The re-introduction of the federally threatened Cherokee darter at

11/24/2010
The re-introduction of the federally
threatened Cherokee darter at the
Bannister Creek Mitigation Bank
Shane Keebaugh, Senior Biologist
Wildlands Engineering
Bannister Creek Mitigation Bank
Project Overview
 Bank is located in Forsyth County, GA
 Commercial mitigation bank providing offsets
for impacts to streams in the Etowah service
area
 Restored stream length = 9,966 LF
 Preserved stream length = 7,996 LF
 Restoration Completed In December 2008
(Thanks North State Environmental, Inc.)
 Potential to restore Cherokee Darter habitat
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11/24/2010
Cherokee Darter




Federally threatened
Know from only about 20 streams in
the Etowah basin
Prefers small streams and can be
found in small pools and in runs/riffles
over course gravel and cobble
One of the fish species covered in the
Etowah Aquatic Habitat Conservation
Plan (HCP)


In 2002 municipalities and
Counties in the Etowah basin
b
began
working
ki with
ith FWS to
t ensure
protection of fish and ability of the
region to continue to grow
The HCP has been submitted to
FWS for review
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11/24/2010
Bannister
B
i t Creek
C k
(8mi2)
Brewton Creek (5mi2)
Etowah River
Design Considerations
 Rather than attempt to design a reference type darter
stream, current design practices were optimized for potential
influence on fisheries
Allowed us to stay on track with scope and budgets
 Focused on two categories that could affect fisheries
Stresors
Specific habitat requirements
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11/24/2010
Stressors
These apply to most sensitive fish in the
Etowah basin
 Sedimentation – Channel erosion
 Hydrologic alteration
 Extensive riparian buffer loss
 Contaminants
 Movement barriers
 Channelization / piping
 Invasive species
 Tempurature alteration
 Loss of large woody debris
 Eutrophication
From: Stressor of Imperiled Fish in the
Etowah Basin, Mechanisms, Sources
and Management under the Etowah
HCP.
Stressors Optimization
 Sedimentation – Channel erosion

Channel restoration

BEHI analysis indicates over a 90% reduction in stream
bank erosion
 Loss of riparian buffer

Riparian buffers were restored to 200'
 Barriers to movement

Insure that no structure exceeded 4-6” drop
 Loss of large woody debris

Structures that incorporate wood were prioritized
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11/24/2010
Specific Habitat Optimization
 Crevice spawners
p
that p
prefer to spawn
p
over coarse g
gravel to cobble in
flowing/turbulent pools and runs

Optimized design to include this substrate in the design and the use
of constructed riffles where appropriate

Prioritized the use of structures that provide flowing/turbulent pools
and runs

Utilized existing riffle material to “seed” new channel riffles
 Research suggests they may prefer to spawn on the vertical surfaces of
the substrates

Optimized design to provide many vertical substrate surfaces
including logs, cobble, and boulders
Large woody debris
Flowing / turbulent pools and runs
Cobble, course gravel
Vertical substrate
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11/24/2010
Flowing pools / runs
+
Cobble / coarse gravel
+
Vertical substrate
Had to consider that mobility
Impediments could not exceed 6”
Utilize native riffle material
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11/24/2010
Cherokee Darter Relocation
Cherokee darters were relocated from the Hickory Log Creek
R
Reservoir
i
 FWS Biological Opinion provided to the DoA included an applicant
proposed conservation measure to relocate Cherokee darters
 Rational for selecting Bannister Creek Mitigation Bank as the
relocation site
 Fish occurrence records indicate BCMB lies within potential
range of species and baseline fisheries surveys performed for
the Bank found 3 Cherokee darters in the upstream
preservation section of Brewton Creek
 Likely in the same Evolutionarily Significant Unit (ESU)
Relocation Details


Preliminary fisheries surveys at Bannister Creek
Mitigation Bank

Conducted June 2009, Approximately 6 months after
completing channel restoration

Total of 35 fish species from seven families were
collected.

No Cherokee darters encountered
Relocation

1,180 Cherokee darters were relocated
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11/24/2010
Preliminary Results
 General fisheries response
 Increased diversity from 25 to 35
species after only 6 months postpost
restoration
 Occurrence of several additional
sensitive species over baseline
 Specific Cherokee darter response
 Recent surveys found many Cherokee
darters
 Darters were found in spawn and postspawn condition
 In 2010 first documented record of the
Etowah darter was made in the restored
reach of Brewton Creek
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11/24/2010
Conclusions and Acknowledgements
 Encouraging results but more data
and analysis are needed
 Planning to tie geomorphic /
stability monitoring to fisheries
monitoring
 A bias towards sensitive species
appears to benefit multiple species
Thanks:
The Garmon Family
Wolfcreek Engineering
North State Environmental
Megan Hagler - UGA
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