Artie L. Metcalf

“ The high gradient of upland tributaries in the Flint Hills area produced turbulence and bottoms predominantly of rubble. A fauna of which Etheostoma spectabile and Campostoma anomalum were characteristic existed in these waters while they were flowing. As flow decreased and intermittency commenced, qualitative and quantitative changes in the fish faunas were observed. Gradient did not change during drought, but turbulence did. Because turbulence varies with water level as well as gradient, the effect of gradient on fish distribution ultimately is linked to climate. ”

“ An editorial in the Winfield Courier of November 16, 1899, vigorously registers concern about a direct effect of settlement on fish populations in rivers of the area:
"The fish in the streams of Cowley County are being slaughtered by the thousands, by the unlawful use of the seine and the deadly hoop net. Fish are sold on the market every day, sometimes a tubful at a time, which never swallowed a hook. ”

“ The number of species of fish in the highly intermittent streams was small—especially in the uppermost pools sampled—but the actual number of fish was often high even though the number of species was low. In several instances the only fishes found in these isolated pools were Lepomis cyanellus and Ictalurus melas. This phenomenon of concentrated numbers of individuals of a few species would indicate the presence of limiting [Pg 395] factors that allow only those species most tolerant of the particular factor to flourish. ”

“ Wind movement is great; Flora (1948:6) states that south-central Kansas ranks close to some of the windiest inland areas in the United States.
The area has been periodically subjected to droughts and floods. Such phenomena are of special interest to ichthyological workers in the area. At the time of this study drought conditions, which began in 1952, prevailed. Even in this period of drought, however, flooding occurred on Grouse Creek and water was high in Big Caney River after heavy local rains on the headwaters of these streams on June 22, 1956. ”

“ Seines are species-selective, due partly to the preference of certain fishes for special habitat niches. Fishes that are often found under stones or in weedy pools require special collecting techniques and frequently were not represented in the initial five hauls. If work subsequent to the first five hauls indicated that such fish were a prominent part of the fauna at a particular station, these results were considered before percentages were calculated. ”

“ They not only deplete the streams of fish large enough to eat and destroy the source of supply but if the U. S. Fish Commission discovers that the law is not enforced and the fish not protected, there will be no free government fish placed in Cowley County streams. It is useless for the Government to spend thousands of dollars to keep the streams well supplied if a few outlaws are allowed to ruthlessly destroy them. ”

“ Graham (1885:78) listed 13 species of fish that had already been introduced into Kansas waters prior to 1885 by the State Fish Commission.
These early references indicate that direct effects of settlement on the native flora and fauna were recognized early. Concern such as that expressed in the editorial above persists today; however, it is not clear whether the fish fauna of the streams of the area has been essentially changed by man's predation. The indirect effects through human modifications of the environment seem to be of much importance. ”

“ The streams in the Flint Hills have fringe-forests of elm, hackberry, walnut, ash, and willow.
Eastward from the Flint Hills these fringe-forests become thicker with a greater admixture of hickories and oaks. The north slopes of hills also become more wooded. However, grassland remains predominant over woodland in western Chautauqua and Elk counties, whereas in the eastern one-half of Chautauqua County and the eastern one-third of Elk County the wooded Chautauqua Hills prevail. This is one of the most extensive wooded upland areas in Kansas. ”

“ At two other stations, only Lepomis cyanellus was found. One of these stations consisted of several small spring-fed pools in a dry arroyo tributary to Little Beaver Creek. Around these small "oases" rushes and smartweeds grew and blackbirds were nesting in the rushes. Although green sunfish up to eight inches in length were common in the shallow pools, no other species was found. The second station (C-17) on the East Fork Big Caney River is of special interest. The pool was isolated, had dimensions of about 25×25 feet, and had an average depth of 15 inches. ”

“ No fish in these collections showed a more persistent preference than Notropis rubellus for clear, cool streams. All collections of the rosyface shiner were in the Big Caney River system, but at only four stations in this system was it common. At station C-11 the highest relative numbers (10.6 per cent) were obtained. This site possessed the most limpid water of any station on the mainstream of Big Caney. Aquatic plants (Myriophyllum heterophyllum and Potamogeton nodosus) were common. ”

“ Mosquitofish occurred widely but in varied abundance. Huge populations were in the shallow sandy backwaters and cut-off pools of the Arkansas River. In the shallow pools of several intermittent streams such as station G-8 on Silver Creek this fish also flourished.
G. affinis was taken at every station in the Arkansas, Walnut and Grouse systems except those stations on two upland tributaries of Grouse Creek (Crab Creek and Grand Summit Creek) . The mosquitofish was not observed in the clear upland tributaries of Big Caney, nor on upper Big Caney River itself in May, June, and July. ”

“ Most striking is the Foraker limestone. It characteristically consists of three massive members in Cowley County, the uppermost of which forms the prominent first crest of the Flint Hills. As the rapid-flowing western tributaries of Big Caney descend over these successive limestone members, large quantities of chert and limestone rubble are transported and deposited in stream beds of the system. In many places the streams of the Big Caney system flow over resistant limestone members, which form a bedrock bottom. ”

“ Notropis umbratilis, which seems to prefer habitats intermediate between those of Notropis lutrensis and Ozarkian shiners, was usually represented. Deep-bodied suckers and carp were not taken in upland tributaries but Moxostoma erythrurum was common and Minytrema melanops was taken.
The kinds and numbers of shiners (Notropis) taken at different [Pg 397] points along Grouse Creek seem significant. N. lutrensis and N. umbratilis occurred throughout the stream but were rare in sluggish areas where populations of Gambusia affinis, Fundulus notatus, and Labidesthes sicculus flourished. ”

“ Stream-flow in the area has been discussed in the section on climate.
The effects of urbanization are more tangible and better recognized than those of agricultural land-use. Streams that flow through cities and other populous areas undergo some modification, especially of the streamside flora. Another effect of urbanization has been increased loads of sewage discharged into the streams. The combined populations of Arkansas City and Winfield rose from 3,986 in 1880 to 23,167 in 1950. Arkansas City found it necessary to construct a sewage system in 1889 ”

“ The Arkansas River flows through several oilfields in its course across Cowley County (Jewett and Abernathy, 1945:97) . A number of producing wells have been drilled in the Grouse Creek watershed since 1939 and many of these wells are near the banks of the creek. In the Big Caney watershed of Cowley and Chautauqua counties there has been little oil production in recent years; however, a few small pools are presently producing in southwestern Elk County.
Clapp (1920:33) stated that "Many of the finest streams of our state are now destitute of fish on account of oil and salt pollution. ”

“ These factors possibly decimate numbers of the less hardy species permitting expansion by more adaptable species, among which seems to be N. lutrensis. In the upper tributaries of Big Caney River conditions have not been so severe due to greater flow from springs and less cultivation of the watershed in most places. Under such conditions N. lutrensis seems to remain a minor faunal constituent.
Notropis percobromus (Cope) : Stations A-1, A-2, W-1, W-2, W-3, G-1.
At station W-1 the plains shiner constituted 20 per cent of the fish taken. ”

“ Upstream, gravel and rubble bottoms become more common. Steep rocky banks border most of the course of the Walnut. During 1956, stream-flow was confined to the center of the channel, remote from these rocky banks.
The rubble and bedrock bottoms found in most streams of the Flint Hills have been described. In the alluvial valleys of their lower courses mud bottoms are found. Gravel is present in some places but sand is absent. Banks are variable but often steep and wooded. ”

“ List any demonstrable effects of intermittency of streams on fish distribution within the area.
Cowley and Chautauqua counties form part of the southern border of Kansas, and Elk County lies directly north of Chautauqua. The following report concerns data only from those three counties unless otherwise noted. They make up an area of 2,430 square miles having a population of 50,960 persons in 1950 (55,552 in 1940, and 60,375 in 1930) . The most populous portion of the area is western Cowley County where Arkansas City with 12,903 inhabitants and Winfield with 10,264 inhabitants are located. ”

“ The Arkansas River at this point is about 300 yards wide, its waters are muddy, not quite so much so, as those of the Mississippi or Rio Bravo. Its valley is wooded and about two miles in width, the main bottom here, being on the east side. On the west it is a rolling prairie as far as the eye can see, affording excellent grass. ”

“ Seining techniques could not be entirely standardized. One station might present a series of long narrow riffles and narrow, shallow pools in which only a small seine could be used effectively; another station might consist of a large, deep, isolated pool in which a larger seine was needed for effective sampling. In practice, the five seine hauls were made with any of several seines ranging from ten to twenty feet in length. ”

“ If there is a fishwarden in Cowley County so far as his utility goes the county would be as well off without him and his inactivity has caused many of those interested to get together for the purpose of seeing that the law is enforced. ”

“ This species is frequently found in farm ponds in the area surveyed, which further suggests a wide range of habitat tolerance.
Lepomis megalotis breviceps (Baird and Girard) : Stations W-3, W-4, W-5, B-1, B-2, G-1, G-4, G-5, G-7, G-8, G-9, G-10, G-11, G-12, G-13 (all Big Caney River stations except C-18) , E-1, E-2, E-3, E-4, E-5, E-6, M-1, M-2 (C-131, C-132, C-133, J&J, E&F) .
In Big Caney River the longear sunfish shared dominance with the redfin shiner (Notropis umbratilis) at almost every station. ”

“ Because a tributary of Fall River enters Elk County its presence in this and other Verdigris tributaries in the area seems possible. This darter has been reported from only one other stream in Kansas, Shoal Creek in Cherokee County, where it has been collected often.
Roccus chrysops (Rafinesque) —The white bass has been stocked in Hulah Reservoir on Big Caney River in Oklahoma. To date it has not been reported from the Big Caney in Kansas. White bass are common in many reservoirs of Kansas and Oklahoma and have been taken in rivers in both states. Mr. ”

“ Cross (1950:140) noted that in Stillwater Creek it seemed to be the most tolerant and consequently the most abundant of the stream's cent rarchids. Moore and Paden (1950:91) note that L. humilis is most common in muddy waters and found in overflow pools, backwaters, and oxbow lakes. ”