Inventory & Monitoring at Ozark National Scenic Riverways

View from a gravel bar at Ozark National Scenic Riverways

NPS-Photo

Ozark National Scenic Riverways is located on the Salem Plateau of the Ozark Plateau's physiographic province in southeastern Missouri. One-hundred thirty-four miles of the Current River and its major tributary, the Jacks Fork River, comprise the park's river ways. The Current River basin includes cold-water habitat maintained by a large and complex spring discharge. Over 300 springs are documented in OZAR and their contribution to the hydrological budget in this region is so significant that spring inputs may exceed runoff. The park contains four of the ten largest springs in Missouri, including Big Spring. Big Spring is one of the largest springs in the United States, delivering 288 million gallons of water per day to the Current River.
The Ozark region is one of the oldest exposed landmasses in North America and has been free of glaciers or inundation for at least 200 million years. These conditions, combined with climate changes, contribute to a high incidence of endemism, relicts, and edge of range distributions for many Ozark species, particularly crayfishes (Cambaridae), fish, aquatic insects, and cave-dwelling species. The Current River basin contains 112 of the 270 fish species known to occur in the entire Mississippi River system, including six endemic species and one subspecies found only in the Current River.

Monitoring Reports

Source: Data Store Saved Search 3507 (results presented are a subset). To search for additional information, visit the Data Store.

Inventory Reports

Source: Data Store Collection 4260 (results presented are a subset). To search for additional information, visit the Data Store.

Check out the links below for other interesting science information about your park:

Air Quality in Parks
Learn about the air quality at your park and how it has changed over time.

NPS Geodiversity Atlas
An interactive map to explore the full variety of natural geologic (rocks, minerals, sediments, fossils, landforms, and physical processes) and soil resources and processes that occur in your park.

NPSpecies
Find out what plants and animals are present in your park or other parks.