Appendix A August 14, 2012 WRIA Kick‐off Meeting Agenda, Summary and Participant List Cahaba NWR WRIA kick-off meeting summary - Page 1 of 7 MEETING SUMMARY Water Resources Inventory and Assessment (WRIA) for Cahaba National Wildlife Refuge Meeting Date: Tuesday, August 14, 2012 (9:30 AM – 4:00 PM) CENTRAL TIME Meeting Location: Jefferson County Shades Valley Training Center, Birmingham, AL Meeting Purpose: 1. Provide an overview of the WRIA process including outcomes, and timelines for completion 2. Identify expertise, data, information, contacts, etc. for various sections within the WRIA process 3. Begin the WRIA process at Cahaba NWR 4. Collaborate and share information/data about the river, refuge, management issues and other related work happening in the watershed including public education/outreach. Goals and Objectives: WRIA - The goal of the National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS) Water Resources Inventory and Assessment (WRIA) effort is to provide up-to-date, accurate data on Refuge System water quantity and quality in order to acquire, manage, and protect adequate supplies of clean and fresh water. a. Achieve a greater understanding of existing refuge water resources b. Identify potential concerns or threats to those resources c. Provide a basis for wildlife habitat management and operational recommendations Meeting Agenda: TUESDAY – August 14, 2012 9:30 AM – 11:00 AM – Welcome, Meeting Logistics, and Introductions . Welcome . Introductions (all) – (everyone give quick overview/status update of Cahaba River effort(s)) . Overview of Water Resource Assessment work in FWS, status (Susan Cielinski, FWS) . Brief introduction to the refuge and its management history (Sarah Clardy, FWS) . Overview of Cahaba River including biological resources, past disturbance, future threats, personal experience, long-term view of Cahaba River (Paul Freeman, TNC; Theresa Thom, FWS; all participants) 11:00 AM – 11:15 AM (BREAK) 11:15 AM – 12:15 PM – Water Resources Inventory and Assessment (WRIA) Process . Introduction, goals, timeline and data needs for WRIA process (John Faustini, FWS) . Presentations on data already collected for Cahaba River (Rebecca Burns & Kirsten Hunt, Atkins) . Discussion about data, data gaps, potential sources, contacts, management issues, timeline, etc. 12:15 PM – 1:15 PM – (LUNCH) 1:15 PM – 4:00 PM – Water Resource Inventory and Assessment (WRIA) Process (continued) . Discussion of the WRIA spreadsheet data items (group contributions) . Assignments for data needs, milestones, etc. Dates for future meetings/follow-up for WRIA . Other action items NEXT MEETING: (conference call scheduled for Wed., Oct. 3, 2012 (11:00 Eastern/10:00 AM Central) Cahaba NWR WRIA kick-off meeting summary - Page 2 of 7 Attendees: Last Name First Name Affiliation E-mail Allen Brad Atkins Global [email protected] Barnhill Laurel USFWS - Inventory & Monitoring [email protected] Black Gordon Cahaba River Society [email protected] Burns Rebecca Atkins Global [email protected] Cielinski Sue USFWS - Regional Office [email protected] Clardy Sarah USFWS - Refuge Manager [email protected] Duncan Will USFWS - GA ES Office [email protected] Faustini John USFWS - Regional Hydrologist [email protected] Freeman Paul The Nature Conservancy [email protected] Gray Dana Jefferson County [email protected] Griswell Taylor Alabama Dept of Environmental Mgmt- ADEM [email protected] Haddock Randy Cahaba River Society [email protected] Huff Lisa Alabama Dept of Environmental Mgmt - ADEM [email protected] Hunt Kirsten Atkins Global [email protected] Johnson Paul Alabama Aquatic Biodiversity Center - ADCNR [email protected] Marlowe Karen USFWS - Daphne ES/Birmingham sub-office [email protected] McGregor Stuart Geological Survey of Alabama [email protected] Powell Jeff USFWS - Daphne ES Office [email protected] Spadgenske Eric USFWS - Partners Program [email protected] Thom Theresa USFWS - Inventory & Monitoring [email protected] Meeting Summary: Sue Cielinski (FWS – Regional Office) WRIA Background in the Southeast Region: Historically the USFWS has had a limited focus on refuge hydrology in the Southeast Region because of its plentiful water supply and a lack of perceived stress on resources; however, recent droughts, floods and climate change have begun to change the picture. In 2007 the USFWS began identifying water resource concerns on refuges (e.g., baseline information, minimum flows, need for hydrologists, water control issues, levees, etc.). This prompted a water study started in 2008 on several refuges with USGS (Gary Buell) that is still ongoing. The study is meant to assess water issues related to the quantity and timing of flow on some southeastern refuges originally identified as having critical water resource needs: Cahaba River NWR (Alabama), Cache River NWR (Arkansas), White River NWR (Arkansas), Lower Suwanee NWR (FL), Caloosahatchee NWR (FL) and Ding Darling NWR (FL). Information from this study is being compiled (including information on Cahaba NWR) and it is being applied to the WRIAs. Also in 2008, the USFWS created a national water team to address water issues nationwide. They began putting together a water resources assessment (precursor to WRIA) and the template was used as the basis for the WRIAs. In 2009 Eastern and Western climate change water teams were assembled and charged to assess Service needs related to water and climate change, as well as to identify refuges where water quantity and quality issues are important concerns. There are several initiatives going on right now, Cahaba NWR WRIA kick-off meeting summary - Page 3 of 7 related to water. The USFWS Inventory and Monitoring (I&M) group is now helping to integrate these previous efforts in a more organized way. Specifically for Cahaba NWR, the WRIA process was actually started in 2009 with the Refuge Manager at the time (Steve Miller) which included a site visit. The process is now being rejuvenated and moving forward. Sarah Clardy (FWS – Cahaba River NWR Manager) Introduction to Cahaba River NWR: The refuge was established on September 25, 2002 (celebrating 10 years this fall); Sarah has been refuge manager since Oct 2011. Cahaba River NWR is administered together with Watercress Darter NWR and Mountain Longleaf NWR, all in Alabama. There are 11 refuges in AL. Cahaba NWR was established to conserve and protect water quality for aquatic species, and to manage and restore longleaf pine. Improving recreational access is also a management goal. Recreation includes water recreation, hunting, fishing, nature observation & photography. Cahaba NWR is very biologically rich, so managing biodiversity is very important. 3600 acres currently, within a 7600-acre acquisition boundary. The history of the land now protected as Cahaba NWR includes coal mining. It was last mined in the 1950s (maybe into the 1970s). Mining included underground and surface mining. There are remnant rock walls from strip mining and spoils and the refuge is in the midst of putting together a reclamation project (100 acres) to push the spoils “hill” toward the “high wall” to restore the area’s hydrology and to fill a mine shaft which is leaching arsenic and strontium. At times the mine shaft is completely flooded and at other times it is without water. o QUESTION: How much water is entering the mine shaft, and leaching out? . DATA / SUPPORT NEED: sampling methodology to evaluate impact and effectiveness of restoration actions. Follow-up w/FWS Contaminants Program. The area’s coal is notorious for arsenic, nickel and high strontium levels. One- time soil samples were collected at 3 locations and other samples are planned to be collected as reclamation proceeds. Guidance is needed for sampling protocol(s) to evaluate restoration activity effectiveness. Discussion: Jeff Powell suggested using ground penetrating radar or other techniques now available to evaluate extensiveness of underground mine shaft(s) within refuge boundaries. Need contact(s) o FOR FOLLOW UP: Other sampling done by ADEM and GSA that might be useful. The reclamation project should begin in winter 2012-13. Sarah has GIS layers of the mine location & reclamation project limits. Timber production is also part of the refuge’s history with abundant loblolly pine plantations remaining. These are being managed to slowly restore to longleaf pine. Some clear-cutting and longleaf planting has been done and now controlled burning is needed. Paul Freeman (TNC) Overview of Cahaba River: The Cahaba River drains 1800 sq miles and flows 191 miles, with the upper half above the fall line and the lower half within the coastal plain. Elevations range from 100-900 feet within the Cahaba NWR WRIA kick-off meeting summary - Page 4 of 7 watershed. The headwaters are located north of Birmingham. The upstream area is a wide, shallow stream through bedrock shoals, then bluffs. In the downstream area (coastal plain) the river includes oxbow lakes, blackbelt chalk and prairie cliffs. The Cahaba is one of the longest freeflowing rivers in Alabama with only one reservoir (Lake Purdy in Birmingham on the L. Cahaba). Historically there were mill dams and small dams on the mainstem but most have been removed or breached. There is still a dam at Highway 280 in Birmingham that was built 100 years ago to stabilize the pool for drinking water withdrawals and is still being maintained to manage water levels in the river. It is 15 feet high, backs up water for 3.5 miles upstream and has a non-functioning fish ladder. It is the only significant remaining structure on the main branch of the Cahaba River. There are 135 species of fish in the Cahaba. Migratory and diadromous fish are declining in the river. There are several listed fish species, and some species may be extirpated. The Cahaba River is in the top 5-10 rivers in the US for total freshwater mussel species abundance, with 38 of 48 spp. previously identified in the Cahaba believed to still be present, although reproduction and recruitment is thought to be declining for many mussel species.