a private organization, defines seven miles of the river near Big Cedar as a "Class II-III rapid". In these upper reaches of the river, kayaking is a popular sport among tourists. In Hugo Lake, boating and camping are popular. Sardis Lake has yet to be tapped for large-scale tourism, but its campgrounds are well used. Some boating and waterskiing takes place on the lake. In 1988 Congress created the Upper Kiamichi River Wilderness. Defined as a territory at and below the headwaters of the Kiamichi River at Pine Mountain and Rich Mountain, the wilderness now encompasses 9,754 acres. It is part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. A portion of the river's watershed is also protected by the Ouachita National Forest. Wildlife Three federally designated endangered species occupy the river valley – the Indiana bat, red-cockaded woodpecker and leopard darter. It is also home to a variety of mussels, including several that are somewhat rare. The Kiamichi River has been studied since at least 1894, when the first scientific fish collection was made at Walnut Creek at Albion, Oklahoma. This collection netted 36 different kinds of fish. Since construction of Sardis and Hugo dams in the 1970s and 1980s the river has suffered in environmental quality. Its mussels decrease significantly below the inflow from Sardis dam, and almost extinguished as a species below the inflow from Hugo dam. Nonetheless 101 species of fish still survive, and in some cases thrive, in the river. References External links Southwest Paddlers - Kiamichi River Oklahoma Digital Maps: Digital Collections of Oklahoma and Indian Territory Rivers of Oklahoma Bodies of water of Pushmataha County, Oklahoma Bodies of water of Le Flore County, Oklahoma Tributaries of the Red River of the South