0306020401 Wilmington River-Atlantic Ocean HUC 8 Watershed: Ogeechee Coastal
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Georgia Ecological Services U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service 2/9/2021 HUC 10 Watershed Report HUC 10 Watershed: 0306020401 Wilmington River-Atlantic Ocean HUC 8 Watershed: Ogeechee Coastal Counties: Chatham Major Waterbodies (in GA): Wilmington River, Bull River, Herb River, Richardson Creek, Skidaway River, Lazaretto Creek, Atlantic Ocean, Romerly Marshes Federal Listed Species: (historic, known occurrence, or likely to occur in the watershed) E - Endangered, T - Threatened, C - Candidate, CCA - Candidate Conservation species, PE - Proposed Endangered, PT - Proposed Threatened, Pet - Petitioned, R - Rare, U - Uncommon, SC - Species of Concern. Shortnose Sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum) US: E; GA: E Potential Range (county); Please coordinate with National Marine Fisheries Service. Atlantic Sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus) US: E; GA: E Potential Range (county); Please coordinate with National Marine Fisheries Service. Red Knot (Calidris canutus) US: T; GA: T Occurrence; Winters on coast; survey period: late Jan - early Feb. Coordinate surveys with GADNR. Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus) US: T; GA: T Occurrence; Critical Habitat (winter/migration); Survey period: 1 Sep - 30 Mar, includes migrating and wintering periods (Dec - Feb). Wood Stork (Mycteria americana) US: T; GA: E Occurrence; Survey period: early May Wood Stork (Mycteria americana) US: T; GA: E Occurrence; Survey period: early May Red-cockaded Woodpecker (Picoides borealis) US: E; GA: E Occurrence; Survey period: habitat any time of year or foraging individuals: 1 Apr - 31 May. Updated: 2/9/2021 0306020401 Wilmington River-Atlantic Ocean 1 Georgia Ecological Services U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service 2/9/2021 HUC 10 Watershed Report Frosted Flatwoods Salamander (Ambystoma cingulatum) US: T; GA: T HUC 10 Watershed: Occurrence; Survey period: for larvae 15 Feb - 15 Mar. Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta) US: T; GA: E Occurrence; Survey period: 1 Apr - 30 Sep. Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas) US: T; GA: T Occurrence; Survey period: 1 May - 30 Sep. Leatherback Sea Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) US: E; GA: E Occurrence; Survey period: 1 Mar - 30 Sep. Hawksbill Sea Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) US: E; GA: E Potential Range (coastal); No surveys necessary for this species. Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle (Lepidochelys kempii) US: E; GA: E Occurrence; Survey period: 1 Apr - 30 Aug. West Indian Manatee (Trichechus manatus) US: E; GA: E Occurrence; Survey period: 1 May - 31 Aug. North Atlantic Right Whale (Eubalaena glacialis) US: E; GA: E Occurrence; Migratory species with low detection, any surveys should be coordinated with NMFS, GDNR. Pondberry (Lindera melissifolia) US: E; GA: E Potential Range (soils, watershed); Survey period: for larvae 15 Feb - 15 Mar. Federal Candidate, Candidate Conservation, or Petitioned Species: (likely or known to occur in the watershed) Gopher Frog (Lithobates capito) US: Pet; GA: R Historic Occurrence; Survey period: breeding season 1 Feb - 30 Apr. Spotted Turtle (Clemmys guttata) US: Pet; GA: U Occurrence; Survey period: 1 Feb - 30 Apr. GDNR assumes presence within known range. Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake (Crotalus adamanteus) US: Pet Occurrence; Surveys are best conducted April - November. Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) US: C; GA: T Occurrence; Survey period: Year-round Updated: 2/9/2021 0306020401 Wilmington River-Atlantic Ocean 2 Georgia Ecological Services U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service 2/9/2021 HUC 10 Watershed Report HUC 10 Watershed: Florida Pine Snake (Pituophis melanoleucus mugitus) US: Pet Occurrence; Surveys are best conducted spring (May – June) or fall (September – October). May also be conducted during July and August, or in warmer periods of late March and April. Georgia Indigo-Bush (Amorpha georgiana) US: Pet; GA: E Occurrence; Surveys are best conducted during flowering (mid-April–early May). Use of a nearby reference site to more accurately determine local flowering period is recommended. State Listed or Other At-risk Species: (likely or known to occur in the watershed) Wilson's Plover (Charadrius wilsonia) GA: T Occurrence; Please consult with GDNR for survey efforts. American Oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus) GA: R Occurrence; Please consult with GDNR for survey efforts. Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) GA: T Occurrence; Survey period: year-round. Black Skimmer (Rynchops niger) GA: R Occurrence; Please consult with GDNR for survey efforts. Least Tern (Sternula antillarum) GA: R Occurrence; Please consult with GDNR for survey efforts. (Wading Bird Colony) SC Occurrence; Evidence of wading bird colonies can be seen year round. Southern Hog-nosed Snake (Heterodon simus) GA: T Occurrence; Survey period: Surveys not practical. Diamondback Terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin) GA: U Occurrence; Please consult with GDNR for survey efforts. Florida Wild Privet (Forestiera segregata) GA: R Occurrence; Please consult with GDNR for survey efforts. Climbing Buckthorn (Sageretia minutiflora) GA: T Occurrence; Please consult with GDNR for survey efforts. Hooded Pitcherplant (Sarracenia minor var. minor) GA: U Occurrence; Please consult with GDNR for survey efforts. Updated: 2/9/2021 0306020401 Wilmington River-Atlantic Ocean 3 Georgia Ecological Services U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service 2/9/2021 HUC 10 Watershed Report HUC 10 Watershed: Any of the above species may occur in suitable habitat in this HUC 10 watershed. Survey dates are provided for reference only. Please coordinate with your lead federal agency, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, or USFWS to determine if surveys will help assess project impacts to species of concern. Watershed Specific Concerns: There are federally listed aquatic/wetland and terrestrial species that occur or could occur in this watershed. If the project contains suitable habitat for listed species, please contact your lead federal agency to determine the appropriate next step for those species to inform their NEPA and ESA decisions. Coordination with Georgia Department of Natural Resources may also be helpful in those decisions. Critical Habitat: There is Critical Habitat designated under the Endangered Species Act for at least one species in this watershed. Please see the list above to determine which species. Please coordinate with our office to determine if your project will impact this habitat. Frosted Flatwoods Salamander: Suitable habitat includes isolated depressional wetlands located in pine flatwoods. If this habitat occurs in the vicinity of the project area, it may represent potential breeding sites for this species. Minimizing impacts to wetland and pond habitats including impacts caused by fill, draining, and altered hydrology in areas where this species occurs can assist with its recovery. Bald Eagle: Bald Eagles and their nests are protected from take, including disturbance, under the federal Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. For information about Bald and Golden Eagles see the Service's regional web page: https://www.fws. gov/southeast/our-services/permits/eagles/ Wood Stork: The Wood Stork feeds in shallow emergent wetlands, ditches, pond margins, and coastal areas. The successful fledging of chicks from the nest is dependent on adults finding sufficient foraging areas that contain prey species. Minimizing potential impacts and ensuring water quality is preserved or enhanced is vital to the successful recovery of this species. If the project area is located within the Core Foraging Area (13 mile radius) of a Wood Stork rookery, additional considerations may be requested for unavoidable impacts to foraging and nesting habitats. Red-cockaded Woodpecker: Red-cockaded Woodpecker requires large expanses of mature (approximately 60-80 years old or older), open pine forest, preferably longleaf, slash, or loblolly pine or younger forests with artificial nesting cavities. Natural nest cavities are excavated in mature living pines and may take several years to complete. Red-cockaded woodpecker colonies require large, contiguous tracts of habitat, ranging in size from approximately 60-600 acres per family group, depending upon the quality of the habitat. Currently, its range is fragmented and most populations are found on public lands where timber harvesting has not been maximized. Shorebirds (Red Knot / Piping Plover / Least Tern): There are several species of shorebirds that are federally or state protected that occur along coastal areas (mudflats, intertidal areas, beaches, or dunes) of this watershed. Please avoid foraging, nesting, wintering, and migratory individuals when possible. Limit use of construction equipment, vehicle use, and pedestrian traffic in beach and dune habitats. If nests are found, please appropriately mark the area and avoid disturbance of nesting birds. Staging areas and waste collection areas should be located to avoid beaches, dunes, inlets, and ephemeral tidal pools. Restore beach topography and the wrack line to their natural pre-project conditions to the maximum extent practicable. Manatee: Manatees can be found in tidal waters of Georgia from March through October. Manatees then migrate south to Florida in the fall in search of warmer water. They can be found associated with warm water discharges as waters cool. Care must be taken when conducting in-water activities during periods when manatees might be present and to protect important foraging habitats (marsh grass, Spartina alterniflora, and other emergent wetland vegetation) in tidal areas. If a manatee comes within 50 feet of the operational area of any construction equipment, please