The Saline River
The Saline River is a 204-mile stream, it flows southeast from Benton, Arkansas, and is known for its scenic beauty and unique characteristics, including being the last free-flowing river in the Ouachita Mountains.
“The Saline is one of the most pristine watersheds in Arkansas, It’s rich in fish and mussel species.”
Saline River Facts & Opinions
The Saline River basin covers over 3230 square miles in 13 Arkansas counties.
The upper Saline River basin is designated by The Nature Conservancy as a “Unique and Pristine Waterway”.
Arkansas Pollution Control and Ecology Commission Regulation 2 Plate OM-2 has designated the Upper Saline Basin as a “Extraordinary Resource Waterway” and “Ecologically Sensitive Waterway”
Bradley County Geological Society published a documentary in 2014 where former Arkansas Governor David Pryor quotes about the Saline River "We didn't make it natural God made it natural it's our job to keep it that way".
The upper Saline River basin is designated by Arkansas Parks and Tourism as a Top 10 Smallmouth Bass Fishery.
“The Saline River and its four headwater forks are considered a “Ouachita Zone Quality Stream for smallmouth bass” by Matthew Irvin AGFC.
The upper Saline River basin contains a large amount of naturally diversified aquatic habitat including eco-sensitive wetlands and downstream flood buffer overflow channels.
In 2019 during a 1200 ft stream bank restoration project AFGC located and identified 11 separate species of mussels including Black Sandshell, Arkansas Fatmucket, Louisiana Fatmucket, and Ouachita Kidneyshell mussels on the Alum Fork of the Saline. The Arkansas Fatmucket is considered “Threatened” and “Endemic” to the Saline by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Note that endemic species are only found in a specific geographic location or region.