Plateau physiographic section
- Habitat data for agricultural sites in large drainage basins in the Salem Plateau physiographic section
- Habitat data for agricultural sites in small drainage basins in the Salem Plateau physiographic section
- Habitat data for sites in forested basins that include mining land use in the Salem Plateau physiographic section
- Basin and segment characteristics of fixed sites in the Salem Plateau physiographic section
- Habitat data for forested sites in large drainage basins in the Springfield Plateau physiographic section
- Habitat data for forested sites in small drainage basins in the Springfield Plateau physiographic section
- Habitat data for agricultural sites in large drainage basins in the Springfield Plateau physiographic section
- Habitat data for agricultural sites in small drainage basins in the Springfield Plateau physiographic section
- Habitat data for sites with mixed land use in large drainage basins in the Springfield Plateau physiographic section
- Basin and segment characteristics of fixed sites in the Springfield Plateau physiographic section
- Habitat data for forested sites in small drainage basins in the Boston Mountains physiographic section
- Summary of habitat characteristics for each of the major physiographic sections and their primary land use and size in the Ozark Plateaus study unit
