Effects of Surface Water Withdrawal on Fishes in Rivers of Northeast Louisiana.
Abstract
Surface water demands are rapidly increasing in northeast Louisiana for irrigation and commercial fish farming and, to a lesser extent, for industrial and municipal purposes. Because a diverse fish community inhabitats the numerous streams, bayous, and rivers in northeast Louisiana, an increase in surface water demand will result in competition for available water supplies between human consumption and aquatic habitat. Water is required for crop irrigation and commercial fish farming throughout the summer and early fall months when stream levels are low. Therefore, reduction in water levels from surface water withdrawal may affect the spatial requirements of fishes for foraging, spawning, and predator avoidance, leading to a decrease in their condition and abundance. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of surface water withdrawal on fishes in northeast Louisiana during the summer and early fall months, as part of a water supply study of the Boeuf River, Tensas River, and Bayou Bartholomew basins. The objectives of this report were to evaluate changes in fish abundance resulting from various future water demand scenarios developed by Henning (1985), determine important physical and chemical variables that may limit fish abundance, and document the fish community structure that currently exists in the study area. Keywords: Marine biology, Ecology.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1988
- Accession Number
- ADA190601
Entities
People
- K. Jack Killgore
- Neil H. Douglas