MOUNTAIN HOME — Many people may not know that World Fish Migration Day was May 21, but that didn’t stop the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s Stream Habitat Program from celebrating with a monumental effort. During May, the team was able to complete four stream barrier removal projects, restoring nearly 20 miles of connectivity to fragile warm water stream ecosystems.
Sean Saunders, AGFC northwest Arkansas stream habitat coordinator, recently partnered with Newton County, Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Division, and The Nature Conservancy to replace the first of three barriers on Cave Creek in Newton County. The antiquated concrete low-water crossing on Newton County Road 252 in Gene Rush Wildlife Management Area was replaced with a new 120-foot bridge. Once the remaining two barriers are removed, Cave Creek will again be a free-flowing tributary of the Buffalo River.
According to Saunders, not only will the removal of the low-water crossing connect segments of the stream for fish and paddling enthusiasts, it will reduce erosion, thereby reducing the amount of sediment entering the Buffalo. Saunders expects the entire project to be completed within the next year, and construction of the second bridge is already underway. Funding for these projects was secured through a grant from the Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Division’s Nonpoint Source Pollution Program and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
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