Water Quality and Freshwater Mussel Assemblages in the Strawberry River Watershed, Arkansa

Contamination of freshwater resources is an environmental issue worldwide. Habitat alteration and degradation cause water quality decreases and loss of aquatic biodiversity. The Strawberry River in Northeast Arkansas is an example of a highly diverse watershed presenting water quality impairments due to siltation caused by land use alteration. This thesis provides a better understanding of water quality in the tributaries contributing to the Strawberry River and of the freshwater mussel biodiversity of the river. Overall, the Strawberry River tributaries do not exceed criteria assessment but show increased sediment and nutrient concentrations in more agriculturally intense areas. The diversity of freshwater mussels included 34 species recorded in the present study and 42 historically. Data obtained in this study provides a baseline to understand future changes in water quality and freshwater mussel diversity in the Strawberry River and will help when assessing the necessity of implementing conservation strategies.