Federal Register / Vol. 67, No. 29 / Tuesday, February 12, 2002 / Proposed Rules 6459 DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Fish and Wildlife Service 50 CFR Part 17 RIN 1018–AI15 Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Listing Roswell springsnail, Koster’s tryonia, Pecos assiminea, and Noel’s amphipod as Endangered With Critical Habitat AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior. ACTION: Proposed rule. SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to VerDate 11<MAY>2000 08:38 Feb 11, 2002 Jkt 197001 PO 00000 Frm 00023 Fmt 4702 Sfmt 4702 E:\FR\FM\12FEP1.SGM pfrm04 PsN: 12FEP1 6460 Federal Register / Vol. 67, No. 29 / Tuesday, February 12, 2002 / Proposed Rules list the Roswell springsnail (Pyrgulopsis NM. The Roswell Basin contains two physiological tolerance limit. These two roswellensis), Koster’s tryonia (Tryonia major aquifers; a deep artesian aquifer, snails occupy spring heads and runs kosteri), Pecos assiminea (Assiminea and a shallow surficial aquifer. Water in with variable water temperatures (10 to pecos), and Noel’s amphipod the springs originates from both the 20 °C) and slow to moderate water (Gammarus desperatus) as endangered deep aquifer and the shallow aquifer. velocities over compact substrate with critical habitat under the Here, the action of water on soluble ranging from deep organic silts to Endangered Species Act of 1973, as rocks (e.g., limestone and dolomite) has gypsum sands and gravel and compact amended (Act) (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). formed abundant ‘‘karst’’ features such substrate (NMDGF 1998). Conversely, These species occur at sinkholes, as sinkholes, caverns, springs, and the Pecos assiminea seldom occurs springs, and associated spring runs and underground streams (White et al. immersed in water, but prefers a humid wetland habitats. They are found at two 1995). These hydrogeological formations microhabitat created by wet mud or sites in Chaves County, NM, one site in create unique settings harboring diverse beneath vegetation mats, typically Pecos County, TX, and one site in assemblages of flora and fauna. The within a few centimeters (cm) of Reeves County, TX. Pecos assiminea is isolated limestone and gypsum springs, running water. also known from one area in Coahuila, seeps, and wetlands located in and Gastropods are a class of mollusks Mexico. around Roswell, NM, and Pecos and with a body divided into a foot and These three snails and one amphipod Reeves Counties, TX, provide the last visceral mass and a head which usually have an exceedingly limited distribution known habitats in the world for several bears eyes and tentacles. Like most and are imperiled by local and regional endemic species of mollusks and gastropods, the Roswell springsnail, groundwater depletion, surface and crustaceans. These species include the Koster’s tryonia, and Pecos assiminea groundwater contamination, oil and gas Roswell springsnail and Koster’s tryonia feed on algae, bacteria, and decaying extraction activities within the of the freshwater snail family organic material (NMDGF 1988). They supporting aquifer and watershed, and Hydrobiidae, and Pecos assiminea of the will also incidentally ingest small direct loss of their habitat (e.g., through snail family Assimineidae. These snails invertebrates while grazing on algae and burning or removing marsh vegetation, are distributed in isolated, detritus (dead or partially decayed plant cementing, or filling of habitat). This geographically separate populations, materials or animals). proposal, if made final, will implement and these species likely evolved from These snails are fairly small; Koster’s the Federal protection and recovery parent species that once enjoyed a wide tryonia is the largest of the three snails, provisions of the Act for these distribution during wetter, cooler and is about 4 to 4.5 millimeters (mm) invertebrate species. climates of the Pleistocene. Such (0.16 to 0.18 inches (in)) long with a divergence has been well-documented pale tan shell that is narrowly conical DATES: We will accept comments from for aquatic and terrestrial with up to 41⁄4 to 53⁄4 whorls or twists. all interested parties until April 15, macroinvertebrate groups within arid The Roswell springsnail is 3 to 3.5 mm 2002. Public hearing requests must be ecosystems of western North America (0.12 to 0.14 in) long with a narrowly received by March 29, 2002. (e.g., Taylor 1987; Metcalf and Smartt conical tan shell with up to 5 whorls. ADDRESSES: Comments and materials 1997; Bowman 1981; Cole 1985). Pecos assiminea is the smallest of the concerning this proposal should be sent North American snails of the family three with a shell length of 1.55 to 1.87 to the Field Supervisor, New Mexico Hydrobiidae inhabit a great diversity of mm (0.06 to 0.07 in) and a thin, nearly Ecological Services Field Office, U.S. aquatic systems from surface to cave transparent chestnut-brown shell that is Fish and Wildlife Service, 2105 Osuna habitats, small springs to large rivers, regularly conical with up to 41⁄2 strongly NE, Albuquerque, NM 87113. and high energy riffles to slack water incised (shouldered) whorls and a broad Comments and materials received, as pools (Wu et al. 1997). Snails of the oval opening. Although their shells are well as supporting documentation used family Assimineidae are typically found similar, the Roswell springsnail is in the preparation of this proposed rule, in coastal brackish waters or along distinguished from Koster’s tryonia by a will be available for public inspection, tropical and temperate seacoasts dark, amber operculum (foot disk by appointment, during normal business worldwide (Taylor 1987). Inland species covering the animal when retracted into hours at the above address. of the genus Assiminea are known from the shell) with white spiral streaks, FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joy around the world, and in North America while that of Koster’s tryonia is nearly Nicholopoulos, Field Supervisor, New they occur in California (Death Valley colorless. The genus Assiminea can be Mexico Ecological Services Field Office National Monument), Utah, New determined from other snail genera by at the above address (telephone 505/ Mexico, Texas (Pecos and Reeves an almost complete lack of tentacles, 346–2525; facsimile 505/346–2542). Counties), and Mexico (Bolso´n de leaving the eyes within the tips of short ´ eye stalks (Taylor 1987). SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Cuatro Cıenegas). The Roswell springsnail, Koster’s Taylor (1987) first described the Background tryonia, and Pecos assiminea are all Roswell springsnail from a ‘‘seepage’’ aquatic species. These snails have along the west side of an impoundment Springsnails lifespans of 9 to 15 months and in Unit 7 at Bitter Lake National The Permian Basin of the reproduce several times during the Wildlife Refuge (NWR or Refuge), southwestern United States contains spring through fall breeding season Chaves County, NM. Since then, one of the largest carbonate (limestone) (Taylor 1987; Pennak 1989; Brown Mehlhop (1992, 1993) has documented deposits in the world (New Mexico 1991). Snails of the family Hydrobiidae the species on the Refuge and in March Department of Game and Fish (NMDGF) are sexually dimorphic with females 1995 also found it in a spring on private 1998). Within the Permian Basin of the being characteristically larger and land east of Roswell (P. Mehlhop, Southwestern United States lies the longer-lived than males. As with other University of New Mexico, pers. comm. Roswell Basin. Located in southeastern snails in the family, the Roswell 1998). However, the current status of the New Mexico, this Basin has a surface springsnail and Koster’s tryonia are Roswell springsnail at the spring on area of around 12,000 square miles and completely aquatic but can survive in private land is unknown since further generally begins north of Roswell, NM, seepage areas, as long as flows are access has not been granted. Monitoring and runs to the southeast of Carlsbad, perennial and within the species’ efforts at Bitter Lake NWR (1995–1998) VerDate 11<MAY>2000 08:38 Feb 11, 2002 Jkt 197001 PO 00000 Frm 00024 Fmt 4702 Sfmt 4702 E:\FR\FM\12FEP1.SGM pfrm04 PsN: 12FEP1 Federal Register / Vol. 67, No. 29 / Tuesday, February 12, 2002 / Proposed Rules 6461 led to the discovery of Roswell occur sporadically along Bitter Creek, from Lander Springbrook between 1951 springsnail populations in Bitter Creek, and a dense population was confirmed and 1960, and the North Spring the Sago Springs Complex, and a on moist vegetation and on muddy population was lost between 1978 and drainage canal along the west shoreline surfaces within 1 cm (.39 in) of water in 1988. Both incidences of extirpation of Unit 6. The Roswell springsnail is 1999 in an emergent marsh plant were attributed to regional ground water currently known only from Bitter Lake community around the perimeter of a depletions and habitat alterations NWR with the core population in the sinkhole within the Sago Springs (spring channelization) respectively Sago Springs Complex and Bitter Creek. Complex (NMDGF 1999). (Cole 1981, 1988). The Sago Springs complex is Noel’s amphipod Previous Federal Actions approximately 0.3 km long (1,000 linear feet), half of which is subterranean with Noel’s amphipod, in the family On November 22, 1985, we received flow in the upper reaches restricted to Gammaridae, is a small freshwater a petition from Mr. Harold F. Olson, sinkholes. Bitter Creek is six times crustacean. Inland amphipods are Director of the NMDGF, to add 11 longer than the Sago Springs Complex sometimes referred to as freshwater species of New Mexican mollusks to the and has a total length of 1.8 kilometers shrimp. Noel’s amphipod is brown- Federal list of endangered and (1.1 miles). Monthly monitoring and green in color with elongate, kidney- threatened wildlife. Roswell springsnail ecological studies of the Roswell shaped eyes, and flanked with red (Pyrgulopsis roswellensis formerly springsnail initiated at Bitter Lake NWR bands along the thoracic and abdominal Fontelicella sp.