October Arkansas Water Webinar
Thursday, October 15 | Noon-1 p.m.
Assessing Source Springs and Fish SGCN in the Northwest Karst Region of Arkansas
Register here!
Join us for the final Arkansas Water Webinar of 2026, hosted by the Arkansas Water Resources Center (AWRC), on Thursday, October 15, from noon to 1 p.m. Zach Moran, assistant professor of fisheries and wildlife in the Department of Biological and Earth Sciences at Arkansas Tech University, will present his team’s research on source springs and imperiled fish species in the karst landscape of Northwest Arkansas.
Springs create unique aquatic habitats that support remarkably high levels of biodiversity, yet they remain globally understudied and, as a result, underprotected. Northwest Arkansas sits atop a mantled karst landscape, a highly fractured limestone bedrock shaped by an intricate mosaic of surface and groundwater flow. Frequent surface interactions, paired with growing urbanization and agricultural activity in the region, are increasingly linked to reduced water quality in these systems.
The stakes are especially high in Northwest Arkansas, where these springs support species of greatest conservation need, including the Arkansas Darter and the Least Darter. Moran’s study inventoried springs home to these darters and other at-risk species, measuring abiotic factors such as density, flow, volume, and water quality across seasons within these fragile systems.
“Springs in Northwest Arkansas are essential for supporting aquatic and terrestrial life. I’m hopeful this webinar contributes to our understanding of the species in these systems and brings attention to the increasing anthropogenic stressors caused by massive urban development in this region,” said Moran.
Click here to register for the October Water Webinar. After registration, a confirmation email with information on joining the webinar will be sent.
About Zach Moran
Zach Moran has spent over a decade studying fish and aquatic ecosystems across the southeastern United States and currently serves as assistant professor of fisheries and wildlife in the Department of Biological and Earth Sciences at Arkansas Tech University. He holds degrees from Virginia Tech, Arkansas Tech, and Baylor University, and his research interests center on ecotoxicology, ecosystem health, biodiversity, and aquatic species management.
About Arkansas Water Webinars
The AWRC and state water partners, the Arkansas Department of Agriculture, the Arkansas Forests and Drinking Water Collaborative, the Beaver Watershed Alliance, and the Illinois River Watershed Partnership, host a monthly Arkansas Water Webinar Series covering water topics relevant to the state. This wraps up the 2026 series. Stay tuned for the 2026-27 lineup, coming soon.
For more information on the series, contact Brian Haggard at haggard@uark.edu.