SEAFWA 2017

AUTHORS: Monte A. McGregor; Adam C. Shepard; Travis Bailey; Andrew T. McDonald; Fritz E. Vorisek, and Julieann M. Jacobs. Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources

ABSTRACT: The Licking River and its watershed historically supported a few hundred aquatic species. The River begins in Southeastern Kentucky, drains ~ 3,700 square miles, and flows north through the Allegheny Plateau, Eastern Bluegrass, a portion in the Inner Bluegrass, and runs un-impounded from Cave Run Lake for ~173 river miles to its confluence with the Ohio River near Cincinnati. The Licking River is home over 110 species of freshwater fishes and has 56 species of freshwater mussels (54% of all KY mussels). The Licking River supports 18% of all North American mussels. Seven species (13%) are considered extirpated: the purple catspaw, northern riffleshell, rayed bean, pink mucket, rabbitsfoot, clubshell, and rough pigtoe. One species, the tubercled blossom, is considered extinct. There are 10 Threatened and Endangered mussels in the Licking River: fanshell, rough pigtoe, clubshell, pink mucket, catspaw, northern riffleshell, rayed bean, sheepnose, snuffbox, and rabbitsfoot. Three of the 10 T&E species can still be found in the Licking River, with the fanshell having the most robust populations. Of the 56 species, KDFWR has identified 19 (or 35%) found in the Licking River as species of greatest conservation need. In 2007 to 2016, efforts began to monitor and restore multiple sites on the Licking with pink muckets (augmentation), clubshells and northern riffleshells (translocated from Pennsylvania), rough pigtoe and rabbitsfoot (translocated from the Green and Tennessee Rivers), and purple catspaw (augmentation). This effort has restored the mussel fauna to 54 of the 56 species historically found.