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Tinker, OU partner in fishy venture

  • Published
  • By John Stuart
  • Tinker Public Affairs
TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  When you think about the industrial-type landscape of Tinker, it's not likely that fish readily come to mind. But researchers here on base and at the University of Oklahoma are happy to report that Tinker's fish are doing better today than in previous decades.

Nestled in the well-maintained green spaces of Tinker's riparian zones rest two of the base's main streams -- Crutcho Creek and Kuhlman Creek, tributaries of the North Canadian River.

These streams and several others off base have been front and center in the research of prominent area fish specialists. Bolstered by Air Force grant funds, Dr. Edie Marsh-Matthews, curator of ichthyology at the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, and a cadre of others from OU are conducting a several-year study to determine the health and abundance of fish in these Tinker streams and others off base.

The specialists indicate things are looking good for the Air Force fish. A Tinker report shows that since the early 1990s, there's been an increase in the number of fish species on base, from 10 to 21, said Ray Moody, natural resource biologist with Tinker's 72nd Air Base Wing Civil Engineer Directorate Environmental Management Operations Section.

The increase in species is largely due to improved green-space management and also decreased incidence of chemical spills in the last two decades, Mr. Moody explained.

"It's the overall programs we have on base," Mr. Moody said. "Everything from the pollution prevention, the frequency of spills we have and our response to them in the last several years."

Tinker's green infrastructure plan, that was adopted in recent years is also part of the reason for this increase in fish species, Mr. Moody said.

But even with these improvements, the fish have it hard. In simple terms, Mid-Western fish are survivors. With extreme rain and drought cycles, their habitats are often either booming or busting, as they face flood conditions or have their waters reduced to near-mud puddles.

All these factors are stressful for fish living is this region, said Dr. Marsh-Matthews. Only the strong survive. As such, several main species of fish dominate most water systems nearby. One goal of the grant research is to gauge whether Tinker's streams are similar to nearby streams off base in terms of fish ecology.

Dr. Marsh-Matthews expects that the Tinker streams will be similar in fish ecology, but the study - which is expected to conclude in December 2011 -- is still ongoing.

Compared to some of the off base streams in urban areas, Tinker's waterways are in good shape, Dr. Marsh-Matthews said.

"They have a pretty good diversity of fish. They are cleaner, they are pretty natural and not overly channelized," Dr. Marsh-Matthews said. "That's basically good for fish habitats in general."

In several-person teams, the researchers use a 15-foot seine to scoop fish out of streams, documenting their findings. Red shiners, sand shiners, green sunfish and long ear sunfish are among the most common species found in the region and Tinker is no exception, with healthy populations of each.

Dr. Marsh-Matthews expects to conduct at least three on-site collections at the Tinker and off base streams in various seasons. So far she and her researchers have performed two collections.

Overall it's good news for the gilled residents at Tinker, and further proof that a comprehensive resources plan can have positive effects over time.