F INAL REPORT

Black Warrior Waterdog Field Survey and Habitat Assessment

William Bacon Oliver Lake, Holt Dam Tailrace Tuscaloosa County,

13 February 2015

Prepared for ALABAMA POWER COMPANY

By

Mark A. Bailey CONSERVATION SOUTHEAST 7746 Boggan Level Road Andalusia, AL 36420

BLACK WARRIOR WATERDOG SURVEY, HOLT DAM TAILRACE

Executive Summary Trapping and visual habitat surveys were conducted for the Black Warrior Waterdog ( alabamensis) in the mouth and lowermost reach of Yellow Creek and the tailrace below Holt Dam. Fieldwork was conducted on 3 through 5 February 2015 by biologists Mark Bailey of Conservation Southeast and Chad Fitch of Alabama Power Company Environmental Affairs. The absence of leaf packs precluded dip-net surveys and 30 minnow traps baited with chicken livers were employed, 20 along the main river channel shore and 10 in Yellow Creek. After 60 trap-nights (990 trap-hours), no Black Warrior Waterdogs were captured. Habitat conditions were considered poor but not entirely unsuitable. Contributing to the poor conditions are heavy sedimentation in Yellow Creek and the altered Black Warrior River channel at what is now William Bacon Oliver Lake.

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Contents Executive Summary ...... i Introduction ...... 1 The Black Warrior Waterdog ...... 1 The Site ...... 3 Methods ...... 6 Results ...... 7 Conclusion ...... 7 References Cited ...... 8 Appendix: Field Data Collection Forms ...... 8

Figures

Figure 1. Black Warrior Waterdog, Winston County, Alabama ...... 1 Figure 2. Distribution of the Black Warrior Waterdog ...... 2 Figure 3. Sampling water chemistry at trapping site along main river shoreline ...... 4 Figure 4. Yellow Creek near mouth below Holt Dam (visible in distance); this area was trapped .... 5 Figure 5. Yellow Creek in area trapped, approximately 75 meters upstream from its mouth ...... 5 Figure 6. Trap placement ...... 6 Figure 7. Tagged minnow trap and chicken liver bait at trapping site ...... 7

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Introduction This report summarizes a 3-5 February 2015 sampling survey and habitat assessment below Holt Lock and Dam for the Black Warrior Waterdog, Necturus alabamensis. It is a follow-up to an initial 6-7 May 2014 habitat assessment, and was scheduled for winter to take advantage of the ’ increased activity and probability of detection at that season. Mark Bailey of Conservation Southeast, Inc. and Chad Fitch of Alabama Power Company Environmental Affairs conducted the fieldwork. Mr. Bailey has extensive experience with the species, conducting numerous surveys and capturing multiple individuals throughout the upper Black Warrior basin. The Black Warrior Waterdog Description: This relatively small species of Necturus (Figure 1) attains a total length of up to about 200 mm. Three large external gills are present in adults and the hind feet have only four toes. The species is dark brown in ground color with scattered small dark gray spots; frequently there are a series of larger diffuse spots along the sides of the body creating a dark lateral stripe. The head is brown with a dark gray stripe from the external naris through the eye to the base of the external gills. The venter is immaculate white, changing abruptly to the darker color of the sides and dorsum. Juveniles have a wide, dark olive brown stripe from the top of the head to the dorsal edge of the tail. On each side of this stripe are wide, golden tan dorsolateral stripes from above the eye to the side of the tail.

This species is most similar to the Mudpuppy, N. maculosus, because both have boldly striped larvae. However, N. maculosus is not flattened dorsoventrally and has large spots on the sides of the body that generally are bold and not fused into a diffuse lateral dark stripe. Black Warrior Waterdogs are sympatric with the Gulf Coast Waterdog, N. beyeri, in Tuscaloosa County (in North River), but that species is not flattened dorsoventally, has no dark eye mask, and has an unstriped larva.

Photo by Mark Bailey FIGURE 1. BLACK WARRIOR WATERDOG, WINSTON COUNTY, ALABAMA

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Taxonomy: Guyer et. al. (in press) follows Bart et al. (1997) in restricting this species to members of the family with striped larvae and that are flattened dorsoventrally as adults. Many field guides (e.g. Conant and Collins 1998) apply N. alabamensis to a widespread taxon throughout the Coastal Plain of Alabama, but these specimens belong to N. beyeri and N. cf beyeri.

Distribution: The Black Warrior Waterdog is restricted to the Upper Black Warrior drainages. Extant populations are known from only nine streams in four counties: Sipsey Fork and Brushy Creek in Winston County, Locust Fork and Blackburn Fork in Blount County, Mulberry Fork, Blackwater Creek, and Lost Creek in Walker County, and Yellow Creek and North River in Tuscaloosa County (Figure 2). The type specimen was collected from “the Black Warrior River near Tuscaloosa” in 1914 (Viosca 1937), when the original lock and dam system was still new. The species exists in highly fragmented populations (Bailey and Moler 2003). The primary reasons for its apparent extirpation over much of its historic range are likely to be water quality degradation caused by industrial, mining, agricultural, and urban pollution. The remaining Black Warrior Waterdog populations are isolated from each other by unsuitable habitat created by impoundments, pollution, or other factors.

FIGURE 2. DISTRIBUTION OF THE BLACK WARRIOR WATERDOG (GUYER ET. AL., IN PRESS)

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All three Tuscaloosa County N. alabamensis records are either from the immediate vicinity of the project area or from streams that flow into or very near the project area:

1. “Black Warrior River near Tuscaloosa." 22 January 1914. Collector unknown, reported by Viosca (1937). Holotype, USNM 102676. Viosca reported a second specimen from the same locality.

2. Yellow Creek at Phelps Road, 33.338125°, -87.453451°. 12 December 1991. Bailey (1995). One striped subadult collected from a large leaf bed after about 30 minutes of sampling effort. A second specimen was collected here by M. Bailey and J. Godwin on 8 January 1994. On that date Bailey and Godwin also visited Yellow Creek below Lake Nicol dam. Habitat appeared suitable, but extensive dip- netting of leaf packs (no trapping) was unsuccessful. Environmental DNA sampling conducted in 2014 at the Phelps Road site yielded a positive result (J. Godwin, pers. comm.). 3. North River at Co. Rd. 83 (above Lake Tuscaloosa). 11 December 1991. Bailey (1995). Two Necturus larvae, one striped (N. alabamensis form) and one unstriped (N. beyeri form) collected from a small leaf bed after 30 minutes sampling effort.

Habits: Most aspects of the life history of N. alabamensis remain to be observed. Breeding is expected to occur in fall and winter. Small larvae can be discovered in leaf packs during February and March, suggesting that nests are created earlier and that the nests might be placed in these leaf packs. Based on comparison with other members of the genus, N. alabamensis is likely an opportunistic feeder, with aquatic invertebrates being dominant dietary items. Fish and other forms of vertebrate life might also be eaten.

Conservation status: Because it is endemic to the state of Alabama and populations typically are small, Black Warrior Waterdogs are protected by Alabama state regulation and classified as a “Species of Highest Conservation Concern” by the Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries. The species is also a candidate for federal listing under the Endangered Species Act. The presence of this species in a stream typically is indicative of intact forested watersheds. Areas where forests have been heavily logged have insufficient leaf packs to retain the species, as do areas where siltation covers slab rocks and leaf packs, thereby preventing invasion by leaf-shredding aquatic insects. The Site Six miles downstream from the site is where University Shoals dropped 30 feet over a two mile stretch and the river was often crossable on foot (Wood 1988). Presumably, these Fall Line shoals formed the natural boundary with N. alabamensis occurring above and the more common and widespread Gulf Coast Waterdog, N. beyeri, occurring below (Guyer et. al., in press). Beginning in the late 1800s the river was impounded and dredged for navigation. The area was further modified by construction of William Bacon Oliver Lock and Dam in 1940 which replaced three smaller locks, backing up a pool to the present location of Holt Lock and Dam, completed in 1969. Regular discharges from the dam create very swift current conditions interspersed with periods of relatively slow flow when hydropower is not being generated.

A no-entry safety zone extends approximately 1000 feet downstream from Holt Dam, and no sampling was conducted there. The left descending bank of William Bacon Oliver Lake is covered with limestone riprap and was judged unsuitable and not worthy of trapping. The right descending bank is lined with native sandstone riprap (Figure 3), with occasional cables and steel supports to hold it in place. This rock appeared to offer marginally suitable structure for waterdogs.

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FIGURE 3. SAMPLING WATER CHEMISTRY AT TRAPPING SITE ALONG LAKE SHORELINE The mouth of Yellow Creek (Figure 4) empties into William Bacon Oliver Lake at a point 700 feet below the dam on the right descending bank, and this stream is not appreciably inundated by the reservoir. It is approximately 20 feet wide with riffles and pools between 1 to 3 feet (Figure 5). Substrate is mostly sand and other sediment, with some cobble and scattered large rocks and logs. Crevices are scarce and leaf packs were entirely absent at the time of the survey. Habitat appeared marginally suitable at best, but because it is known to support N. alabamensis much farther upstream, it was deemed worth trapping.

A July 2011 mollusk survey at the same area by Alabama Power Company Environmental Affairs, Alabama Aquatic Biodiversity Center, and Environmental Aquatics, Inc. yielded two species of native snails, nine species of native mussels, and the non-native Asiatic clam, Corbicula fluminea (S. Krotzer, pers. comm.).

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FIGURE 4. YELLOW CREEK NEAR MOUTH BELOW HOLT DAM (VISIBLE IN DISTANCE); THIS AREA WAS TRAPPED

FIGURE 5. YELLOW CREEK IN AREA TRAPPED, APPROXIMATELY 150 FEET UPSTREAM FROM ITS MOUTH

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Methods The segment of reservoir shoreline trapped was approximately 550 feet long, extending downstream from the safety zone (Figure 6). The segment of Yellow Creek trapped was approximately 400 feet long, extending upstream from near the mouth. Beginning shortly after noon on 3 February, 30 standard minnow traps (Figure 7) were placed at approximately 30 foot intervals. Twenty were placed along the rocky reservoir shoreline at depths averaging 4 feet. Ten were placed in Yellow Creek at depths ranging from one to three feet, wherever potentially suitable structure (rocks, logs, exposed roots) could be found. All were baited with fresh chicken livers. Traps were tagged with unique identification numbers. They were checked the following morning and again in the evening, when they were re-baited with fresh liver. Traps were removed the morning of 5 February. Had submerged leaf packs been present in Yellow Creek, dip-net samples were to have been conducted. Environmental conditions were recorded on field forms at locations distributed across the area surveyed (Appendix).

FIGURE 6. TRAP PLACEMENT

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FIGURE 7. TAGGED MINNOW TRAP AND CHICKEN LIVER BAIT AT TRAPPING SITE

Results No Necturus alabamensis were captured or otherwise detected. Incidental captures included four unidentified crayfish and a specked madtom (Noturus leptacanthus) from Yellow Creek, and one bluegill fry (Lepomis macrochirus) from William Bacon Oliver Lake.

Conclusion Although the failure to capture N. alabamensis is not conclusive evidence of the species’ absence here, 60 trap-nights with no captures and the observed suboptimal habitat conditions are suggestive that the species is not present. Although a northern relative, N. maculosus, exists in deep lakes with large predatory fishes, it is not known if N. alabamensis has similar capabilities. The rock riprap along the main river channel bank appears to have been moved into place by heavy equipment decades ago and may lack suitable natural structure. In the lower reach of Yellow Creek, relatively poor habitat was indicated by heavy sedimentation, an absence of rock slabs and leaf packs, and a scarcity of natural crevices.

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References Cited Bailey, M.A. 1995. Performance report, Black Warrior waterdog survey 1994-95. Unpublished Alabama Natural Heritage Program report submitted to Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Montgomery, AL. 27 pp.

Bailey, M.A., and P.E. Moler. 2003. Necturus alabamensis Vioscai. Black Warrior Waterdog. Catalogue of American and Reptiles 761: 1-2.

Bart, H., M. Bailey, R. Ashton, Jr., and P. Moler. 1997. Taxonomic and nomenclatural status of the upper Black Warrior River Waterdog. Journal of Herpetology, 31 (2): 192-201.

Conant, R. and J.T. Collins. 1998. A field guide to reptiles and amphibians of Eastern and Central North America. Third Edition, Expanded. Houghton Mifflin Company, New York.

Guyer, C., M.A. Bailey, and R.H. Mount. In press. of Alabama. University of Alabama Press, Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

Viosca, P., Jr. 1937. A tentative revision of the genus Necturus with descriptions of three new species from the southern Gulf Drainage area. Copeia 1937: 120–138.

Wood, K.G., 1988. From Tuscaloosa to Squaw Shoals: A History of Holt Lake, Alabama. Report prepared for United States Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District.

Appendix: Field Data Collection Forms

(Following 3 Pages)

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