Documentation of fishes and physico-chemical characters of a stream Indrawati- a spring fed tributary of River Bhagirathi at Uttarkashi (Central Himalaya, Garhwal) India

Abstract

Most of the riverine resources in Garhwal region are mountainous and perennial either snow fed or spring originated. All these mountainous streams provide a good natural habitat for survival of hill stream fishes. Present communication deals with documentation of Ichthyofauna along with physico-chemical properties of a similar perennial spring fed stream Indrawati- a left side tributary of river Bhagirathi. It comes down from the hills of Baragari and through Joshiyara debouches into the river Bhagirathi at Uttarkashi (elevation 1128 masl). Major part of stream water is mainly abstracted for the irrigation purpose in the side lying fields all along its length. There is heterogeneity in the stream bed characteristics which results into the existence of varied fish fauna. Study reports eleven fish species from the stream belonging to two orders, three families and six genera. Fishes belonging to cyprinidae family are found more commonly than the cobitidae and sisoridae family. Fishery of the stream is of subsistence nature and is under intense pressure of anthropogenic activities. Fishes captured are of generally small sized. The physico-chemical characteristics recorded during the study period in the different seasons are water temperature (9.0-16.0 0C), velocity (.50 m-s-1.46 m-s), TDS (49 mg-l – 65 mg-l), pH (8.0 - 8.3), DO (7.3 mg-l – 10.5 mg-l), Free CO2 (0.10 mg-l – 0.30 mg-l) and turbidity (06-30 NTU).