Caves in the Ozarks of eastern Oklahoma are known to be inhabited by the rare Oklahoma cave crayfish (Cambarus tartarus), the Delaware cave crayfish (C. subterraneus), and the federally listed threatened Ozark cavefish (Amblyopsis rosae). These species utilize ground/subsurface water present in the caves. Because these caves occur in fractured limestone rock landscapes (karst), there is a strong surface water connection with any ground/subsurface water present in the caves. Consequently, actions on the land surface have the potential to influence groundwater quality in these caves. Delineating the recharge areas for these caves is an important initial step in protecting water quality and minimizing surface disturbances that may impact these sensitive environments. The proposed project would utilize non-toxic tracer dyes to detect surface-ground water interaction and document groundwater flow paths and recharge areas.
