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Title: Conservation implications of fish–habitat relationships in channelized agricultural headwater streams

Author
item SANDERS, KATHRYN - Indiana University-Purdue University
item Smiley, Peter
item GILLESPIE, ROBERT - Indiana University-Purdue University
item King, Kevin
item Smith, Douglas
item Pappas, Elizabeth

Submitted to: Journal of Environmental Quality
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/13/2020
Publication Date: 9/16/2020
Citation: Sanders, K., Smiley, P.C., Gillespie, R.G., King, K.W., Smith, D.R., Pappas, E.A. 2020. Conservation implications of fish–habitat relationships in channelized agricultural headwater streams. Journal of Environmental Quality. 49:1585-1598. https://doi.org/10.1002/jeq2.20137.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/jeq2.20137

Interpretive Summary: Only a limited amount of information on the fish-habitat relationships within channelized agricultural headwater streams is available. Understanding the fish-habitat relationships within these streams will provide information that can assist with developing restoration strategies for these degraded streams. We evaluated fish-habitat relationships within channelized agricultural headwater streams in Ohio and Indiana from 2006 to 2010. We found that fish community structure is more strongly correlated with instream habitat than riparian habitat or water chemistry in these small degraded streams. Our results suggest that the current focus of agricultural conservation programs in reducing nutrient, pesticide, and sediment loadings to agricultural streams will not influence on the fish communities within channelized agricultural headwater streams. Instead agricultural conservation programs will need to address physical habitat degradation to positively influence fish community structure. This information can be used by state, federal, and private agencies responsible for managing agricultural watersheds and restoring streams.

Technical Abstract: Channelized agricultural headwater streams are common throughout agricultural watersheds in the Midwestern United States. Understanding the fish-habitat relationships within these streams will provide information that can assist with developing restoration strategies for these degraded streams. From spring 2006 to fall 2010 we collected fishes and measured riparian habitat, instream habitat, nutrients, pesticides, and physico-chemical variables from seven sites in Cedar Creek watershed, Indiana and 14 sites in the Upper Big Walnut Creek watershed, Ohio. We documented that fish-habitat relationships were similar between both watersheds and that fish community structure was more strongly correlated with instream habitat than riparian habitat or water chemistry. We also observed interrelationships among instream habitat, watershed size, and fish communities within both watersheds that suggest the hydrological changes that occur with increasing watershed size is the underlying factor for the fish community changes that occur with increasing watershed size. Overall, our results suggest that restoration projects within channelized agricultural headwater streams in the Midwestern United States need to address physical habitat degradation to positively influence fish community structure.