STEVE FILIPEK, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, #2 Natural Resources Dr., Little Rock, Arkansas 72205, USA

The formal setting of instream flows in Arkansas is a relatively new issue with enabling legislation giving this responsibility to the Arkansas Soil and Water Conservation Commission in 1985 (Act 1051). Since the mid-1980’s, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission has been working on this important issue but can only recommend instream flows to the ASWCC; it has no jurisdiction under Act 1051 to be on equal ground with ASWCC in actually setting flows. ASWCC did not formally start setting instream flows until the early 1990’s and the first flow setting exercise was on the Arkansas River, the state’s largest river (exclusive of the Mississippi making up the eastern border). There were few major conflicts over instream flows on the Arkansas between ASWCC and natural resource conservation agencies (AGFC, Pollution Control & Ecology, Parks & Tourism, Scenic Rivers, Natural Heritage) since this river has numerous navigational locks and dams on it which have changed it from a natural flowing system to a series of pools. The second river to receive attention in the state was the White River, which while impounded in its upper basin, is relatively natural in its lower section. Preliminary flow setting by ASWCC on the White gave little attention to AGFC and other natural resource agency recommendations on instream flow needs for fish and wildlife in this river. Fish and wildlife, navigation, and upstream farming interests pressured ASWCC into a reconsideration of the instream flow needs for the White with a strong recommendation from the public to let the experts in each field recommend flows for the White. This was done and this presentation will highlight the flows that a Fish and Wildlife, Recreation, and Water Quality Committee gave to ASWCC. These include IFIM results from earlier USFWS work on the trout section of the White, IF recommendations from paddlefish biotelemetry for the middle section of the river, and a method utilizing wetland vegetative communities (Florida method) along with a standard setting method (Arkansas Method) for the lower gradient, floodplain section of the river.