FISHES OF CRUTCHO CREEK AND THE NORTH CANADIAN RIVER IN CENTRAL OKLAHOMA - EFFECTS OF URBANIZATION

In spring and summer 1987, we made 12 fish collections at four sites in the watershed of Crutcho Creek, a heavily urbanized stream within the Oklahoma City metropolitan area, and eight collections at four sites on the North Canadian River in and near Oklahoma City. Seventeen species were collected from the creek sites, and 30 species from the river sites. The fauna in these areas included most of the species typical of streams throughout central Oklahoma. Life stages from young-of-year to reproductive adults were present for numerous species. Despite the urbanization of the area, these streams have a viable and relatively diverse native fish fauna similar in species richness and composition to fish assemblages in similar-sized rural streams elsewhere in central Oklahoma.