rganizations. There are things that individuals can do to help save the Niangua darter that have been found through this research. An important factor to the darters health is its environment, so in order to help the fish, we must undo the damage that has been done to its habitat. Replanting stream edges is a great start. Also, better land management could prove very beneficial to the further duration of the species. Dredging, channeling, making culverts and all other stream altering methods are disruptive to the darters habitat that can be easily avoided. Also, grazing cattle should be kept away from stream banks where the darter lives. If at all possible, there should be a different water source for them to drink from. By having cattle trampling along the banks, the land is eroded at a much quicker pace than would naturally occur, thus the water quality is deleted and having cattle trampling along the banks puts silt put into the water. As previously mentioned, the darter is a vital link in the ecosystem and all efforts should be made to keep a healthy population surviving within our waters. It is not only important on the organism level, but also to the general population. It serves us as well as its fellow biological species. By being a measure of water quality, it aids us in many ways. It provides a simple way to calculate the attributes of the waters in which it lives. Our government has noticed how important the Niangua darter is and is taking action to help save the species. Now it is our turn as citizens to do all that we can to insure that the species will continue to live and thrive in the river systems of the Niangua and Osage basins. Hopefully one day we will be able to say that the Niangua darter can be found in more territory than it ever had before....
