James River Basin of Before forming Daguna Consulting in 2011, both Braven Beaty and Brett Ostby were active in conservation of endangered freshwater mussels inhabiting the and its tributaries. Our work has included cooperative research and site-specific environmental assessment/mitigation projects for public and private clients.

James Spinymussel Research (2010 to present)

Research that Brett Ostby started when he

was at Virginia Tech has since carried over to

Daguna. His work has focused on better

understanding the status and population

dynamics of the federally endangered James

spinymussel (Pleurobema collina). We have

partnered with the Virginia Department of

Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF), U.S.

Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Three

Oaks Engineering, James Madison

University (JMU), and Virginia Department

of Conservation and Recreation (VDCR).

Using Mark-Recapture Techniques to Estimate Population Parameters and Detection Probability for the Federally Endangered James Spinymussel Since 2010, biologists with VDGIF, USFWS, Virginia Tech, VDCR, the Catena Group (now Three Oaks Engineering), and Daguna Consulting have cooperated to expand mark-recapture sampling activities to a total of 7 sites across the state of Virginia. Those efforts have incorporated tag information from as far back as 2007. The sites included in this study represent populations that may have different meta-population contexts. Some sites may be spatially isolated patches with limited connectivity (Craig Creek). Other sites appear to be areas of high density in spatially extensive and presumed interconnected meta-populations (Johns, Dicks and Little Oregon Creeks). Brett has been responsible for building a comprehensive dataset and conducting analysis using population modeling programs.

. Quantifying Detection Probabilities and Possible Source-Sink Dynamics for the Endangered James Spinymussel In summer 2017, we returned to the headwaters of the Rivanna River (a major tributary to the James River) to document spatio-temporal dynamics of occupancy and detection. We first began to study these areas with funding from The Nature Conservancy in 2011. Ongoing sampling is leading to a better understanding of what we should consider the spatial extent of a population and how the location of population centers may change over time. During the most recent sampling, we collected swabs to aid a range-wide VDGIF study of James spinymussel population genetic structure.

As this has been a collaboration with James Madison University, we have included undergraduate and graduate students in sampling and helped graduate students with development and execution of their own research objectives.

Survey for Protected Aquatic Mollusks at Selected Locations in the James River and Harris Creek, Amherst County, VA September 2008 As an independent consultant, Brett Ostby led mussel surveys for a proposed permanent water intake (JPA 08-0619; USACE 2008-01282) that would impact the James River in Amherst County, Virginia. Populations of the state endangered green floater (Lasmigona subviridis) were known from the reach. As part of this project, we also surveyed Harris Creek, a perennial tributary to the James River in Amherst County. The intake and impounded reach of the James at the Henry L. Lanum, Jr. Water Filtration Plant are part of the water supply for the greater Lynchburg area. We collected only fresh-dead shell of the paper pondshell (Utterbackia imbecillis) during extensive surveys efforts, resulting in no further mitigation for this project. Our client was Hurt & Proffitt, Inc. of Lynchburg, VA

Surveys and Relocations at Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) Fords on Craig Creek, Botetourt County From 2008 through 2011, while a researcher at Virginia Tech, Brett Ostby was the lead on annual surveys and relocations in Craig Creek where VDOT maintained several fords. Craig Creek is a major tributary to the James River supporting populations of 2 state-listed mussels and the federally endangered James spinymussel. It is one of only a few streams in Virginia where the Atlantic pigtoe (Fusconaia masoni) persists. Brett worked with the USFWS and VDOT to modify an existing Biological Opinion (BO) so that it protected rare mussels while allowing residents continued access to their property in a remote mountainous area where bridges are few and far between. Data collected at ford sites has been used in the Mark-Recapture study detailed above.

Reconnaissance surveys for native mussel habitat, James Spinymussel (Pleurobema collina), and other protected mussels in the upper James River, Botetourt County, Virginia. 2008-2009

While at Virginia Tech, Brett Ostby assessed habitat suitability for mussels in the James River for USFWS. After scoring sites using visual assessment criteria, he surveyed those with the highest suitability scores. This extensive survey effort demonstrated that mussels no longer inhabit otherwise suitable habitats in the reaches of the James River flowing through Botetourt County even though tributaries to the River in this and neighboring counties support some of the best populations of protected mussels in Virginia.

Mussel Survey of the North Fork Rivanna River Bordering the Joint Use Intelligence

Analysis Facility in Rivanna Station in Albemarle County, Virginia

August 2013

In a 22 person-hour survey effort of a James River tributary flowing through suburban Charlottesville, Daguna Consulting biologists observed 1 live specimen of P. collina, 11 live Strophitus undulatus and 43 live Villosa constricta. Even though we detected a federally endangered species, this survey fulfilled requirements for the permitting process and resulted in no instream mitigation. Our client was Williamsburg Environmental Group, Williamsburg, VA.

Additional Reports from James River Basin Projects authored by Daguna Biologists

Kopeny, M., L. Green, P. Angermeier, T. Wynn, P. Diplas, J. Little, M. Aust, C. Burcher, B. Ostby, M. Henderson, R. Zeckoski, J. Jessick, K. Greer, V. Singleton, and S. Bowler. 2005. Summary report supporting development of building blocks to prescribe ecological flows for the Rivanna River Watershed. The Nature Conservancy, Charlottesville, VA.

Ostby, B. J. K. and M. A. Petty. 2007. Survey for Protected Mussels in the Lower , Alleghany and Botetourt Counties, VA. Report for Hayes, Seay, Mattern & Mattern, Roanoke, VA. 8 pp.

Petty, M. A, B. J. K. Ostby, and B. B. Beaty. 2008. Stream Survey for Protected Freshwater Mussels in the Cowpasture River at Windy Cove Farm in Millboro Springs (Bath County), Virginia. Report for Mattern & Craig, Roanoke, VA.

Ostby B. J. K and B. B. Beaty. 2008. Survey for Protected Mollusks in Ballinger Creek, Albemarle County, Virginia. Report for Wildlands Engineering, Inc., Raleigh, NC. 11 pp.

Ostby, B. J. K. and R. J. Neves. 2008. Survey and Relocation of Freshwater Mussels at the Route 817 Ford Crossing of Craig Creek (Hannah’s Ford), Botetourt County, Virginia. Project # 00817-011-15504236. Report for Virginia Department of Transportation. Richmond, VA. 8 pp.

Ostby, B. J. K. and R. J. Neves. 2008. Survey and Relocation of Freshwater Mussels at the Route 705 Ford Crossing of Craig Creek (Reid’s Ford), Botetourt County, Virginia. Project # 00706-011-15504351. Report for Virginia Department of Transportation. Richmond, VA. 7 pp.

Ostby, B. J. K. and R. J. Neves. 2008. Survey and Relocation of Freshwater Mussels at the Route 706 Ford Crossing of Craig Creek (Anderson’s Ford), Botetourt County, Virginia. Project # 00706-011-15503987. Report for Virginia Department of Transportation. Richmond, VA. 14 pp.

Ostby, B. J. K. and R. J. Neves. 2008. Survey and Relocation of Freshwater Mussels at the Route 706 Ford Crossing of Craig Creek (Anderson’s Ford), Botetourt County, Virginia. Project # 00706-011-15503987. Report for Virginia Department of Transportation. Richmond, VA. 14 pp.

Ostby, B. J. K. and R. J. Neves. 2009. Survey and Relocation of Freshwater Mussels at the Route 817 Ford Crossing of Craig Creek (Hannah’s Ford), Botetourt County, Virginia. Project # 00817-011-16310311. Report for Virginia Department of Transportation. Richmond, VA. 10 pp.

Ostby, B. J. K. and R. J. Neves. 2009. Survey and Relocation of Freshwater Mussels at the Route 705 Ford Crossing of Craig Creek (Reid’s Ford), Botetourt County, Virginia. Project # 00705-011-16310237. Report for Virginia Department of Transportation. Richmond, VA. 11 pp.

Ostby, B. J. K. and B. B. Beaty. 2009. Stream Survey for Protected Mollusks in the James River near Eagle Rock (Botetourt County), Virginia. Botetourt County Public Works Department, Fincastle, VA.

Ostby, B. J. K. and R. J. Neves. 2009. Survey and Relocation of Freshwater Mussels at the Route 706 Ford Crossing of Craig Creek (Anderson’s Ford), Botetourt County, Virginia. Project # 00706-011-16310259. Report for Virginia Department of Transportation. Richmond, VA. 18 pp.

Ostby, B. J. K. and Richard J. Neves. 2009. Survey of Freshwater Mussels at the U. S. Route 29 Crossing of the Tye River in Amherst County, Virginia. Report for Virginia Department of Transportation, Richmond, VA.

Ostby, B. J. K., M. S. Johnson, and R. J. Neves. 2009. Survey of Freshwater Mussels at the Route 610 Crossing of the Pedlar River in Amherst County, Virginia. Project number: 00610-005- 15750461. Report for Virginia Department of Transportation. Richmond, VA. 20 pp.

Ostby, B. J. K., M. S. Johnson, and R. J. Neves. 2009. Survey of Freshwater Mussels at the Route 633 Crossing of the Cowpasture River in Alleghany County, Virginia Project number: 0633-003-155, B626, M501, P101, P106, R201. Report for Virginia Department of Transportation. Richmond, VA. 11 pp.

Ostby, B. J. K. and R. J. Neves. 2010. Survey and Relocation of Freshwater Mussels at the Route 706 Ford Crossing of Craig Creek (Anderson’s Ford), Botetourt County, Virginia. Project # 00706-011-16807314. Report for Virginia Department of Transportation. Richmond, VA. 14 pp.

Ostby, B. J. K. and R. J. Neves. 2010. Survey and Relocation of Freshwater Mussels at the Route 770 Ford Crossing of Craig Creek (Carter’s Ford), Botetourt County, Virginia. Project # 00770-011-16807158. Report for Virginia Department of Transportation. Richmond, VA. 14 pp.

Ostby, B. J. K. and R. J. Neves. 2010. Survey and Relocation of Freshwater Mussels at the Route 705 Ford Crossing of Craig Creek (Reid’s Ford), Botetourt County, Virginia. Project # 00705-011-16807227. Report for Virginia Department of Transportation, Richmond, VA 11 pp.

Ostby, B. J. K. and R. J. Neves. 2010. Survey and Relocation of Freshwater Mussels at the Route 817 Ford Crossing of Craig Creek (Hannah’s Ford), Botetourt County, Virginia. Project # 00817-011-16807102. Report for Virginia Department of Transportation, Richmond,VA. 15 pp.

Ostby, B. J. K. and B. B. Beaty. 2011. Mollusk Surveys and Habitat Assessments of Streams Draining the Innisfree Stream Mitigation Bank in Albemarle County, Virginia. Report for Williamsburg Environmental Group, Williamsburg, VA. 37 pp.

Ostby, B. J. K. and R. J. Neves. 2011. A Full Survey for Freshwater Mussels at the Route 130 Bridge Crossing of the Pedlar River in Amherst County, Virginia. Project# 0130-005-643, B650, C501, P101, R201. Report for Virginia Department of Transportation, Richmond, VA. 14 pp.

Ostby, B. J. K. and R. J. Neves. 2011. Abbreviated Mussel Survey for the Rt. 6 crossing of the Rivanna River in Fluvanna County, VA. Project# # 0006-032-108, B603, C501, P101, R201; UPC77321. Report for Virginia Department of Transportation, Richmond, VA. 12 pp.

Ostby, B. J. K. and R. J. Neves. 2011. Survey for Freshwater Mussels in Ivy Creek, in Proximity to the Proposed Route 29 Bypass Corridor. Report for Virginia Department of Transportation, Richmond, VA. 20 pp.

Ostby, B. J. K. and P. L. Angermeier. 2012. Semi-quantitative Freshwater Mussel Surveys in the Wards Creek, Rocky Creek, Buck Mountain Creek and Swift Run Sub-watersheds of the Rivanna River. Report for The Nature Conservancy, Charlottesville, VA.

Ostby, B. J. K. and B. B. Beaty. 2014. Stream Survey for Protected Mollusks in Johns Creek in New Castle, Virginia. Report for Anderson & Associates, Inc., Blacksburg, VA. 20 pp.

Ostby B. J. K and B. B. Beaty. 2014. Survey for Protected Mollusks in Smith Creek in Clifton Forge, VA. Report for Town of Clifton Forge and Blue Ridge EcoLogical Services, Indian Valley, VA.

B. B. Beaty. 2015. Protected Mollusk Survey in Smith Creek at the Proposed Reservoir Dam Project, Clifton Forge, Virginia. Report for Draper Aden Associates, Blacksburg, VA. 11 pp.

Ostby, B. J. K. 2016. Using Mark-Recapture Techniques to Estimate Population Parameters and Detection Probability for the Federally Endangered James Spinymussel. Reporting Under Virginia Contract No. 2014-14665 (2015 Renewal). 83 pp.