Species Status Assessment Report for the Longsolid (Fusconaia Subrotunda)
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Species Status Assessment Report for the Longsolid (Fusconaia subrotunda) Photo credit: Dick Biggins/Service October 2018 Version 1.3 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Region 4 Atlanta, GA Primary Contributors • Andrew Henderson - Asheville Field Office, Lead Biologist (Region 4) • Heidi Crowell - Pacific Southwest Regional Office, SAT Project Manager (Region 8) • Gary Peeples - Asheville Field Office (Region 4) • Josh Hundley - Missouri Field Office (Region 3) Additional Contributors • Mark Endries - Asheville Field Office (Region 4) – mapping support • David Martinez - Oklahoma Field Office (Region 2) • Megan Kelhart - Headquarters Peer Reviewers ● Bob Butler (USFWS, retired) ● Dr. Nathan Johnson (USGS) ● Dr. Rusty Boyles (USGS) Contributors & Partner Agency Reviewers (underlined) • Leroy Koch, Angela Boyer, Stephanie Chance, Barbara Douglas, Bob Anderson, Jason Mays, Andy Ford, Tamara Smith, Lori Pruitt, Patty Morrison (retired), Jordan Richard, Rose Agbalog, Jennifer Pritchett (USFWS) • Chuck Howard, Tim Keeling (Tennessee Valley Authority) • Kierstin Carlson (Western Pennsylvania Conservancy) • Dr. David Smith, Steve Ahlstedt (retired) (US Geological Survey) • Art Bogan, Jamie Smith (NC Museum of Natural Sciences) • Jeremy Tiemann, Rachel Vinsel, Kevin Cummings (IL Natural History Survey) • Heidi Dunn, Emily Grossman (Ecological Specialists, Inc.) • Brian Watson, Karen Horodysky, Tim Lane (VA Department of Game and Inland Fisheries) • Dr. Paul Johnson, Jeff Garner, Michael Buntin, Todd Fobian, Ashley Peters (AL Department of Conservation & Natural Resources) • Gerry Dinkins (UT McClung Museum) • Greg Zimmermann (EnviroScience, Inc.) • John Spaeth, Mitchell Kriege (Environmental Solutions & Innovations) • Dr. Luke Etchison (NC Wildlife Resources Commission) • Mike Compton, Ian Horn (KY State Nature Preserves Commission) • Chad Lewis, Clarissa Lawliss (Lewis Environmental Consulting) • Nevin Welte (PA Boat and Fish Commission) • Rebecca Winterinnger (TRC, Inc.) • Tim Savidge, Tom Dickinson (Three Oaks Engineering) ii • Amy Mahar, Nick Conrad (NY Natural Heritage Program) • Darran Crabtree (NY Chapter The Nature Conservancy) • Debbie Wolschki (Ohio Natural Heritage Program) • Janet Clayton (WV Division of Natural Resources) • Jason Wisnewski (GA Deptartment of Natural Resources) • Brant Fisher (IN Department of Natural Resources) • Judy Ratcliff (NC Natural Heritage Program) • Charlie Morgan (Mainstream Commercial Divers, Inc.) • Dr. Monte McGregor, Keith Wethington (KY Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources) • Stuart McGregor (Geological Survey of AL) • Don Hubbs (TN Wildlife Resources Agency) • Dr. Mike Hoggarth (Otterbien College) • Dr. Braven Beaty (VA Chapter The Nature Conservancy) iii SUGGESTED CITATION: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service). 2018. Draft Species Status Assessment Report for the Longsolid Mussel (Fusconaia subrotunda), Version 1.X3. Asheville Ecological Services Field Office, Asheville, North Carolina. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ACRONYMS USED viii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ix CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION 13 1.1 Purpose of SSA 13 1.2 Species Basics - Taxonomy and Evolution 13 1.2.1 Taxonomy 16 1.3 Petition History 16 1.4 State Listing Status 17 CHAPTER 2 - METHODOLOGY AND DATA 18 2.1 SSA Framework 18 2.1.1 Species Needs 18 2.1.2 Current Species Condition 19 2.1.3 Future Species Condition 21 CHAPTER 3 - SPECIES BACKGROUND AND ECOLOGY 23 3.1 Physical Description 23 3.2 Genetics 24 3.3 Life History 24 3.4 Reproduction 26 CHAPTER 4 - RESOURCE NEEDS 28 4.1 Individual-level Resource Needs 28 4.1.1 Clean, Flowing Water 28 4.1.2 Appropriate Water Quality and Temperatures 29 4.1.3 In-Stream Sedimentation 30 4.1.4 Food and Nutrients 30 4.2 Population- and Species-level Needs 30 4.2.1 Connectivity of Aquatic Habitat 30 4.2.2 Dispersal-Adult Abundance and Distribution 31 4.2.3 Host Fish 31 4.3 Uncertainties 31 4.4 Summary of Resource Needs 32 CHAPTER 5 - CURRENT CONDITIONS, ABUNDANCE AND DISTRIBUTION 34 5.1 Historical Conditions For Context 34 5.2 Current Population Abundance, Trends, and Distribution 37 5.3 Estimated Viability of Longsolid Mussel Based on Current Conditions 40 v 5.3.1 Resiliency 40 5.3.2 Representation 44 5.3.3 Redundancy 45 5.4 Uncertainties of Current Condition 45 CHAPTER 6 - FACTORS INFLUENCING VIABILITY 46 6.1 Habitat Degradation or Loss 48 6.1.1 Development/Urbanization 48 6.1.2 Transportation 50 6.1.3 Contaminants 53 6.1.4 Agricultural Activities 57 6.1.4.1 Nutrient Pollution 57 6.1.4.2 Pumping for Irrigation 57 6.1.4.3 Agriculture Exemptions from Permit Requirements 57 6.1.4.4 Agricultural Activities Summary 58 6.1.5 Dams and Barriers 59 6.1.6 Changing Climate Conditions 63 6.1.7 Resource Extraction 65 6.1.7.1 Coal Mining 65 6.1.7.2 Natural Gas Extraction 66 6.1.7.3 Gravel Mining/Dredging 67 6.1.7.4 Resource Extraction Summary 67 6.1.8 Forest Conversion 68 6.2 Invasive and Non-native Species 70 6.3 Harvest and Overutilization 73 6.4 Genetic Isolation and Displacement 74 6.5 Factors Currently Believed To Have Limited Effects on Longsolid Populations 76 6.5.1 Host Fishes 76 6.5.2 Enigmatic Population Declines 77 6.5.3 Parasites 77 6.5.4 Predation 78 6.6 Overall Summary of Factors Affecting the Species 78 CHAPTER 7 - FUTURE CONDITIONS 79 7.1 Future Scenario Considerations 80 7.2 Future Scenarios 80 7.3 Scenario 1 82 7.3.1 Resiliency 86 vi 7.3.2 Representation 87 7.3.3 Redundancy 87 7.4 Scenario 2 87 7.4.1 Resiliency 91 7.4.2 Representation 92 7.4.3 Redundancy 92 7.5 Scenario 3 92 7.5.1 Resiliency 96 7.5.2 Representation 97 7.5.3 Redundancy 97 CHAPTER 8 - OVERALL SYNTHESIS 98 LITERATURE CITED 104 APPENDIX A—SUMMARY OF EXTANT POPULATIONS AND THEIR ESTIMATED SIZE. 134 APPENDIX B - FORMER CONTIGUOUS POPULATIONS AND MANAGEMENT UNITS, NOW CONSIDERED EXTIRPATED, ACROSS THE LONGSOLID RANGE. 158 APPENDIX C—MAPS DEPICTING THE 60 LONGSOLID MUSSEL POPULATIONS WITHIN MANAGEMENT UNITS ACROSS THEIR CURRENT RANGE. 166 APPENDIX D—ESTIMATES OF MAGNITUDE AND IMMEDIACY OF POTENTIAL THREATS NEGATIVELY INFLUENCING THE VIABILITY OF LONGSOLID. 167 vii ACRONYMS USED Act Endangered Species Act NHEP New Hampshire Estuaries ADCNR Alabama Department of Project Conservation and Natural NHP Natural Heritage Program Resources NOAA National Oceanic and AMD acid mine drainage Atmospheric Administration ANHP Alabama National Heritage NPDES National Pollutant Discharge Program Elimination System ANS aquatic nuisance species NPS National Park Service ARA active river area NWR National Wildlife Refuge BMP best management practices ODNR Ohio Department of Natural CAFO Concentrated Animal Feeding Resources Operations OWC organic wastewater contaminants CBD Center for Biological Diversity PANHP Pennsylvania National Heritage CWA Clean Water Act Program CWP Center for Watershed Protection PDEP Pennsylvania Department of DNR Department of Natural Resources Environmental Protection EPA U.S. Environmental Protection PPM parts per million Agency RM river mile ESI Ecological Specialists, Inc. ROW right-of-way FPG Forest Practices Guidelines RRI Reservoir Release Improvement FR Federal Register Service U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service HUC Hydrologic unit codes SMCRA Surface and Mining Control and INHS Illinois Natural History Survey Reclamation Act of 1977 KDEP Kentucky Department for SSA Species Status Assessment Environmental Protection SWAP State Wildlife Action Plan KSNPC Kentucky State Nature Preserves TAN total ammonia-nitrogen Commission TDEC Tennessee Department of KYDOW Kentucky Division of Water Environment and Conservation KDFW Kentucky Department of Fish & TNC The Nature Conservancy Wildlife Resources TSS total suspended solids LEC Lewis Environmental TVA Tennessee Valley Authority Consulting TWRA Tennessee Wildlife Resources MU Management Unit Agency NCASI National Council for Air and USACE U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Stream Improvement USFS U.S. Forest Service NCFA North Carolina Forestry USGS U.S. Geological Survey Association VDGIF Virginia Department of Game NCNHP North Carolina National Heritage and Inland Fisheries Program WVDEP West Virginia Department of NCMNS North Carolina Museum of Environmental Protection Natural Sciences WVDNR West Virginia Division of NCWRC North Carolina Wildlife Natural Resources Resources Commission NGO non-governmental organization viii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY In 1831, Isaac Lea described the Longsolid, a medium-sized mussel, up to 5 inches (125 millimeters (mm) in size, which can be long-lived-potentially up to 50 years. It is found in small streams to large rivers (such as the Ohio River mainstem), and prefers a mixture of sand, gravel, and cobble substrates. The Longsolid is historically known from 12 states, though now only occurs in nine. It is currently found in three major river basins: the Ohio (where is most prevalent), Cumberland (where it is rarest), and Tennessee, it is considered extirpated from the Great Lakes basin. Known populations have declined in number from 162 historically to 60 today. It has suffered impacts from negative influences to aquatic species commonly found in the central and eastern U.S. including habitat fragmentation from dams and other barriers; habitat loss; degraded water quality from chemical contamination and erosion from poorly managed development, agriculture, mining, and timber operations; direct mortality from dredging and harvest; and the proliferation of invasive species, such as the zebra mussel. Projections 50 to 70 years into the future indicate that the number of populations could remain at 60 or drop to as low as 16, depending on the variety of considerations