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Arkansas is well known for its for its beautiful forests, abundant wildlife, and scenic rivers. With close to 136,000 miles of streams, it is no surprise that the natural state boasts more aquatic diversity than almost anywhere in the United States. However, fish and other aquatic organisms rely heavily on the integrity of interconnected river networks. Unfortunately, human intervention, such as the construction of dams and culverts, has led to the fragmentation of these networks. Arkansas has an estimated 102,227 road-related crossings, and 96% of those crossings have yet to be surveyed.
Pictured: Christian Tamura of UCA ACT surveying a large culvert in the Little Red River Basin.
In recent years, the Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership (SARP), a collective partnership comprised of government agencies, NGOs, and private interests, has been working to inventory, prioritize, and restore aquatic resources across the Southeastern United States. In 2018, Arkansas joined SARP with the formation of the Arkansas Stream Heritage Partnership (ASHP), uniting even more organizations to focus on stream connectivity in Arkansas, including USFWS, USFS, AGFC, The Nature Conservancy, many more NGOs, and several universities, including UCA. In line with this commitment, we are happy to announce the formation of the UCA Aquatic Connectivity Team. We will be conducting comprehensive road crossing inventories in 2024 and 2025, spanning over 3,000 barriers across various watersheds in Conservation Opportunity Areas (COAs) including the Caddo River, Ouachita River, Spring River, Strawberry River, Eleven Point River, Kings River, War Eagle Creek, and Illinois River.
Figure 1: A map highlighting Arkansas Aquatic Conservation Opportunity Areas by priority, as outlined in the AGFC Wildlife Action Plan. Map credit: AGFC, USFWS, ASHP
These COAs represent the areas of greatest conservation need in Arkansas. By prioritizing these survey areas, we can assist biologists, planners, and local authorities in making informed decisions about barrier removal or reconstruction where they are needed most.
Join us in the Barrier Blog for updates from the UCA Aquatic Connectivity Team!
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