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Tuesday, August 9, 2005 Part III Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service 50 CFR Part 17 Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Listing Roswell springsnail, Koster’s springsnail, Noel’s amphipod, and Pecos assiminea as Endangered With Critical Habitat; Final Rule VerDate jul<14>2003 18:26 Aug 08, 2005 Jkt 205001 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4717 Sfmt 4717 E:\FR\FM\09AUR2.SGM 09AUR2 46304 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 152 / Tuesday, August 9, 2005 / Rules and Regulations DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: in coastal brackish waters or along tropical and temperate seacoasts Background Fish and Wildlife Service worldwide (Taylor 1987). Inland species It is our intent to discuss only those of the genus Assiminea are known from 50 CFR Part 17 topics directly relevant to this final around the world, and in North America listing determination. For more RIN 1018–AI15 they occur in California (Death Valley information on the four invertebrates, National Monument), Utah, New Endangered and Threatened Wildlife refer to the February 12, 2002, proposed Mexico, Texas (Pecos and Reeves and Plants; Listing Roswell rule (67 FR 6459). However, some of Counties), and Mexico (Bolso´n de springsnail, Koster’s springsnail, this information is discussed in our Cuatro Cı´enegas). Noel’s amphipod, and Pecos analyses below, such as the summary of The Roswell springsnail and Koster’s assiminea as Endangered With Critical factors affecting the species. springsnail are aquatic species. These Habitat Springsnails snails have lifespans of 9 to 15 months and reproduce several times during the AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, The Permian Basin of the spring through fall breeding season Interior. southwestern United States contains (Taylor 1987; Pennak 1989; Brown one of the largest carbonate (limestone) ACTION: Final rule. 1991). Snails of the family Hydrobiidae deposits in the world (New Mexico are sexually dimorphic (there are SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Department of Game and Fish (NMDGF) characteristic differences between males Wildlife Service (Service), list the 1998). Within the Permian Basin of the and females), with females being Roswell springsnail (Pyrgulopsis Southwestern United States lies the characteristically larger and longer-lived roswellensis), Koster’s springsnail Roswell Basin. Located in southeastern than males. As with other snails in the (Juturnia kosteri), and Noel’s amphipod New Mexico, this Basin has a surface family, the Roswell springsnail and (Gammarus desperatus) as endangered area of around 31,080 square kilometers Koster’s springsnail are completely and the Pecos assiminea (Assiminea (km) (12,000 square miles [mi]) and aquatic but can survive in seepage areas, pecos) as endangered with critical generally begins north of Roswell, New as long as flows are perennial and habitat under the Endangered Species Mexico, and runs to the southeast of within the species’ physiological Act of 1973, as amended (Act). These Carlsbad, New Mexico. The Roswell tolerance limit. These two snails occupy four invertebrates occur at sinkholes, Basin contains a deep artesian aquifer spring heads and runs with variable springs, and associated spring runs and and a shallow surficial aquifer. The water temperatures (10 to 20 ° Celsius wetland habitats. They are found at one action of water on soluble rocks (e.g., [C] (50 to 68 ° Fahrenheit [F])) and slow- site in Chaves County, New Mexico, and limestone and dolomite) has formed to-moderate water velocities over Pecos assiminea is also found at one site abundant ‘‘karst’’ features such as compact substrate ranging from deep in Pecos County, Texas, and one site in sinkholes, caverns, springs, and organic silts to gypsum sands and gravel Reeves County, Texas. underground streams (White et al. and compact substrate (NMDGF 1998). These three snails and one amphipod 1995). These hydrogeological formations Conversely, the Pecos assiminea seldom have an exceedingly limited create unique settings harboring diverse occurs immersed in water, but prefers a distribution, low mobility, and assemblages of flora and fauna. The humid microhabitat created by wet mud fragmented habitat. They are imperiled isolated limestone and gypsum springs, or beneath vegetation mats, typically by introduced species, surface and seeps, and wetlands located in and within a few centimeters (cm) (inches groundwater contamination, oil and gas around Roswell, New Mexico, and (in)) of running water. extraction activities within the Pecos and Reeves Counties, Texas, Gastropods (snails) are a class of supporting aquifer and watershed, local provide the last known habitats in the mollusks with a body divided into a foot and regional groundwater depletion, world for several endemic species of and visceral mass and a head that severe drought, and direct loss of their fish, plants, mollusks, and crustaceans. usually bears eyes and tentacles. Like habitat (e.g., through burning or These species include the Roswell most gastropods, the Roswell removing marsh vegetation, or flooding springsnail and Koster’s springsnail of springsnail, Koster’s springsnail, and of habitat). This final rule will the freshwater snail family Hydrobiidae, Pecos assiminea feed on algae, bacteria, implement the Federal protection and Pecos assiminea of the snail family and decaying organic material (NMDGF recovery provisions of the Act for these Assimineidae, and Noel’s amphipod 1988). They will also incidentally ingest invertebrate species. We are also (Gammaridae). These species are small invertebrates while grazing on designating critical habitat for the Pecos distributed in isolated, geographically algae and detritus (dead or partially assiminea in Texas. separate populations, and likely evolved decayed plant materials or animals). from parent species that once enjoyed a These snails are fairly small; Koster’s DATES: This final rule is effective wide distribution during wetter, cooler springsnail is the largest of the three September 8, 2005. climates of the Pleistocene. Such snails, and is about 4 to 4.5 millimeters ADDRESSES: Supporting documentation divergence has been well-documented (mm) (0.16 to 0.18 in) long with a pale for this rulemaking is available for for aquatic and terrestrial tan shell that is narrowly conical with public inspection, by appointment, macroinvertebrate groups within arid up to 41⁄4 to 53⁄4 whorls or twists. The during normal business hours at the ecosystems of western North America Roswell springsnail is 3 to 3.5 mm (0.12 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, New (e.g., Taylor 1987; Metcalf and Smartt to 0.14 in) long with a narrowly conical Mexico Ecological Services Field Office, 1997; Bowman 1981; Cole 1985). tan shell with up to 5 whorls. Pecos 2105 Osuna Road NE., Albuquerque, North American snails of the family assiminea is the smallest of the three, New Mexico 87113. Hydrobiidae inhabit a great diversity of with a shell length of 1.55 to 1.87 mm FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: aquatic systems from surface to cave (0.06 to 0.07 in) and a thin, nearly Susan MacMullin, Field Supervisor, habitats, small springs to large rivers, transparent chestnut-brown shell that is New Mexico Ecological Services Field and high energy riffles to slack water regularly conical with up to 41⁄2 strongly Office (telephone, 505–761–4706; pools (Wu et al. 1997). Snails of the incised (shouldered) whorls and a broad facsimile, 505–346–2542). family Assimineidae are typically found oval opening. Although their shells are VerDate jul<14>2003 18:26 Aug 08, 2005 Jkt 205001 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 4701 Sfmt 4700 E:\FR\FM\09AUR2.SGM 09AUR2 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 152 / Tuesday, August 9, 2005 / Rules and Regulations 46305 similar, the Roswell springsnail is during extensive surveys conducted mm (0.33 to 0.58 in) long (Cole 1981, distinguished from Koster’s springsnail between 1998 and 2001 (Warrick 2005). 1985). by a dark, amber operculum (a lid The species formerly occurred in several Gammarids commonly inhabit which closes the shell opening when other springs in the Roswell area, but shallow, cool, well-oxygenated waters of the animal is retracted) with white these habitats have since dried up due streams, ponds, ditches, sloughs, and spiral streaks, while that of Koster’s to groundwater pumping and no longer springs (Holsinger 1976; Pennak 1989). springsnail is nearly colorless. The contain the species (Cole 1981; Taylor Because they are light-sensitive, these genus Assiminea can be determined 1983, 1987; NMDGF 2005b). Pleistocene bottom-dwelling amphipods are active from other snail genera by an almost fossils of Koster’s springsnail are known mostly at night and feed on algae, complete lack of tentacles, leaving the from North Spring River and South submergent vegetation, and decaying eyes within the tips of short eye stalks Spring Creek in Chaves County (Taylor organic matter (Holsinger 1976; Pennak (Taylor 1987). 1987). Monthly monitoring and 1989). Young amphipods depend on Taylor (1987) first described the ecological studies of Koster’s springsnail microbial foods, such as algae and Roswell springsnail from a ‘‘seepage’’ initiated at BLNWR in 1995 indicate the bacteria, associated with aquatic plants along the west side of an impoundment species is most abundant in the deep (Covich and Thorp 1991). Most in Area 7 at Bitter Lake National organic substrates of Bitter Creek amphipods complete their life cycle in Wildlife Refuge (BLNWR, Refuge), (NMDGF 1998, 2005b). It also occurs at one year and breed from February to Chaves County, New Mexico. Since the Sago Springs Complex, but in lower October, depending on water then, Mehlhop (1992, 1993) has numbers. The species has not been temperature (Pennak 1978). Amphipods documented the species on the BLNWR found in recent times along the western form breeding pairs that remain and in March 1995 also found it in a boundary of Area 3 in BLNWR (NMDGF attached for 1 to 7 days at or near the spring on private land (i.e., North 2005b). Koster’s springsnail has recently substrate while continuing to feed and Spring) east of Roswell (NMDGF 1998).