habitat (population) fragmentation study of fish

Transcription

Yadkin-Pee Dee River Hydroelectric Project
FERC No. 2206
HABITAT (POPULATION)
FRAGMENTATION STUDY OF FISH AND
AQUATIC INVERTEBRATES IN THE PEE
DEE RIVER AND TRIBUTARIES IN THE
VICINITY OF THE TILLERY AND
BLEWETT FALLS HYDROELECTRIC
PLANTS
Water Resources Group
Issue No. 18 - Habitat (Population) Fragmentation Study
PROGRESS ENERGY
APRIL 2006
© 2006 Progress Energy
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Progress Energy would like to acknowledge and thank several individuals and agencies who
provided expertise and data during this study: Mr. Lawrence Dorsey, Dr. Ryan Heise, and
Mr. Rob Nichols, with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission; Dr. Art Bogan,
Dr. John Cooper, Ms. Gabriela Hogue, Ms. Jamie Smith, and Dr. Wayne Starnes with the North
Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences; Mr. Bryn Tracy with the North Carolina Division of Water
Quality; Mr. Eric Krueger with The Nature Conservancy; and Mr. Bill Post of the South Carolina
Department of Natural Resources.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Section
Title
Page No.
ACRONYM LIST .................................................................................................... AL-1
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ..........................................................................................ES-1
SECTION 1 - INTRODUCTION .................................................................................... 1-1
SECTION 2 - STUDY OBJECTIVES ............................................................................. 2-1
SECTION 3 - SITE DESCRIPTION ............................................................................... 3-1
SECTION 4 - METHODS ............................................................................................ 4-1
4.1
4.2
Data Sources .............................................................................................. 4-1
Data Organization...................................................................................... 4-1
SECTION 5 - RESULTS AND DISCUSSION .................................................................. 5-1
5.1
5.2
5.3
5.4
Fish ............................................................................................................ 5-1
Mussels .................................................................................................... 5-40
Snails........................................................................................................ 5-52
Crayfish.................................................................................................... 5-56
SECTION 6 - SUMMARY ........................................................................................... 6-1
SECTION 7 - REFERENCES ........................................................................................ 7-1
APPENDICES
APPENDIX A - DISTRIBUTION MAPS FOR FISH TAXA COLLECTED IN THE VICINITY OF
THE YADKIN-PEE DEE RIVER PROJECT AND THE PEE DEE RIVER
DOWNSTREAM OF BLEWETT FALLS LAKE
APPENDIX B - DISTRIBUTION MAPS FOR MUSSEL TAXA COLLECTED IN THE
VICINITY OF THE YADKIN-PEE DEE RIVER PROJECT AND THE PEE DEE
RIVER DOWNSTREAM OF BLEWETT FALLS LAKE
APPENDIX C - DISTRIBUTION MAPS FOR SNAIL TAXA COLLECTED IN THE VICINITY
OF THE YADKIN-PEE DEE RIVER PROJECT AND THE PEE DEE RIVER
DOWNSTREAM OF BLEWETT FALLS LAKE
i
TABLE OF CONTENTS
(Continued)
Section
Title
Page No.
APPENDIX D - DISTRIBUTION MAPS FOR CRAYFISH TAXA COLLECTED IN THE
VICINITY OF THE YADKIN-PEE DEE RIVER PROJECT AND THE PEE DEE
RIVER DOWNSTREAM OF BLEWETT FALLS LAKE
APPENDIX E - WATER RWG ISSUE NO. 18:
HABITAT (POPULATION)
FRAGMENTATION STUDY PLAN
ii
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure
Figure 3-1
Figure 3-2
Figure 3-3
Title
Page No.
Study area for the habitat (population) fragmentation study for the YadkinPee Dee River Project including tributaries near the two Project reservoirs
and the Pee Dee River to Winyah Bay, South Carolina. ..................................... 3-1
Levels III and IV Ecoregions of North and South Carolina. ............................... 3-5
North Carolina NPDES and WWTP permitted discharge point sites in the
vicinity of the Yadkin-Pee Dee River Project. .................................................... 3-6
iii
LIST OF TABLES
Table
Table 3-1
Table 5-1
Table 5-2
Table 5-3
Table 5-4
Table 5-5
Table 5-6
Table 5-7
Table 5-8
Table 5-9
Table 5-10
Title
Page No.
Tributaries near the Yadkin-Pee Dee River Project included in the habitat
(population) fragmentation database. .................................................................. 3-2
NCDWQ tolerance ratings and trophic guilds for adult fish (adapted from
NCDWQ 2001) and listings by physiographic province for fish species
collected in the vicinity of the Yadkin-Pee River Project. .................................. 5-2
Fish taxa collected in the vicinity of the Yadkin-Pee Dee River Hydroelectric
Project including Lake Tillery, Blewett Falls Lake, the Pee Dee River, and
tributaries. ............................................................................................................ 5-4
Fish species collected in the vicinity of the Yadkin-Pee Dee River Project or
the Pee Dee River with state or federal conservation listing status1.................... 5-9
Distribution of listed fish species and native fish species classified as
intolerant by the NCDWQ in the Pee Dee River, Uwharrie River, Little
River, and Rocky River. ...................................................................................... 5-9
Scientific and common names of invertebrates collected in Lake Tillery,
Blewett Falls Lake, the Pee Dee River in North Carolina and South Carolina,
or in tributaries near the Tillery and Blewett Falls developments..................... 5-40
Mussel, snail, and crayfish species collected in the vicinity of the Yadkin-Pee
Dee River Project or the Pee Dee River with state or federal conservation
listing status. ...................................................................................................... 5-42
Distribution of listed invertebrate species in the Pee Dee River, Uwharrie
River, Little River, and Rocky River................................................................. 5-43
Mussel species collected in the vicinity of the Yadkin-Pee Dee River
Hydroelectric Project including Lake Tillery, Blewett Falls Lake, the Pee
Dee River, and tributaries. ................................................................................. 5-44
Snail species collected in the vicinity of the Yadkin-Pee Dee River
Crayfish species collected in the vicinity of the Yadkin-Pee Dee River
iv
Acronym List
Federal/State Agencies
Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP)
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)
National Park Service (NPS)
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) formerly known as Soil Conservation Service
National Weather Service (NWS)
North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources (NCDENR)
North Carolina Environmental Management Commission (NCEMC)
North Carolina Department of Natural and Economic Resources, Division of Environmental
Management (NCDEM)
North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation (NCDPR)
North Carolina Division of Water Resources (NCDWR)
North Carolina Division of Water Quality (NCDWQ)
North Carolina Natural Heritage Program (NCNHP)
North Carolina State Historic Preservation Officer (NCSHPO)
North Carolina State Museum of Natural Sciences (NCMNS)
North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC)
South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR)
South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC)
State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO)
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE)
U.S. Department of Interior (DOI)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA)
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
U.S. Forest Service (USFS)
Other Entities
Alcoa Power Generating, Inc., Yadkin Division (APGI)
Progress Energy (Progress)
The Nature Conservancy of South Carolina (TNC)
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNCCH)
Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS)
Facilities/Places
Lake Tillery (when referring to the impoundment)
Blewett Falls Dam (when referring to the structure)
Blewett Falls Development (when referring to dam, powerhouse and impoundment)
Blewett Falls Hydroelectric Plant (when referring to the powerhouse)
Blewett Falls Lake (when referring to the impoundment)
AL-1
Acronym List
Tillery Dam (when referring to the structure)
Tillery Development (when referring to dam, powerhouse and impoundment)
Tillery Hydroelectric Plant (when referring to the powerhouse)
Yadkin-Pee Dee River Project (entire two-development project including both powerhouses, dams
and impoundments)
Documents
401 Water Quality Certification (401 WQC)
Draft Environmental Assessment (DEA)
Environmental Assessment (EA)
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
Final Environmental Assessment (FEA)
Initial Consultation Document (ICD)
Memorandum of Agreement (MOA)
National Wetland Inventory (NWI)
Notice of Intent (NOI)
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR)
Preliminary Draft Environmental Assessment (PDEA)
Programmatic Agreement (PA)
Scoping Document (SD)
Shoreline Management Plan (SMP)
Laws/Regulations
Clean Water Act (CWA)
Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)
Electric Consumers Protection Act (ECPA)
Endangered Species Act (ESA)
Federal Power Act (FPA)
Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act (FWCA)
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA)
Terminology
Alternative Relicensing Process (ALP)
Cubic feet per second (cfs)
Degrees Celsius (C)
Degrees Fahrenheit (F)
Dissolved oxygen (DO)
Feet (ft)
Gallons per day (gpd)
Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
Gigawatt Hour (GWh)
Global Positioning System (GPS)
Grams (g)
Horsepower (hp)
Kilogram (kg)
AL-2
Acronym List
Kilowatts (kW)
Kilowatt-hours (kWh)
Mean Sea Level (msl)
Megawatt (MW)
Megawatt-hours (MWh)
Micrograms per liter (µg/L)
Milligrams per liter (mg/L)
Millimeter (mm)
Million gallons per day (mgd)
National Geodetic Vertical Datum (NGVD)
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)
National Wetlands Inventory (NWI)
Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs)
Ounces (oz.)
Outstanding Remarkable Value (ORV)
Parts per billion (ppb)
Parts per million (ppm)
Pounds (lbs.)
Power Factor (p.f.)
Probable Maximum Flood (PMF)
Project Inflow Design Flood (IDF)
Rare, Threatened, and Endangered Species (RTE)
Ready for Environmental Assessment (REA)
Resource Work Groups (RWG)
Revolutions per Minute (rpm)
Rights-of-way (ROW)
River mile (RM
Stakeholders (federal and state resource agencies, NGOs, and other interested parties)
Volts (V)
Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP)
AL-3
Executive Summary
A habitat (population) fragmentation study was undertaken by Progress Energy after relicensing
discussions with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) and U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service (USFWS) during late 2004 and early 2005. These agencies identified the need for a
study to determine if aquatic habitats or populations of fish and aquatic invertebrates of the Pee Dee
River were fragmented by anthropogenic or natural factors in the vicinity of the Tillery and Blewett
Falls developments.
Distribution data for nearly 150 fish, mussel, snail, and crayfish species were assessed for habitat or
population fragmentation in the vicinity of the Yadkin-Pee Dee River Project. This analysis
indicated the Pee Dee River and tributaries within the Project vicinity support a very diverse array of
these species. The Yadkin-Pee Dee River Project is associated with lands and waters located in
several distinct ecoregions in North Carolina and South Carolina. This landscape diversity
contributed to the aquatic diversity in the area. The Pee Dee River traverses the Piedmont and
Coastal Plain Ecoregions and the Fall Line Zone near the Project. Several streams flow through the
Sandhills Ecoregion located east of the Pee Dee River near the North Carolina-South Carolina
border.
More fish, mussel, crayfish, and snail species were documented in the Pee Dee River below Blewett
Falls Dam. Several factors are responsible for the increased aquatic organism diversity in this reach
of the Pee Dee River. This reach of river is much longer than any other study area and has greater
habitat diversity and subsequently greater species diversity because it traverses both the Piedmont
Fall Line and Coastal Plain Regions and includes several distinct ecoregions. Several species of
fish, mussel, and crayfish that are primarily Coastal Plain dwelling species were only found
downstream of Blewett Falls Dam. These Coastal Plain species included thinlip chub (fish),
Waccamaw spike (mussel), tidewater mucket (mussel), and Waccamaw crayfish. Additionally, this
river reach flows unimpeded from Blewett Falls Dam to the mouth of Winyah Bay and the Atlantic
Ocean in South Carolina. As a result, several migratory anadromous fish species were only found
below Blewett Falls Dam which included American shad, hickory shad, blueback herring (migratory
sea run population), Atlantic sturgeon, shortnose sturgeon, and sea lamprey. Several mobile
euryhaline species (striped mullet, Atlantic needlefish, southern flounder, and Atlantic needlefish)
that inhabit saline, brackish, and freshwaters were only found in the Pee Dee River below Blewett
Falls Dam. Migratory fish utilized the river reach primarily for spawning during the spring and
larval fish and juvenile life stages during the summer and early fall months. Euryhaline fish utilized
the river reach on a seasonal basis during the spring through fall months for foraging and growth.
These species moved back downstream to estuarine areas during the winter months.
The American eel, a catadromous species, was collected in the Pee Dee River below each Project
dam, including tributaries and in Blewett Falls Lake. There appears to be a very robust population
of American eel, including elvers, present in the river reach below the Blewett Falls Dam. Some
American eels were apparently able to move upstream past Blewett Falls Dam, but none have been
documented by Progress Energy in Lake Tillery or upstream areas in recent fishery surveys.
Previous fishery surveys also documented the presence of American eel in the larger tributaries
above Blewett Falls Dam — Little River, Brown Creek, and Rocky River. The species has also been
collected in Blewett Falls Lake. Collection records from North Carolina state resource agencies
suggest that some unknown number of American eel may have penetrated, to some extent, further
ES-1
Executive Summary
upstream of the Tillery Dam and the Yadkin River Project dams. The American eel has been
recently listed as a Federal Species of Concern by the USFWS due to the concern of recent
population declines in the species along the Eastern U.S. seaboard.
Many fish species were widespread with populations in Lake Tillery, Blewett Falls Lake, and their
tailwaters and tributaries, based on available data. The widely distributed species usually reflect
their generalist habitat preferences and flexible feeding strategies which enable them to occupy a
wide variety of habitats from free-flowing streams to lakes. These species included longnose gar,
gizzard shad, threadfin shad, common carp, whitefin shiner, eastern mosquitofish, tessellated darter,
most catfishes of the Ictaluridae family, and Centrarchidae (sunfish) family members such as
bluegill, redbreast sunfish, and largemouth bass.
Stream size and specific habitat requirements also strongly influenced fish species distribution.
Several species were only found in small streams and would not be expected to occur in large
mainstem portions of the Pee Dee River or only associated with habitat in certain physiographic
regions (e.g., Coastal Plains and Sandhills regions). This habitat preference was prevalent among
the four taxonomic classes assessed: fish, mussels, crayfish, and snails. Examples included the
rosyside dace, banded sunfish, Pinewoods darter, sandhills chub, and sawcheek darter. Conversely,
some species only inhabited large rivers, or were further limited to the mainstem Pee Dee River
(e.g., robust redhorse, flathead catfish, smallmouth buffalo, and bigmouth buffalo).
Many nonnative introduced fish species have become established in the Yadkin-Pee Dee River
system near the Project. Of the 95 fish taxa collected in the Yadkin-Pee Dee River in the Project
vicinity including tributaries, 18 are considered nonnative species. Introduction of nonnative fish
have both direct and subtle, indirect impacts to the native fish fauna which can either be readily
apparent or not apparent based on the available data. Flathead catfish are widespread and have been
known to negatively impact the native fish communities through predation in other aquatic systems
where the species has been introduced. In the vicinity of the Project, they appear to have had a large
influence on other ictalurids, particularly bullhead species. Snail bullhead abundance and
distribution in the Pee Dee River showed a definite pattern following flathead catfish introductions
into the river. The presence of flathead catfish also may have an impact on the abundance of other
native species such as suckers. Additionally, other introduced species, such as threadfin shad,
channel catfish, blue catfish, smallmouth buffalo, comely shiner, and red shiner, have likely affected
the distribution of other native fish species. However, such changes are difficult to discern if longterm data are not available for population trending, particularly before and after changes to the fish
community with each nonnative species introduction. It is very likely that nonnative fish have
contributed to changes in native fish fauna abundance and distribution in the waters in the vicinity of
the Project.
Most of the fish species with state or federal protected conservation status were found in the Pee Dee
River downstream of the Blewett Falls Development. Shortnose sturgeon, Atlantic sturgeon, robust
redhorse, and thinlip chub were only found in this reach. Carolina redhorse and highfin carpsucker
were collected in this reach, but were also collected in other areas, such as Blewett Falls Lake.
Carolina darters were only collected in tributaries near the Project. Pinewoods darter and sandhills
chub were only collected from tributaries in the Sandhills Ecoregion. Fantail darter and redlip
ES-2
Executive Summary
shiner, two Species of Concern in South Carolina, were common in the North Carolina waters, but
less common in South Carolina waters.
The Pee Dee River also supported a diverse mussel community in the vicinity of the Project. A total
of 29 taxa of mussels were collected from the mainstem river and tributaries in the vicinity of the
Project; 22 of these taxa have federal or state conservation listing status. The Roanoke slabshell, a
North Carolina Threatened Species, was one of the most abundant mussel species in the Project
vicinity. It was widespread throughout the Pee Dee River. Several species were widely distributed
near the Project and found in streams and rivers of various sizes (e.g., Eastern elliptio, Eastern
floater, creeper, and variable spike). However, some mussels were only collected in small streams
(e.g., Florida pondhorn, notched rainbow, and Savannah lilliput) while others were only collected in
the Pee Dee River (e.g., Pee Dee lance). The Waccamaw spike and tidewater mucket were only
collected in the lower Coastal Plain region of the Pee Dee River, well downstream of the Blewett
Falls Development.
Fourteen snail taxa collected in the vicinity of the Project were assessed during this study; only one
species had protected conservation status. Ten crayfish taxa were collected from near the Project
and two of these crayfish species had special conservation listing status (i.e., Greensboro burrowing
crayfish and Waccamaw crayfish). Of these two crayfish species, the Waccamaw crayfish, a North
Carolina Special Concern species, was collected at two Pee Dee River sites in the Coastal Plain of
South Carolina. No specimens were located in North Carolina waters of the Pee Dee River. These
collections represent the first records of this species in the Pee Dee River. The available data for
snail and crayfish taxa were limited due to low sampling intensity and few studies focused on the
direct collection of these species. Therefore, the distributional patterns of snails and crayfish (more
so than the fish and mussel data) were likely influenced by sampling effort and available data rather
than distinct spatial differences.
Several native fish, mussel, and crayfish species appeared limited in distribution or displayed
segmented populations based on the current data base and knowledge of distribution within the river
basin. The fish species included the migratory species who spawned below Blewett Falls Dam;
American eel whose upstream populations appeared smaller than the population present below
Blewett Falls Dam; the native redhorses — robust redhorse and Carolina redhorse — and fieryblack
shiner. The robust redhorse, Carolina redhorse, and fieryblack shiner were collected in the river
reach below Blewett Falls Dam but were absent in the river reach from Tillery Dam to Blewett Falls
Lake. Repeated sampling to date in this river reach has failed to find any three of these species.
There are either historic or contemporary records for all three of these species above the Tillery
Dam. Carolina redhorse had several distinct populations present in the vicinity of the Project
including at least three to four populations present in the Little River. Additional sampling of the
robust redhorse and Carolina redhorse in future years may provide further insight into the
distribution of these species within the Yadkin-Pee Dee River Basin. Mussel and crayfish species —
Waccamaw spike, tidewater mucket, and Waccamaw crayfish — were also only found below
Blewett Falls Dam and not in upstream areas. These species most likely were limited by specific
habitat requirements rather than any effects from the presence of the Project.
In summary, the presence of several distinct ecoregions in the Project vicinity resulted in a very
diverse array of fish, mussel, crayfish, and snail species, including rare, threatened, and endangered
ES-3
Executive Summary
(RTE) species, in the Pee Dee River and tributaries. Distributions of many of these species were
mainly influenced by specific habitat requirements with a particular ecoregion or stream size rather
than the presence of the Project. The presence of Blewett Falls Dam did block upstream migration
and limit the distribution of diadromous fish and possibly the mobile euryhaline fish species. The
effects of the Project dams on fragmenting populations of the native redhorses — robust redhorse
and Carolina redhorse — and the fieryblack shiner were not as evident due to other coinciding
factors that may have been impacting these populations. These factors included degraded water
quality, primarily sedimentation effects, and the competitive interactions and predation effects of
nonnative fishes.
ES-4
Section 1 - Introduction
Progress Energy is currently relicensing the Tillery and Blewett Falls developments (i.e., YadkinPee Dee River Hydroelectric Project No. 2206) with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
(FERC). As part of the relicensing process, Progress Energy established Resource Work Groups
during May 2003 to identify environmental issues associated with Project operations and develop
study plans specific to Project lands and associated lakes and tailwaters. During on-going
relicensing consultations in late 2004 and early 2005, the NCWRC and the USFWS identified the
need for a study to determine if aquatic habitats or populations of fish and aquatic invertebrates of
the Pee Dee River were fragmented by anthropogenic or natural factors in the vicinity of the Tillery
and Blewett Falls developments. Progress Energy agreed to conduct this additional study after
discussions with these agencies and developed a study plan to address the issue (Appendix E, Water
RWG Issue No. 18: Habitat (Population) Fragmentation Study). Both agencies accepted the study
plan, and the final study plan was issued on January 27, 2005.
1-1
Section 2 - Study Objectives
The specific objectives of this study were to: (1) spatially depict the distribution of fish, crayfish,
mussel, and snail species in the Pee Dee River with population distribution maps in the vicinity of
the Tillery and Blewett Falls developments; and (2) provide an overview of anthropogenic and
natural factors that may contribute to population fragmentation and species distributions within the
river. An emphasis was placed on rare, threatened, or endangered (RTE) species with the state and
federal conservation listing status. The relative abundance ranking of each species at various
collection locations was also spatially depicted. Anthropogenic and natural factors that may affect
species distribution included presence or absence of nonnative introduced species, dams and bridge
culverts, point source (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System [NPDES]) discharge points,
ecoregions or habitat features, land use, and host fish species (mussel populations only).
2-1
Section 3 - Site Description
The study area was the Pee Dee River and associated tributaries which included waters of Lake
Tillery and Blewett Falls Lake (Figure 3-1). The northern portion of the study area was bounded by
the Falls Dam located in Lake Tillery headwaters in the Yadkin River just above the confluence with
the Uwharrie River in Montgomery County, North Carolina. For tributaries, the study area extended
downstream to the upper portion of the Coastal Plain of South Carolina at the Thompson Creek
confluence located near Cheraw in Chesterfield County. Fish and aquatic invertebrate collection
records from the Pee Dee River extended as far downstream as Yauhannah, South Carolina. The
largest tributaries within the study area and in close proximity of Project waters included the Rocky
River, Uwharrie River, Little River, Brown Creek, Hitchcock Creek, and Thompson Creek. Other
smaller tributaries (i.e., first to third order stream level) were also included in the study, where
aquatic population data were available (Table 3-1). Collections from tributaries near the Project
were limited to Anson, Montgomery, Richmond, and Stanly Counties with a few records from Lanes
Creek in eastern Union County. The Randolph and Montgomery County border served as the
northern limit of sites included from the Uwharrie River. For the Little River, all sites included were
below the West Fork Little River confluence near Troy, North Carolina. For the Rocky River, Island
Creek served as the western limit for sites included. Records from Westfield and Thompson Creek
in Chesterfield County, South Carolina were also included in the study.
Figure 3-1
Study area for the habitat (population) fragmentation study for the YadkinPee Dee River Project including tributaries near the two Project reservoirs
and the Pee Dee River to Winyah Bay, South Carolina.
3-1
Section 3
Table 3-1
Site Description
Tributaries near the Yadkin-Pee Dee River Project included in the habitat
(population) fragmentation database.
Tributary
Barnes Creek
Horsepen Creek
Poison Fork
McCleans Creek
Spencer Creek
Little Mountain Creek (Tillery)
Cedar Creek (Uwharrie)
Dutchmans Creek
Dutch John Creek
Mountain Creek (Tillery)
Uwharrie River
Cedar Creek (Tillery)
Jacobs Creek
Cheek Creek
Long Creek
Island Creek
Little Creek
Town Creek
Lick Fork
Clarks Creek
Mountain Creek
Rocky River
Hardy Creek
Big Creek
Bishop Creek
Bridgers Creek
Densons Creek
Disons Creek
Dumas Creek
Little Hamer Creek
Rocky Creek
Hamer Creek
Middle Prong Creek
Thickety Creek
Town Creek
Buffalo Creek
Big Mountain Creek
Little Mountain Creek
Rocky Branch
Dry Creek
Little River
Tributary
Stony Run
Big Bear Creek
Bear Creek
Hardy Creek
Richardson Creek
Cribs Creek
Brown Creek
Canal Branch
Flat Fork
Receiving Water Body
Uwharrie River
Uwharrie River
Uwharrie River
Uwharrie River
Uwharrie River
Mountain Creek (Tillery)
Uwharrie River
Uwharrie River
Lake Tillery
Lake Tillery
Lake Tillery
Lake Tillery
Lake Tillery
Little River
Rocky River
Rocky River
Long Creek
Long Creek
Clarks Creek
Pee Dee River below Tillery Development
Blewett Falls Lake
Rocky River
Little River
Little River
Little River
Little River
Little River
Little River
Little River
Little River
Little River
Little River
Little River
Little River
Little River
Mountain Creek
Mountain Creek
Mountain Creek
Receiving Water body
Big Bear Creek
Bear Creek
Rocky River
Rocky River
Rocky River
Rocky River
Brown Creek
Brown Creek
3-2
Section 3
Tributary
Pressley Creek
Little Brown Creek
Hurricane Creek
Colemans Creek
Lanes Creek
Cedar Creek (Pee Dee River)
Goulds Fork
Cartledge Creek
Savannah Creek
Naked Creek
Rocky Fork Creek
Beaverdam Creek
Falling Creek
Bells Creek
Hitchcock Creek
Jones Creek
Bailey Creek
Lampley Branch
South Fork Jones Creek
Solomans Creek
Mill Creek
Marks Creek
Westfield Creek
Cedar Creek
Deadfall Creek
Shaw Creek
Thompson Creek
Site Description
Receiving Water Body
Brown Creek
Brown Creek
Brown Creek
Blewett Falls Lake
Rocky River
Pee Dee River
Brown Creek
Pee Dee River below Blewett Falls Development
Blewett Falls Lake
Hitchcock Creek
Hitchcock Creek
Hitchcock Creek
Hitchcock Creek
Jones Creek
Jones Creek
Jones Creek
Thompson Creek
Thompson Creek
Thompson Creek
Lake Tillery impounds the Yadkin River and the lowermost portion of the Uwharrie River, which
flows south through Asheboro, North Carolina and the Uwharrie National Forest located in
Randolph and Montgomery counties (Figure 3-1). Lake Tillery is a deep, mesotrophic reservoir
with moderate nutrient and solids concentrations, moderate water clarity, and weak buffering
capacity with low to moderate anion and cation concentrations (Progress Energy 2003). It has a
short mean hydraulic retention time of 8.3 days. Lake Tillery extends approximately 15 miles
upstream to the tailrace of the Falls Project powerhouse and dam, and the lake has an average depth
of 23.6 ft. Fish and/or aquatic invertebrate records were available for five tributaries to Lake Tillery:
Uwharrie River, Mountain Creek, Jacobs Creek, Cedar Creek, and Dutch John Creek.
Several tributaries enter the Pee Dee River reach below the Tillery Development (Figure 3-1).
Clarks Creek enters into the Pee Dee River from the east just upstream of the N.C. Highway 731
Bridge and is the uppermost tributary to the Pee Dee River downstream of the Tillery Development.
The Town of Mount Gilead’s Wastewater Treatment Plant discharges into Clarks Creek. The Rocky
River, the largest tributary in the reach, converges with the Pee Dee River from the west five miles
below the Tillery Dam. The Rocky River watershed includes drainage from several large urban
communities such as Mooresville, Kannapolis, Concord, Huntersville, and eastern portions of
Charlotte. The North Carolina Division of Water Quality (NCDWQ) ambient monitoring data for
the Rocky River from 1996 to 2001 indicated that dissolved oxygen concentrations were adequate,
pH values were occasionally high, and conductivity values indicated anthropogenic impacts from
urban runoff and point source discharges (NCDWQ 2002, 2003). Brown Creek flows through the
3-3
Section 3
Site Description
Pee Dee National Wildlife Refuge and enters into the Pee Dee River from the west approximately
one mile upstream of the N.C. Highway 109 Bridge. Brown Creek was listed as impaired on the
NCDWQ 303(d) list due to low dissolved oxygen and impaired biological integrity (NCDWQ 2004).
Several small tributaries such as Cedar Creek, Turkey Top Creek, and Savannah Creek, enter into
the Pee Dee River below the N.C. Highway 109 Bridge. The second largest tributary in this river
reach, the Little River, joins the Pee Dee River approximately two miles upstream of Blewett Falls
Lake. The Little River drainage includes large portions of Montgomery and southern Randolph
counties.
Blewett Falls Lake is a shallow, nutrient-enriched eutrophic reservoir with greater solids and
turbidity levels and a shorter hydraulic retention time (average of 1.9 days) than Lake Tillery
(Progress Energy 2003). The reservoir extends approximately 11 miles upstream and has an average
depth of 10.8 ft. Mountain Creek, which joins Blewett Falls Lake near the Grassy Islands, is the
largest tributary to the lake. Other tributaries with collection records included in this study were
Naked Creek and Colemans Creek.
There are several tributaries which enter the Pee Dee River reach below the Blewett Falls
Development. Cartledge Creek enters into the Pee Dee River from the east approximately two miles
below the Blewett Falls Dam. Other large tributaries in this river reach include Hitchcock Creek,
Island Creek, Jones Creek, Marks Creek, Whortleberry Creek, Mill Creek, Westfield Creek, and
Thompson Creek. The NCDWQ (2002) has documented low dissolved oxygen and pH conditions as
well as industrial and wastewater discharges in Hitchcock Creek in past years.
The Pee Dee River transitions through three major physiographic regions within in the study area
(Figure 3-2). The upper portion study area is in the Piedmont Plateau; the major portion of the study
area is located within the Fall Line Zone; and the lower study area is located within the Coastal Plain
near Cheraw, South Carolina. The river gradient decreases in the study area as the river flows from
the Piedmont Plateau through the Fall Line Zone into the Coastal Plain. As a result, the aquatic
habitat in the mainstem river transitions from shoal, run, and pool habitat with bedrock, boulder,
cobble, and gravel substrate in the Piedmont and Fall Line Zone to a meandering channel in the
Coastal Plain with run and pool habitat predominant and sand and gravel bars the prevalent substrate
types.
3-4
Section 3
Figure 3-2
Site Description
Levels III and IV Ecoregions of North and South Carolina.
Source: USEPA 2005.
The study area is located within several ecoregions in North Carolina and South Carolina based on
Level III and IV ecoregion mapping by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA)
(Figure 3-2). The presence of several different ecoregions affects species distribution and
abundance. For example, Coastal Plain species often intermix with Piedmont Plateau species in the
Fall Line Zone resulting in increased species richness. Stream habitat characteristics can strongly
influence aquatic biota diversity and abundance. The river flows through the Piedmont and
Southeastern Plains regions in the study area (Figure 3-2). In North Carolina, Level IV ecoregions
in the study area included the Triassic Basin, Carolina Slate Belt, and Sand Hills. Triassic Basin
streams tend to have low base flows. Streams in the Carolina Slate belt are located over impervious
metamorphic bedrock and they tend to dry up during naturally occurring low flow events which
affect distribution and abundance of aquatic populations. Sand Hills streams tend to have sandy
substrate and black water streams due to organic loading of tannins and lignins from the watershed.
Sand Hills streams tend to have stable flows and seldom flood or dry up (Griffith et al. 2002).
3-5
Section 3
Site Description
In South Carolina, the river flows through the Sand Hills and Southeastern Floodplains and Low
Terraces ecoregions (Figure 3-2). The Southeastern Floodplains and Low Terraces Ecoregions are
characterized by large, slow flowing brownwater and blackwater rivers with associated oxbow lakes
and swamps. Below the Blewett Falls Development, the Pee Dee River flows uninterrupted for
198 miles from Blewett Falls Dam to Winyah Bay and the Atlantic Ocean located at Georgetown,
South Carolina. This reach serves as access for several diadromous and amphidromous euryhaline
fish species which utilize the upper portion of the Pee Dee River in the vicinity of Blewett Falls
Lake for a part of their life cycle.
There were several NPDES and Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) discharge point sites in the
North Carolina portion of the study area (Figure 3-3). These sites were somewhat evenly distributed
across the study area. However there were no NPDES or WWTP sites on the Uwharrie River and
only one NPDES site near the Little River close to the Project. There were five NPDES sites located
within the lower Rocky River watershed. These sites have the potential to affect the composition of
fish and aquatic invertebrate communities and overall distribution patterns, depending upon the
discharge effluent and stream flow patterns. Nonpoint sources of discharge, such as sedimentation
and nutrients can also affect the distribution and health of these aquatic communities.
Figure 3-3
North Carolina NPDES and WWTP permitted discharge point sites in the
vicinity of the Yadkin-Pee Dee River Project.
3-6
Section 4 - Methods
Several databases for fish, crayfish, mussels, and snails collected in the Pee Dee River in the vicinity
of the Tillery and Blewett Falls developments were accessed and reviewed for relevance to the study
areas. Relative abundance data (i.e., raw, unadjusted numerical counts) was also included to depict
spatial trends in species abundance within the study area.
A consideration of interpreting the study results is the quality and quantity of collected data, not only
for the mainstem Pee Dee River, but also the smaller tributaries. In some cases, sampling intensity
was much greater in certain locations or the sampling efficiency differed from location to location.
Often, smaller tributaries were either sampled infrequently or not sampled altogether resulting in an
incomplete picture of species distribution within the study area watershed. Given these sampling
considerations, the presence or absence of a species did not necessarily reflect an anthropogenic or
natural limiting factor. It may simply be an artifact of sampling intensity and methods over time.
The study results are based on contemporary data bases that were available from either state or
federal agencies, research laboratories, or the license applicant, Progress Energy. These data are
presented to show the present distribution of aquatic populations in the Project vicinity. The study
did not attempt to piece together historical distributions of species prior to Project existence as such
data are usually either anecdotal or opinion-based. Additionally, the existing Project conditions are
the basis for describing the environmental resources associated with the Project lands and waters.
4.1
Data Sources
Species distributions were determined using: (1) a GIS database of species collected by state
agencies in North Carolina including the NCWRC and NCDWQ; (2) a fish and mussel collection
reference specimen database catalogued by the North Carolina State Museum of Natural Sciences
(NCMNS); (3) a database of mussels and snails collected by The Nature Conservancy of South
Carolina (TNC) during aquatic surveys of the Pee Dee River in South Carolina during 2004 to 2005;
(4) shortnose sturgeon locations in the Pee Dee River from a telemetry study by the South Carolina
Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR); and (5) aquatic data collected by Progress Energy from
1977 to 2005, including data collected for hydro relicensing of the Project. These databases were
combined regardless of collection method or sampling intensity.
4.2
Data Organization
Sampling locations in the Pee Dee River below each hydroelectric development, in Lake Tillery, and
in Blewett Falls Lake were included in the database for species distribution. Additionally, collection
data for tributaries near the lakes and power plant tailwaters were included where relevant. The
distribution of fish, crayfish, mussel, and snail species collected at several locations in the vicinity of
the Project are shown on study area maps. Distributions of species collected in only one or two
locations are sometimes only described in the text and not displayed on the maps.
When available, abundance values were included to indicate the relative abundance of species at
various locations. If no abundance information was given, an abundance value of one individual
was assigned. In some cases for mussels and snails, only shells were found so in these instances an
abundance value of one was assigned, regardless of the number of shells found. Abundance values
4-1
Section 4
Methods
were arbitrarily grouped in four groups: 1, 2 to 9, 10 to 99, and over 100 individuals, which were
represented by various size circles on the distribution maps. Samples taken at the same location at
different times were combined together for the relative abundance rankings. Additionally, species
collected by Progress Energy at the same designated transect were considered to be from the same
location regardless of the sampling station within the transect (e.g., east or west side of the river),
sampling gear, or sampling date. Sampling intensity varied considerably within each database;
therefore abundance at a given location may reflect sampling intensity and the employed sample
collection methods and associated sampling biases more than actual species abundance. Given these
factors, these data should be viewed as a general or relative indicator of population abundance and
not as an absolute indicator of population size.
4-2
Section 5 - Results and Discussion
A total of 148 taxa of fish, crayfish, mussels, and snails were collected from the Pee Dee River and
tributaries in the vicinity of the Tillery and Blewett Falls developments. Of this total, 37 species had
special conservation listing status at the state or federal level. Most of these protected species were
mussels. Many species were widely distributed throughout the study area, but several species were
only found in the Pee Dee River below the Blewett Falls Development. Additionally, several fish
species were limited to small blackwater streams in the Sand Hills ecoregion located downstream of
the Blewett Falls Development and not within the area of Project operational influence.
The reach of the Pee Dee River below the Blewett Falls Dam had the highest diversity of species.
More species of fish and mussels were collected from this reach and more listed fish and mussel
species were found in this reach than in the other mainstem river reach and tributaries near the
Project. For snails and crayfish, fewer species were found in the river reach below Blewett Falls
Dam than in other areas near the Project. Generally, the Rocky River had the poorest diversity of
species of any river near the Project. This lack of diversity could be a result of sampling intensity in
the Rocky River near the Project and/or could be result from the degraded water quality conditions
in the river (Progress Energy 2003; NCDWQ 2002, 2003).
5.1
Fish
A total of 95 fish species were documented in the Pee Dee River and tributaries in the vicinity of the
Tillery and Blewett Falls developments, including both Project reservoirs (Table 5-1 and
Appendix A). Many of these fish species were commonly encountered and distributed widely
throughout the study area (Table 5-2). Species such as gizzard shad, threadfin shad, bluegill,
redbreast sunfish, and largemouth bass are very adaptable to a variety of environmental conditions,
including reservoir and stream environments, and were prevalent in the river, tributaries, and Project
reservoirs. Other species displayed more limited distributions either due to habitat requirements,
presence of nonnative predators, or anthropogenic factors such as the presence of dams, siltation,
and point source pollution effects. More fish species were found in the Pee Dee River below
Blewett Falls Dam than in any other study area assessed and included several species only found
below the dam. Several factors were responsible for the increased diversity in this reach of the Pee
Dee River. First, several anadromous species were only found below Blewett Falls Dam (i.e.,
American shad, blueback herring (searun population), hickory shad, Atlantic sturgeon, shortnose
sturgeon, and sea lamprey). Additionally, amphidromous euryhaline species that inhabit waters
ranging from salt or brackish to freshwater were only found in this river reach (i.e., hogchoker,
Atlantic needlefish, southern flounder, and striped mullet). This river reach of river traverses several
distinct ecoregions in the Piedmont, Southeastern Plains, and Coastal Plain, including the Fall Line
Zone. As a result, several species of fish that primarily inhabit the Coastal Plain region of the river
were only found downstream of the Blewett Falls Dam.
5-1
Section 5
Table 5-1
Results and Discussions
NCDWQ tolerance ratings and trophic guilds for adult fish (adapted from
NCDWQ 2001) and listings by physiographic province for fish species
collected in the vicinity of the Yadkin-Pee River Project.
Scientific Name1
Petromyzontidae
Petromyzon marinus
Acipenseridae
Acipenser brevirostrum
Acipenser oxyrinchus
Lepisosteidae
Lepisosteus osseus
Amiidae
Amia calva
Anguillidae
Anguilla rostrata
Clupeidae
Alosa aestivalis
A. mediocris
A. sapidissima
Dorosoma cepedianum
D. petenense2
Cyprinidae
Clinostomus funduloides
Ctenopharyngodonidella2
Cyprinus carpio2
Cyprinella analostana
C. lutrensis2
C. nivea
C. pyrrhomelas
C. sp. cfzanema3
Hybognathus regius
Nocomis leptocephalus
Notemigonus crysoleucas
Hybopsis hypsinotus
Notropis alborus
N. altipinnis
N. amoenus2
N. chalybaeus
N. chiliticus
N. cummingsae
N. hudsonius
N. maculates
N. petersoni
N. scepticus
Semotilus atromaculatus
S. lumbee
Catostomidae
Carpiodes cyprinus
C. velifer2
Common Name
Lampreys
sea lamprey
Sturgeons
shortnose sturgeon
Atlantic sturgeon
Gars
longnose gar
Bowfins
bowfin
Freshwater eels
American eel
Herrings
blueback herring
hickory shad
American shad
gizzard shad
threadfin shad
Carps and minnows
rosyside dace
grass carp
common carp
satinfin shiner
red shiner
whitefin shiner
fieryblack shiner
thinlip chub
eastern silvery
minnow
bluehead chub
golden shiner
highback chub
whitemouth shiner
highfin shiner
comely shiner
ironcolor shiner
redlip shiner
dusky shiner
spottail shiner
taillight shiner
coastal shiner
sandbar shiner
creek chub
sandhills chub
Suckers
quillback
highfin carpsucker
NCDWQ
Tolerance
Rating
NCDWQ
Trophic
Guild
Intermediate
Parasitic
X
Intermediate
Intermediate
Insectivore
Insectivore
X
X
Tolerant
Piscivore
Tolerant
Piscivore
Intermediate
Piscivore
Intermediate
Intermediate
Intermediate
Intermediate
Intermediate
Insectivore
Insectivore
Insectivore
Omnivore
Omnivore
Intermediate
Tolerant
Tolerant
Tolerant
Tolerant
Intermediate
Intolerant
Intolerant
Intermediate
Insectivore
Herbivore
Omnivore
Insectivore
Insectivore
Insectivore
Insectivore
Insectivore
Herbivore
Intermediate
Tolerant
Intolerant
Intermediate
Intermediate
Intermediate
Intolerant
Intermediate
Intermediate
Intermediate
Intolerant
Intermediate
Intermediate
Tolerant
Intolerant
Omnivore
Omnivore
Insectivore
Insectivore
Insectivore
Insectivore
Insectivore
Insectivore
Insectivore
Omnivore
Insectivore
Insectivore
Insectivore
Insectivore
Insectivore
Intermediate
Intermediate
Omnivore
Insectivore
5-2
Piedmont
Region
Sand Coastal
Hills
Plain
Region Region
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Section 5
Scientific Name1
Catostomus commersoni
Erimyzon oblongus
Ictiobus bubalus2
I. cyprinellus2
Minytrema melanops
Moxostoma collapsum
M. macrolepidotum
M. robustum
Moxostoma sp. 1
Moxostoma sp. 2
Ictaluridae
Ameiurus brunneus
A. catus
A. natalis
A. nebulosus
A. platycephalus
Ictalurus furcatus2
I.punctatus2
Noturus insignis
N. gyrinus
Pylodictis olivaris2
Esocidae
Esox americanus
E. niger
Umbridae
Umbra pygmaea
Aphredoderidae
Aphredoderus sayanus
Mugilidae
Mugil cephalus
Atherinidae
Labidesthes sicculus2
Belonidae
Strongylura marina
Poeciliidae
Gambusia holbrooki
Moronidae
Morone americana
M. chrysops2
M. saxatilis
Centrarchidae
Acantharchus pomotis
Centrarchus macropterus
Enneacanthus gloriosus
E. obesus
Lepomis auritus
L. cyanellus2
L. gibbosus
L.gulosus
Common Name
white sucker
creek chubsucker
smallmouth buffalo
bigmouth buffalo
spotted sucker
notchlip redhorse
shorthead redhorse
robust redhorse
Carolina redhorse
brassy jumprock
North American
catfishes
snail bullhead
white catfish
yellow bullhead
brown bullhead
flat bullhead
blue catfish
channel catfish
margined madtom
tadpole madtom
flathead catfish
Pikes
redfin pickerel
chain pickerel
Mudminnows
eastern mudminnow
Pirate perches
pirate perch
Mullets
striped mullet
Silversides
brook silverside
Needlefishes
Atlantic needlefish
Livebearers
eastern mosquitofish
Temperate basses
white perch
white bass
striped bass
Sunfishes
mud sunfish
flier
bluespotted sunfish
banded sunfish
redbreast sunfish
green sunfish
pumpkinseed
warmouth
NCDWQ
Tolerance
Rating
Tolerant
Intermediate
Intermediate
Intermediate
Intermediate
Intermediate
Intermediate
Intolerant
Intermediate
Intermediate
NCDWQ Piedmont Sand Coastal
Trophic
Region
Hills
Plain
Guild
Region Region
Omnivore
X
Omnivore
X
X
X
Omnivore
X
X
Insectivore
X
Insectivore
X
Insectivore
X
X
Insectivore
X
X
Insectivore
X
Insectivore
X
X
Insectivore
X
Intermediate
Tolerant
Tolerant
Tolerant
Tolerant
Intermediate
Intermediate
Intermediate
Intermediate
Intermediate
Insectivore
Omnivore
Omnivore
Omnivore
Insectivore
Piscivore
Omnivore
Insectivore
Insectivore
Piscivore
Intermediate
Intermediate
Piscivore
Piscivore
Intermediate
Insectivore
Intermediate
Insectivore
--4
--4
X
Intermediate
Insectivore
X
--4
--4
X
Tolerant
Insectivore
X
Intermediate
Intermediate
Intermediate
Piscivore
Piscivore
Piscivore
Intermediate
Intermediate
Intermediate
Intermediate
Tolerant
Tolerant
Intermediate
Intermediate
Insectivore
Insectivore
Insectivore
Insectivore
Insectivore
Insectivore
Insectivore
Insectivore
5-3
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Section 5
Scientific Name1
L. macrochirus
l. marginatus
L. microlophus2
L. punctatus
Ambloplites cavifrons2
Micropterus dolomieu2
M. salmoides
Pomoxis annularis2
P. nigromaculatus
Percidae
Etheostoma flabellare
E.olmstedi
E. collis
E. mariae
E. serriferum
E. fusiforme
Percina crassa
Perca flavescens
Paralichthyidae
Paralichthyslethostigma
Achiridae
Trinectes maculatus
1
2
3
4
Common Name
bluegill
dollar sunfish
redear sunfish
spotted sunfish
Roanoke bass
smallmouth bass
largemouth bass
white crappie
black crappie
Perches
fantail darter
tessellated darter
Carolina darter
pinewoods darter
sawcheek darter
swamp darter
Piedmont darter
yellow perch
Sand flounders
southern flounder
American soles
hogchoker
NCDWQ
Tolerance
Rating
Intermediate
Intermediate
Intermediate
Intermediate
Intermediate
Intolerant
Intermediate
Intermediate
Intermediate
NCDWQ Piedmont Sand Coastal
Trophic
Region
Hills
Plain
Guild
Region Region
Insectivore
X
X
Insectivore
X
Insectivore
X
X
Insectivore
X
Piscivore
X
X
Piscivore
X
Piscivore
X
X
Piscivore
X
X
Piscivore
X
X
Intermediate
Intermediate
Intermediate
Intolerant
Intolerant
Intermediate
Intolerant
Intermediate
Insectivore
Insectivore
Insectivore
Insectivore
Insectivore
Insectivore
Insectivore
Insectivore
--4
--4
X
--4
--4
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Taxonomic nomenclature follows Nelson et al. (2004) except for thinlip chub (Cyprinella sp. cf zanema), Carolina
redhorse and brassy jumprock (undescribed Moxostoma sp. 1 and sp. 2).
Considered to be an introduced species not native to the Yadkin-Pee Dee River Basin.
Thinlip chub was formerly considered part of Cyprinella zanema, Santee chub. Recent taxonomic analysis has
reclassified the thinlip chub in the Pee Dee, Cape Fear, and Lumber river drainages (LeGrand et al. 2004).
No NCDWQ assigned tolerance or trophic rating for these species.
Table 5-2
Fish taxa collected in the vicinity of the Yadkin-Pee Dee River Hydroelectric
Project including Lake Tillery, Blewett Falls Lake, the Pee Dee River, and
tributaries.
Common Name
Lampreys
sea lamprey
Sturgeons
shortnose sturgeon
Atlantic sturgeon
Gars
longnose gar
Bowfins
bowfin
Freshwater eels
American eel
Tributaries
Pee Dee
Tributaries
Tributaries
Pee Dee
Lake
Upstream of Blewett River below Downstream
Upstream of
River below
Tillery
Falls Lake
Blewett
Blewett
of Blewett
Tillery Dam
Tillery Dam
Falls Dam
Falls Dam
Falls Dam
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
5-4
X
X
X
X
X
X
Section 5
Common Name
Herrings
blueback herring
hickory shad
American shad
Alosa sp.
gizzard shad
threadfin shad
Dorosoma sp.
Carps and minnows
rosyside dace
grass carp
common carp
satinfin shiner
red shiner
whitefin shiner
fieryblack shiner
thinlip chub
Cyprinella sp.
eastern silvery minnow
bluehead chub
golden shiner
highback chub
whitemouth shiner
comely shiner
ironcolor shiner
dusky shiner
highfin shiner
redlip shiner
spottail shiner
taillight shiner
coastal shiner
sandbar shiner
Notropis sp.
creek chub
sandhills chub
Suckers
quillback
highfin carpsucker
carpsucker
carpsucker/buffalo
white sucker
creek chubsucker
chubsucker
smallmouth buffalo
bigmouth buffalo
spotted sucker
notchlip redhorse
shorthead redhorse
robust redhorse
Tributaries
Pee Dee
Tributaries
Tributaries
Pee Dee
Lake
Upstream of
River below
Tillery
Blewett
Falls Lake
Blewett
of Blewett
Tillery Dam
Tillery Dam
Falls Dam
Falls Dam
Falls Dam
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X1
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
5-5
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X2
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Section 5
Common Name
Carolina redhorse
brassy jumprock
redhorse sp.
North American catfishes
snail bullhead
white catfish
yellow bullhead
brown bullhead
flat bullhead
bullhead sp.
blue catfish
channel catfish
margined madtom
tadpole madtom
flathead catfish
Pikes
redfin pickerel
chain pickerel
Mudminnows
eastern mudminnow
Pirate perches
pirate perch
Mullets
striped mullet
Silversides
brook silverside
Needlefishes
Atlantic needlefish
Livebearers
eastern mosquitofish
Temperate basses
white perch
white bass
striped bass
striped bass x white bass hybrid
Sunfishes
mud sunfish
flier
bluespotted sunfish
banded sunfish
redbreast sunfish
green sunfish
pumpkinseed
warmouth
bluegill
dollar sunfish
redear sunfish
spotted sunfish
hybrid sunfish
Tributaries
Pee Dee
Tributaries
Tributaries
Pee Dee
Lake
Upstream of
River below
Tillery
Blewett
Falls Lake
Blewett
of Blewett
Tillery Dam
Tillery Dam
Falls Dam
Falls Dam
Falls Dam
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
5-6
X
X
X3
X
X
X
X
X
X3
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Section 5
Common Name
sunfish sp.
Roanoke bass
smallmouth bass
largemouth bass
white crappie
black crappie
crappie sp.
Perches
fantail darter
tessellated darter
Carolina darter
pinewoods darter
swamp darter
sawcheek darter
Piedmont darter
yellow perch
Sand flounders
southern flounder
American soles
hogchoker
Total species4
1
2
3
4
Tributaries
Pee Dee
Tributaries
Tributaries
Pee Dee
Lake
Upstream of
River below
Tillery
Falls Lake
Blewett
Blewett
of Blewett
Tillery Dam
Tillery Dam
Falls Dam
Falls Dam
Falls Dam
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
41
40
52
62
48
X
80
57
Only collected in 1993 (Carolina Power & Light [CP&L] 1995).
Only represented by eggs and larvae, no adults collected (Progress Energy 2003).
Collected by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources from 1994 to 1996 (Crochet and Black 1997).
Includes only those taxa identified to species level, not genus level.
Stream size and the degree of free-flowing conditions, particularly during seasonal and annually
occurring drought periods, also had a strong influence on species distribution. Several species of
fish (dusky shiner, highback chub, mud sunfish, and Carolina darter) were only found in small
streams. Conversely, some fish species were only found in the mainstem river or larger tributaries
(e.g., robust redhorse, eastern silvery minnow, smallmouth buffalo, bigmouth buffalo, and whitefin
shiner).
Robust redhorse and Carolina redhorse were collected in the Pee Dee River below the Blewett Falls
Development but were not found in the reach of the river below the Tillery Development. Carolina
redhorse was also collected from several locations in the Little River which are separated by low
head dams. Robust redhorse was originally discovered and described from the upper Yadkin River
above High Rock Lake by the noted naturalist Edward D. Cope in 1869 (Cope 1870) but no
contemporary specimens have been noted in this upper Yadkin River reach. Jenkins and Freeman
(1997) reported the robust redhorse was also collected from the Rocky River in 1968 based on
anecdotal information. However, no contemporary data documented the species occurring in the
Rocky River. Carolina redhorse have also been collected from four sections of the Little River, a
tributary to the Pee Dee River, and there has been one isolated occurrence in the Lake Tillery
headwaters. Carolina redhorse has not been collected in the Pee Dee River below the Tillery Plant
to the Little River confluence (Starnes 2004 and Starnes et al. 2005).
5-7
Section 5
Eighteen nonnative introduced species have become established in the Yadkin-Pee Dee River
system, including tributaries, near the Project (Table 5-1). Nonnative species have the potential to
alter fish community composition through direct competition or predation effects on populations or
indirect effects on the aquatic community by altering energy flow through the system. Nonnative
species can also affect complex species interactions such as the presence or absence of key host fish
species for successful native mussel reproduction. Flathead catfish, voracious piscivorous predators,
are widespread and have been known to cause considerable changes to the fish communities in other
aquatic ecosystem (Guier et al. 1984). In the vicinity of the Project, they appear to have had a large
influence on the abundance of snail bullhead populations. Blue catfish, another nonnative species,
may have similar effects on fish faunal composition. Blue catfish also feed on invertebrates,
including mollusks which may affect native mussel recruitment and abundance (Jenkins and
Burkhead 1993). Snail bullheads were abundant in the Pee Dee River below Blewett Falls Lake in
the 1970s (Carolina Power & Light [CP&L] 1980) but are virtually absent from that river reach
today. However, snail bullheads and flat bullheads are still present in the five mile sub-reach of the
Pee Dee River from the Tillery Development to the confluence with the Rocky River. In particular,
this sub-reach appears to support a very abundant snail bullhead population. Flathead catfish and
blue catfish are present in the river reach below the Rocky River confluence including Blewett Falls
Lake, but these nonnative species appear to have not established populations in the sub-reach from
Tillery Dam to the Rocky River confluence. Flathead catfish and blue catfish have probably
affected distributions of other fish species as well, such as native suckers but the changes in
abundance are not as obvious as with the presence and absence of bullhead species.
Twelve species collected in the Project vicinity or in the Pee Dee River had special conservation
status at the state or federal level (LeGrand et al. 2004; NCWRC 2004; SCDNR 2003; USFWS
2006) (Table 5-3). Most state- or federally-listed fish species were found in the Pee Dee River
downstream of the Blewett Falls Development (Tables 5-2 and 5-4). Shortnose sturgeon, Atlantic
sturgeon, robust redhorse, and thinlip chub were only found in this river reach. Carolina redhorse
and highfin carpsuckers were collected in this reach, but were also collected in other areas, such as
Blewett Falls Lake and the Little River (Carolina redhorse only). American eel was abundant below
Blewett Falls Dam with smaller numbers of the species collected upstream in Blewett Falls Lake, the
Pee Dee River from Tillery Dam to Blewett Falls Lake, and several larger tributaries in this river
rich. Carolina darter was only collected in tributaries near the Project. Pinewoods darter and
sandhills chub are limited to streams in the Sand Hills Ecoregion. Fantail darter and redlip shiner,
two Species of Concern in South Carolina were common in the North Carolina, but less common in
the Coastal Plain portion South Carolina. Fantail darter and redlip shiners are primarily Piedmont
and Mountain species and were less common in the South Carolina Coastal Plain portion due to suboptimal habitat. These species would not be expected to be as abundant in the Coastal Plain due to
habitat preferences.
5-8
Section 5
Table 5-3
Fish species collected in the vicinity of the Yadkin-Pee Dee River Project or
the Pee Dee River with state or federal conservation listing status1.
Common Name
Shortnose sturgeon
Atlantic sturgeon
American eel
Redlip shiner
Sandhills chub
Carolina darter
Pinewoods darter
Fantail darter
Thinlip chub
Highfin carpsucker
Robust redhorse
Carolina redhorse
Total Species
1
2
E
X
North Carolina
T
SC
SR
E
X
South Carolina
T
SC2
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
1
X
X
5
0
1
0
6
X
X
2
1
0
4
Distribution of listed fish species and native fish species classified as
intolerant by the NCDWQ in the Pee Dee River, Uwharrie River, Little
River, and Rocky River.
Species
Shortnose sturgeon
Atlantic sturgeon
Amerenican eel
Fieryblack shiner1
Highback chub1
Ironcolor shiner1
Redlip shiner
Taillight shiner1
Sandhills chub1
Carolina darter
Pinewoods darter1
Fantail darter
Thinlip chub1
Highfin carpsucker
Robust redhorse1
Carolina redhorse
Sawcheek darter1
Piedmont darter1
Total Species
2
SC
Conservation status as reported by LeGrand et al. (2004), NCWRC (2004), SCDNR (2003), and USFWS (2006).
Status abbreviations are as follows: E = Endangered, T = Threatened, SC = Species of Concern for the U.S. Federal
government and South Carolina and SC = Special Concern for North Carolina, SR = Significantly Rare (a NC
Natural Heritage Program designation).
Table 5-4
1
Federal
T
E
X
Uwharrie
River
Rocky
River
Little
River
Pee Dee River below
Tillery Dam
X
X
X
X
X
Pee Dee River below
Blewett Falls Dam
X
X
X
X
X
X
X2
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
2
X
10
X
X
4
X
2
X
6
Classified by the NCDWQ as an intolerant species.
Represented by only two individuals, more commonly collected in small tributaries.
5-9
Section 5
Ten species classified by the NCDWQ (2001) as intolerant were collected near the Project or in the
Pee Dee River downstream of the Blewett Falls Dam (Table 5-4). Four of these species (sandhills
chub, pinewoods darter, thinlip chub, and robust redhorse) also have conservation listing status. Of
the 17 species that are classified as intolerant species and/or have conservation listing status, 10 were
found in the Pee Dee River below the Blewett Falls Dam. Six of these species were not collected in
any other river reaches in near the Project (i.e., Uwharrie River, Rocky River, Little River, Pee Dee
River below the Tillery Dam). Most of the intolerant and/or protected species not collected from the
Pee Dee River below the Blewett Falls Dam were primarily found in smaller tributaries only (e.g.,
highback chub, Carolina darter). Only two intolerant or protected species were collected from the
Rocky River and from the Pee Dee River below the Tillery Dam. Fieryblack shiner was collected in
small tributaries upstream of the Tillery Development and in the headwaters of Blewett Falls Lake.
However, they were not collected in any of the river reaches or tributaries near the Project except the
Pee Dee River below the Blewett Falls Dam.
The pinewoods darter and sandhills chub were only collected at a few blackwater stream sites in the
Sandhills portion of the drainage. Both species have small geographic distributions linked to the
Sand Hills ecoregion. Several other species were most common in the Sand Hills ecoregion streams,
primarily Marks Creek and the Hitchcock Creek system. The ironcolor shiner, tadpole madtom,
dollar sunfish, and sawcheek darter are coastal plain species that were not collected anywhere else in
the vicinity of the Project. Three other species collected from this area, eastern mudminnow, mud
sunfish, and swamp darter, were collected at other sites near the Project, but were generally
uncommon.
A description of each fish species and its distribution within the study area is given below. These
descriptions include RTE species, diadromous fish species, and other notable native and nonnative
species in the study area.
Family Petromyzontidae
■
Sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus)
The sea lamprey was the only representative of the Petromyzontidae (jawless fishes) or lamprey
family collected in the Project vicinity and the only lamprey collected in the Pee Dee River basin
(Lee et al. 1980; Menhinick 1991). Five individuals were collected in the Pee Dee River below the
Blewett Falls Dam, while 18 were collected in tributaries downstream of the Blewett Falls Dam.
Sixteen of these were collected in Bailey Creek, a tributary to Jones Creek (Figure A-1). Two
individuals were collected near Cheraw, South Carolina at river mile (RM) 164.7.
The sea lamprey is a primitive jawless fish that is parasitic on other fishes as an adult. This
anadromous species ascends rivers to spawn during the spring months between March and June
(Jenkins and Burkhead 1994). The filter-feeding larval form or ammocoetes burrows in beds of
sandy silt in backwater areas. The length of the larval stage is variable and can last for several years
with metamorphosis to the juvenile stage in the summer and early fall. The extent that sea lampreys
utilize the Pee Dee River for spawning migrations or larval rearing habitat is presently unknown.
The NCDWQ (2001) lists sea lamprey as intermediate in the tolerance rating of environmental
conditions and parasitic in trophic guild (Table 5-1).
5-10
Section 5
Family Acipenseridae
Two species of sturgeons have been documented in the Pee Dee River below the Blewett Falls
Development — Atlantic sturgeon and shortnose sturgeon. Both species have special conservation
listing status. The NCDWQ (2001) lists both sturgeons as intermediate in environmental tolerance
rating and insectivores in trophic guild classification (Table 5-1).
■
Shortnose sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum)
The shortnose sturgeon is a state- (North Carolina and South Carolina) and federally-listed
endangered species (LeGrand et al. 2004; SCDNR 2005a, 2005b). A reproducing population exists
in the Coastal Plain portion of the Pee Dee River below the Blewett Falls Development (Collins et
al. 2003). There is one record of a gravid female caught during February 1985 near the U.S.
Highway 74 Bridge, approximately four miles below the Blewett Falls Development (Ross 1977).
Collins and Smith (1997) documented the species in the lower Coastal Plain portion of the Pee Dee
River during 1982 (February and August) and in Winyah Bay during 1994 (January to March, May
to June, and August).
Five shortnose sturgeon were radio tracked up the Pee Dee River during the spawning migration
period and moved substantial distances (>124 RMs) upstream (Figure A-1). Fish were located in the
Coastal Plain portion of the river in South Carolina from February 27 to April 11 during the spring
migration period (Figure A-1). The farthest upriver a telemetered shortnose sturgeon was located
was at RM 158.8 which was approximately 3.2 miles downstream of the Thompson Creek
confluence near Cheraw, South Carolina, in the upper Coastal Plain portion of the river. During the
remainder of the year, individuals inhabited oligohaline areas (<5 ppt salinity) of the lower Pee Dee
River and other nearby tributaries (Waccamaw River, Black River, and Bull Creek) and the Winyah
Bay estuary.
Three areas in the upper Coastal Plain portion of the river were utilized extensively by the radiotagged shortnose sturgeon during the spawning period which suggested multiple spawning sites.
These three areas in South Carolina were located from downstream of Cheraw to just upstream of
the Cashua Ferry boating access area at S.C. Highway 34. Shortnose sturgeon spawning was
confirmed by Collins et al. (2003) by the collection of several eggs from the area approximately
0.2 miles upstream of the Cashua Ferry site during late March 2002. The spawning habitat consisted
of emergent gravel bars, pebble to small cobble substrate, fast riffle currents, and a nearby deep
channel area (2.5 to 6 m depth). Shortnose sturgeon occupied this spawning site during both years
of the study with little variation in the timing of habitat use (Collins et al. 2003).
During the non spawning movement months (May through January), adult fish occupied the lower
river near the freshwater-saltwater interface in the Winyah Bay estuary-river complex and generally
chose oligohaline areas with salinities <5 ppt. Several fish moved among three or more tributaries
during the non spawning period, including the lower Pee Dee, Waccamaw , and Black Rivers, Bull
Creek (an interconnecting tributary of the Pee Dee and Waccamaw Rivers), and Winyah Bay.
5-11
Section 5
■
Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrhynchus)
The Atlantic sturgeon (Family Acipenseridae) is a long-lived species that is found in rivers, estuaries
and nearshore ocean areas along the southeastern Atlantic Coast of the United States. The species
has been rarely collected in the Pee Dee River.
The Atlantic sturgeon is a North Carolina Special Concern species and a Priority Fish Species of
Concern under the South Carolina Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Plan (LeGrand et al. 2001;
SCDNR 2005b). One ripe male was collected near RM 133.0 in the Coastal Plain portion of the Pee
Dee River during October 2003 (Figure A-2). There were also several sightings of large sturgeon
(1.2 to 1.5 m total length) in the Coastal Plain portion of the river during October of 2002 and 2003
(Figure A-2). These fish were located on or near gravel and/or sand bars. Although positive
identification could not be made at the time of these sightings, the size of these fish suggested these
individuals were also Atlantic sturgeon.
Three anecdotal records exist from the Pee Dee River in the vicinity of the Blewett Falls
Development. Ross (1997) showed a record of the species in the Pee Dee River, North Carolina,
below the Blewett Falls Development, but this collection could not be validated from a review of
distribution records with the NCMNS (personal communication with Dr. Wayne Starnes, NCMNS
Curator of Fishes). One record (photograph) was obtained from a commercial fisherman who caught
a specimen in 1951 from the Pee Dee River, North Carolina, near the U.S. Highway 74 Bridge,
approximately 4 miles below the Blewett Falls Development. The specimen was estimated to be
approximately 2 m total length with a weight of 48 kg (personal communication with Mr. Jim
Clark). Another photograph (circa 1990) was obtained from a local newspaper that showed a 2.1 m
Atlantic sturgeon with estimated weight between 91 to 131 kg that was caught on September 1 from
the Pee Dee River south of U.S. Highway 74 on the Anson-Richmond counties line. The available
information suggested Atlantic sturgeon have persisted in the Pee Dee River over the past 50 years,
and the species is likely utilizing various areas of the river during spawning and non-spawning
periods.
Collins et al. (2003) reported 41 subadult Atlantic sturgeons captured in Bull Creek and the lower
portions of the Waccamaw and Black Rivers during a shortnose sturgeon movement study in 20022003. However, these fish were not radio-tagged for movement or habitat use during the study.
Collins and Smith (1997) also reported this species from the lower Pee Dee River, South Carolina
and Winyah Bay with records in 1981 and 1995.
Family Lepisosteididae
■
Longnose gar (Lepisosteus osseus)
The longnose gar is the only member of the Lepisosteidae family in the Pee Dee River basin (Lee et
al. 1980; Menhinick 1991). The longnose gar is a native species and was widespread in waters in
the Project vicinity (Figure A-2 and Table 5-2). The species was most abundant in the Pee Dee
River, but was also collected in both reservoirs and the Uwharrie, Rocky, and Little rivers.
Longnose gar was not collected in smaller tributaries near the Project. In North Carolina, longnose
gar are primarily found in the Coastal Plain waters, including swamps and backwaters, lakes, large
5-12
Section 5
rivers, and moderate-size streams. This primitive species tolerates a wide range of environmental
conditions including low dissolved oxygen levels, waters of varying pH levels, and fluctuating
water temperatures and flow conditions (Lee et al. 1980; Menhinick 1991; Jenkins and Burkhead
1993).
The longnose gar is a tolerant species and piscivorous in trophic guild classification (NCDWQ 2001
and Table 5-1).
Family Amiidae
■
Bowfin (Amia calva)
The bowfin is the only extant native representative of the Family Amiidae in North America (Lee et
al. 1980). Bowfin was widely distributed in the Pee Dee River below the Tillery and Blewett Falls
developments (Figure A-3). However, the species was infrequently collected in the Pee Dee River
upstream of the Blewett Falls Development including the Project lakes and tributaries (Table 5-2).
The species was most prevalent in the Coastal Plain portion of the Pee Dee River below the Blewett
Falls Lake and the distribution patterns likely reflected habitat preferences of the species. Similar to
the longnose gar, the primitive bowfin is a Coastal Plain species preferring slow-flowing rivers,
swamps, and backwaters and tolerates a wide range of environmental conditions associated with
such habitats including fluctuation dissolved oxygen concentrations and water temperatures (Lee et
al. 1980; Menhinick 1991; Jenkins and Burkhead 1993).
The bowfin is a tolerant species and a piscivore in the NCDWQ (2001) trophic feeding guild
classification (Table 5-1).
Family Anguillidae
■
American eel (Anguilla rostrata)
American eel has been collected in the Pee Dee River below each Project dam, including tributaries
and in Blewett Falls Lake. Some American eels were apparently able to move upstream past
Blewett Falls Dam, but none have been documented in Lake Tillery or upstream areas in recent
fishery surveys (Figure A-3 and Dorsey et al. 2005). Previous fishery surveys also documented the
presence of American eel in the larger tributaries above Blewett Falls Dam — Little River, Brown
Creek, and Rocky River (Progress Energy 2003, 2005a; Starnes 2004). Dorsey et al. (2005) listed
occurrence of American eel in the upper Yadkin tributaries and middle Yadkin River (confluence of
Ararat River to Uwharrie River confluence) based on a review of records from Menhinick (1991)
and NCDWQ stream data. These collection records indicated that American eel have penetrated, to
some extent, further upstream of the Tillery Dam and the Yadkin River Project dams.
American eels were collected by Progress Energy in both reaches of the Pee Dee River below the
hydroelectric developments during shallow water sampling of shoal and gravel/cobble bar habitats
using an electrofishing pram under wadeable, low-flow conditions during 2004 (Progress Energy
2005b). American eel were collected in both river reaches although catch rates were greater below
Blewett Falls Dam. American eel, comprised mainly of elvers and juveniles, was a dominant species
5-13
Section 5
in the fish community at most sampled shallow water transects in the river reach below the Blewett
Falls Development during 2004. The species comprised 4 to 37 percent of the total fish abundance
and was the dominant species at five of the eight transects in this river reach. Elvers comprised
59 percent of the American eels collected in the reach. Pram electrofishing catches of American eel,
including elvers, were the greatest at sample transects located within the Piedmont Fall Line zone,
approximately 12 to 23 miles downstream of the Blewett Falls Dam and again at 72 miles
downstream of the dam (Figure A-3). Spatial differences in abundance were likely related to habitat
differences and preferences of American eel. American eel catch rates were the greatest at transects
with cobble and small boulders with rooted aquatic vegetation or filamentous algae present. This
habitat type provided the greatest structural complexity in protective cover and possibly more
available food sources.
American eel are intermediate in tolerance rating and are piscivorous (NCDWQ 2001 and
Table 5 1).
Family Clupeidae
Five members of the Clupeidae family have been collected in the Project vicinity (Tables 5-1 and
5-2 and Figures A-4 and A-5). Gizzard and threadfin shad are widely introduced as forage fish and
were collected in both Project reservoirs and tailwaters (Table 5-2). Three migratory, anadromous
species of the Alosa genus were collected below Blewett Falls Dam (i.e., American shad, blueback
herring, and hickory shad). One of these Alosa species, blueback herring, was also collected in both
Project reservoirs and below the Tillery Dam and is present in these upstream areas due to stocking
of the species as an additional prey species in the Pee Dee-Yadkin River chain of reservoirs (Dorsey
et al. 2005).
These five species are considered intermediate in environmental tolerance ratings of the NCDWQ
(2001). Alosa species are considered insectivorous (primarily zooplankton and larger nektonic
invertebrates) in adult trophic feeding classification while gizzard shad and threadfin are considered
omnivores (Table 5-1).
■
Blueback herring (Alosa aestivalis)
Blueback herring were collected in both Project reservoirs and tailwaters (Figure A-4). Resident,
land-locked populations existed in the Project reservoirs, as well as in upstream Yadkin Reservoirs
(Alcoa Power Generating, Inc., Yadkin Division [APGI] 2002). These resident populations are selfsustaining and resulted from stocking of this species as an additional prey species by the NCWRC in
the Yadkin-Pee Dee River system (Fuller et al. 1999; Dorsey et al. 2005). There also exists an
anadromous population of blueback herring in the Pee Dee River below the Blewett Falls
Development (Progress Energy 2003; McCord 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004). The resident nonmigrating blueback herring present in the Blewett Falls tailwaters were smaller than the anadromous
blueback herring collected in the South Carolina Coastal Plain (Progress Energy 2003). It is
unknown what river parental population was utilized for the reservoir stockings or whether genetic
or behavioral differences exist in the landlocked versus migratory sea run populations.
5-14
Section 5
Most anadromous adults were collected in the lower Coastal Plain portion of the river compared to
the immediate power plant tailwaters (Progress Energy 2003). The spatial distribution of blueback
herring suggested most of the spawning habitat and spawning activity for the anadromous population
of this species was located in the Coastal Plain area of the river. Blueback herring are mainly
Coastal Plain spawners and utilize a variety of spawning habitats including shallow backwater areas
covered with vegetation, in rice fields, in swampy areas adjacent to main river channels, and in small
tributaries upstream from the tidal zone (Virginia Institute of Marine Science [VIMS] 2005).
Little information exists on the upstream migration limits for blueback herring in the Pee Dee River
Basin. Cooke and Welch (2000) reported from a historical account given by Mills (1826) that
herring (most likely blueback herring) appeared to have ascended the Waccamaw and Pee Dee
Rivers, including portions of the Lynches and Black rivers and possibly the Little Pee Dee River.
Mills (1826) reported blueback herring as far upstream as Darlington County, South Carolina, where
the fish were in great abundance in Louder’s Lake.
Blueback herring have been stocked by the NCWRC and currently have populations in all YadkinPee Dee River reservoirs although the reservoir populations appear to be low compared to the other
planktivorous clupeids (i.e., gizzard shad and threadfin shad). Blueback herring introductions into
nonnative waters have been implicated in sport fish declines associated with competition for
plankton food sources at early larval fish life stages or through predation on native larval fish (Prince
and Barwick 1981; Davis and Foltz 1991).
■
Hickory shad (Alosa mediocris)
Hickory shad were only collected below Blewett Falls Dam and were not abundant in the mainstem
Pee Dee River during the Progress Energy biweekly migratory fish surveys in 1998 and 1999
(Figure A-4). Hickory shad usually spawn from February to May in main river channels, tributaries,
sloughs, and flooded swamps in lower river reaches (Jenkins and Burkhead 1993). During biweekly
electrofishing and gill netting surveys in 1998 and 1999, most adults in spawning condition were
located in the lower Pee Dee River in the middle to lower Coastal Plain regions near Florence and
Johnsonville, South Carolina (Progress Energy 2003). No hickory shad were collected in the
immediate tailwaters of the Blewett Falls Development; however, one adult was captured near
Cheraw, South Carolina, just below the Fall Line zone during February 1999.
■
American shad (Alosa sapidissima)
American shad were collected throughout the Pee Dee River downstream of Blewett Falls Dam
(Figure A-5). American shad was the most abundant of the migratory anadromous species collected
from the Pee Dee River during biweekly spawning surveys in 1998 and 1999 conducted by Progress
Energy (Progress Energy 2003). Catch rates were the greatest in the immediate tailwaters of the
Blewett Falls Hydroelectric Plant when compared to five other survey stations located in the Coastal
Plain and Piedmont Fall Line portions of the river (from RM 27.0 to 164.7). Most American shad
were caught from the end of March through mid-June.
American shad spawning activity, as evidenced by the presence of eggs and/or larvae, was observed
from the Blewett Falls tailwaters located in the Fall Line zone to 161 miles downstream in the lower
5-15
Section 5
Coastal Plain portion of the river near S.C. Highway 701 at Yauhannah, South Carolina (Progress
Energy 2003). During 1998, a year with high river flow in the spring, the greatest mean density of
American shad eggs and larvae combined were collected in the immediate tailwaters. However, in
1999, a year with lower spring river flows, the greatest mean densities of eggs and larvae occurred at
RM 51.0 and 100.2, approximately 88 to 137 miles downstream of the Blewett Falls Development.
Peak densities of American shad eggs and larvae occurred in April and May of both survey years.
The historical spawning migration range for American shad of the Pee Dee River appeared to be
near Wilkesboro, North Carolina, approximately 451 miles inland according to an anecdotal
historical account by Stevenson (1897) and a historical range map in the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) historical photograph archives (NOAA 2002). During 1880,
Levi Coffin recounted the shad fishery at the Narrows Canyon on the Yadkin River (near present
Falls Dam and Narrows Dam area of the Yadkin River) (as cited in USFWS et al. 2005). It is
unclear to what extent that American shad migrated to the upstream areas over time, particularly in
naturally occurring drought years when shad ascension through the Narrows Canyon would have
been difficult. Stevenson also reported the migration limit of American shad in 1896 was the Grassy
Island area, 242 miles from the sea, and only American shad was reported from that location and
year. This migration limit dates before the construction of hydroelectric projects on the river.
Stevenson also indicated that intensive overfishing was the single most important factor impacting
the inland range of American shad in the 1800s (Stevenson 1897, 1899).
Family Cyprinidae - Carps and Minnows
The Cyprinidae family was represented by 24 species, 20 of these species were native to the Pee Dee
River system. The genus Notropis was represented by 10 species. The NCDWQ (2001) classified
six of the cyprinids as intolerant (Table 5-1). Intolerant species are those species which are most
affected by environmental perturbations and therefore should disappear by the time a stream is rated
“Fair” under the North Carolina Index of Biotic Integrity stream rating. Intolerant species also
includes some species that have a very restricted zoogeographic distribution or are considered RTE.
■
Common carp (Cyprinus carpio) and Grass Carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella)
The nonnative common carp was frequently collected in both Project reservoirs and tailwaters. In
particular, the species was a dominant component of the deep water fish community below the
Rocky River confluence. However, common carp were only collected in Lake Tillery in 1986.
Common carp is a tolerant species that inhabits a variety of environmental conditions present in
lakes and streams. Grass carp, an herbivorous nonnative cyprinid, was only collected downstream of
Blewett Falls Lake and specimens collected were very large adults often exceeding 10 kg in weight.
These grass carp likely escaped from ponds in the Pee Dee River drainage where they were stocked
for aquatic vegetation control. The common carp is a tolerant omnivore while the grass carp is
considered a tolerant herbivore (NCDWQ 2001 and Table 5-1).
■
Rosyside dace (Clinostomus funduloides)
Rosyside dace were collected in tributaries to both Project reservoirs and tailwaters (Table 5-2).
They were collected in the Little River but not from the Uwharrie or Rocky rivers (Figure A-5).
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Rosyside dace were collected near the mouths of several tributaries to the Uwharrie River, but were
not collected in any tributaries to the Rocky River. However, Menhinick (1991) reported they are
widely distributed in the headwaters of the Rocky River. One individual was captured in the Pee Dee
River south of the North and South Carolina border. Rosyside dace prefer mountain and piedmont
streams and are generally absent in the Coastal Plain region of North Carolina (Menhinick 1991).
There were two records from tributaries located in South Carolina. This species was primarily a
small stream species dweller and would not be expected to occur in sizable populations in the
mainstem Pee Dee River. The rosyside dace is intermediate in environmental tolerance rating and
an insectivore (NCDWQ 2001 and Table 5-1).
■
Satinfin shiner (Cyprinella analostana)
Satinfin shiner was a common minnow species and widely distributed throughout the Yadkin-Pee
Dee drainage (Menhinick 1991). The species was collected from both Project reservoirs and in the
Pee Dee River below each Project reservoir (Figure A-6 and Table 5-2). They were also collected
throughout the Pee Dee River into the lower Coastal Plain near Johnsonville, South Carolina
(Progress Energy 2003). Satinfin shiner was also collected from various-sized streams in the
vicinity of the Project and is considered a generalist in feeding and habitat use (Jenkins and
Burkhead 1993). Satinfin shiner is classified as a tolerant, insectivorous species by the NCDWQ
(2001).
■
Red shiner (Cyprinella lutrensis)
The red shiner is a recently introduced nonnative minnow species to the Pee Dee drainage (Fuller et
al. 1999). Menhinick (1991) indicated that the species was found in the Yadkin River above High
Rock Reservoir, and there were no records from High Rock Reservoir or downstream reservoirs and
river reaches prior to the publication date in 1991. Red shiners were first collected in the reach of
the Pee Dee River below the Tillery Dam during 2001 (Figure A-6). In 2004, red shiners were
collected from the Pee Dee River below Blewett Falls Dam and from the Rocky River (Table 5-2).
It appears this species may have expanded its range in the Pee Dee River Basin based on these
occurrence records. The red shiner is a very aggressive, adaptable species and may dilute gene pools
of native cyprinids via hybridization (Mayden 1989 as reported in Fuller et al. 1999). Introductions
of this species into the Yadkin-Pee Dee River Basin most likely resulted from angler bait bucket
introductions. The red shiner is a tolerant, insectivorous species (NCDWQ 2001 and Table 5-1).
■
Whitefin shiner (Cyprinella nivea)
Whitefin shiner was also a common, widely distributed minnow species and exhibited a similar
distribution pattern to satinfin shiners (Menhinick 1991). Whitefin shiner was the most abundant
member of the Cyprinella genus collected in the Pee Dee River by Progress Energy (2003). While
satinfin shiners were collected in many small streams, whitefin shiners were typically absent from
small tributaries but were often encountered in the mainstem Pee Dee River (Figure A-7). They
were collected in the Pee Dee River below each Project dam, in the Rocky and Little rivers, and in
Hitchcock Creek (Table 5-2). Lee et al. (1980) considered the whitefin shiner to be a mountain and
piedmont species and only had one record downstream of Lake Tillery. Contemporary records
indicated that whitefin shiner was widespread and present in the Coastal Plain of South Carolina as
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far south as Yauhannah, South Carolina. The whitefin shiner is intermediate in environmental
tolerance rating and an insectivore (NCDWQ 2001).
■
Fieryblack shiner (Cyprinella pyrrhomelas)
Fieryblack shiner was common in the headwaters of the Yadkin River and found throughout the
Yadkin-Pee Dee River Basin, including as far downstream on the Pee Dee River as Yauhannah, SC
(Menhinick 1991; Progress Energy 2003; Dorsey et al. 2005). Fieryblack shiners have not been
collected from Lake Tillery or the reach of the Pee Dee River downstream of the Tillery Dam to
Blewett Falls Lake (Table 5-2). Fieryblack shiner was most abundant in the Mountain Creek
watershed, a tributary to Blewett Falls Lake near the Grassy Islands (Figure A-7). Fieryblack shiner
was collected from both small tributaries and the mainstem Pee Dee River. Most of the records in
the vicinity of the Project were from below the confluence of the Little River with the Pee Dee
River. However, there was one record of fieryblack shiner from Cedar Creek, a tributary to the
Uwharrie River. Fieryblack shiner is endemic to the Pee Dee and Santee rivers watersheds (Lee et
al. 1980). The species is not as common or widespread as satinfin shiner and whitefin shiner
(Figures A-6 and A-7). Lee et al. (1980) showed no records of fieryblack shiner from the South
Carolina portion of the Pee Dee River and considered the species to be a mountain and piedmont
species. However, recent collections extended its range to as far south as Yauhannah, South
Carolina (Progress Energy 2003). It is largely absent from the Rocky River system (Menhinick
1991). The NCDWQ (2001) has classified the fieryblack shiner as an intolerant, insectivorous
species (Table 5-1).
■
Thinlip chub (Cyprinella sp. cf. zanema)
The thinlip chub was formerly considered part of the Santee chub (Cyprinella zanema) species. The
species has been tentatively reclassified as a separate species endemic to the Pee Dee, Cape Fear,
and Lumber rivers drainages based on recent taxonomic work (LeGrand et al. 2004). The thinlip
chub is a North Carolina Special Concern species and a South Carolina Priority Species of
Conservation Concern (LeGrand et al. 2004; SCDNR 2005a). Only three individuals have been
collected during fishery surveys of the Pee Dee River, and all of these individuals were found in the
Coastal Plain portion of the Pee Dee River in South Carolina (Figure A-8; Progress Energy 2003,
2005b). One was collected near the confluence of Thompson Creek while two were collected
downstream of Tom Blue Landing. In the Cape Fear drainage, this species was found in tributaries
of the lower Cape Fear River, most notably the South River. Limited distributional data suggested
that this species is a Coastal Plain species and unlikely to occupy river and stream reaches in the
Piedmont or Fall Line zone near the Project. The thinlip chub is considered an intolerant species in
tolerance rating and an insectivore (NCDWQ 2001 and Table 5-1).
■
Eastern silvery minnow (Hybognathus regius)
Eastern silvery minnow was a very common and widely distributed species in the Yadkin-Pee Dee
River, particularly in the river reach below the Blewett Falls Development (Figure A-8). This
schooling species was one of the most abundant species collected during the shallow water sampling
conducted in 2004, especially at gravel bar sites in the upper Coastal Plain (Progress Energy 2005b).
Additionally, single individuals were collected at two locations in Blewett Falls Lake. Eastern
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silvery minnow was not collected from Lake Tillery or the reach of river below Lake Tillery
(Table 5-2). The species was also collected in the Rocky River, but was not collected in any other
Pee Dee River tributaries. The species appeared to prefer large rivers based on its absence from
small streams in the Project vicinity. Menhinick (1991) has records for eastern silvery minnows in
tributaries near High Rock Reservoir, which indicates that the species is found upstream of the
Tillery Development. Dorsey et al. (2005) showed the eastern silvery minnow was present in the
middle Yadkin River (from Ararat River confluence to Uwharrie River confluence) including
tributaries. Jenkins and Burkhead (1993) considered the eastern silvery minnow to primarily occupy
large streams and rivers with low to moderate gradient and noted that its presence in small streams
was geographically erratic.
■
Highback chub (Hybopsis hypsinotus)
In the Project vicinity, highback chub was primarily collected in tributaries to the Pee Dee River
above Blewett Falls Dam (Figure A-9). The only exception was the collection of four individuals in
Cartledge Creek, a tributary to the Pee Dee River in the Sand Hills ecoegion less than two miles
below Blewett Falls Dam. Highback chub was most abundant in the Little River and Cheek Creek, a
tributary to the Little River. Highback chub was not collected from either Project reservoir or in the
mainstem Pee Dee River (Table 5-2). The highback chub is most abundant in small streams from
the mountains to the Fall Line Zone (Jenkins and Burkhead 1993). Menhinick (1991) indicated that
this species was widespread in the headwaters of the Rocky River, but did not show any records for
the eastern portion of the Rocky River system. The highback chub is an intolerant insectivore based
on the NCDWQ (2001) tolerance and trophic guild classifications (Table 5-1).
■
Bluehead chub (Nocomis leptocephalus)
Bluehead chub was widely distributed and very common in tributaries in the Project vicinity, but
were less common in the mainstem Pee Dee River (Figure A-9). They were collected in Blewett
Falls Lake and the river reaches below each Project reservoir (Table 5-2). Bluehead chub was
uncommon, yet widely distributed in the Pee Dee River from Blewett Falls Dam to Tom Blue
Landing located near RM 133.0 in South Carolina (Figure A-9). In the river reach below the Tillery
Development, bluehead chub was only collected near the Blewett Falls Lake’s Grassy Islands area
which is located near the reservoir headwaters with the Pee Dee River. The bluehead chub is
typically found in rivers smaller than the Pee Dee River, but sometimes occupies larger rivers in
small populations (Jenkins and Burkhead 1993). The bluehead chub is an intermediate, insectivore
based on the NCDWQ (2001) tolerance and trophic guild classifications (Table 5-1).
■
Golden shiner (Notemigonus crysoleucas)
Golden shiner is found in both Project reservoirs and the Pee Dee River below each dam (Table 5-2).
Although it is native to the Yadkin-Pee Dee River Basin, the species has been widely introduced by
anglers via bait bucket introductions (Fuller et al. 1999). The golden shiner is a tolerant,
omnivorous species based on the NCDWQ (2001) tolerance and trophic guild classifications
(Table 5-1).
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■
Whitemouth shiner (Notropis alborus)
The whitemouth shiner has been collected in the Chowan, Roanoke, Cape Fear, Yadkin-Pee Dee,
and Santee drainages (Jenkins and Burkhead 1993). It has not been collected in the Tar or Neuse
systems (Menhinick 1991; Jenkins and Burkhead 1993). This species has a limited distribution in
each drainage and is primarily found in the lower Piedmont (Menhinick 1991). Most whitemouth
shiners were collected near the Tillery Development in tributaries to the Rocky, Little, Uwharrie, or
Pee Dee rivers (Figure A-10). There were also collection records of whitemouth shiner from the
Jones Creek watershed, and one individual was collected in the Pee Dee River below the Blewett
Falls Development near the confluence with Thompson Creek. There is another collection record
from Cedar Creek, a tributary to Thompson Creek, near the NC-SC border. The whitemouth shiner
is an intermediate, insectivorous species based on the NCDWQ (2001) tolerance and trophic guild
classifications (Table 5-1).
■
Comely shiner (Notropis amoenus)
Comely shiner was the only non-native Notropis species collected in the vicinity of the Project
(Fuller et al. 1999). This species is native to Atlantic slope drainages from the Cape Fear River
system and farther north (Lee et al. 1980). It was first collected in Rocky Creek, a tributary to the
Little River, in 1973 (Jenkins and Burkhead 1993). Comely shiner was most common in the Pee
Dee River below Tillery Dam, but was also collected in the Rocky River, Little River, Brown Creek,
Blewett Falls Lake, and the Pee Dee River below Blewett Falls Lake (Figure A-10). There are
currently no collection records of this species in Lake Tillery or upstream areas of the Yadkin-Pee
Dee River.
■
Ironcolor shiner (Notropis chalybaeus)
The ironcolor shiner was only collected in tributaries downstream of the Blewett Falls Development
(Table 5-2). Both collection records near the Project were from Marks Creek, a small stream in the
Sand Hills ecoregion located south of Rockingham, North Carolina (Figure A-11). This species is
common in Coastal Plain streams (Menhinick 1991). The ironcolor shiner is an intolerant,
insectivorous species based on the NCDWQ (2001) tolerance and trophic guild classifications
(Table 5-1).
■
Dusky shiner (Notropis cummingsae)
The dusky shiner was primarily found in small tributary streams (Figure A-11). The dusky shiner is
primarily a Coastal Plain species (Menhinick 1991) and was only found in tributaries downstream of
Blewett Falls Lake and at several sites within the Mountain Creek watershed, a tributary of Blewett
Falls Lake. The dusky shiner is an intermediate, insectivorous species based on the NCDWQ (2001)
tolerance and trophic guild classifications (Table 5-1).
■
Highfin shiner (Notropis altipinnis)
The highfin shiner was found in numerous tributaries in the vicinity of the Project (Figure A-12).
Additionally, single individuals were collected in the Pee Dee River in each power plant tailwaters
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(Table 5-2). Jenkins and Burkhead (1993) considered the highfin shiner to be a mid- and lower
Piedmont species throughout most of its range. This observation was similar for populations in the
Meherrin and Nottoway River systems in Virginia and appeared to apply for populations in the Cape
Fear and Yadkin-Pee Dee systems as well (Menhinick 1991). Dorsey et al. (2005) listed the
highback shiner as present in the middle and lower Yadkin-Pee Dee River, including tributaries.
This area extended from the Ararat River confluence to the North Carolina-South Carolina state line.
The highfin shiner is an intermediate, insectivorous species based on the NCDWQ (2001) tolerance
and trophic guild classifications (Table 5-1).
■
Redlip shiner (Notropis chiliticus)
The redlip shiner is considered a Species of Concern in South Carolina. Its distribution in the Pee
Dee system is primarily limited to North Carolina where it is widely distributed throughout this
portion of the river basin. There are only a few records from South Carolina (Jenkins and Burkhead
1993). In North Carolina, it was often abundant in small tributaries above and below the Project
reservoirs (Figure A-12). Redlip shiner was collected in the larger tributaries of the Pee Dee River
(e.g., Rocky, Little, and Uwharrie Rivers), and two individuals were collected in the Pee Dee River
upstream of Great Island in South Carolina (Table 5-2). Redlip shiner was abundant in Westfield
Creek, located north of Cheraw, SC and near the Great Island sampling site. The distribution in the
South Carolina portion of the river appears to reflect relative sampling effort and may not
necessarily reflect the true abundance of the species in this reach. The redlip shiner is an
intermediate, insectivorous species based on the NCDWQ (2001) tolerance and trophic guild
■
Spottail shiner (Notropis hudsonius)
Spottail shiner was the most widespread and abundant Notropis species in the Yadkin-Pee Dee River
(Figure A-13). Dorsey et al. (2005) showed the species present throughout the river basin, including
tributaries. Spottail shiner was collected in both Project reservoirs and was widely distributed in the
mainstem Pee Dee River downstream of each Project dam as far south as Johnsonville, South
Carolina (Table 5-2). The species inhabits a wide range of stream sizes and is also adaptable to
reservoir habitat as demonstrated by its presence in the Project lakes. The spottail shiner is an
classifications.
■
Taillight shiner (Notropis maculatus)
The taillight shiner is a widespread Coastal Plain species ranging from the Cape Fear River to the
lower Mississippi River (Lee et al. 1980). It prefers sluggish rivers and lakes typically with
submersed aquatic vegetation present (Lee et al. 1980). It was only collected in Blewett Falls Lake
during cove rotenone sampling in 1999 and 2001. A total of 28 individuals were collected in three
different coves during these two sampling years (Figure A-13). This species has not been collected
elsewhere in the Yadkin-Pee Dee drainage in North Carolina. Records from neighboring drainages
are limited to the Coastal Plain region (Lee et al. 1980; Menhinick 1991), suggesting that habitat in
Blewett Falls Lake is more suitable than nearby riverine areas. The taillight shiner is an intolerant,
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(Table 5-1).
■
Coastal shiner (Notropis petersoni)
The coastal shiner is a Coastal Plain species found from the New River (Atlantic slope) drainage
south to Florida and the Gulf of Mexico (Lee et al. 1980; Menhinick 1991). In the Pee Dee River
system, coastal shiner was found in the Pee Dee River and tributaries below each Project reservoir,
but was not reported above the Tillery Dam (Figure A-14). The coastal shiner was widespread in the
Pee Dee River from below the Blewett Falls Dam to near Johnsonville, South Carolina, but was not
particularly abundant at any collection site. There were no collection records of coastal shiners in
the Rocky River. The coastal shiner is an intermediate, insectivorous species based on the NCDWQ
(2001) tolerance and trophic guild classifications (Table 5-1).
■
Sandbar shiner (Notropis scepticus)
Sandbar shiner is widely distributed from the mountains to the Fall Line Zone from the Cape Fear
River in North Carolina to the Savannah River in South Carolina-Georgia (Lee et al. 1980). Dorsey
et al. (2005) showed the species present throughout the river basin, including tributaries. Near the
Project, the sandbar shiner was most often found in the larger tributaries to the Pee Dee River
between Tillery and Blewett Falls developments (Figure A-14). The species was commonly
encountered in the Pee Dee River between the Tillery Dam and Blewett Falls Lake but was never
very abundant in the mainstem river. Additionally, three individuals were collected downstream of
Blewett Falls Dam; two specimens were collected within one mile of Blewett Falls Dam while the
other specimen was collected near Cheraw, South Carolina. The sandbar shiner is an intermediate,
(Table 5-1).
■
Creek chub (Semotilus atromaculatus)
The creek chub, one of two Semotilus species found in the Pee Dee River watershed, is widespread
throughout the Yadkin-Pee Dee River watershed and was most often found in small streams
(Figure A-15). It is adaptable to a variety of environmental conditions present in small streams
including sluggish flow and fluctuating DO and temperature regimes. Dorsey et al. (2005) showed
the species present throughout the river basin. Creek chub was not collected in Project reservoirs or
in the Pee Dee River, but the species was located in tributaries above and below each Project
reservoir consistent with its habitat preferences (Table 5-2). The creek chub is a tolerant,
insectivorous species based on the NCDWQ (2001) tolerance and trophic guild classifications.
■
Sandhills chub (Semotilus lumbee)
The sandhills chub is restricted to small streams in the Sand Hills ecoregion of North Carolina in the
Pee Dee, Lumber, and Cape Fear drainages (Menhinick 1991). The species also occurs in small
streams located in the Sand Hills ecoregion of South Carolina (Lee et al. 1980). The species is
Federal Species of Concern and a Special Concern Species in North Carolina (LeGrand et al. 2004).
In South Carolina waters, the species is also listed as a Species of Concern (SCDNR 2005a). Near
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the Project, it was found at three sites in the Rocky Fork Creek watershed (Figure A-15), a tributary
to Hitchcock Creek on the east side of the Pee Dee River below Blewett Falls Lake (Richmond
County Sand Hills ecoegion). Populations of this rare species would not be expected to occur in the
mainsteam Pee Dee River or the Project lakes. The species prefers small streams with sand and
gravel bottoms and would not be expected in larger Piedmont streams with coarser substrate types.
The sandhills chub is an intolerant, insectivorous species based on the NCDWQ (2001) tolerance
and trophic guild classifications.
Family Catostomidae
Twelve sucker species were found in the area near the Project. Two of the taxa, Carolina redhorse
and brassy jumprock (Moxostoma spp.) have not yet been formally described and given a scientific
taxonomic formal name. Several of the catostomids, most notably the highfin carpsucker, bigmouth
buffalo, robust redhorse, and Carolina redhorse are considered rare in the Yadkin-Pee Dee River
system (personal communication with Dr. Wayne Starnes, NCMNS). Of these rare species, the
highfin carpsucker and bigmouth buffalo are considered nonnative to the Yadkin-Pee Dee River.
■
Quillback (Carpiodes cyprinus)
Quillback, one of two Carpiodes genera present in Project waters, has been commonly collected
from both Project reservoirs and tailwaters, but has not been documented very far downstream of the
Blewett Falls Dam (Figure A-16). There are also records of quillback from the lower Little River.
Current genetic research is being conducted by Dr. Hank Bart of Tulane University to determine if
the quillback and highfin carpsuckers in the Pee Dee River drainage should be classified as new
species (personal communication with Dr. Wayne Starnes, Curator of Fishes, NCMNS). The
quillback is native to North Carolina waters but it may have been introduced into the Roanoke,
Broad, Catawba, Yadkin, and Neuse drainages within the state according to accounts given by
Menhinick (1991) and Fuller et al. (1999). The quillback is an intermediate, omnivorous species
based on the NCDWQ (2001) tolerance and trophic guild classifications.
■
Highfin carpsucker (Carpiodes velifer)
The highfin carpsucker is listed as a North Carolina Special Concern species and a South Carolina
Priority Species of Conservation Concern (LeGrand et al. 2004; SCDNR 2005a). This species was
infrequently collected in Blewett Falls Lake and the Pee Dee River below the Blewett Falls
Development (Progress Energy 2003). One ripe male in spawning condition was collected from the
immediate tailwaters below the Blewett Falls Development during April 1999 (Figure A-16). The
species was also collected by Progress Energy in Blewett Falls Lake in 1986 and from the Pee Dee
River in Chesterfield County, South Carolina, below the Blewett Falls Development in 1977. No
other records of this species exist in the Yadkin-Pee Dee River Basin (Menhinick 1991). Accounts
of this species given by Menhinick (1997) and Fuller et al. (1999) indicated this species might have
been introduced into the Yadkin-Pee Dee River Basin. Little is known about the species’
distribution, abundance, taxonomy, or biology in Atlantic drainage rivers (Menhinick 1997). The
species prefers clean water and firm substrates of larger streams and reservoirs and is less tolerant of
siltation and turbidity than other carpsuckers. The highfin carpsucker is an intermediate,
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■
White sucker (Catostomus commersonii)
White sucker is a widespread species within the mountain and piedmont regions of the Yadkin-Pee
Dee River drainage, but was less common near the Project reservoirs compared to the headwater
regions of the Yadkin and Rocky rivers (Menhinick 1991; Dorsey et al. 2005). The species is
adaptable to a variety of environmental conditions and inhabits both stream and lake habitats. White
sucker was collected in the headwaters of Lake Tillery and in the tailrace below the Tillery
Development (Figure A-17). Additionally, the white sucker was collected in other tributaries near
the Tillery Development (Table 5-2). Eggs and larvae identified as white suckers were collected by
Progress Energy (2003) from below Blewett Falls Dam, but no adults have been collected in this
river reach. Three white suckers were collected from Jones Creek, a tributary to the Pee Dee River
downstream of the Blewett Falls Dam. The white sucker is a tolerant, insectivorous species based
on the NCDWQ (2001) tolerance and trophic guild classifications.
■
Creek chubsucker (Erimyzon oblongus)
Creek chubsucker is a common, widespread species found throughout the vicinity of the Project
(Figure A-17). In North Carolina, it is primarily found in the Coastal Plain and Lower Piedmont
regions (Menhinick 1991; Dorsey et al. 2005). Creek chubsucker was collected from both Project
lakes and from the Pee Dee River below Blewett Falls Lake (Table 5-2). In the Pee Dee River, one
individual was collected immediately below Blewett Falls Dam while two individuals were collected
in the Coastal Plain of South Carolina near Johnsonville, SC. Creek chubsucker appeared to be
more common in Lake Tillery than in Blewett Falls Lake. The habitat present in the Project
reservoirs, located in the Piedmont, is likely more similar to their preferred habitat of low gradient
rivers and lakes with aquatic vegetation present (Jenkins and Burkhead 1993) than the mainstem
riverine habitat in the Pee Dee River. The creek chubsucker is an intermediate omnivorous species
based on the NCDWQ (2001) tolerance and trophic guild classifications.
■
Smallmouth buffalo (Ictiobus bubalus)
The smallmouth buffalo is one of two nonnative Ictiobus species that have been introduced into the
Pee Dee River system (Menhinick 1991; Fuller et al. 1999). Smallmouth buffalo was very abundant
and widespread in the lower portion of the Pee Dee River (Figure A-18). Smallmouth buffalo was
especially abundant in the river reach from the Tillery Dam to Blewett Falls Lake and is also very
common in Blewett Falls Lake and in the Pee Dee River below Blewett Falls Dam (Table 5-2,
Progress Energy 2003). They have not been collected in Lake Tillery by Progress Energy and have
not been collected above Eury Dam, the lowermost impoundment on the Little River. The
smallmouth buffalo is an intermediate, omnivorous species based on the NCDWQ (2001) tolerance
and trophic guild classifications. This species may also compete with native minnows and suckers
and other species for food and space. In addition, the species may opportunistically prey upon small
mussels and the nonnative Asiatic clam (Corbicula fluminea) (Becker 1983).
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■
Bigmouth buffalo (Ictiobus cyprinellus)
Only three bigmouth buffalo, another nonnative species, have been documented in the Pee Dee River
since the 1990s (Figure A-18). One was collected in the mainstem river reach below the Rocky
River confluence while the other two were collected in the mainstem river below the Blewett Falls
Development. The bigmouth buffalo is an intermediate, insectivorous species based on the
NCDWQ (2001) tolerance and trophic guild classifications. The species may compete with native
minnows and suckers and juvenile sport fishes for food and space (Moyle 1976 as cited in Fuller
et al. 1999).
■
Spotted sucker (Minytrema melanops)
The spotted sucker is primarily a Coastal Plain species that has been collected in Blewett Falls Lake
and the river reaches below both Project reservoirs (Figure A-19). It is found in various-sized
streams and rivers as far upstream as the tailwaters of the Tillery Hydroelectric Plant. It has not
been collected in Lake Tillery or any tributaries above the Tillery Dam near the Project (Table 5-2).
Dorsey et al. (2005) noted collection records of spotted sucker in tributaries of the middle Yadkin
River and the lower Pee Dee River. Spotted sucker is an intermediate, insectivorous species based
on the NCDWQ (2001) tolerance and trophic guild classifications.
■
Notchlip redhorse (Moxostoma collapsum)
The notchlip redhorse (formerly silver redhorse, Moxostoma anisurum) is a NCWRC priority species
for conservation in the Yadkin-Pee Dee River (NCWRC 2005a). A priority species has no formal
conservation status but has been identified as having management priority by the NCWRC. In the
vicinity of the Project, the notchlip redhorse is more widely distributed across various-sized streams
while the shorthead redhorse is more limited to the mainstem rivers (Figures A-19 and A-20). It was
found in both Project reservoirs and in the river reaches below each reservoir (Table 5-2). In the Pee
Dee River, notchlip redhorse was most abundant in the reach immediately downstream of Blewett
Falls Dam and was collected in the Coastal Plain region located downstream as far as Johnsonville,
South Carolina. The notchlip redhorse is an intermediate, insectivorous species based on the
NCDWQ (2001) tolerance and trophic guild classifications
■
Shorthead redhorse (Moxostoma macrolepidotum)
The shorthead redhorse is the most common redhorse species in the Pee Dee River near the Project
and is a NCWRC priority species for conservation in the Yadkin-Pee Dee River (NCWRC 2005a).
Shorthead redhorse was a widely adaptable species and commonly found in both Project reservoirs
and in the river reaches below each reservoir (Figure A-20 and Table 5-2). The species was
primarily found in small (e.g., Little River) to large rivers in the vicinity of the Project. In the Pee
Dee River, shorthead redhorse was most abundant immediately below the Blewett Falls Dam and the
species was collected as far downstream as Johnsonville, South Carolina, located in the Coastal
Plain region. Fishery data collected by Progress Energy indicated this species likely congregates in
the power plant tailwaters during the spring months to spawn. The shorthead redhorse is an
classifications.
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■
Robust redhorse (Moxostoma robustum)
Robust redhorse, a long-lived native sucker species, is a Federal Species of Concern and a North
Carolina Significantly Rare species (LeGrand et al. 2004). Additionally, South Carolina has the
species listed as a Priority Fish Species of Concern under its Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation
Plan (SCDNR 2005a). The robust redhorse does not have formal RTE state conservation status in
either North Carolina or South Carolina. However, robust redhorse has been proposed as a North
Carolina Endangered Species by the NCWRC but has not yet been adopted by the North Carolina
General Assembly as a legally protected species by law (LeGrand et al. 2004). Robust redhorse
have been recently collected from the Pee Dee River below the Blewett Falls Development during
cooperative multi-agency intensive surveys from 2000 to 2005 (CP&L 2000, 2001; Robust Redhorse
Conservation Committee [RRCC] Yadkin-Pee Dee River Technical Working Group [TWG] 2002a,
2002b, 2003, 2004, 2005) (Figure A-20). Prior to these collections, one specimen was collected
during June 1985 from the Pee Dee River, near old Sneadsboro, North Carolina, approximately 12
miles downstream of the Blewett Falls Development (personal communication with Dr. Robert
Jenkins, Roanoke College, Salem, Virginia). The species was originally described from a specimen
collected by naturalist Edward D. Cope during 1869 from the upper Yadkin River above High Rock
Lake (Cope 1870). Currently, native populations of this species are known to exist in the Oconee
and Ogmulchee Rivers in Georgia, the Savannah River in South Carolina-Georgia, and the Pee Dee
River in North Carolina-South Carolina (DeMeo 2001).
A total of three juveniles and 12 adult robust redhorse, including two recaptures, have been collected
from the Coastal Plain and Fall Line zone portions of the Pee Dee River from 2000 to 2005 (Figure
A-20). The juvenile fish were estimated to be two to three years old while most adult fish were
estimated to be from four to 10 years old. Three of the adult robust redhorse were estimated to be
older than 11 years of age (personal communication with Dr. Robert E. Jenkins, Roanoke College,
Salem, Virginia). Eight of these 15 fish were captured or recaptured in 2005. The three juveniles
were collected in the Coastal Plain of South Carolina (Figure A-20). All adults were captured in the
Fall Line zone in North Carolina. Fish collected in the 2004 and 2005 sampling efforts have been
radio-tagged, and the movements and habitat use of these individuals is currently being assessed by
the NCWRC (personal communication with Dr. Ryan Heise, NCWRC). One juvenile captured
during May 2002 at RM 133.0 was recaptured as a sexually mature adult female in May 2005 near
RM 187.0. The fish had migrated upstream at least 54 miles upstream during the period prior to the
recapture date. Although the size of the robust redhorse population is currently unknown, the
presence of juveniles indicated some successful reproduction and recruitment of young into the
population.
Adult robust redhorse in spawning condition were collected at four shoal areas in the Fall Line zone
of the Pee Dee River from 2000 to 2005. To date, no adults in spawning condition have been
located on gravel bars located in the Coastal Plain segment of the river. The Pee Dee River reach
from the Tillery Development to Blewett Falls Lake was intensively sampled for robust redhorse
during May of 2001 and 2002. No robust redhorse have been documented in this river reach to
present date.
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The robust redhorse is an intolerant, insectivorous species based on the NCDWQ (2001) tolerance
and trophic guild classifications
■
Carolina redhorse (Moxostoma sp.)
Carolina redhorse (Moxostoma sp.) is a Federal Species of Concern and a North Carolina
Significantly Rare species (LeGrand et al. 2004). The species is a South Carolina Priority Fish
Species of Conservation Concern (SCDNR 2005a). The Carolina redhorse does not have formal
RTE state conservation status in either North Carolina or South Carolina. However, Carolina
redhorse has been proposed as a North Carolina Endangered Species by the NCWRC but has not yet
been adopted by the North Carolina General Assembly as a legally-protected species by law
(LeGrand et al. 2004). Carolina redhorse, the provisional common name, is an undescribed species
currently know to exist in the Pee Dee River and Cape Fear River drainages in North Carolina and
South Carolina (Starnes 2004). Carolina redhorse was first described by Dr. Robert Jenkins in 1995
from several voucher specimens collected from the Cape Fear and Pee Dee river basins.
A total of 82 Carolina redhorse, including recaptures, have been collected from the Yadkin-Pee Dee
River and tributaries dating from 1961 to 2005 (Figure A-21). Most Carolina redhorse (94 percent)
have been collected during recent fishery surveys conducted since 1999. Carolina redhorse appeared
to be more widely distributed in waters associated with the Project compared to the robust redhorse
(Figures A-20 and A-21). Carolina redhorse have been collected from Lake Tillery headwaters (one
adult), Blewett Falls Lake (10 juveniles and adults), and in the Piedmont Fall Line and Coastal Plain
portions of the Pee Dee River below the Blewett Falls Development (14 adults). Carolina redhorse
have not been documented from the Pee Dee River below the Tillery Development (Table 5-2).
Based on collections to date, Carolina redhorse in the Pee Dee River appear to be concentrated in the
river reach from the Blewett Falls Dam to the U.S. Highway 74 Bridge and downstream near
Cheraw, South Carolina.
Carolina redhorse (one young-of-year and 56 adults) have also been collected from several areas in
the Little River during surveys conducted from 1996 to 2005 (Starnes 2004; Starnes et al. 2005).
There appears to be at least three to four populations existing in the Little River which is segmented
by three low head reservoirs — Eury, Hurley, and Capelsie reservoirs (Starnes 2004; Starnes et al.
2005). Of these three reservoirs, the greatest abundance of adult redhorse found to date exists in
Hurley Reservoir — the middle impoundment. Starnes (2004) indicated the Little River was likely
essential reproductive habitat for the species and that the Little River population may likely be the
source of young-of-year recruitment for Blewett Falls Lake. Adults in spawning condition have
been collected in the Pee Dee River below the Blewett Falls Dam suggesting a reproducing
population in that river reach; however, no juveniles have been collected in the river to the present
date.
Limited sampling activities in the Rocky and Uwharrie rivers have targeted Carolina redhorse but
these efforts have been unsuccessful thus far (Starnes et al. 2005). However, the presence of an
adult Carolina redhorse in Lake Tillery upstream of the Uwharrie River confluence suggests that a
population could also exist in the Uwharrie River.
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The preferred habitat of adult Carolina redhorse is deep pools and runs with low velocities and
woody debris as cover (Starnes 2004). Juvenile habitat requirements are not well known, but recent
distribution data indicated that juveniles inhabit shallow backwater areas of rivers, lower reaches of
tributary creeks, and shallow reservoir coves with woody debris also present. Non-spawning adult
and juvenile Carolina redhorse also adapt to reservoir conditions with similar habitat features as
evidenced by their presence in Lake Tillery headwaters and Blewett Falls Lake. Spawning likely
occurs over a brief period during late April through early June on clean gravel areas in fast water
shoal habitat in rivers (Starnes 2004). The Carolina redhorse is an intermediate, insectivorous
species based on the NCDWQ (2001) tolerance and trophic guild classifications.
■
Brassy jumprock (Moxostoma sp.)
The brassy jumprock was formerly referred to as Moxostoma robustum, with the common name of
smallfin redhorse (Lee et al. 1980; Menhinick 1991). When the original M. robustum described by
Edward Cope was rediscovered during the early 1990s, this scientific name was returned to the true
robust redhorse and the smallfin or brassy jumprock became an unnamed species. The brassy
jumprock is found in the Piedmont region of the Cape Fear, Yadkin-Pee Dee, Santee, Savannah, and
Altamaha watersheds (Lee et al. 1980).
The brassy jumprock was found in a variety of habitats ranging from small tributaries to the
mainstem Pee Dee River (Figure A-21). Most collection records occurred upstream of Blewett Falls
Lake with brassy jumprock collected throughout the reach of the Pee Dee River below Tillery Dam
(Table 5-2). In the mainstem river, the greatest abundance occurred in the Tillery Hydroelectric
Plant tailrace and in Lake Tillery above the confluence with the Uwharrie River. The species was
commonly encountered in these areas. Records downstream of Blewett Falls Dam consist of two
specimens near the North Carolina and South Carolina state line and 14 fish collected in Thompson
Creek, which enters the Pee Dee River near Cheraw, South Carolina. The brassy jumprock is an
classifications.
Family Ictaluridae - North American catfishes
The Family Ictaluridae was represented by seven native species (five species of bullhead catfishes
and two species of madtoms) and three introduced nonnative species. Four of the five bullhead
species are classified as tolerant species by the NCDWQ (2001). With the exception of the tadpole
madtom, most of the ictalurids were widely distributed in the Project vicinity. Eight of the species
were collected from Lake Tillery (Table 5-2).
■
Snail bullhead (Ameiurus brunneus)
Snail bullhead was widely distributed in the vicinity of the Tillery Development including Lake
Tillery with records from several lake locations; the Uwharrie River; and the Tillery tailrace
(Figure A-22 and Table 5-2). During shallow water fish sampling in the Pee Dee River downstream
of the N.C. Highway 731 Bridge, snail bullhead was the most abundant species collected (175
individuals) (Progress Energy 2005b). In 1978, 27 snail bullheads were collected by Progress
Energy (then known as CP&L) from the Pee Dee River near Cheraw, South Carolina (NCMNS
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Section 5
record). Additionally, sampling by CP&L conducted in 1978 indicated an abundant population of
snail bullheads in the Pee Dee River below the Blewett Falls Development, two to three miles north
of the North Carolina and South Carolina state line near Old Sneedsboro, North Carolina (CP&L
1980). Snail bullheads were the most abundant species collected (over 1,100 individuals) and also
comprised the most weight of any species (325 kg) during the 1978 fishery sampling. However,
during extensive sampling in the Pee Dee River from 1998 to 2004, Progress Energy personnel did
not collect any snail bullheads below Blewett Falls Dam (Progress Energy 2003).
In 1965, flathead catfish were introduced into the Yadkin River upstream of the Project in Yadkin
County and into the Rocky River (Dorsey et al. 2005). Twelve flathead catfish were collected by
Progress Energy (CP&L) from the Pee Dee River below the Blewett Falls Development during
1977; however, no blue catfish were collected (CP&L 1980). Channel catfish and blue catfish were
introduced into W. Kerr Scott Reservoir in 1966 (Dorsey et al. 2005). The NCWRC’s stocking
records are patchy, but most of the nonnative catfishes were first introduced into the Yadkin-Pee
Dee River in the mid-1960s (Mr. Lawrence Dorsey, NCWRC, personal communication). The
apparent decline of the snail bullhead population below Blewett Falls Dam can probably be linked to
the introduction and subsequently increasing abundance and distribution of the nonnative catfishes,
especially flathead and blue catfishes. No blue catfish or flathead catfish have been collected in the
sub-reach of the Pee Dee River from the Tillery Development to the confluence with the Rocky
River (Figures A-24 and A-26). Conversely, snail bullheads are more abundant in this reach than in
any other area of the Pee Dee River. Introduced catfishes, particularly flathead catfish, appear to
affecting the distribution of snail bullheads and possibly flat bullheads, primarily through predation
effects (Guier et al. 1984). The reach from the Tillery Dam to the confluence with the Rocky River
presently appears to be a refuge for the native snail bullhead and flat bullhead. The snail bullhead is
an intermediate, insectivorous species based on the NCDWQ (2001) tolerance and trophic guild
classifications.
■
White catfish (Ameiurus catus)
White catfish was the only Ameiurus species commonly collected in both Project reservoirs and
tailwaters (Figure A-22). White catfish were widespread and relatively abundant in Lake Tillery.
Unlike snail and flat bullheads, white catfish were more often found in the large rivers and reservoirs
rather than in smaller tributaries. The species is adaptable to a variety of environmental conditions,
including both stream and lake habitats. White catfish were collected at several locations in the Pee
Dee River reach below the Tillery Dam, but the only two contemporary collection records exist for
the Pee Dee River below Blewett Falls Dam. During the 1978 surveys of the Pee Dee River near
Old Sneedsboro, 32 white catfish were collected; their combined weight exceeded that of channel
catfish (CP&L 1980). Therefore, the existing data suggested that the white catfish population in the
Pee Dee River below the Blewett Falls Development also was likely negatively affected by the
introduction of nonnative catfishes. The white catfish is a tolerant, omnivorous species based on the
NCDWQ (2001) tolerance and trophic guild classifications.
■
Yellow bullhead (Ameiurus natalis)
Yellow bullhead was infrequently collected in Lake Tillery and in the Pee Dee River below each
Project reservoir (Figure A-23). They were rare in each river reach, but were widespread in
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distribution with one individual collected from the Coastal Plain region of the Pee Dee River near
Johnsonville, South Carolina. Near the vicinity of the Project, they were most often collected in
small tributaries, particularly in the Brown Creek watershed, where larger nonnative catfish
populations were either absent or reduced in abundance. During sampling in Pressley Creek in
August 2003, a small tributary to Brown Creek with minimal flow, only four fish were collected —
all of which were yellow bullheads (Progress Energy 2005a). Six individuals were collected from
the mainstem river near Old Sneedsboro, North Carolina, in 1978 (CP&L 1980). They were not as
abundant at this time as snail bullheads or white catfish. The yellow bullhead is a tolerant,
omnivorous species based on the NCDWQ (2001) tolerance and trophic guild classifications. The
species is adaptable to a variety of environmental conditions.
■
Brown bullhead (Ameiurus nebulosus)
Most brown bullhead records near the Project came from Lake Tillery (Figure A-23). One
individual was collected in Blewett Falls Lake in 1986 (Progress Energy 2003). Crochet and Black
(1997) report collecting brown bullhead in the Pee Dee River in South Carolina but the exact
collection location was not specified by the authors. Six individuals were collected in the Pee Dee
River below the Tillery Dam near the N.C. Highway 731 Bridge. There were no other records of
brown bullhead in the Pee Dee River near the Project. Only one brown bullhead was reported
during sampling of the mainstem river near Old Sneedsboro, North Carolina, in 1978 (CP&L 1980).
The brown bullhead is a tolerant, omnivorous species based on the NCDWQ (2001) tolerance and
trophic guild classifications. Similar to yellow bullhead, the brown bullhead is adaptable to a variety
of environmental conditions.
■
Flat bullhead (Ameiurus platycephalus)
Flat bullhead showed a similar distribution to snail bullhead, with a few more collection records in
small streams (Figures A-22 and A-24). Flat bullheads were widely distributed near the Tillery
Development, particularly in Lake Tillery and the Uwharrie River and its tributaries. Eight
individuals were collected during the shallow water sampling below N.C. Highway 731 during 2004
(Progress Energy 2005b). A small number of flat bullheads were also collected in tributaries below
the Blewett Falls Dam but there are no other records of flat bullheads in the Pee Dee River near the
Project. No flat bullheads were reported during the 1978 surveys of the Pee Dee River near Old
Sneedsboro, North Carolina (CP&L 1980). The flat bullhead is a tolerant, insectivorous species
based on the NCDWQ (2001) tolerance and trophic guild classifications (Table 5-1).
■
Blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus) and Channel catfish (I. punctatus)
Both members of the Ictalurus genus, channel catfish and blue catfish, are nonnative species that
have been introduced into the Pee Dee River system (Fuller et al. 1999). Both species are common
in both Project reservoirs and throughout the Pee Dee River below each reservoir (Figures A-24 and
A-25, Table 5-2). These species are also commonly pursued by anglers fishing the lower Pee Dee
River due to their abundance and large size (Crochet and Black 1997). The introduction of these
nonnative catfishes also likely affected the native bullheads and other fish or mussel species to a
certain degree either due to competition for food or predation by large adults. The blue catfish is an
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intermediate, piscivorous species while the channel catfish is an intermediate, omnivorous species
based on the NCDWQ (2001) tolerance and trophic guild classifications (Table 5-1)
■
Tadpole madtom (Noturus gyrinus)
Tadpole madtom is one of two Noturus species have been collected in the vicinity of the Project.
Tadpole madtom was collected at three sampling sites; all small tributaries on the east side of the
Pee Dee River south of Rockingham, North Carolina, below the Blewett Falls Development. These
fish were found at two locations on Marks Creek and one location on Baggetts Creek, a small
tributary to Solomans Creek (Figure A-25). These three sites are in the Sand Hills ecoregion.
Tadpole madtom has not been collected in either Project reservoir in the Pee Dee River in North
Carolina and would not be expected to occur in these areas due to its habitat preferences. The
tadpole madtom is an intermediate, insectivorous species based on the NCDWQ (2001) tolerance
■
Margined madtom (Noturus insignis)
Margined madtom was common and widely distributed in various sized rivers and streams
throughout the Project vicinity (Figure A-26). Margined madtom was absent from both Project
reservoirs which was not unexpected given the species prefers riverine habitat conditions
(Table-5-2). Margined madtom was collected in the Pee Dee River below each Project reservoir.
Margined madtom was also commonly collected in the Uwharrie River, Little River, Mountain
Creek, and their tributaries. At the shallow water fish sampling site just upstream of the confluence
with the Rocky River, 30 margined madtoms were collected in 2004 (Progress Energy 2005b).
There are no other records of margined madtom in the Pee Dee River below the Rocky River
confluence. The distribution of margined madtom in the Pee Dee River below the Tillery
Development is similar to the snail bullhead in that both were absent downstream of the Rocky
River confluence. However, the margined madtom was not collected near the N.C. Highway 731
Bridge in the Tillery tailrace while snail bullheads were the most abundant species there.
Margined madtom was collected at three sites below the Blewett Falls Hydroelectric Plant during the
shallow water sampling in 2004. These locations were near the Jones Creek confluence in North
Carolina, upstream of Great Island, South Carolina, and upstream of the U.S. Highway 1 Bridge near
Cheraw, South Carolina. Margined madtom was also occasionally collected in the same reach of
river by boat electrofishing in previous years. These areas have large stable substrates with rooted
aquatic vegetation often present. A small number of margined madtom was also collected in the
same reach of river in 1978, near Old Sneedsboro, North Carolina (CP&L 1980). The margined
madtom is an intermediate, insectivorous species based on the NCDWQ (2001) tolerance and trophic
guild classifications.
■
Flathead catfish (Pylodictus olivaris)
The flathead catfish is another large, nonnative ictalurid in the Pee Dee River system (Fuller et al.
1999). It was collected from both Project reservoirs and the Pee Dee River below each reservoir
(Table 5-2). It has been collected in the Uwharrie, Little, and Rocky rivers and as far south in the
Pee Dee River as Yauhannah, SC (Figure A-26). In the vicinity of the Project, the species appears to
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only inhabit medium and large rivers and reservoirs and does not inhabit smaller tributaries based on
the collection data. There are no collection records for small tributaries. No flathead catfish have
been collected from the sub-reach of river below the Tillery Dam to the confluence with the Rocky
River. In the Little River, it has only been found below Eury Dam. As mentioned previously, the
introduction of this piscivorous nonnative species has likely affected native fish abundance and
distribution patterns to some extent. The most notable effects appear to be on bullhead population
although the species likely has impacted other native fish such as sucker species due to habitat
overlap. The flathead catfish is an intermediate, piscivorous species based on the NCDWQ (2001)
Family Esocidae - Pikes and pickerels
Redfin and chain pickerels are the only representatives of the Family Esocidae in the Pee Dee River
system. Both species are native to the Yadkin-Pee Dee River Basin.
■
Redfin pickerel (Esox americanus)
Redfin pickerel was primarily collected from small tributaries (Figure A-27). There were no
collection records from the mainstem Pee Dee River and all of the tributaries where they were
collected joined the Pee Dee River below the Tillery Dam (Table 5-2). All redfin pickerel collected
in Blewett Falls Lake were collected during cove rotenone sampling. Two records from the Pee Dee
River below Blewett Falls dam occurred near Florence and Yauhannah, South Carolina. Redfin
pickerel were widespread in the Brown Creek watershed. Dorsey et al. (2005) showed collection of
redfin pickerel from the upper Yadkin River to the lower Yadkin-Pee River, which encompassed the
drainage area from the headwaters near Virginia to the North Carolina-South Carolina state line.
The species prefers sluggish water habitats with aquatic vegetation present such as sloughs, swamps,
and backwater areas of streams (Jenkins and Burkhead 1994). Redfin pickerel populations are most
abundant in black or brown-water ecosystems with low pH levels. The redfin pickerel is an
intermediate, piscivorous species based on the NCDWQ (2001) tolerance and trophic guild
■
Chain pickerel (Esox niger)
Chain pickerel showed a similar distribution to redfin pickerel in that both species were found in
Blewett Falls Lake and the Pee Dee River below Blewett Falls Dam but were not collected from
Lake Tillery and the Tillery tailwaters (Figure A-27). However, chain pickerel were collected in the
Uwharrie River upstream of Lake Tillery. Chain pickerel was collected during cove rotenone
sampling at Blewett Falls Lake, and a few fish were collected in the mainstem Pee Dee River from
near Cheraw to Yauhannah, South Carolina. Dorsey et al. (2005) showed the presence of chain
pickerel in the middle and lower portions of the Yadkin-Pee River, extending from the Ararat River
to the North Carolina-South Carolina state line. The chain pickerel is an intermediate, piscivorous
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■
Eastern mudminnow (Umbra pygmaea)
The eastern mudminnow is a Coastal Plain species and the only representative of the Umbridae
family (Menhinick 1991). The closest records to the Project are the collection of two individuals
from Marks Creek, a tributary south of Rockingham, and the collection of one individual from the
mainstem Pee Dee River near Society Hill, South Carolina (Figure A-28). The eastern mudminnow
is an intermediate, insectivorous species based on the NCDWQ (2001) tolerance and trophic guild
classifications.
■
Pirate perch (Aphredoderus sayanus)
Pirate perch was primarily found in small tributaries in the vicinity of the Project (Figure A-28).
One individual was collected at three sites on the Pee Dee River — one site below Tillery Dam near
the headwaters of Blewett Falls Lake and sampling sites in South Carolina near Florence and
Johnsonville, South Carolina. The only records from Blewett Falls Lake were collected during cove
rotenone sampling. Dorsey et al. (2005) showed collection records of pirate perch from the middle
and lower Yadkin-Pee Dee River which encompassed the Piedmont, Fall Line, and Sand Hills
ecoregions. The pirate perch is an intermediate, insectivorous species based on the NCDWQ (2001)
■
Striped mullet (Mugil cephalus)
Striped mullet is an amphidromous euryhaline species that occupies the Pee Dee River downstream
of the Blewett Falls Dam (Table 5-2). No striped mullet were collected in any tributaries to the Pee
Dee River or above Blewett Falls Dam. The species apparently migrates from estuarine and
nearshore ocean areas to upstream areas of the Pee Dee River during the spring months and then
move back downstream as the water temperatures cool during the fall months. Striped mullet were
common to abundant in the river below the Blewett Development during these warm months of the
year. There are no NCDWQ tolerance or trophic guild classifications for striped mullet. Both
juvenile and adult striped mullet feed on algae, microscopic organisms, and detritus that is extracted
from the large amounts of sand and mud that they consume.
■
Brook silverside (Labidesthes sicculus)
The brook silverside is not native to the Pee Dee River system (NCWRC 2005a). All collection
records for this species occurred in the Pee Dee River below Blewett Falls Dam or in the tributaries
(i.e., Hitchcock and Solomans creeks) below Blewett Falls Dam (Figure A-29). Dorsey et al. (2005)
showed the presence of the brook silverside in the lower Yadkin-Pee Dee River tributaries. The
brook silverside is an intermediate, insectivorous species based on the NCDWQ (2001) tolerance
■
Atlantic needlefish (Strongylura marina)
The Atlantic needlefish is another amphidromous euryhaline fish that ascends the Pee Dee River.
They have been collected over a long distance of the Pee Dee River from Blewett Falls Dam to
Yauhannah, South Carolina (Figure A-29). Although uncommon, the greatest number of collected
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Atlantic needlefish occurred just below Blewett Falls Dam. Similar to striped mullet, the species
ascends the river during the warmer months and returns to estuarine areas during the fall. There are
no NCDWQ tolerance or trophic guild classifications for Atlantic needlefish. Adult Atlantic
needlefish are piscivirous in feeding habit.
■
Eastern mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki)
The eastern mosquitofish has been stocked extensively to control mosquito populations throughout
the United States and has widespread populations (Fuller et al. 1999). Eastern mosquitofish was a
common, widespread species in the Pee Dee River and tributaries (Table 5-2). The species has been
collected from both Project reservoirs and both reaches of the Pee Dee River below the Project
reservoirs. Dorsey et al. (2005) showed the presence of eastern mosquitofish throughout the
Yadkin-Pee Dee River Basin, including mainstem and tributary areas. The eastern mosquitofish is a
tolerant, insectivorous species based on the NCDWQ (2001) tolerance and trophic guild
classifications. The species is adaptable to a variety of environmental conditions in streams and
reservoirs.
Family Moronidae - Temperate Basses
Three temperate bass species of the Morone genus and one hybrid have been collected in the vicinity
of the Pee Dee River. The white perch, white bass, and striped bass have all been collected in both
Project reservoirs and in the Pee Dee River below each reservoir. All species are migratory in nature
and undergo upstream migrations during the spring months to reproduce.
■
Striped bass (Morone saxatilis), white bass (M. chrysops), white perch (M. americana),
and hybrid striped x white bass (Morone sp.)
The white perch, white bass, and striped bass have all been collected from both Project reservoirs
and in the Pee Dee River below each reservoir (Table 5-2). The white bass is a nonnative species in
the Pee Dee River system which was introduced by the NCWRC in the Yadkin-Pee Dee River
system in the 1960s as an additional sport fish. There is a striped bass fishery in both reservoirs,
particularly in Lake Tillery, and the river reaches below each reservoir. The reservoir fisheries are
maintained through annual stocking of striped bass fingerlings by the NCWRC in the Project
reservoirs, as well as the upstream Yadkin River reservoirs. The Pee Dee River below the Blewett
Falls Dam supports an anadromous population of striped bass. This population is most likely a nearshore coastal and riverine population that does not undergo extensive oceanic migrations like
northern populations. White perch are common to abundant in both Project reservoirs, particularly
Lake Tillery. Additionally, a few hybrid striped x white bass have been collected in the Pee Dee
River below each Project reservoir. These fish likely either migrated out of smaller reservoirs in the
watershed where they have been stocked by the NCWRC in past years (Dorsey et al. 2005) or there
was some natural hybridization between the two populations. The striped bass, white bass, and
white perch have been classified by the NCDWQ (2001) as intermediate, piscivorous species based
on the tolerance and trophic guild classifications.
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Family Centrarchidae (Sunfishes)
The Family Centrarchidae (Sunfishes) is one of the most common fish families encountered in
waters associated with the Project. Seventeen sunfish species have been collected from the Pee Dee
River system near the Project. Five of these species are not native to the Pee Dee River system.
This family is the most common and widespread in the Yadkin-Pee Dee River system owing to their
adaptability to a variety of environmental conditions ranging from stream to reservoir habits. The
family has several species that are important sport fishes including largemouth bass, black crappie,
white crappie, bluegill, redear, redbreast sunfish, pumpkinseed, and warmouth.
■
Sunfishes (Lepomis spp.)
Lepomis species were common to abundant and widely distributed in the Yadkin-Pee Dee River and
tributaries. Bluegill, redbreast sunfish, green sunfish, pumpkinseed, warmouth, and redear sunfish
were collected from both Project reservoirs and from the reaches of the Pee Dee River downstream
(Table 5-2). Green sunfish, a environmentally tolerant species, was most abundant at mainstem
sampling stations in the Pee Dee River located downstream of the Rocky River, a source of degraded
water quality in this reach of the river (Progress Energy 2005c).
The only records for banded sunfish are for the South Carolina portion of the Pee Dee River
(Crochet and Black 1997). Banded sunfish are a Coastal Plain species and would not be expected to
occur in waters in the vicinity of the Project. Mud sunfish was only collected in a few small
tributaries that enter the Pee Dee River above and below Blewett Falls Lake (Figure A-30).
Menhinick (1991) showed this species primarily inhabits Coastal Plain and Sand Hills ecoregions of
North Carolina. The species can also be expected to occur in the Coastal Plain portion and Sand
Hills ecoregions of South Carolina. Most Lepomis species have been classified by the NCDWQ
(2001) as intermediate in tolerance rating and insectivorous in trophic feed guild classification. Two
exceptions are redbreast sunfish and green sunfish which have a tolerant rating for environmental
conditions (Table 5-1).
■
Black crappie (Pomoxis nigromaculatus) and white crappie (P. annularis)
White crappie was only collected from Lake Tillery and Blewett Falls Lake. Black crappie was
collected from both Project reservoirs and the Pee Dee River below each hydroelectric development
(Table 5-1). Both species are important in the sport fishery of both reservoirs and actively sought by
anglers. Both species are widely distributed in the Yadkin-Pee Dee River Basin and have been
occasionally stocked in reservoirs by the NCWRC during past years for sport fishery enhancement
(Dorsey et al. 2005).
■
Largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), smallmouth bass (M. dolomieui), and Roanoke
bass (Ambloplites cavifrons)
Largemouth bass was a common species encountered in Project reservoirs, both mainstem river
reaches below power plant, and most medium to larger sized tributaries (Table 5-2). Largemouth
bass is popular sport fish throughout the Yadkin-Pee Dee River Basin and highly sought by anglers,
especially in Project reservoirs.
5-35
Section 5
Smallmouth bass and Roanoke bass were introduced by the NCWRC into the Uwharrie River system
and have recently been collected there (Dorsey et al. 2005). Smallmouth bass were also collected
upstream of the confluence of the Yadkin and Uwharrie rivers in Lake Tillery during winter months.
These fish likely migrated out of the Uwharrie River to inhabit these reservoir areas during this
cooler water period. Both species are popular sport fishes. The Roanoke bass is a Federal Species
of Concern and Significantly Rare in North Carolina within its native range (LeGrand et al. 2004).
The largemouth bass and Roanoke bass have been classified by the NCWRC as intermediate,
piscivorous species based on the NCDWQ (2001) tolerance and trophic guild classifications. The
smallmouth bass is classified as an intolerant piscivore (Table 5-1).
■
Flier (Centrarchus macropterus)
The flier is primarily a Coastal Plain species that has been collected in small tributaries below the
confluence of the Pee Dee and Rocky rivers (Figure A-30). There are also six collection records for
the Pee Dee River in South Carolina from Cheraw to Johnsonville. Most of the tributary records
near the Project are from the Brown Creek watershed. The flier is an intermediate, insectivorous
■
Bluespotted sunfish (Enneacanthus gloriosus)
Bluespotted sunfish distribution in the Project vicinity was very similar to the flier distribution
(Figures A-30 and A-31). There were several Brown Creek records and records from other small
tributaries downstream of the Pee Dee River and Rocky River confluence. There were several
records from small streams in the Sand Hills ecoregion east of the Pee Dee River near the North
Carolina-South Carolina border. There were also widespread collection records from the Pee Dee
River from Blewett Falls Dam to Yauhannah, South Carolina. Additionally, there were collection
records of single individuals in the Pee Dee River downstream of the Rocky River confluence near
Leak Island and in Blewett Falls Lake. The bluespotted sunfish is an intermediate, insectivorous
species based on the NCDWQ (2001) tolerance and trophic guild classifications. The species prefers
slow-moving waters in streams and reservoirs where there is aquatic vegetation and/or woody debris
present.
■
Dollar sunfish (Lepomis marginatus)
Dollar sunfish was only collected in small tributaries that enter the Pee Dee River downstream of
Blewett Falls Lake (Figure A-31). They were also reported from the South Carolina portion of the
Pee Dee River (Crochet and Black 1997). This species range is primarily within the Coastal Plain
and Sand Hills ecoregions of North Carolina and South Carolina. The dollar sunfish is an
classifications.
5-36
Section 5
■
Spotted sunfish (Lepomis punctatus)
Spotted sunfish is a common Coastal Plain species found primarily in the Pee Dee River below
Blewett Falls Dam (Figure A-32). During shallow water fish sampling in 2004, spotted sunfish was
collected at every sampling site except the site closest to the Blewett Falls Dam. Species abundance
was the greatest at the sampling sites near Cheraw, South Carolina, which are located in the Coastal
Plain region. Spotted sunfish were also collected as far downstream in the Pee Dee River as
Yauhannah, South Carolina. One individual was collected in Naked Creek, a small tributary to
Blewett Falls Lake. All other individuals were collected downstream of Blewett Falls Lake
(Table 5-2). The spotted sunfish is an intermediate, piscivorous species based on the NCDWQ
(2001) tolerance and trophic guild classifications.
Family Percidae (Perches and darters)
Eight members of the Family Percidae have been collected from waters in the vicinity of the Project.
These species include the yellow perch, six darters of the Etheostoma genus (tessellated, swamp,
Carolina, sawcheek, pinewoods, and fantail darters), and one darter of the Percina genus (Piedmont
darter). All darter species are native to the Yadkin-Pee Dee River. The pinewoods darter and
sawcheek darter were only collected from a small area in the Sand Hills ecoregion. The other darter
species were more widespread (Figures A-32 to A-35).
■
Fantail darter (Etheostoma flabellare)
Fantail darter was collected above and below each Project reservoir but the species was not collected
in either reservoir (Figure A-32 and Table 5-2). This darter inhabits riverine environment and would
not be expected to occur in reservoir environments. Fantail darter was collected at most of the Pee
Dee River shallow water sites sampled during 2004, with species abundance greatest at the three
sites near Cheraw, South Carolina, below the Blewett Falls Hydroelectric Plant (Progress Energy
2005b). The species was also widespread and common in the Clarks Creek and the Mountain Creek
watersheds. The fantail darter is listed as a South Carolina Species of Concern and Priority Species
of Conservation Concern (SCDNR 2005a, 2005b). The species has no conservation listing status in
North Carolina waters. Fantail darter was a common darter species encountered in shoal habitat in
the Piedmont Fall Line zone below the Blewett Falls Development (Progress Energy 2005b). The
species was infrequently collected in the Coastal Plain region of South Carolina which is to be
expected given the species primarily inhabits riffle/swift water habitat in the Piedmont and Mountain
regions (Menhinick 1991). Fantail darter is a widely distributed darter and considered a habitat
generalist although the species tends to concentrate in riffle and other fast-water habitats (Jenkins
and Burkhead 1993). The fantail darter is an intermediate, insectivorous species based on the
NCDWQ (2001) tolerance and trophic guild classifications.
■
Tessellated darter (Etheostoma olmstedi)
The tessellated darter was the most common and widely distributed darter in the Project vicinity
(Figure A-33). Tessellated darter was the only darter species collected in both Project reservoirs and
tailwaters (Table 5-2), and the species was adaptable to a wide variety of environmental conditions.
Tessellated darter occurred in various sized streams and was collected from the Piedmont to Coastal
5-37
Section 5
Plain portions of the Pee Dee River, including as far downstream as Johnsonville, South Carolina.
Tessellated darters were commonly collected at every mainstem river shallow water sampling site
below each power plant. The greatest abundance of this species in the river reach below the Tillery
Dam occurred at the site just upstream of the Rocky River confluence while the greatest abundance
below the Blewett Falls Dam occurred at the site just upstream of Great Island, south of the North
Carolina and South Carolina state line. The tessellated darter is an intermediate, insectivorous
■
Carolina darter (Etheostoma collis)
The Carolina darter is a North Carolina and South Carolina Special Concern Species and a Federal
Species of Concern (LeGrand et al. 2004). The species is found in the Piedmont regions of the
Roanoke, Tar, Neuse, Cape Fear, Yadkin-Pee Dee, and Santee river systems (Lee et al. 1980;
Menhinick 1991; Jenkins and Burkhead 1993). Carolina darter was once a separate species from the
Saluda darter, Etheostoma saludae, but Jenkins and Burkhead (1993) suggested combining the two
species. The Carolina darter has a limited distribution in the Piedmont region of each watershed
(Menhinick 1991). In the vicinity of the Project, the species was found only in small tributaries,
mostly in Lane, Brown, and Big Bear Creeks. One individual was collected in Cedar Creek, a small
tributary to the Uwharrie River. The Carolina darter is widely distributed in the headwater regions
of the Rocky River (Menhinick 1991). All of the tributaries where the Carolina darters were found
join the Pee Dee River upstream of Blewett Falls Lake. The Carolina darter is an intermediate,
■
Swamp darter (Etheostoma fusiforme)
Similar to Carolina darter, swamp darter was absent from the mainstem Pee Dee River but was
collected in tributaries in the vicinity of the Project (Figure A-34). Most collection records are from
Hitchcock and Solomons creeks, tributaries to the Pee Dee River downstream of the Blewett Falls
Dam. There were also three records upstream of Blewett Falls Lake, including eight swamp darters
collected from Lake Tillery during cove rotenone sampling in 2000 (Table 5-2). Menhinick (1991)
indicates that this species range is primarily in the Sand Hills and Coastal Plain regions of North
Carolina. This distribution also applies to South Carolina as well. There are several isolated
occurrences of the species in the Piedmont and Mountain regions of the state. The swamp darter is
an intermediate, insectivorous species based on the NCDWQ (2001) tolerance and trophic guild
classifications.
■
Sawcheek darter (Etheostoma serriferum)
Sawcheek darter was found in Falling Creek, a tributary to Hitchcock Creek, and in Marks Creek
(Figure A-35). Both sites are located downstream of the Blewett Falls Development in the Sand
Hills ecoregion. The sawcheek darter is widely distributed in the Coastal Plain ecoregion of all of
North Carolina’s eastern rivers (Menhinick 1991). The sawcheek darter is an intolerant,
(Table 5-1).
5-38
Section 5
■
Pinewoods darter (Etheostoma mariae)
Four pinewoods darters were collected from Marks Creek, south of Rockingham, North Carolina
(Figure A-34). These represent the only records from the Pee Dee River basin. All other records are
from the Sand Hills portion of the Lumber River system (Lee et al. 1980; Menhinick 1991). The
pinewoods darter is a Federal Species of Concern and a North Carolina Special Concern species.
This species has a limited geographical distribution in the Sand Hills and would not be expected to
occur in Project reservoirs or the mainstem river. The pinewoods darter is an intolerant,
(Table 5-1).
■
Yellow perch (Perca flavescens)
Yellow perch was a common and widely distributed species in the Yadkin-Pee Dee River Basin
(Menhinick 1991; Dorsey et al. 2005). The species was abundant in Lake Tillery and Blewett Falls
Lake (Figure A-36). In the Pee Dee River, yellow perch were most abundant immediately below the
two Project reservoirs but present throughout each river reach. Yellow perch were also collected in
tributaries to the Pee Dee River in the reach between the Tillery Dam and Blewett Falls Lake
(Table 5-2). The yellow perch is an intermediate, piscivorous species based on the NCDWQ (2001)
tolerance and trophic guild classifications.
■
Piedmont darter (Percina crassa)
The Piedmont darter was the only member of the Percina genus collected in the vicinity of the
Project. The species was common and well-distributed in various sized streams and rivers above
and below each Project reservoir but was absent from both reservoirs (Figure A-35). Similar to
fantail darter, Piedmont darter prefers stream environments and would not be expected to thrive
under reservoir habitat conditions. In the Pee Dee River, the Piedmont darter had a similar
distribution in sample collections to the tessellated darter (Figure A-33). During the shallow water
sampling in 2004, both species were most abundant just upstream of the Rocky River confluence and
just upstream of Great Island, South Carolina, south of the North Carolina and South Carolina state
line (Progress Energy 2005b). Piedmont darter was collected as far downstream as Cashua Ferry,
South Carolina, where one individual was collected during the 2004 shallow water sampling
(Figure A-35). The Piedmont darter is an intolerant, insectivorous species based on the NCDWQ
(2001) tolerance and trophic guild classifications.
■
Hogchoker (Trinectes maculatus)
The hogchoker was one of two flatfishes collected from the Pee Dee River downstream of the
Blewett Falls Dam. It is another amphidromous euryhaline species that was commonly collected
from just below Blewett Falls Lake to near Johnsonville, South Carolina (Figure A-36). The species
was collected in all shallow water sample sites during 2004 with greatest abundance occurring at the
four stations located in the Sand Hills and Coastal Plain regions from Cheraw to Cashua Ferry,
South Carolina. There are no tributary records for this species. Based on the species’ habitat
preferences, hogchokers likely become more abundant farther downstream toward Winyah Bay,
South Carolina.
5-39
Section 5
■
Southern flounder (Paralichthys lethostigma)
Seven southern flounders were collected by Progress Energy during sampling conducted from 1998
to 2001 at coastal mainstem stations located on the lower Pee Dee River near Johnsonville and
Yauhannah, South Carolina (Progress Energy 2003). This marine species often moves into
freshwater (Menhinick 1991) and would be expected to occur farther inland during drought years
when river salinity levels increase due to lower freshwater flows.
5.2
Mussels
A diverse array of mussel taxa were present in the Pee Dee River and tributaries near the Project. A
total of 29 mussel taxa from the family Unionidae were collected near the Yadkin-Pee Dee River
Project and the Pee Dee River (Table 5-5). Two taxa are undescribed Elliptio species known as Pee
Dee lance 1 and 2. An additional species from the Pee Dee River system, the Carolina heelsplitter,
has not been collected from the Project vicinity, but is known from tributaries to the Rocky River
and from the Lynches River in South Carolina (Keferl 1991). The Elliptio genus was the most
diverse and abundant Unionidae genus and was represented by eight recognized species.
Table 5-5
Scientific and common names of invertebrates collected in Lake Tillery,
Blewett Falls Lake, the Pee Dee River in North Carolina and South Carolina,
or in tributaries near the Tillery and Blewett Falls developments.
Scientific Name
Mussels
Unionidae
Alasmidonta robusta
Alasmidonta undulata
Alasmidonta varicosa
Anodonta implicata
Elliptio angustata
Elliptio complanata
Elliptio congaraea
Elliptio folliculata
Elliptio icterina
Elliptio producta
Elliptio roanokensis
Elliptio waccamawensis
Elliptio sp.1
Elliptio sp. 2
Fusconaia masoni
Lampsilis cariosa
Lampsilis radiata conspicua
Lampsilis radiata radiata
Leptodea ochracea
Ligumia nasuta
Pyganodon cataracta
Strophitus undulatus
Toxolasma pullus
Uniomerus carolinianus
Utterbackia imbecilis
Common Name
Carolina elktoe
Triangle floater
Brook floater
Alewife floater
Carolina lance
Eastern elliptio
Carolina slabshell
Pod lance
Variable spike
Atlantic spike
Roanoke slabshell
Waccamaw spike
Pee Dee lance 1
Pee Dee lance 2
Atlantic pigtoe
Yellow lampmussel
Carolina fatmucket
Eastern lampmussel
Tidewater mucket
Eastern pondmussel
Eastern floater
Creeper
Savannah lilliput
Florida pondhorn
Paper pondshell
5-40
Section 5
Scientific Name
Villosa constricta
Villosa delumbis
Villosa vaughaniana
Villosa vibex
Snails
Valvatidae
Valvata cf. sincera
Viviparidae
Campeloma decisum
Campeloma limum
Scientific Name
Hydrobiidae
Amnicola limosa
Pleuroceridae
Elimia catenaria
Elimia proxima
Elimia symmetrica
Lymnaeidae
Fossaria humilis
Pseudosuccinea columella
Physidae
Physella spp.
Planorbidae
Helisoma anceps
Micromenetus dilatatus
Ancylidae
Ferrissia spp.
Laevapex fuscus
Crayfish
Cambaridae
Cambarus (Cambarus) sp. A
Cambarus (Depressicambarus) catagius
Cambarus (Depressicambarus) latimanus
Cambarus (Depressicambarus) reduncus
Cambarus (Lacunicambarus) diogenes
Cambarus (Puncticambarus) hobbsorum
Cambarus (Puncticambarus) sp. C
Procambarus (Ortmannicus) acutus
Procambarus (Ortmannicus) braswelli
Procambarus (Scapulicambarus) clarkii
Common Name
Notched rainbow
Eastern creekshell
Carolina creekshell
Southern rainbow
Mossy valvata
Pointed campeloma
File campeloma
Common Name
Mud amnicola
Gravel elimia
Sprite elimia
Symmetrical elimia
Marsh fossaria
Mimic lymnaea
Physa snail
Two-ridge rams horn
Bugle sprite
No common name used
Dusky ancylid
Chattahoochie crayfish
Greensboro burrowing crayfish
No common name used
No common name used
Devil crayfish
Rocky River crayfish
No common name used
White River crayfish
Waccamaw crayfish
Red swamp crayfish
Of the 28 recognized species discussed in this report, 23 species have federal or state conservation
listing status (Table 5-6). The Carolina heelsplitter is currently the only Federally Endangered
species in the Pee Dee River system. Six of these species are Federal Species of Concern. More
listed mussel species (17) were collected from the Pee Dee River below the Blewett Falls Dam than
in any other river reach near the Project (Table 5-7). The Little River had the second highest
number of listed mussel species (14) while the Rocky River had the fewest listed species (3). Eleven
listed mussel species were found in the Pee Dee River below the Tillery Dam; all of these species
were also collected in the Pee Dee River below the Blewett Falls Dam.
5-41
Section 5
Table 5-6
Mussel, snail, and crayfish species collected in the vicinity of the Yadkin-Pee
Dee River Project or the Pee Dee River with state or federal conservation
listing status.
Common Name
Mussel
Carolina elktoe
Triangle floater
Brook floater
Alewife floater
Carolina slabshell
Pod lance
Roanoke slabshell
Waccamaw spike
Atlantic pigtoe
Yellow lampmussel
Carolina fatmucket
Eastern lampmussel
Carolina heelsplitter
Tidewater mucket
Eastern pondmussel
Eastern floater
Creeper
Savannah lilliput
Paper pondshell
Notched rainbow
Eastern creekshell
Carolina creekshell
Southern rainbow
Snail
Gravel elimia
Crayfish
Waccamaw crayfish
Total Species
1
2
E
Federal
T
SC
E
North Carolina
T
SC
SR
South Carolina
E
T
SC
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
1
0
6
7
8
X
X
4
2
1
0
12
Conservation status as reported by NCWRC (2004) and SCDNR (2003).
Status abbreviations are as follows: E = Endangered, T = Threatened, SC = Species of Concern for the U.S. Federal
government and South Carolina and SC = Special Concern for North Carolina, SR = Significantly Rare (a NC
Natural Heritage Program designation).
5-42
Section 5
Table 5-7
Distribution of listed invertebrate species in the Pee Dee River, Uwharrie
River, Little River, and Rocky River.
Species
Mussel
Carolina elktoe
Triangle floater
Brook floater
Alewife floater
Carolina slabshell
Pod lance
Roanoke slabshell
Waccamaw spike
Atlantic pigtoe
Yellow lampmussel
Carolina fatmucket
Eastern lampmussel
Carolina heelsplitter
Tidewater mucket
Eastern pondmussel
Eastern floater
Creeper
Savannah lilliput
Paper pondshell
Notched rainbow
Eastern creekshell
Carolina creekshell
Southern rainbow
Snail
Gravel elimia
Crayfish
Waccamaw crayfish
Total species
Uwharrie
River
Rocky
River
Little
River
Pee Dee
River below
Tillery Dam
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Pee Dee River
below Blewett
Falls Dam
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
4
15
12
X
19
X
8
Twenty-two mussel taxa were collected from the Pee Dee River below the Blewett Falls
Development and from tributaries to the Pee Dee River in the reach between the Tillery and Blewett
Falls developments (Table 5-8). With the exception of the Carolina fatmucket and the Carolina
elktoe, all taxa collected in tributaries located between the Project reservoirs were also collected in
other segments of the study area. Conversely, four taxa were only collected from the Pee Dee River
below the Blewett Falls Development (Pee Dee lance 1 and 2, Waccamaw spike, and tidewater
mucket). All species collected in the reach of the Pee Dee River below the Tillery Development
were also collected in the reach below the Blewett Falls Development. In addition to the four taxa
listed previously, southern rainbow, triangle floater, Carolina slabshell, and Atlantic pigtoe were
found in the Pee Dee River below the Blewett Falls Development, but not in the river reach below
the Tillery Development (Table 5-8). These four species were also found in the Little River system.
5-43
Section 5
Table 5-8
Mussel species collected in the vicinity of the Yadkin-Pee Dee River
Hydroelectric Project including Lake Tillery, Blewett Falls Lake, the Pee Dee
River, and tributaries.
Common Name
Eastern elliptio
Roanoke slabshell
Carolina slabshell
Pod lance
Variable spike
Carolina lance
Atlantic spike
Pee Dee lance1
Waccamaw spike
Eastern floater
Eastern creekshell
Carolina creekshell
Notched rainbow
Southern rainbow
Eastern lampmussel
Carolina fatmucket
Yellow lampmussel
Eastern pondmussel
Paper pondshell
Alewife floater
Creeper
Tidewater mucket
Florida pondhorn
Savannah lilliput
Triangle floater
Brook floater
Atlantic pigtoe
Carolina elktoe
Total species
1
Tributaries
Upstream of
Tillery Dam
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
14
Pee Dee
Tributaries
Pee Dee
Blewett
Lake River below Upstream of
River below
Falls
Tillery
Tillery
Blewett
Blewett Falls
Lake
Dam
Falls Dam
Dam
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
8
15
22
2
22
Tributaries
Downstream
of Blewett
Falls Dam
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
14
Pee Dee lance is an undescribed Elliptio species. Pee Dee lance is currently described as species 1 and 2, which
may represent different species.
More species were collected from tributaries to the Pee Dee River located between the two Project
reservoirs (22) than from tributaries located upstream of the Tillery Dam (14) or tributaries below
the Blewett Falls Dam (14). These differences can be partially attributed to the area of streams
included in the study and the intensity of sampling. There are many more miles of streams in the
segment between the Project reservoirs and this area includes two rivers (Rocky and Little rivers).
Conversely, there are fewer miles of stream above the Tillery Development and below the Blewett
Falls Development and only one river (i.e., Uwharrie River). The area between the Project
reservoirs includes the Little River and Brown Creek, two intensively sampled areas.
Eight mussel species were collected from Lake Tillery while only two were collected from Blewett
Falls Lake. This likely reflects sampling intensity because the upper portions of Lake Tillery just
5-44
Section 5
below Falls Dam received more sampling and was a sampling site for Progress Energy’s river
benthic invertebrate sampling program in 2000 and 2002 (Progress Energy 2003). The closest
equivalent for a sampling station at Blewett Falls Lake was considered part of the Pee Dee River
below the Tillery Development.
Several species were widely distributed near the Project and found in streams and rivers of various
sizes (e.g., eastern elliptio and eastern creekshell). As with fish species, some mussels were only
collected in small streams (e.g., Florida pondhorn and Savannah lilliput) while others were only
collected in the mainstem Pee Dee River. All collections of living specimens of Waccamaw spike
and tidewater mucket were from the lower Coastal Plain region of the Pee Dee River.
Descriptions of 30 mussel taxa from the Pee Dee River system in the vicinity of the Yadkin-Pee Dee
Project are given below. Two taxa are listed under Pee Dee lance 1 and 2 and two taxa are listed
under Carolina fatmucket and eastern lampmussel.
■
Carolina elktoe (Alasmidonta robusta)
The Carolina elktoe was originally described from five relic shells taken from Long Creek, a
tributary to the Catawba River in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina (Bogan 2002). It has been
considered extinct (Bogan 2002), but recently Alasmidonta mussels have been collected from
tributaries to the Uwharrie and Little Rivers (Figure B-1) that differ genetically from other known
Alasmidonta species, such as the brook floater, Alasmidonta varicosa. However, these specimens
had morphological differences from the five known specimens of the Carolina elktoe. Other
Alasmidonta mussels from the Uwharrie River and Little River watersheds which were
morphologically more similar to the Carolina elktoe have been observed, but not retained. Ongoing
research may soon determine if the Alasmidonta from the Uwharrie and Little rivers is Alasmidonta
robusta or a different and potentially undescribed species (personal communication with Dr. Art
Bogan, NCMNS).
■
Triangle floater (Alasmidonta undulata)
The triangle floater is a North Carolina Threatened Species and South Carolina Natural Heritage
Species of State Concern. In the vicinity of the Project, triangle floater was only found in two
locations on the Little River and in the Pee Dee River below the Blewett Falls Development near the
U.S. Highway 74 Bridge (Figure B-1).
■
Brook floater (Alasmidonta varicosa)
The brook floater is a Federal Species of Concern and a North Carolina Endangered species. In the
vicinity of the Project, brook floater was found in several small tributaries to the Little River. It was
also found in the Little River, Barnes Creek (a small tributary to the Uwharrie River), and in Brown
Creek (Figure B-2). All locations except the Barnes Creek records occurred in tributaries to the Pee
Dee River in the reach between the two Project reservoirs.
5-45
Section 5
■
Alewife floater (Anodonta implicata)
The alewife floater is a North Carolina Threatened species. It was collected from the Pee Dee River
below Lake Tillery and below Blewett Falls Lake (Figure B-2). Seven individuals were collected
from three transects in the Pee Dee River below the Blewett Falls Development while three
individuals were collected from the transect just below the Tillery Hydroelectric Plant during the
2004 mussel survey (Progress Energy 2005b). APGI (2005) noted relic shells of alewife floater in
the Falls Hydroelectric Plant tailrace (Lake Tillery headwaters), and one individual was collected in
the Narrows Hydroelectric Plant tailrace (Falls Lake) during its mussel surveys conducted in 2004.
■
Carolina lance (Elliptio angustata)
The Carolina lance was widespread in the Project vicinity and was found in a wide range of stream
sizes (Figure B-3). It was collected above and below each Project reservoir and was found in the
Rocky, Uwharrie, and Little rivers. It was also collected at every Pee Dee River station sampled
during the shallow water sampling in 2004 (Progress Energy 2005b). Peak abundance of this
species occurred at the two locations in the reach of the Pee Dee River below the Tillery
Development from the N.C. Highway 731 Bridge to just upstream of the confluence with the Rocky
River. This species was also found in many locations throughout the Pee Dee River below the
Blewett Falls Development downstream to near the confluence with the Little Pee Dee River
(Progress Energy 2005b).
■
Eastern elliptio (Elliptio complanata)
The eastern elliptio was the most widely distributed and common of all mussel species in the vicinity
of the Project. The eastern elliptio may be comprised of several different species, but current
taxonomy includes them all as Elliptio complanata (Bogan 2002). Eastern elliptio was collected
from a wide range of stream sizes and across all ecoregions in the Project vicinity (Figure B-3).
Eastern elliptio were collected in the Pee Dee River from the Tillery tailwaters to downstream near
the confluence with the Little Pee Dee River (Figure B-3 and Progress Energy 2005b). It was the
most abundant species collected in the Pee Dee River below each hydroelectric development during
the 2004 mussel survey (Progress Energy 2005b).
■
Carolina slabshell (Elliptio congaraea)
The Carolina slabshell is a South Carolina Natural Heritage Program Species of Concern (SCDNR
2005b). The species has no conservation listing status in North Carolina. The species was the third
most abundant mussel collected during the 2004 survey (Progress Energy 2005b). Carolina slabshell
was not collected from the Pee Dee River below the Tillery Development (Figure B-4). However,
the mussel was most abundant in the Pee Dee River below the Blewett Falls Development where it
was the third most abundant mussel and comprised 5.8 percent of the total mussels collected.
Carolina slabshell was present in the Fall Line zone and Coastal Plain portions of this river reach.
Carolina slabshell was also collected in the upper reaches of Lake Tillery just below Falls Dam; at
one site on the Little River; and was collected in the lower Pee Dee River at several locations by
TNC in 2004 (TNC data as cited in Progress Energy 2005b).
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■
Pod lance (Elliptio folliculata)
The pod lance is a North Carolina Special Concern species. The mussel was only located in the Pee
Dee River and was found below both Project reservoirs (Figure B-4). In the river reach below the
Tillery Development, four pod lances were collected at the transect near the headwaters of Blewett
Falls Lake. The species was also collected in small numbers at two transects in the Fall Line zone,
approximately one to four miles below the Blewett Falls Development. There was also a 1987
record from the Pee Dee River near Cheraw, South Carolina.
■
Variable spike (Elliptio icterina)
The variable spike was widespread in the Project vicinity and was found in a wide range of stream
sizes and across all ecoregions near the Project (Figure B-5). It was located above and below each
Project reservoir and was found in the upper portions of Lake Tillery near Falls Dam. Variable
spike was most abundant in the reach of the Pee Dee River below Blewett Falls Dam at sampling
locations near U.S. Highway 74 and the Jones Creek confluence. They were also collected at several
sampling locations in the lower Pee Dee River by TNC in 2004 (TNC data as cited in Progress
Energy 2005b).
■
Atlantic spike (Elliptio producta)
The Atlantic spike was collected at seven locations in the Pee Dee River system (Figure B-5). It was
collected at three Pee Dee River sites during the mussel shallow water sampling in 2004 — two
below Lake Tillery and one below Blewett Falls Lake (Progress Energy 2005b). Additionally,
Atlantic spike was collected at three sites by TNC in the Coastal Plain of South Carolina (TNC data
as cited in Progress Energy 2005b). Atlantic spike was most abundant at a site on Big Mountain
Creek, the main tributary to Mountain Creek, located near Blewett Falls Lake.
■
Roanoke slabshell (Elliptio roanokensis)
The Roanoke slabshell is a North Carolina Threatened Species. Of the species in the Pee Dee River
with special conservation status, Roanoke slabshell was the most abundant and widely distributed
during the 2004 surveys conducted by TNC and Progress Energy (2005b). The species was found in
the Pee Dee River tailwaters below the Tillery and Blewett Falls developments and in the Uwharrie
and Rocky rivers (Figure B-6). Roanoke slabshell was the second most abundant mussel species
collected in both Pee Dee River tailwaters and accounted for 22 and 29 percent of the total number
of mussels collected below the Tillery and Blewett Falls developments, respectively, during the 2004
mussel survey (Progress Energy 2005b). One individual was also collected from Blewett Falls Lake
in the vicinity of the Grassy Islands during 1999. The Nature Conservancy reported collections of
Roanoke slabshell as far downstream as near the confluence with the Little Pee Dee River (TNC
data as cited in Progress Energy 2005b). Roanoke slabshell was most abundant in the Pee Dee River
immediately below the Blewett Falls Development.
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■
Waccamaw spike (Elliptio waccamawensis)
The Waccamaw spike is a Federal Species of Concern and a North Carolina Endangered Species.
The Waccamaw spike was collected by TNC from the lowermost Coastal Plain portion of the Pee
Dee River in South Carolina near RMs 28.3 and 52.0 in the river reach between the Lynches River
confluence and the Little Pee Dee River confluence (Figure B-6 and TNC data as cited in Progress
Energy 2005b). The Waccamaw spike was previously believed to be restricted to the Waccamaw
River and its tributaries (Bogan and Alderman 2004). The collection of the Waccamaw spike in the
Pee Dee River represented a range extension for the species. This species is most likely a Coastal
Plain species and would not be expected to occur in the immediate vicinity of the Project.
■
Pee Dee lance 1 and 2 (Elliptio spp.)
Researchers are currently using genetic comparisons to assess phylogenetic relationships among the
elongated, lance-like Elliptio species (personal communication with Dr. Art Bogan, NCMNS). Pee
Dee lance 1 and 2 are two undescribed Elliptio species. They are both elongated species that differ
by the degree of curvature along the ventral margin. Pee Dee lance 2 was found at three locations in
the Pee Dee River below Blewett Falls Dam near the U.S. Highway 74 Bridge (Figure B-7). Pee
Dee lance 1 was more widespread with records from the Pee Dee River below both Project
reservoirs (Figure B-7). Most Pee Dee lance 1 individuals were collected near Cheraw, South
Carolina at a station located on the downstream end of the Fall Line Zone. Pee Dee lance was also
collected downstream near Society Hill, South Carolina (TNC data as cited in Progress Energy
2005b).
■
Atlantic pigtoe (Fusconaia masoni)
The Atlantic pigtoe is a Federal Species of Concern and a North Carolina Endangered Species. It
was found at six locations in the vicinity of the Project; three of these locations are on the Little
River and two of these locations are close together (Figure B-8). There are also collection records
for the Uwharrie River, Lanes Creek, and the Pee Dee River near Cheraw, SC. The Pee Dee River
record dates to 1987. Atlantic pigtoe was not collected during sampling by Progress Energy or TNC
in 2004 (Progress Energy 2005b).
■
Yellow lampmussel (Lampsilis cariosa)
The yellow lampmussel is a Federal Species of Concern, a North Carolina Endangered Species, and
a South Carolina Natural Heritage Program Species of Concern (LeGrand et al. 2004; SCDNR
2005b). The species was only found in the Pee Dee River below each Project reservoir and in the
Little River (Figure B-8 and Table 5-4). There were no records for yellow lampmussel in the
vicinity of the Project above the Tillery Development. Yellow lampmussel was not collected at
Transect TZ2 located above the Rocky River confluence during 2004. However, one large
individual was found just upstream of this transect during August 2005 by Progress Energy
personnel during water quality monitoring. Yellow lampmussel was collected at many sites in the
Pee Dee River but were usually present in small numbers. In the Piedmont region of the Pee Dee
River, yellow lampmussel was most abundant upstream of the Grassy Islands above Blewett Falls
Lake and near the Jones Creek confluence downstream of the Blewett Falls Development (Progress
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Section 5
Energy 2005b). The Nature Conservancy also collected this species at several sites located in the
South Carolina Coastal Plain portion of the Pee Dee River (TNC mussel survey data as cited in
Progress Energy 2005b). Yellow lampmussel abundance was greatest in the TNC survey at stations
located in the lowermost Pee Dee River. Additionally, the yellow lampmussel was found at stations
on the Pee Dee River located near Thompson Creek and Blue’s Landing in South Carolina during
the shallow water fish and crayfish sampling in 2004.
■
Carolina fatmucket (Lampsilis radiata conspicua) and eastern lampmussel (Lampsilis
radiata radiata)
The Carolina fatmucket and eastern lampmussel are both North Carolina Threatened species. These
two species’ distributions overlap in the Pee Dee River drainage, and the species are difficult to
distinguish from each other based on taxonomic characteristics (Bogan 2002). The Carolina
fatmucket is found in the headwaters of the Yadkin-Pee Dee River and the Neuse River watersheds
while the eastern lampmussel is more widespread (Bogan 2002). The NCWRC database lists the
species separately and considers most Lampsilis radiata collected in the vicinity of the Project to be
eastern lampmussel. The only two collection records for Carolina fatmucket are from the Little
River (Figure B-9). Eastern lampmussel was collected in various size streams and at several
locations in Lake Tillery. During a NCWRC survey in Lake Tillery, 132 Lampsilis radiata were
found. The mussel was collected in both reaches of the Pee Dee River below the Tillery and Blewett
Falls developments (Figure B-9). The mussel was the third most abundant species present at two
transects located between the Tillery Development and the Rocky River confluence during sampling
in 2004 (Progress Energy 2005b). This mussel was less abundant at other stations farther
downstream from the Rocky River confluence. Lampsilis radiata was only collected from North
Carolina waters of the Piedmont Fall Line zone of the Pee Dee River; it was not collected from the
South Carolina portion of the river.
■
Carolina heelsplitter (Lasmigona decorata)
The Carolina heelsplitter is a federally listed endangered species. It was not collected near the
Project during recent sampling, however, one relic shell was found in the reach of the Pee Dee River
below the Tillery Dam near Leak Island in 1971 (personal communication with Mr. John Fridell,
USFWS Asheville, North Carolina Field Office). In the Pee Dee River watershed, it is currently
found in Goose Creek and Duck Creek, small tributaries to the Rocky River, and in the Lynches
River in South Carolina (Keferl 1991). The species currently has small, isolated populations in
tributaries of the Pee Dee, Catawba, and Savannah rivers (USFWS 2005).
■
Tidewater mucket (Leptodea ochracea)
The tidewater mucket is a North Carolina Threatened Species that has only recently been collected
from the Pee Dee River (Bogan 2002). Tidewater mucket was collected during 2001 (Progress
Energy 2003) and 2004 (TNC data as reported in Progress Energy 2005b) in the lower Coastal Plain
portion of the Pee Dee River near RM 52.0 (Figure B-10). It was also collected near Society Hill,
South Carolina, and a relic shell was collected just below Blewett Falls Dam in 2004. However, the
tidewater mucket was not collected by Progress Energy during the mussel survey in 2004 (Progress
Energy 2005b).
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Section 5
■
Eastern pondmussel (Ligumia nasuta)
The eastern pondmussel is a North Carolina Threatened Species. With the exception of one
individual collected from Hitchcock Creek, all eastern pondmussels in the Project vicinity were
collected from the Pee Dee River (Figure B-10 and Table 5-7). Three specimens were collected
from the Pee Dee River reach below the Tillery Development (Progress Energy 2005b). In contrast,
the species was more abundant in the Pee Dee River reach below the Blewett Development although
the total number collected was less than one percent of all mussels collected in the river reach
(Progress Energy 2005b). There was a large gap in collection records of the species in the Pee Dee
River from near the Blewett Falls Development to near Johnsonville, South Carolina. Eastern
pondmussel was more prevalent in the Piedmont Fall Line zone of the Pee Dee River, although a few
individuals were collected in the lower Coastal Plain portion of the river near RM 52.0 during 2001
and 2004 (Progress Energy 2003, 2005b).
■
Eastern floater (Pygandodon cataracta)
The eastern floater is a South Carolina Natural Heritage Program Species of Concern. The species
has no conservation listing status in North Carolina. This species was widespread but collected in
small numbers throughout the vicinity of the Project and was found in various size streams
(Figure B-11). This mussel was present in the both Pee Dee River reaches below the Tillery and
Blewett Falls developments (Progress Energy 2005b). Two eastern floaters were collected from the
Pee Dee River below the Tillery Development. The mussel was also collected in small numbers
from the Pee Dee River below the Blewett Falls Development at transects located from one to four
miles below the power plant. Eastern floater was present in the lower Coastal Plain portion of the
Pee Dee River. The eastern floater was also collected from the headwaters of Lake Tillery and
Blewett Falls Lake (Progress Energy 2003).
■
Creeper (Stophitus undulatus)
The creeper is a North Carolina Threatened Species. The species was widely distributed near the
Project across various size streams but was nowhere abundant. Two specimens were collected from
the Pee Dee River approximately 11 to 12 miles downstream of the Tillery Development during
2000 and 2004 (Progress Energy 2003, 2005b). Creeper was also collected in the Fall Line zone of
the Pee Dee River below the Blewett Falls Development just upstream of U.S. Highway 74 (two
specimens) and on the shoal located just upstream of Cheraw, South Carolina (one specimen)
(Figure B-11). Creeper was commonly collected in the Brown Creek watershed. There are several
records from tributaries to the Rocky River and from the Thompson Creek system.
■
Savannah lilliput (Toxolasma pullus)
The Savannah lilliput is a Federal Species of Concern, a North Carolina Endangered Species, and a
South Carolina Natural Heritage Species of State Concern. Savannah lilliput was not collected in
either Project reservoir or tailwaters, but was collected in tributaries above each development
(Figure B-12). Most of the records in the vicinity of the Project are from small streams. There were
records from two sites on Lanes Creek; a tributary to the Rocky River; from Barnes Creek, a small
5-50
Section 5
tributary to the Uwharrie River; and from the Little River and its tributary, Densons Creek. The
Savannah lilliput historically ranged from the Altamaha River system in Georgia to the Neuse River
system in North Carolina (Bogan 2002).
■
Florida pondhorn (Uniomerus caroliniana)
The Florida pondhorn was collected from several small streams in the vicinity of the Project
(Figure B-12). The species has no protective status in either North Carolina or South Carolina.
Florida pondhorn was not collected in either Project reservoir or tailwater, but was collected in
tributaries above and below each development in North Carolina and South Carolina. Florida
pondhorn was collected from three sample locations on the Little River; all other collections
occurred at smaller streams. The species was also found in Jacobs Creek, a tributary to Lake Tillery.
■
Paper pondshell (Utterbackia imbecilis)
The paper pondshell is a South Carolina Natural Heritage Species of Concern. The mussel has no
conservation listing status in North Carolina. The species was collected in small numbers from both
Pee Dee River reaches below the Tillery and Blewett Falls developments in North Carolina
(Figure B-13). It was also collected at several locations in Lake Tillery upstream of the confluence
with the Uwharrie River. However, there were no records for the Uwharrie River. The paper
pondshell was also collected from the Grassy Islands area of Blewett Falls Lake during 1999
(Progress Energy 2003). It was also collected from a few small tributaries near the Project. The
species was most prevalent in the Piedmont Fall Line zone although three individuals were also
documented by TNC in the lower Coastal Plain region of the river near RM 52.0 during 2004 (TNC
data reported in Progress Energy 2005b).
■
Notched rainbow (Villosa constricta)
The notched rainbow is a North Carolina Special Concern Species and a South Carolina Natural
Heritage Species of State Concern. It was most abundant in the Uwharrie and Little rivers and their
tributaries (Figure B-13). There are also records from a few smaller streams. Notched rainbow was
not collected from the Pee Dee River in North Carolina or South Carolina. It was collected from
streams located above and below each Project reservoir. The southernmost records in the Project
vicinity are from the upper reaches of Thompson Creek in Chesterfield County, South Carolina.
■
Eastern creekshell (Villosa delumbis)
The eastern creekshell was the most widespread and abundant Villosa species found in the Project
vicinity. Eastern creekshell is a Significantly Rare species under the North Carolina Natural
Heritage Program. The Significantly Rare designation is not a formal RTE conservation status but
indicates that the species exists in small numbers and needs further monitoring to determine
population status (LeGrand et al. 2004). The eastern creekshell was widespread in the vicinity of the
Project (Figure B-14). Eastern creekshell was present in small numbers in the Pee Dee River
reaches below the Tillery and Blewett Falls developments. In the Pee Dee River below the Tillery
Development, the mussel was only present immediately below the Tillery Development. Eastern
creekshell was most abundant in the Fall Line zone of the Pee Dee River below the Blewett Falls
5-51
Section 5
Development. The mussel was also collected in several tributaries, including the Mountain Creek
watersheds (two separate, but same named tributaries to Lake Tillery and Blewett Falls Lake). This
species was also found in the Rocky, Uwharrie, and Little rivers. Only two eastern creekshells were
collected in South Carolina, one near Great Island and one near Cheraw. The eastern creekshell was
not collected by TNC during mussel surveys of the Pee Dee River in the Coastal Plain in 2004 (TNC
data as cited in Progress Energy 2005b).
■
Carolina creekshell (Villosa vaughaniana)
The Carolina creekshell is a Federal Species of Concern and a North Carolina Endangered Species.
It was collected primarily in small tributaries located above and below each Project reservoir
(Figure B-14). The species was most commonly collected in the Little River and its tributaries. It
was collected at several sites in Mountain Creek, a tributary to Lake Tillery, but was not abundant
anywhere. Three specimens were collected in the Pee Dee River below the Tillery Development at
the two transects upstream of the Rocky River confluence during 2004 (Progress Energy 2005b).
Carolina creekshell was not collected from the Pee Dee River in South Carolina (Progress Energy
2005b).
■
Southern rainbow (Villosa vibex)
The southern rainbow is a South Carolina Natural Heritage Species of State Concern. The species
has no conservation listing status in North Carolina. One specimen was collected by TNC upstream
of the shoal located in the lower portion of the Fall Line zone near Cheraw, South Carolina during
April 2005 (Figure B-15 and personal communication with Mr. Eric Krueger, TNC). The only other
collection record near the Project is from Densons Creek, a tributary to the Little River.
5.3
Snails
Distributions of 14 snail taxa from eight families collected in the vicinity of the Project were
assessed for habitat fragmentation (Tables 5-5 and 5-9). The gravel elimia is a South Carolina
Natural Heritage Species of State Concern (Table 5-6). No other snails have any conservation
listing status at the state or federal level. Gravel elimia was collected from several sites on various
sized streams throughout the Project area, including the Pee Dee River below each Project
development.
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Section 5
Table 5-9
Snail species collected in the vicinity of the Yadkin-Pee Dee River
Tributaries
Pee Dee
Tributaries
Pee Dee
Tributaries
Blewett
Upstream
River below Downstream
Common Name
Falls
of Tillery Tillery
Tillery
Blewett
Blewett
of Blewett
Lake
Dam
Dam
Falls Dam
Falls Dam
Falls Dam
Mud amnicola
X
X
Pointed campeloma
X
X
X
X
File campeloma
X
X
Gravel elimia
X
X
X
X
Sprite elimia
X
X
Symmetrical elimia
X
X
Ferrissia spp.
X
X
X
Marsh fossaria
X
Two-ridge rams horn
X
X
X
X
X
X
Dusky ancylid
X
Bugle sprite
X
X
X
Physa snail
X
X
X
X
X
X
Mimic lymnaea
X
X
X
X
Mossy valvata
X
Total species
7
6
4
11
0
6
7
As with fish and mussels, some taxa appeared to be widely distributed while others were only
collected at a few sites (Table 5-9 and Figures C-1 to C-7). However, unlike fish and mussels, no
snail taxa were collected only in the mainstem Pee Dee River. Most of the snail taxa (11 of 14 taxa)
were collected from tributaries located between the two Project reservoirs (Table 5-9). File
campeloma and mimic lymnaea were the only two species collected in the Pee Dee River below the
Blewett Falls Dam but not below the Tillery Dam. However, both of these species were collected in
Lake Tillery.
Six taxa were collected from Lake Tillery while none were collected from Blewett Falls Lake. This
likely reflects sampling intensity because the upper portions of Lake Tillery just below Falls Dam
were sampled frequently during Progress Energy’s river benthic invertebrate sampling program in
2000 and 2002 (Progress Energy 2003).
The distribution patterns of these snails are highly dependent upon sampling intensity. Less targeted
sampling was conducted for snails as compared to fish and mussels. Additionally, two of the taxa
included in the study, Ferrissia spp. and Physella spp., may be composed of more than one species.
Descriptions of the 14 snail taxa collected from the Pee Dee River and tributaries in the vicinity of
the Yadkin-Pee Dee Project are given below.
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Section 5
Family Valvatidae
■
Mossy valvata (Valvata cf. sincera)
There was only one collection record of one mossy valvata collected in the Project vicinity
(Figure C-1). This individual was collected in the Little River near its confluence with the Pee Dee
River by the NCWRC during 1999.
Family Viviparidae
■
Pointed campeloma (Campeloma decisum)
Pointed campeloma, was found above and below each Project reservoir (Figure C-1). It was found
in the Uwharrie and Little rivers and smaller tributaries. One record was from the headwaters of
Lake Tillery. Campeloma limum may not be a distinct species from C. decisum (Dillon 2003).
There were no records for Campeloma decisum from the Pee Dee River in the vicinity of the Project,
but there were records of C. limum from the Pee Dee River.
■
File campeloma (Campeloma limum)
File campeloma was collected at three locations near the Project (Figure C-2). There were two
collection records from the Pee Dee River below the Blewett Falls Development and one collection
record from the west side of Lake Tillery, near Morrow Mountain State Park.
Family Hydrobiidae
■
Mud amnicola (Amnicola limosa)
Mud amnicola was collected at six locations in the vicinity of the Project (Figure C-2). Five of the
locations were from creeks while the other was from the Little River. There were no records for the
either Project reservoir or the Pee Dee River. Three of the collection sites join the Pee Dee River
upstream of Blewett Falls Lake and three sites join the Pee Dee River below Blewett Falls Lake.
Mud amnicola are widespread throughout the eastern U.S. (Dillon 2003).
Family Pleuroceridae
■
Gravel elimia (Elimia catenaria)
Gravel elimia is a widespread and common snail species in the vicinity of the Project (Figure C-3).
Most collection records were from the Pee Dee, Rocky, Uwharrie, and Little rivers, but there were a
few records from smaller streams. There were records in the Pee Dee River below each
hydroelectric plant, including the tailraces. There were several records from Densons Creek and its
tributaries (Bishop Creek and Dumas Creek) near the Uwharrie National Forest border. Gravel
elimia was collected as far downstream as Society Hill, South . Gravel elimia is a South Carolina
Natural Heritage Species of State Concern (Table 5-6).
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■
Sprite elimia (Elimia proxima)
Sprite elimia was collected from a concentrated area near Lake Tillery (Figure C-3). Most records
were from Mountain Creek (a tributary to Lake Tillery) and the Uwharrie River and its tributaries.
There were no records from either Project reservoir, the Pee Dee River, or any tributaries to the Pee
Dee River located downstream of Blewett Falls Dam.
■
Symmetrical elimia (Elimia symmetrica)
Symmetrical elimia was found at seven locations in small streams (Figure C-4). There were no
collection records for the Project reservoirs or the Pee Dee River. Four of the records were from the
Mountain Creek watershed, which flows into Blewett Falls Lake. The greatest recorded abundance
for the Project vicinity was at the mouth of Savannah Creek located upstream of Blewett Falls Lake.
Family Ancylidae
■
Ferrissia spp.
Limpets of the Ferrissia genus were collected at several sites during benthic sampling in the Pee Dee
River from 1999 to 2002 (Progress Energy 2003). These limpets could not be identified beyond the
genus level. They were found at every benthos sampling station in the Pee Dee River below the
Tillery Development and were also collected in the headwaters of Lake Tillery below Falls Dam
(Figure C-4). They were also collected below Blewett Falls Dam, but were scarce to absent at the
Coastal Plain stations.
■
Dusky ancylid (Laevapex fuscus)
The dusky ancylid was collected at several locations above the Tillery Dam (Figure C-5). All
collection records of this limpet species were from the Mountain Creek watershed, except for one
record which is from a small tributary to Lake Tillery located in Morrow Mountain State Park.
Family Lymnaeidae
■
Marsh fossaria (Fossaria humilis)
Twelve marsh fossaria were collected from one location on Colemans Creek, a tributary to Blewett
Falls Lake in 1999 (Figure C-5). There are no collection records for this species in the Project
vicinity.
■
Mimic lymnaea (Pseudosuccinea columella)
Mimic lymnaea was widely distributed near the Project and downstream in the Pee Dee River
(Figure C-6). Mimic lymnaea was collected in small streams and in the mainstem Pee Dee River but
the species was not collected in small or medium size rivers (e.g., Little or Rocky rivers). They were
collected in the Pee Dee River at three stations below Blewett Falls Lake and in the headwaters of
Lake Tillery during benthic invertebrate sampling in 2000 and 2002 (Progress Energy 2003).
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Section 5
Family Physidae
■
Physa snails (Physella spp.)
Physa snails of the genus Physella were common and widespread in the Project vicinity. These
snails could not be identified beyond the genus level. They were found in a wide variety of habitats
from small streams to the mainstem Pee Dee River (Figure C-6). They were collected at every
benthic invertebrate station sampled by Progress Energy from 1999 to 2002 ranging from the
headwaters of Lake Tillery to the lower Pee Dee River near Johnsonville, South Carolina (Progress
Energy 2003).
Family Planorbidae
■
Two-ridge rams horns (Helisoma anceps)
The two-ridge rams horns was widespread in the vicinity of the Project and is widespread throughout
North America (Dillon 2003). They were collected in a wide variety of habitats from small streams
to the mainstem Pee Dee River (Figure C-7). Although not frequently encountered, they were
collected during benthic invertebrate sampling conducted by Progress Energy from 1999 to 2002
below each Project reservoir (Progress Energy 2003). They were found just below Blewett Falls
Lake and were also collected in the lower Pee Dee River near Florence and Johnsonville, South
Carolina.
■
Bugle sprite (Micromenetus dilatatus)
Bugle sprite was found at several locations near the Project. They were found in tributaries above
and below Blewett Falls Lake and in a tributary to Lake Tillery (Figure C-7). All collection records
were from small streams and the Little River.
5.4
Crayfish
Ten crayfish taxa were collected in the vicinity of the Project (Tables 5-5 and 5-10). Two of the
identified crayfish species are listed as North Carolina Special Concern species: the Greensboro
burrowing crayfish and Waccamaw crayfish (Table 5-6). The Greensboro burrowing crayfish was
only collected from the Uwharrie River watershed while the Waccamaw crayfish was only collected
from the Pee Dee River below the Blewett Falls Dam at two sites in the Coastal Plain of South
Carolina. These collections represented the first records of Waccamaw crayfish in the Pee Dee
River. The red swamp crayfish was the only introduced nonnative crayfish species collected.
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Section 5
Table 5-10
Crayfish species collected in the vicinity of the Yadkin-Pee Dee River
Common Name
Chattahoochie crayfish
Greensboro burrowing
crayfish
Cambarus (D) latimanus
Cambarus (D) reduncus
Devil crayfish
Rocky River crayfish
Cambarus (P) sp. C
White River crayfish
Waccamaw crayfish
Red swamp crayfish
Total species
Tributaries
Upstream of
Tillery Dam
Tributaries
Pee Dee
Tributaries
Pee Dee
Blewett
River below Downstream
Falls
of Blewett
Blewett
Blewett Falls
Tillery
Tillery
Lake
Falls Dam
Falls Dam
Dam
Dam
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
3
6
X
X
X
X
6
X
0
0
X
X
X
X
X
5
X
X
X
X
X
X
6
The Rocky River crayfish, White River crayfish, and Cambarus (Puncticambarus) sp. C were
widely distributed near the Project. Of these species, the Rocky River crayfish and White River
crayfish were collected from both reaches of the Pee Dee River. The other seven taxa appeared to
have much more limited distributions based on available data (Table 5-10). Crayfish diversity was
higher in the tributaries to the Pee Dee River than in the mainstem or the Project reservoirs. This
likely reflects sampling intensity and habitat differences. Four native crayfish species were collected
from the Pee Dee River; two of these were only collected in the reach below the Blewett Falls
Development. Most of the crayfish taxa were collected from the Piedmont ecoregion. The devil
crayfish is more often found in the Sand Hills ecoregion while the Waccamaw crayfish was only
collected in the coastal plain portion of the Pee Dee River in South Carolina.
Similar to the snail data, the limited sampling intensity and taxonomic difficulties in correct
identification of crayfish (i.e., sexually mature males needed for correct identification) need to be
considered when interpreting the species distributional patterns. Descriptions of the 10 crayfish taxa
found in the Pee Dee River and tributaries in the vicinity of the Yadkin-Pee Dee Project are given
below.
■
Chattahoochie crayfish (Cambarus [Cambarus] sp. A)
Chattahoochie crayfish were collected at two nearby locations on the lower Uwharrie River near its
confluence with the Yadkin River in Lake Tillery (Figure D-1). Correct taxonomic classification for
this taxon is currently under review, and it has been placed on the “Watch List” for North Carolina
(NCWRC 2005b). The Watch List is not an officially recognized status. It is a precautionary
measure and can apply to species for which limited information is known. An official conservation
status may be given to such species in the future (NCWRC 2005b).
5-57
Section 5
■
Greensboro burrowing crayfish (Cambarus [Depressicambarus] catagius)
Greensboro burrowing crayfish was found at one location on the Uwharrie River and in McLeans
Creek, a tributary to the Uwharrie east of Badin Lake (Figure D-1). This species is a North Carolina
Special Concern species and is only found in the central Yadkin-Pee Dee River and Haw River
watersheds (NCWRC 2005a).
■
Cambarus (Depressicambarus) latimanus
In the vicinity of the Project, Cambarus (Depressicambarus) latimanus (no common name) was
known from a single record documented by the NCWRC in 2002. It was found in Bishop Creek, a
small tributary of the Little River located in the Uwharrie National Forest near Troy, North Carolina
(Figure D-2). This species is more common and widely distributed in the Tar, Neuse, and Cape Fear
river basins (NCWRC 2005). There are no other records for the Yadkin-Pee Dee River Basin. The
species has also been found in river drainages south of the Yadkin-Pee Dee River in portions of
Georgia, Alabama, and Florida (NCWRC 2005b).
■
Cambarus (Depressicambarus) reduncus
Cambarus (Depressicambarus) reduncus (no common name) is a Piedmont species found from the
Tar River, North Carolina to Santee River, South Carolina watersheds (NCWRC 2005b). There
were several records for this species above and below each Project development (Figure D-2). Most
specimens were collected from small streams, particularly tributaries to Lake Tillery.
■
Devil crayfish (Cambarus [Lacunicambarus] diogenes)
There were two records for devil crayfish in the vicinity of the Project: Brown Creek and Bells
Creek, a tributary to Hitchcock Creek (Figure D-3). This species is widespread throughout the U.S.
and is widespread in the eastern half of North Carolina. It is found in the Sand Hills Region of the
Yadkin-Pee Dee River Basin in North Carolina (NCWRC 2005b).
■
Rocky River crayfish (Cambarus [Puncticambarus] hobbsorum)
Rocky River crayfish was one of the three most common crayfish species in the Project vicinity. It
was collected at many locations from small streams to large rivers in the vicinity of the Project
(Figure D-3). It was collected in the Pee Dee River in North Carolina below each Project reservoir
and from tributaries above and below each Project reservoir.
■
Cambarus (Puncticambarus) sp. C
Cambarus (Puncticambarus) sp. C (no common name) was collected at many sites in the vicinity of
the Project (Figure D-4). This crayfish was one of the most commonly collected taxa. Although
most records were from small streams, the species was also collected from the Pee Dee River below
the Blewett Falls Development. This taxon, which was previously referred to as Cambarus
acuminatus, likely contains several species in North Carolina (NCWRC 2005b).
5-58
Section 5
■
White River crayfish (Procambarus [Ortmannicus] acutus)
White River crayfish is widespread in the eastern half of the U.S. (NCWRC 2005b) and found in the
vicinity of the Project (Figure D-4). They were found above and below each Project reservoir.
White River crayfish were usually found in small streams, but there were also collection records for
the Uwharrie River and Little River. There were no records for the mainstem Pee Dee River or for
Project reservoirs. This taxon may actually represent a mulit-species complex (NCWRC 2005b).
■
Waccamaw crayfish (Procambarus [Ortmannicus] braswelli)
Waccamaw crayfish is a North Carolina Special Concern Species. The species has no formal
conservation status in South Carolina waters. According to the NCWRC (2005b), this species is
endemic to the Waccamaw River and Lumber River systems. Therefore, the species presence in the
Pee Dee River represents a range extension into a new watershed. One specimen was collected
downstream of Tom Blue Landing (RM 133.2), and two specimens were collected near Cashua
Ferry (RM 116.2) during the 2004 shallow water sampling in the Coastal Plain of South Carolina
(Figure D-5).
■
Red swamp crayfish (Procambarus [Scampulicambarus] clarkii)
The red swamp crayfish has been introduced into the Yadkin-Pee Dee River system. The nonnative
species was collected at two sites in the Pee Dee River — below the Tillery Project near the Grassy
Islands area of Blewett Falls Lake and immediately downstream of the Blewett Falls Development.
It was also collected from the outlet to Hinson Lake, an impoundment of Falling Creek in the
Hitchcock Creek watershed located near Rockingham, North Carolina.
5-59
Section 6 - Summary
Distribution records of nearly 150 fish, mussel, snail, and crayfish taxa were assessed for habitat or
population fragmentation in the vicinity of the Yadkin-Pee Dee River Project. This analysis
indicated the Pee Dee River and tributaries within the Project vicinity support a diverse array of
these taxa. There are several different ecoregions near the Project; this landscape diversity
contributed to the aquatic diversity in the area. The Pee Dee River traverses the Piedmont and
Coastal Plain Ecoregions near the Project. Several streams flow through the Sand Hills ecoregion
located east of the Pee Dee River near the North Carolina-South Carolina border.
Many fish species were widespread with populations in Lake Tillery, Blewett Falls Lake, and their
tailwaters and tributaries. Other species displayed more limited distributions. Many species were
common and widely distributed in waters in the Project vicinity. These species usually reflect their
generalist habitat preferences and flexible feeding strategies which enable them to occupy a wide
variety of habitats from free-flowing streams to lakes. These species included longnose gar, gizzard
shad, threadfin shad, common carp, whitefin shiner, eastern mosquitofish, tessellated darter, most
catfishes of the Ictaluridae family and Centrarchidae family members such as bluegill, redbreast
sunfish, and largemouth bass.
Most widely distributed invertebrate species occupied a wide range of stream sizes and were
collected in several ecoregions. Eastern elliptio, variable spike, and eastern creekshell were the most
widely distributed mussel species. Two-ridge rams horns and Physa snails were widely distributed
snail species. The Rocky River crayfish, White River crayfish, and Cambarus (Puncticambarus)
sp. C were also widely distributed among streams of various sizes, although none of these species
were particularly abundant in the Pee Dee River below Blewett Falls Dam.
More species were found in the Pee Dee River below Blewett Falls Dam. Several factors are
responsible for the increased diversity in this reach of the Pee Dee River. Several migratory
anadromous fish species were only found below Blewett Falls Dam which included American shad,
hickory shad, blueback herring (migratory searun population), Atlantic sturgeon, shortnose sturgeon,
and sea lamprey. Additionally, several amphidromous euryhaline species — striped mullet, Atlantic
needlefish, southern flounder, and hogchoker — that inhabit saline, brackish, and freshwaters were
only found in the Pee Dee River below Blewett Falls Dam. This reach of river is much longer than
any other area of the study and has greater habitat diversity and subsequently greater species
diversity because it traverses both the Piedmont Fall Line and Coastal Plain regions and includes
several distinct ecoregions. As a result, several species of fish, mussel, and crayfish that are
primarily Coastal Plain dwelling species were only found downstream of Blewett Falls Dam. These
Coastal Plain species included thinlip chub, Waccamaw spike, tidewater mucket, and Waccamaw
crayfish.
More fish and mussel species with special conservation status at the state or federal level were found
in the Pee Dee River below the Blewett Falls Dam than in any other river reach near the Project.
Shortnose sturgeon, Atlantic sturgeon, robust redhorse, and thinlip chub were only found in this
reach. Carolina redhorse and highfin carpsucker were collected in this reach, but were also collected
in other areas, such as Blewett Falls Lake. Additionally, more fish species classified by the
NCDWQ as environmentally intolerant or sensitive species were collected in this river reach. Ten
fish species with special conservation status or an intolerant classification were collected in the river
6-1
Section 6
Summary
reach below the Blewett Falls Development. Conversely, only two fish species were collected in the
Rocky River and in the Pee Dee River below the Tillery Development. As with fish, more listed
mussel species were collected from the Pee Dee River from below the Blewett Falls Development
while the fewest mussel species were collected from the Rocky River. The low diversity of listed
species in the Rocky River may be a result of lower sampling intensity or degraded water quality and
habitat conditions.
Stream size also strongly influenced species distribution. Several species were only found in small
streams and would not be expected to occur in large mainstem portions of the Pee Dee River. This
habitat preference was prevalent among the four taxonomic classes assessed (fish, mussels, snails,
and crayfish). The dusky shiner, highback chub, mud sunfish, and Carolina darter were only
collected in small streams. The Savannah lilliput and Florida pondhorn were primarily found in
small streams. Conversely, some species, such as the robust redhorse, eastern silvery minnow,
whitefin shiner, Roanoke slabshell, and yellow lampmussel typically only inhabited large rivers, or
were further limited to the mainstem Pee Dee River.
American eels were common to abundant in the Pee Dee River below the Blewett Falls Dam. In
addition, a few American eels have been collected upstream of Blewett Falls Dam. Eels are less
common above Blewett Falls Dam, but some are able to migrate past the dam. There were no
records above the Tillery Development, but NCWRC (Dorsey et al. 2005) showed the species
present in Lake Tillery and middle portion of the Yadkin River including tributaries. American eel
has only been recently listed as a Federal Species of Concern by the USFWS due to the concern of
population declines in the species along the Eastern U.S. seaboard. The USFWS, in coordination
with the National Marine Fisheries Services (NMFS), is currently completing a status review of the
American eel for potential listing under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
Several fish species appeared limited in distribution or displayed segmented populations based on
the current data base and knowledge of distribution within the river basin. These species included
robust redhorse, Carolina redhorse, and fieryblack shiner. Robust redhorse, Carolina redhorse, and
fieryblack shiner are three species that were collected in the Pee Dee River below Blewett Falls Dam
but were absent from the reach of the river from the Tillery Dam to Blewett Falls Lake. There are
either historic or contemporary records for all three species from above the Tillery Dam. Additional
sampling in future years may provide further insight into the distribution of these species within the
Yadkin-Pee Dee River Basin.
Robust redhorse were initially discovered in the Yadkin River during 1869 by the naturalist
Edward D. Cope. This collection site was located well upstream of the Tillery Development.
Currently, the robust redhorse population is only found in the river reach below the Blewett
Development. No robust redhorse have been located in the river reach below the Tillery
Development despite repeated sampling efforts since 2000. Additionally, sampling by the NCWRC
and other entities in the upper Yadkin River over the past several years have failed to collect any
robust redhorse in the free-flowing reach of the Yadkin River above High Rock Lake. Although the
size of the robust redhorse population in the Pee Dee River below the Blewett Falls Development is
currently unknown, the presence of juveniles indicated some successful reproduction and
recruitment of young into the population. Adult robust redhorse in spawning condition were
collected at four shoal areas in the Fall Line zone of the Pee Dee River from 2000 to 2005, including
6-2
Section 6
Summary
three areas located immediately below the Blewett Falls Hydroelectric Plant. To date, no adults in
spawning condition have been located on gravel bars located in the Coastal Plain segment of the
river; only juvenile fish. These limited data suggested that Piedmont shoals are an important habitat
for reproduction of this rare native sucker.
Carolina redhorse had several distinct populations located in the Little River, Blewett Falls Lake,
and the Pee Dee River below the Blewett Falls Development. Carolina redhorse have not been
collected in the Pee Dee River reach extending from Tillery Dam to Blewett Falls Lake. The Little
River population of Carolina redhorse appears to be segmented by several low head dams present on
the Little River. Four populations have been located in the Little River to date. The Little River
serves as spawning habitat for the species and fish likely migrated out of the river downstream to
Blewett Falls Lake. Blewett Falls Lake serves as non-spawning adult holding and rearing habitat for
juveniles. Another population segment of Carolina redhorse was located in the Pee Dee River below
the Blewett Falls Development extending from the Piedmont to Coastal Plain regions of the river.
The presence of juveniles in Blewett Falls Lake and the Little River indicated these population
segments were successfully reproducing. No juvenile Carolina redhorse have been collected below
the Blewett Falls Development to the present date.
Fieryblack shiner was not as common as other members of the Cyprinella genus, but they were
widespread in the Pee Dee River below the Blewett Falls Development. Additionally there are
numerous records from tributaries upstream of the Tillery Development. Therefore, the reach of the
Pee Dee River below the Tillery Development is within their expected current range.
Highfin carpsucker were only collected in Blewett Falls Lake and the Pee Dee River below the
Blewett Falls Development. However, despite intensive sampling in the reaches where they were
historically collected, none have been collected since 1999.
Many nonnative introduced fish species have become established in the Yadkin-Pee Dee River
system near the Project. Of the 95 number of fish collected in the Yadkin-Pee Dee River in the
Project vicinity (including tributaries), 18 are considered nonnative species. Introductions of
nonnative fishes have both direct and subtle, indirect impacts to the native fish fauna which can
either be readily apparent or not apparent based on the available data. Flathead catfish, introduced
by the NCWRC into the Yadkin-Pee Dee River during the 1960s, are widespread and have been
known to negatively impact the native fish communities through predation in other aquatic systems
where the species has been introduced. In the vicinity of the Project, they appear to have had a large
influence on native ictalurids, particularly snail bullheads. Snail bullheads were abundant in the Pee
Dee River below Blewett Falls Lake in the 1970s but are virtually absent today. However, they are
still abundant in the reach of the Pee Dee River from the Tillery Development to the confluence with
the Rocky River. Flathead catfish have not been able to penetrate and successfully populate this
sub-reach for some unknown reason. Flathead catfish have probably affected populations of other
native species as well, particularly sucker species. However, the changes in population abundance
were not as obvious as shown with the snail bullhead distribution data. Additionally, other
introduced species, such as threadfin shad, channel catfish, blue catfish, smallmouth buffalo, comely
shiner, and red shiner have likely affected the distribution of other native fish species, but such
changes are difficult to discern if long-term data are not available for population trending.
6-3
Section 6
Summary
The Pee Dee River supported a diverse mussel community in the vicinity of the Project. A total of
29 taxa of mussels were collected from the mainstem river and tributaries in the vicinity of the
Project; 22 of these taxa have state or federal conservation listing status. The Roanoke slabshell, a
North Carolina Threatened species, was one of the most abundant mussel species in the Project
vicinity. It was widespread throughout the Pee Dee River. Several species were widely distributed
near the Project and found in streams and rivers of various sizes. However, some mussels were only
collected in small streams while others were only collected in the Pee Dee River. The Waccamaw
spike and tidewater mucket were only collected in the lower Coastal Plain region of the Pee Dee
River, well downstream of the Blewett Falls Development. These two species were unknown from
the Pee Dee River until recent collections during sampling efforts by The Nature Conservancy and
Progress Energy. One other species, Pee Dee lance 2, was only collected from the reach of river
below Blewett Falls Dam.
The Carolina heelsplitter is the only federally listed endangered mussel species in the Yadkin-Pee
Dee River system. It was not collected near the Project during recent sampling. However, one relic
shell was found in the reach of the Pee Dee River below the Tillery Dam near Leak Island in 1971.
In the Pee Dee River watershed, it is currently found in Goose Creek and Duck Creek, small
tributaries to the Rocky River, and in the Lynches River in South Carolina. The species currently
has small, isolated populations in tributaries of the Pee Dee, Catawba, and Savannah rivers.
Fourteen snail taxa collected in the vicinity of the Project were assessed during this study. The
gravel elimia is a South Carolina Natural Heritage Species of State Concern, but no other snails have
any conservation status at the federal or state level. Gravel elimia was common and widely
distributed near the Project. Some of the snail species were widely distributed while others were
only collected at a few sites. Unlike the fish, mussels, and crayfish, there were no species that were
only collected from the Pee Dee River. More snail taxa were collected from tributaries located
upstream of Blewett Falls Dam than in any other segment of the Project area. The snail and crayfish
data were limited due to low sampling intensity and few studies focused on direct collection of these
species. Therefore, the distributional patterns of snails and crayfish (more so than the fish and
mussels) were likely influenced strongly by sampling effort and available data rather than distinct
spatial differences.
Ten species of crayfish were collected in the vicinity of the Project. One of these species, the red
swamp crayfish, is not native to the Yadkin-Pee Dee River. The Greensboro burrowing crayfish and
the Waccamaw crayfish are listed as North Carolina Special Concern species. Nine of the species
were collected in tributaries near the Project. Two species were only collected in tributaries to Lake
Tillery. The Waccamaw crayfish was only collected at two sites in the Coastal Plain of South
Carolina. These collections are the first records of this species in the Pee Dee River indicating a
range extension for this crayfish species. Most of the crayfish taxa were only collected at a few sites
in the vicinity of the Project. Only three species were commonly collected and widely distributed.
As with snails, there was less directed sampling for crayfish in the Project area, therefore it is more
difficult to discern population distributions. Additionally, the need for sexually mature males to
identify crayfish to the species level makes assessing species richness more difficult.
In summary, the presence of several distinct ecoregions in the Project vicinity resulted in a very
diverse array of fish, mussel, crayfish, and snail species, including RTE species, in the Pee Dee
6-4
Section 6
Summary
River and tributaries. Distributions of many of these species were mainly influenced by specific
habitat requirements within a particular ecoregion or stream size rather than the presence of the
Project. The presence of Blewett Falls Dam did block upstream migration and limit the distribution
of diadromous fish and possibly the mobile euryhaline fish species. The effects of the Project dams
on fragmenting populations of the native redhorses — robust redhorse and Carolina redhorse — and
the fieryblack shiner were not as evident due to other coinciding factors that may have been
impacting these populations. These factors included degraded water quality, primarily
sedimentation effects, and the competitive interactions and predation effects of nonnative fishes.
6-5
Section 7 - References
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7-2
Section 7
References
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7-3
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References
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——. 2002. Basinwide assessment report–Yadkin River Basin. North Carolina Department of
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North Carolina.
——. 2006. North Carolina water quality assessment and impaired waters list (2004 integrated
305(b) and 303(d) report). Public review draft. February 2006. North Carolina Department
of Environment and Natural Resources, Division of Water Quality, Raleigh, North Carolina.
North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. 2004. North Carolina’s state and federally listed
wildlife species. June 2004. Online. [URL]: http://www.ncwildlife.org/pg07_
WildlifeSpeciesCon/protected_species.pdf. (Accessed October 11, 2005).
——. 2005a. Comprehensive wildlife conservation strategy. Chapter 5B. Online. [URL]:
http://www.ncwildlife.org/pg07_WildlifeSpeciesCon/CWCSchapter5B.pdf.
(Accessed
October 31, 2005).
——.
2005b.
The crayfishes of North Carolina.
Online.
[URL]:
http://www.ncwildlife.org/pg07_WildlifeSpeciesCon/nccrayfishes/index.html. (Accessed
October 11, 2005).
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 2002. NOAA photo library. National marine
fisheries historic image collection. Online [URL]: http://www.photolib.noaa.g
ov/historic/nmfs/index.html. (Accessed November 2, 2005).
Prince, E.D., and D.H. Barwick. 1981. Landlocked blueback herring in two South Carolina
reservoirs: reproduction and suitability as stocked prey. North American Journal of
Fisheries Management. 1:41-45.
Progress Energy. 2003. Initial consultation document. Yadkin-Pee Dee River Project FERC No.
2206. February 2003. Progress Energy, Raleigh, North Carolina.
7-4
Section 7
References
——. 2005a. Fisheries survey of the Pee Dee National Wildlife Refuge. Investigations of Brown
Creek and associated tributaries and the Pee Dee River. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Challenge Cost-Share Agreement Number 1448-40181-02-G-251. Performed for the U.S.
Fish & Wildlife Service, Pee Dee National Wildlife Refuge. Performed by Progress Energy
Carolinas, Inc. March 2005.
——. 2005b. Shallow water fish, crayfish, and mussel surveys of the Pee Dee River and tributaries.
Yadkin-Pee Dee Hydroelectric Project FERC No. 2206. Water Resources Group Issue
No. 1: Describe current resident river aquatic resources of project area. Draft report.
Progress Energy. May 2005.
——. 2005c. Monthly water quality study of Lake Tillery, Blewett Falls Lake, and associated
tailwaters. Yadkin-Pee Dee River Hydroelectric Project FERC No. 2206. Water Resources
Group Issues Nos. 7 and 8: Lake Tillery and Blewett Falls Lake and Tailwaters Water
Quality. Draft report. Progress Energy, July 2005.
Ross, S.W. 1997. Acipenser brevirostrum. Shortnose sturgeon. Pages 5-11 in Endangered,
threatened, and rare fauna of North Carolina. Part IV. Reevaluation of the freshwater fishes.
E.F. Menhinick and A.L. Braswell (eds.). Occasional papers of the North Carolina Museum
of Natural Sciences and the North Carolina Biological Survey. Number 11. North Carolina
State Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh, North Carolina.
Robust Redhorse Conservation Committee Yadkin-Pee Dee River Technical Work Group. 2002a.
Intensive fisheries surveys for robust redhorse (Moxostoma robustum) on the Pee Dee River
reaches below the Blewett and Tillery Hydroelectric Plants. Final study plan. Conducted
under the auspices of the Robust Redhorse Conservation Committee, Yadkin-Pee Dee River
Technical Work Group. May 1, 2002.
——. 2002b. Spawning habitat assessment and intensive sampling for robust redhorse (Moxostoma
robustum) in the Pee Dee River reach between Cheraw, South Carolina and Florence, South
Carolina. October 2002. Conducted under the auspices of the Robust Redhorse
Conservation Committee, Yadkin-Pee Dee River Technical Work Group.
——. 2003. Intensive surveys for robust redhorse (Moxostoma robustum) on the Pee Dee River
below the Blewett Hydroelectric Plant. 2003 work plan. Conducted under the auspices of
the Robust Redhorse Conservation Committee, Yadkin-Pee Dee River Technical Work
Group. April 16, 2003.
——. 2004. Intensive spring surveys for robust redhorse (Moxostoma robustum) on the Pee Dee
River below the Blewett Hydroelectric Plant. 2004 work plan. Conducted under the
auspices of the Robust Redhorse Conservation Committee, Yadkin-Pee Dee River Technical
Work Group. April 30, 2004.
——. 2005. Spring radio tracking and electrofishing surveys for robust redhorse (Moxostoma
robustum) on the Pee Dee River. 2005 work plan. Conducted under the auspices of the
7-5
Section 7
References
Robust Redhorse Conservation Committee, Yadkin-Pee Dee River Technical Work Group.
March 2005.
South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. 2003. South Carolina Natural Heritage Program.
Online.
[URL]:
www.dnr.state.sc.us/pls/heritage/county_species.list.
(Accessed
September 14, 2005).
—— .
2005a. South Carolina wildlife initiative, priority species for the South Carolina
comprehensive wildlife conservation plan. South Carolina Department of Natural
Resources. Online [URL]: http://www.dnr.state.us/wcp/outline.htm. (Accessed July 7,
2005).
—— . 2005b. South Carolina Natural Heritage Program. South Carolina rare, threatened &
endangered species inventory. Date last updated June 9th, 2003. Online [URL]:
http://www.dnr.state.sc.us/pls/heritage/county_species.list?pcounty=all. (Accessed July 7,
2005).
Starnes, W.C. 2004. Results of distributional surveys and preliminary genetic investigations for the
Carolina redhorse (Moxostoma sp.) - an interim report. Submitted by Wayne C. Starnes,
Ph.D., North Carolina State Museum of Natural Sciences. Submitted to Progress Energy
Corporation, New Hill, North Carolina. February 17, 2004.
Starnes, W.C., R.E. Jenkins, and M.E. Raley. 2005. Results of distributional surveys and
preliminary genetic investigations for the CRH (Moxostoma sp.) - 2nd interim report.
Submitted to Progress Energy Corporation, Raleigh, North Carolina. July 19, 2005.
Stevenson, C.H. 1897. The restricted inland range of shad due to artificial obstructions and its
effect on natural reproduction. Bulletin of the U.S. Fisheries Commission. Vol. XVII:
265-271. Washington, D.C.
——. 1899. The shad fisheries of the Atlantic coast of the United States. Pages 101-269 in G. M.
Bowers (ed.). Report of the U.S. Commission of Fish and Fisheries, Part 24. Washington,
D.C.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 2005. EPA Level III Ecoregions for North and South
Carolina. Online [URL]: ftp://ftp.epa.gov/wed/ecoregions/nc_sc/nc_eco.pdf. (Accessed
September 6, 2005).
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2006. Endangered Species, Threatened Species, Federal Species of
Concern, and Candidate Species, Anson, Montgomery, Richmond, and Stanly counties,
North Carolina. [Online] URL: http://nc-es.fws.gov/es/countyfr.html (Accessed April 4,
2005).
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Marine Fisheries Service, North Carolina Wildlife
Resources Commission, and South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. 2005.
Restoration plan for the diadromous fishes of the Yadkin-Pee Dee River Basin North
7-6
Section 7
References
Carolina and South Carolina. Jointly prepared by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
National Marine Fisheries Service, North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, and
South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. Draft March 29, 2005.
Virginia Institute of Marine Science. 2005. Alosa aestivalis, blueback herring. Virginia Institute of
Marine
Science.
Online
[URL]:
http://www.fisheries.vims.edu/femap
/fish%20pages/Blueback%20Herring.htm. (Accessed July 14, 2005).
7-7
APPENDICES
APPENDIX A
DISTRIBUTION MAPS FOR FISH TAXA COLLECTED IN THE
VICINITY OF THE YADKIN-PEE DEE RIVER PROJECT AND THE PEE
DEE RIVER DOWNSTREAM OF BLEWETT FALLS LAKE
Figure A-1
Distribution of sea lamprey and shortnose sturgeon in the vicinity of the
Yadkin-Pee Dee River Project and in the Pee Dee River downstream of the
Blewett Falls Development.
Appendix A - 1
Figure A-2
Distribution of Atlantic sturgeon and longnose gar in the vicinity of the
Appendix A - 2
Figure A-3
Distribution of bowfin and American eel in the vicinity of the Yadkin-Pee
Dee River Project and in the Pee Dee River downstream of the Blewett Falls
Development.
Appendix A - 3
Figure A-4
Distribution of blueback herring and hickory shad in the vicinity of the
Appendix A - 4
Figure A-5
Distribution of American shad and rosyside dace in the vicinity of the
Appendix A - 5
Figure A-6
Distribution of satinfin shiner and red shiner in the vicinity of the YadkinPee Dee River Project and in the Pee Dee River downstream of the Blewett
Falls Development.
Appendix A - 6
Figure A-7
Distribution of whitefin shiner and fieryblack shiner in the vicinity of the
Appendix A - 7
Figure A-8
Distribution of thinlip chub and eastern silvery minnow in the vicinity of the
Appendix A - 8
Figure A-9
Distribution of highback chub and bluehead chub in the vicinity of the
Appendix A - 9
Figure A-10 Distribution of whitemouth shiner and comely shiner in the vicinity of the
Appendix A - 10
Figure A-11 Distribution of ironcolor shiner and dusky shiner in the vicinity of the
Appendix A - 11
Figure A-12 Distribution of highfin shiner and redlip shiner in the vicinity of the YadkinPee Dee River Project and in the Pee Dee River downstream of the Blewett
Falls Development.
Appendix A - 12
Figure A-13 Distribution of spottail shiner and taillight shiner in the vicinity of the
Appendix A - 13
Figure A-14 Distribution of coastal shiner and sandbar shiner in the vicinity of the
Appendix A - 14
Figure A-15 Distribution of creek chub and sandhills chub in the vicinity of the YadkinPee Dee River Project and in the Pee Dee River downstream of the Blewett
Falls Development.
Appendix A - 15
Figure A-16 Distribution of quillback and highfin carpsucker in the vicinity of the
Appendix A - 16
Figure A-17 Distribution of white sucker and creek chubsucker in the vicinity of the
Appendix A - 17
Figure A-18 Distribution of smallmouth buffalo and bigmouth buffalo in the vicinity of
the Yadkin-Pee Dee River Project and in the Pee Dee River downstream of
the Blewett Falls Development.
Appendix A - 18
Figure A-19 Distribution of spotted sucker and notchlip redhorse in the vicinity of the
Appendix A - 19
Figure A-20 Distribution of shorthead redhorse and robust redhorse in the vicinity of the
Appendix A - 20
Figure A-21 Distribution of Carolina redhorse and brassy jumprock in the vicinity of the
Appendix A - 21
Figure A-22 Distribution of snail bullhead and white catfish in the vicinity of the YadkinPee Dee River Project and in the Pee Dee River downstream of the Blewett
Falls Development.
Appendix A - 22
Figure A-23 Distribution of yellow bullhead and brown bullhead in the vicinity of the
Appendix A - 23
Figure A-24 Distribution of flat bullhead and blue catfish in the vicinity of the YadkinPee Dee River Project and in the Pee Dee River downstream of the Blewett
Falls Development.
Appendix A - 24
Figure A-25 Distribution of channel catfish and tadpole madtom in the vicinity of the
Appendix A - 25
Figure A-26 Distribution of margined madtom and flathead catfish in the vicinity of the
Appendix A - 26
Figure A-27 Distribution of redfin pickerel and chain pickerel in the vicinity of the
Appendix A - 27
Figure A-28 Distribution of eastern mudminnow and pirate perch in the vicinity of the
Appendix A - 28
Figure A-29 Distribution of brook silverside and Atlantic needlefish in the vicinity of the
Appendix A - 29
Figure A-30 Distribution of mud sunfish and flier in the vicinity of the Yadkin-Pee Dee
River Project and in the Pee Dee River downstream of the Blewett Falls
Development.
Appendix A - 30
Figure A-31 Distribution of bluespotted sunfish and dollar sunfish in the vicinity of the
Appendix A - 31
Figure A-32 Distribution of spotted sunfish and fantail darter in the vicinity of the
Appendix A - 32
Figure A-33 Distribution of tessellated darter and Carolina darter in the vicinity of the
Appendix A - 33
Figure A-34 Distribution of pinewoods darter and swamp darter in the vicinity of the
Appendix A - 34
Figure A-35 Distribution of sawcheek darter and Piedmont darter in the vicinity of the
Appendix A - 35
Figure A-36 Distribution of yellow perch and hogchoker in the vicinity of the Yadkin-Pee
Development.
Appendix A - 36
APPENDIX B
DISTRIBUTION MAPS FOR MUSSEL TAXA COLLECTED IN THE
Figure B-1
Distribution of Carolina elktoe and triangle floater in the vicinity of the
Appendix B - 1
Figure B-2
Distribution of brook floater and alewife floater in the vicinity of the YadkinPee Dee River Project and in the Pee Dee River downstream of the Blewett
Falls Development.
Appendix B - 2
Figure B-3
Distribution of Carolina lance and eastern elliptio in the vicinity of the
Appendix B - 3
Figure B-4
Distribution of Carolina slabshell and pod lance in the vicinity of the YadkinPee Dee River Project and in the Pee Dee River downstream of the Blewett
Falls Development.
Appendix B - 4
Figure B-5
Distribution of variable spike and Atlantic spike in the vicinity of the
Appendix B - 5
Figure B-6
Distribution of Roanoke slabshell and Waccamaw spike in the vicinity of the
Appendix B - 6
Figure B-7
Distribution of Pee Dee lance 1 and Pee Dee lance 2 in the vicinity of the
Appendix B - 7
Figure B-8
Distribution of Atlantic pigtoe and yellow lampmussel in the vicinity of the
Appendix B - 8
Figure B-9
Distribution of Carolina fatmucket and eastern lampmussel in the vicinity of
Appendix B - 9
Figure B-10 Distribution of tidewater mucket and eastern pondmussel in the vicinity of
Appendix B - 10
Figure B-11 Distribution of eastern floater and creeper in the vicinity of the Yadkin-Pee
Development.
Appendix B - 11
Figure B-12 Distribution of Savannah lilliput and Florida pondhorn in the vicinity of the
Appendix B - 12
Figure B-13 Distribution of paper pondshell and notched rainbow in the vicinity of the
Appendix B - 13
Figure B-14 Distribution of eastern creekshell and Carolina creekshell in the vicinity of
Appendix B - 14
Figure B-15 Distribution of southern rainbow in the vicinity of the Yadkin-Pee Dee River
Project and in the Pee Dee River downstream of the Blewett Falls
Development.
Appendix B - 15
APPENDIX C
DISTRIBUTION MAPS FOR SNAIL TAXA COLLECTED IN THE
Figure C-1
Distribution of mossy valvata and pointed campeloma in the vicinity of the
Appendix C - 1
Figure C-2
Distribution of file campeloma and mud amnicola in the vicinity of the
Appendix C - 2
Figure C-3
Distribution of gravel elimia and sprite elimia in the vicinity of the YadkinPee Dee River Project and in the Pee Dee River downstream of the Blewett
Falls Development.
Appendix C - 3
Figure C-4
Distribution of symmetrical elimia and Ferrissia spp. in the vicinity of the
Appendix C - 4
Figure C-5
Distribution of dusky ancylid and marsh fossaria in the vicinity of the
Appendix C - 5
Figure C-6
Distribution of mimic lymnaea and Physa snail in the vicinity of the YadkinPee Dee River Project and in the Pee Dee River downstream of the Blewett
Falls Development.
Appendix C - 6
Figure C-7
Distribution of two-ridge rams horn and bugle sprite in the vicinity of the
Appendix C - 7
APPENDIX D
DISTRIBUTION MAPS FOR CRAYFISH TAXA COLLECTED IN THE
Figure D-1
Distribution of Chattahoochie crayfish and Greensboro burrowing crayfish
in the vicinity of the Yadkin-Pee Dee River Project and in the Pee Dee River
downstream of the Blewett Falls Development.
Appendix D - 1
Figure D-2
Distribution of Cambarus (Depressicambarus) latimanus and Cambarus
(Depressicambarus) reduncus in the vicinity of the Yadkin-Pee Dee River
Project and in the Pee Dee River downstream of the Blewett Falls
Development.
Appendix D - 2
Figure D-3
Distribution of devil crayfish and Rocky River crayfish in the vicinity of the
Appendix D - 3
Figure D-4
Distribution of Cambarus (Puncticambarus) sp. C and White River crayfish
in the vicinity of the Yadkin-Pee Dee River Project and in the Pee Dee River
downstream of the Blewett Falls Development.
Appendix D - 4
Figure D-5
Distribution of Waccamaw crayfish and red swamp crayfish in the vicinity of
Appendix D - 5
APPENDIX E
WATER RWG ISSUE NO. 18: HABITAT (POPULATION)
FRAGMENTATION STUDY PLAN
Habitat Fragmentation Study Plan
PROGRESS ENERGY YADKIN-PEE DEE RIVER PROJECT WATER RESOURCES
WORKING GROUP ISSUES EVALUATION TEMPLATE
Issue 18: Habitat (Population) Fragmentation Study
1.
Description of Issue
The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
(USF&WS) voiced concerns to Progress Energy about the need for a habitat (population)
fragmentation study at the Yadkin-Pee Dee River Hydroelectric Project during a relicensing
Settlement Negotiation meeting held on October 13, 2004. Progress Energy agreed to schedule a
follow-up conference call to discuss the agencies concerns and the request for the study. A
conference call was held on November 17, 2004, with representatives from Progress Energy, Devine
Tarbell and Associates, Inc. (Progress Energy’s hydro relicensing consultant), the NCWRC, and the
USF&WS. The NCWRC and USF&WS concerns were focused on potential habitat (population)
fragmentation caused by the project dams and other anthropogenic and natural factors (e.g., other
dams, sedimentation, wastewater discharges, flow and temperature regimes, non-native species,
ecoregion breaks) particularly related to rare, threatened, and endangered fish, crayfish, mussel, and
snail species. The agencies indicated that they believed this issue had been raised during initial
study plan development meetings in 2003 and that Progress Energy had not yet addressed the issue.
2.
Project Effects
Progress Energy owns and operates two dams associated with the Yadkin-Pee Dee Hydroelectric
Project (FERC Project No. 2206): the Blewett Dam and the Tillery Dam. The dams present potential
barriers for upstream or downstream migration and habitat connectivity for various life stages of fish
and other aquatic organisms, such as crayfish, mussels, and snails. The current distribution of fish
and other aquatic species within the Yadkin-Pee Dee River, associated tributaries, and project
reservoirs may reflect, in some part, the barrier effect of dams on these populations. There are
numerous other influencing factors that may also affect species population isolation or distribution,
including the presence of non-native species (competition and predation effects); nonpoint sources
of pollution such as sedimentation and nutrient enrichment associated with land use practices, point
sources of pollution such as wastewater discharges, flow and temperature regimes; ecoregion
boundaries (e.g., Piedmont vs. Coastal Plain zone); and natural barriers (e.g., prehistoric fishing
weirs, waterfalls, or steep gradient gorge areas).
While the exact mechanism(s) for habitat fragmentation or population isolation often can not be
readily identified due to co-occurring confounding factors, the distributional patterns of species can
be plotted in GIS to evaluate spatial occurrence. These distributional maps may yield insights into
availability of habitat and population status. Frequently, a further challenge in determining causeeffect relationships related to habitat fragmentation is a lack of historical biological data to pinpoint
the temporal trends in population abundance through time and compare those trends with the
presence or absence of project dams.
Progress Energy
Appendix E - 1
Final Study Plan
3.
Applicable Existing Information
Progress Energy has collected data for fish, crayfish, mussel, and snail species (including rare,
threatened, and endangered species) during its biological surveys conducted during the 1998-2002
period (Progress Energy 2003). These data include GPS location information (latitude and longitude
bearings) which can be used in the display of information in GIS maps. Additionally, detailed
information exists on these species from shallow water surveys conducted during 2004 as a result of
the study plans identified by the Water Resources Work Group during 2003 (Water RWG Issue
No. 1: Describe current resident river aquatic resources of Project area). Progress Energy has also
been a member of the Robust Redhorse Conservation Committee’s Yadkin-Pee Dee Technical Work
Group which has been cooperatively sampling for rare native redhorses (i.e., robust redhorse and
Carolina redhorse) in the Pee Dee River since 2000. Data on these redhorses as well as other
collected species are available for use in GIS distribution map display. Finally, Progress Energy has
funded a cooperative study on Carolina redhorse with the North Carolina Museum of Natural
Sciences during the 2003-2004 period (Starnes 2004). Data from this study will also be available for
use in the study.
The NCWRC, N.C. Division of Water Quality, and N.C. Department of Transportation have
collected fish, crayfish, and mussel distribution data within the Yadkin-Pee Dee River Basin during
the 1987-2004 period. These databases will be reviewed for use in the study. Any other biological
data sources (data from other government or non-government entities) will be identified and
reviewed for use in the study. GIS-based data sources, which may be available within the public
domain, will also be reviewed. These sources include but are not limited to dam locations, NPDES
point source discharge points, land use patterns, and natural barriers.
4.
Study Needs
The USF&WS and NCWRC have requested Progress Energy to conduct a habitat (population)
fragmentation study at the Yadkin-Pee Dee River Hydroelectric Project. The primary emphasis of
the study would be to spatially depict populations of certain fish, crayfish, mussel, and snail species
in the mainstem of the Pee Dee River, larger tributaries, and project reservoirs.
Existing contemporary and historical data of certain fish, crayfish, mussel, and snail species can be
plotted in GIS distribution maps to spatially depict possible fragmentation of populations and their
habitat. No detailed habitat mapping information exists to spatially depict habitat types (e.g., percent
pools, glides, riffles, or runs, substrate and cover typing, etc.) for possible habitat fragmentation of
both the mainstem and tributaries of the Pee Dee River. However, the species spatial distribution
information can be used to make indirect inferences regarding habitat fragmentation and the life
history habitat requirements of species.
Other GIS-generated map data can be overlaid on species distribution maps to depict anthropogenic
or natural factors, including the presence of project dams, which may coincide at the same locales
and influence habitat/population fragmentation.
Progress Energy
Appendix E - 2
Final Study Plan
5.0
Draft Study Plan
5.1
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to spatially depict distribution of certain fish, crayfish, mussel, and snail
population data in a GIS-based map format for the Pee Dee River, associated major tributaries, and
project reservoirs. This information can be used to make inferences regarding fragmentation of
populations and their associated habitat in the vicinity of the Yadkin-Pee Dee Hydroelectric Project.
Additionally, other available, public domain GIS databases (e.g., NPDES discharge points,
ecoregion boundaries, prehistoric fish weirs, and land use patterns) will be examined for relevance to
the study and plotted to depict anthropogenic or natural factors that may influence species
distribution.
5.2
Objectives
The study objectives are to (1) spatially depict in GIS-formatted maps the distribution of fish
crayfish, mussel, and snail species (emphasis on state or federal rare, threatened, and endangered
species) in the Yadkin-Pee Dee River in the vicinity of the Yadkin-Pee Dee Hydroelectric Project,
including the mainstem, associated larger tributaries, and project reservoirs, (2) provide an
accompanying data listing of species attributes (i.e., relative abundance, life stage, etc.), and (3)
provide GIS formatted maps of anthropogenic and natural factors that may contribute to the
observed species distribution. These maps may include dam locations, NPDES discharge points,
ecoregion boundaries, land use patterns, natural barriers, and presence of nonnative fish such as
smallmouth buffalo, blue catfish, and flathead catfish. The study objectives will be met by using
existing available databases with no additional field data collection.
5.3
Methodology
Progress Energy will compile existing data on locations of fish, crayfish, mussel, and snail species
collected in the Yadkin-Pee Dee River in the vicinity of the Yadkin-Pee Dee Hydroelectric Project
that potentially may be affected by habitat fragmentation. Emphasis will be given to state or federal
listed rare, threatened, or endangered species that are of concern to resource agencies. These data
will be depicted in GIS-formatted maps (ARCVIEW files) which will show species distributions in
the river mainstem, tributaries, and project reservoirs. Data sources that will be used for these maps
include data collected by Progress Energy, Robust Redhorse Conservation Committee’s Yadkin Pee
Dee River Technical Work Group, NCWRC, NCDOT, NCDWQ, and NCMNS. Other governmental
or non-governmental data sources will also be examined for relevance to the study (e.g., N.C.
Natural Heritage Program) and used if available. The maps will be provided as color hard copies in
the report. Electronic map files, including relevant map feature information will be made available
to Water RWG participants, upon request.
Anthropogenic and natural factors that may affect habitat (population) fragmentation will also be
examined by mapping from available, relevant databases. Progress Energy will review and include
relevant GIS data files that are available for plotting the GIS formatted maps. These databases may
include dam locations, NPDES point source discharges, land use patterns, nonnative fish, and known
natural barriers. The maps will also be provided as color hard copies in the report. Electronic map
files will also be made available to Water RWG participants, upon request.
Progress Energy
Appendix E - 3
Final Study Plan
5.4
Data Analysis and Reporting
A report summarizing the data will be prepared during 2005. The report results will be reviewed in
future relicensing meetings with resource agency and other stakeholders. Discussion regarding
habitat/population fragmentation effects caused by the project will occur during relicensing meetings
scheduled for 2005.
6.0
References
Progress Energy. 2003. Initial consultation document. Yadkin-Pee Dee River Project. FERC No.
2206. February 2003. Submitted by Progress Energy, Raleigh, NC.
Starnes, W. C. 2004. Results of distributional surveys and preliminary genetic investigations for
the Carolina redhorse (Moxostoma sp.)—an interim report. By Wayne C. Starnes, Ph.D,
North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. Submitted to Progress Energy Corporation,
New Hill, NC.
Resource Working Group Overlap (check if applicable)
X Water Resource Issue # 1
Land Use and Recreation Issue #
Terrestrial Resources Issue #
Progress Energy
Appendix E - 4
Final Study Plan

habitat (population) fragmentation study of fish

Transcription

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