The Cadron Creek watershed covers approximately 775 square miles and is composed primarily of forest (48%) and grassland (37%). However, a pending permit, AR0052086C, would allow a centralized waste treatment facility to discharge recycled wastewater from fracking fluids into an unnamed tributary located in the Cadron Creek watershed. This unnamed tributary flows directly into Linn Creek, which would then feed the North Fork of the Cadron and eventually the Arkansas River (ADEQ, 2013). Cadron Creek, located in the Arkansas River Basin, is listed by the US Army Corps of Engineers as an Extraordinary Water Resource or ERWB (USACE 2013). ERWBs are important because they satisfy a wide range of socio-economic, cultural and environmental values ​​that benefit both humans and the environment. ERWBs can help facilitate re-entry into nature, due to their scenic beauty, recreational potential, and ecological and scientific values ​​that can provide educational opportunities for the public. For this project, a series of water quality measurements were collected from confluences and bridge crossings of headwater streams located in the Cadron Creek watershed. These water quality measurements included dissolved oxygen, pH, temperature, and specific conductivity.4. Literature Review: Headwater streams are the peripheral reaches of larger river systems that represent between 50 and 70% of the total reach length in the United States (Fritz et. al 2008). Headwater streams are a major component of river systems and are composed of small rills, streams and creeks, which are the building blocks of larger rivers and lakes. Headwater streams have a great influence on the overall health of aquatic ecosystems because they cause hydraulic fracturing. During hydraulic fracturing, or hydraulic fracturing, holes are drilled into shale rock formations, deep below the earth's surface, and injected with more than a million gallons of pressurized fracking fluid. This process creates small cracks in the rock layers that are held open by the sand particles, allowing natural gas to escape from the well (10). However, much debate rages over the vitality and long-term validity of using unconventional gas as a solution to the United States' dependence on foreign oil. Much of this debate stems from what some have called the "exploration treadmill", the rate at which new deposits must be added to production, in order to maintain a flat line and/or grow (carbon) . The fracking fluid itself is primarily composed of water, sand, and small amounts of other chemicals, such as petroleum distillates.