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Note: Session titles beginning with an asterisk (*) have student presenters.
AUTHORS: Steve Fraley, North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission, Waynesville, NC; T.R. Russ, Rachael Hoch, North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission, Marion, NC; Wendell Pennington, Pennington & Associates, Inc., Cookeville, TN
ABSTRACT: A nine-mile reach of the Cheoah River, a regulated river recently improved by FERC mandated flow and substrate restoration, is the focus of efforts to augment an existing relict population of the federal endangered Appalachian elktoe (Alasmidonta raveneliana) and to reintroduce NC state listed Slippershell (A. viridis), Wavy-rayed lampmussel (Lampsilis fasciola), and Rainbow (Villosa iris), as well as the federal threatened Spotfin chub (Erimonax monachus) and other native fishes. Improvements in water and habitat quality can restore suitable habitat for freshwater fauna; however, barriers may exist to natural colonization where species are extirpated or demographics of relict populations may be less than ideal for population recovery. Assisted recovery via augmentation and reintroduction can help surmount those barriers. The Cheoah River situation offers unique opportunities for restoration and relative long-term persistence of rare species that are vulnerable at other locales in NC. A combination of translocation and captive propagation provide animals for restoration. Neither A. raveneliana nor A. viridis had never been cultured in captivity prior to these efforts and innovative techniques were developed to successfully produce them in sufficient numbers. Since 2012, over 4,700 propagated A. raveneliana have been released and an additional 97 adults were translocated; and, over 1500 A. viridis, 20,000 L. fasciola, and 15,000 V, iris were also propagated and released. Since 2009, seven cohorts of captively propagated E. monachus yearling fry were reared and released, totaling approximately 2,900, with an additional 205 adults translocated. Assessment surveys performed in 2016 show positive results with all species surviving, growing, showing evidence of reproduction and recruitment, and expansion of occupied range.
Wednesday November 1, 2017 9:40am - 10:00am EDT
Breathitt