Investigations of potential impacts of natural gas drilling on headwater stream fishes in north central Arkansas

Natural gas exploration has greatly increased in the last 5 years in the Fayetteville Shale region of Arkansas.  Potential impacts from the drilling process include loss of riparian habitat, changes in stream channel morphology due to mechanical manipulation, increased sedimentation, and accidental release of toxic fracturing fluid.  However, few studies have measured the response of aquatic ecosystems to the cumulative effects of drilling on headwater streams despite their higher susceptibility to disturbances. Two study designs are being used to measure effects of drilling to headwater streams.  A pre-post drilling study will quantitatively assess fish assemblage structure in streams, and a second will compare fish assemblage structure in twelve streams with a gradient of well densities.  Initial pre-drilling sampling of five stream locations indicated a rich fish fauna for monitoring (approximately 28 species), with greater than fifty percent of the species categorized as sensitive (e.g., Notropis boops, Etheostoma whipplei, and Noturus exilis).  The coupled study design of pre-post drilling and a gradient of well densities will provide a thorough assessment of potential effects of drilling on the diverse fish assemblages in headwater streams of north central Arkansas.