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Barton Springs Salamander (Eurycea Sosorum)

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Barton Springs Salamander (Eurycea Sosorum) U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Barton Springs Salamander (Eurycea sosorum) Recovery Plan September 2005 BARTON SPRINGS SALAMANDER RECOVERY PLAN DISCLAIMER Recovery plans delineate reasonable actions which the best available science indicates are required to recover or protect listed species. Plans are published by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, but are sometimes prepared with the assistance of recovery teams, contractors, state agencies, and others. Objectives will be attained and any necessary funds made available subject to budgetary and other constraints affecting the parties involved, as well as the need to address other priorities. Nothing in this plan should be construed as a commitment or requirement that any Federal agency obligate or pay funds in contravention of the Anti-Deficiency Act (U.S.C. 1341) or any other law or regulation. Recovery plans do not necessarily represent the views or the official positions or approval of any individuals or agencies involved in the plan formulation, other than the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. They represent the official position of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service only after the plan has been signed by the Regional Director as approved. Approved recovery plans are subject to modification as dictated by new information, changes in species status, and the completion of recovery actions. Please check for updates or revisions at the website below before using. Literature citation should read as follows: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2005. Barton Springs Salamander (Eurycea sosorum) Recovery Plan. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Albuquerque, NM. Additional copies may be obtained from: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Austin Ecological Services Office Southwest Regional Office 10711 Burnet Road, Suite 200 500 Gold Street, SW Austin, TX 78758 Albuquerque, NM 87102 Tel. #512-490-0057 Tel. #505-248-6665 On Line: http://www.fws.gov/endangered ii BARTON SPRINGS SALAMANDER RECOVERY PLAN ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service gratefully acknowledges the commitment, dedication, and efforts of the Barton Springs Salamander Recovery Team in the preparation of this recovery plan. Without their valuable expertise and assistance, this recovery plan would not have been possible. BARTON SPRINGS SALAMANDER RECOVERY TEAM Technical Subcommittee Andy Price, Biology Leader Raymond Slade, Hydrology Leader Texas Parks and Wildlife Department U.S. Geological Survey (Retired) Casey Berkhouse Mary Ambrose HNTB Corporation Texas Commission on Environmental Quality David Bowles Southwest Missouri State University Michael Barrett Center for Research in Water Resources Robert Hansen University of Texas - Austin Alan Plummer Associates, Inc. Nico Hauwert Clifton Ladd City ofAustin Loomis Austin Watershed Protection and Development Review Department Lisa O’Donnell City of Austin Glenn Longley Watershed Protection and Development Texas State University – San Marcos Review Department BARTON SPRINGS SALAMANDER RECOVERY TEAM Implementation Subcommittee David Armbrust Nancy McClintock Armbrust, Brown, and Davis City of Austin Watershed Protection and Development Helen Besse Review Department Capital Environmental Services George Murfee Henry Brooks Murfee Engineering Company Rick Coneway Melanie Oberlin City of Dripping Springs Henry and Poplin iii BARTON SPRINGS SALAMANDER RECOVERY PLAN Laurie Dries John Orr City of Austin Watershed Protection and Development Jim Powers Review Department Hays County Judge Alan Glen Mike Rutherford, Jr. Smith, Robertson, Elliot, and Glen Hank Smith Mark Kirkpatrick C. Faulkner Engineering University of Texas – Austin Byron Townsend John Kuhl Travis County Ed Wendler, Jr. Sherri Kuhl Ira Yates Lower Colorado River Authority Yates Cattle Jim Dwyer Technical Consultant to the Recovery Team U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Columbia Missouri Ecological Services Paige Najvar Recovery Team Liaison U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Austin Ecological Services The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service would also like to express its appreciation for the many individuals, groups, and agencies actively involved in the recovery of the Barton Springs salamander, particularly those gathering the information needed to achieve the goals of stabilizing the habitat and populations of the Barton Springs salamander. We look forward to continued collaboration with these partners to conserve this species and the ecosystem on which it depends. We would also like to acknowledge the work of Matthew Lechner, Lisa O’Donnell, and Krishna Gifford in preparing early drafts of this recovery plan during their previous roles as U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service liaisons to the recovery team. iv BARTON SPRINGS SALAMANDER RECOVERY PLAN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Species' Status: The Barton Springs salamander (Eurycea sosorum) was federally listed as an endangered species on May 30, 1997 (62 FR 23377-23392). The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) has assigned the salamander a recovery priority number of 2C. Critical habitat has not been designated for this species. The Barton Springs salamander is also listed as endangered by the State of Texas. Habitat Requirements and Limiting Factors: The Barton Springs salamander has only been documented at four spring outlets (collectively known as Barton Springs) within the City of Austin’s Zilker Park in Travis County, Texas. Habitat for the Barton Springs salamander occurs in stenothermal (that is, having a narrow temperature range) springflows with substrates that are free of sediment and have various mixtures of gravel, cobble, aquatic plants, and leaf litter. The primary threats or reasons for listing the Barton Springs salamander were “the degradation of the quality and quantity of water that feeds Barton Springs” as a result of urban expansion over the watershed. The species’ restricted range makes it vulnerable to both acute and chronic groundwater contamination. The salamander is also vulnerable to catastrophic hazardous materials spills, increased water withdrawals from the Edwards Aquifer, and impacts to the surface habitat. Recovery Strategy: Comprehensive regional plans are needed to address water quality and quantity threats. A number of interested parties are working on comprehensive regional approaches to aid in the conservation of this species; however, these approaches have not been fully implemented. Because of the extremely limited range of this species, captive breeding is important as insurance against extinction while other conservation measures are being put in place. Local surface habitat management and education and outreach programs are also important components of the recovery strategy for this species. While additional actions may be necessary to ensure the recovery of the Barton Springs salamander, further study is needed to guide and refine management and assess effectiveness of the various protection efforts. See Section 2.1, Recovery Strategy for a more detailed discussion. Recovery Goal: The goal of this recovery plan is to ensure the long-term viability of the Barton Springs salamander in the wild to the point that it can be delisted. Recovery Criteria: Reclassify status from endangered to threatened: The Barton Springs salamander should be considered for reclassification when (1) the Barton Springs watershed is sufficiently protected to maintain adequate water quality (including sediment quality) and ensure the long-term survival of the Barton Springs salamander in its natural environment; (2) a plan is implemented to avoid, respond to, and remediate hazardous material spills within the Barton Springs watershed such that the risk of harm to the Barton Springs salamander is insignificant; (3) an Aquifer Management Plan is implemented to ensure adequate water quantity in the Barton v BARTON SPRINGS SALAMANDER RECOVERY PLAN Springs watershed and natural springflow at the four spring outlets that comprise Barton Springs; (4) healthy, self-sustaining natural populations of Barton Springs salamanders are maintained at the four spring sites; (5) surface management measures to remove local threats to the Barton Springs ecosystem have been implemented; and (6) captive breeding populations have been established and a contingency plan is in place to ensure the survival of the species should a catastrophic event destroy the wild population. Delisting: The Barton Springs salamander should be considered for removal from the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife (List) when (1) the measures listed above have been implemented and shown to be effective; (2) the Barton Springs salamander populations continue to be self-sustaining and stable; and (3) commitments are in place to maintain conservation measures and recovered status. Actions Needed: (1) Protect and, as necessary, improve water quality (including the quality of sediment) within the Barton Springs watershed. (2) Minimize catastrophic water quality threats. (3) Sustain adequate water quantity at Barton Springs. (4) Manage surface habitat at Barton Springs. (5) Maintain captive populations of Barton Spring salamanders for research and restoration purposes. (6) Develop and implement an outreach plan. (7) Monitor the current salamander populations and the results of recovery efforts. Estimated Cost (Dollars x 1000): Cost estimates reflect costs for specific actions needed to achieve Barton Springs salamander recovery. Estimates do not include costs that agencies or other entities normally incur as part of their mission or normal operating expenses. The following table
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