Georgia Ecological Services U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service 2/9/2021 HUC 10 Watershed Report HUC 10 Watershed: 0313000806 Lower Big Slough HUC 8 Watershed: Lower Flint Counties: Decatur, Grady, Mitchell Major Waterbodies (in GA): Big Slough, Manbone Branch, Twin Lakes, Cane Water Pond, Open Pond, Lake Douglas, Black Lake, Bateau Pond, Fourmile Pond Federal Listed Species: (historic, known occurrence, or likely to occur in the watershed) E - Endangered, T - Threatened, C - Candidate, CCA - Candidate Conservation species, PE - Proposed Endangered, PT - Proposed Threatened, Pet - Petitioned, R - Rare, U - Uncommon, SC - Species of Concern. Fat Three-ridge (Amblema neislerii) US: E; GA: E Critical Habitat; Survey period: year round, when water temperatures are above 10° C and excluding when stage is increasing or above normal. Purple Bankclimber (Elliptoideus sloatianus) US: T; GA: T Critical Habitat; Survey period: year round, when water temperatures are above 10° C and excluding when stage is increasing or above normal. Shinyrayed Pocketbook (Hamiota subangulata) US: E; GA: E Critical Habitat; Survey period: year round, when water temperatures are above 10° C and excluding when stage is increasing or above normal. Gulf Moccasinshell (Medionidus penicillatus) US: E; GA: E Occurrence; Survey period: year round, when water temperatures are above 10° C and excluding when stage is increasing or above normal. Oval Pigtoe (Pleurobema pyriforme) US: E; GA: E Critical Habitat; Survey period: year round, when water temperatures are above 10° C and excluding when stage is increasing or above normal. Wood Stork (Mycteria americana) US: T; GA: E Potential Range (county); Survey period: early May Red-cockaded Woodpecker (Picoides borealis) US: E; GA: E Potential Range (county); Survey period: habitat any time of year or foraging individuals: 1 Apr - 31 May. Updated: 2/9/2021 0313000806 Lower Big Slough 1 Georgia Ecological Services U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service 2/9/2021 HUC 10 Watershed Report Frosted Flatwoods Salamander (Ambystoma cingulatum) US: T; GA: T HUC 10 Watershed: Potential Range (county); Survey period: for larvae 15 Feb - 15 Mar. Eastern Indigo Snake (Drymarchon couperi) US: T; GA: T Potential Range (model); Survey period: 1 Nov - 31 Mar. Pondberry (Lindera melissifolia) US: E; GA: E Potential Range (county); Survey period: flowering 1 Feb - 31 Mar or fruiting 1 Aug - 31 Oct. American Chaffseed (Schwalbea americana) US: E; GA: E Potential Range (soil type, watershed); Survey period: for larvae 15 Feb - 15 Mar. Cooley's Meadowrue (Thalictrum cooleyi) US: E; GA: E Potential Range (county); Survey period: mid May - early Jul. Florida Torreya (Torreya taxifolia) US: E; GA: E Potential Range (geology); Survey period: year round. Federal Candidate, Candidate Conservation, or Petitioned Species: (likely or known to occur in the watershed) Cave or close proximity to a cave (Caves) Named cave; At least one cave or an area with 0.25 mi of a cave occurs in this watershed. Georgia Blind Salamander (Eurycea wallacei) US: Pet; GA: T Historic Occurrence; Survey period: year round. Georgia Blind Salamander (Haideotriton wallacei) US: Pet; GA: T Occurrence; Survey period: year round. Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake (Crotalus adamanteus) US: Pet Occurrence; Surveys are best conducted April - November. Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) US: C; GA: T Potential Range (county); Survey period: Year-round Narrowleaf Naiad (Najas filifolia) US: Pet; GA: E Occurrence; Survey period: 1 Jul - 31 Oct. State Listed or Other At-risk Species: (likely or known to occur in the watershed) Updated: 2/9/2021 0313000806 Lower Big Slough 2 Georgia Ecological Services U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service 2/9/2021 HUC 10 Watershed Report Dougherty Plain Cave Crayfish (Cambarus cryptodytes) GA: T HUC 10 Watershed: Occurrence; Survey period: year round. Alabama Shad (Alosa alabamae) GA: T Occurrence; Please consult with GDNR for survey efforts. Bluefin Killifish (Lucania goodei) GA: R Occurrence; Please consult with GDNR for survey efforts. Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) GA: T Occurrence; Survey period: year-round. Southern Hog-nosed Snake (Heterodon simus) GA: T Occurrence; Survey period: Surveys not practical. Lax Water-milfoil (Myriophyllum laxum) GA: R Occurrence; Please consult with GDNR for survey efforts. Any of the above species may occur in suitable habitat in this HUC 10 watershed. Survey dates are provided for reference only. Please coordinate with your lead federal agency, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, or USFWS to determine if surveys will help assess project impacts to species of concern. Watershed Specific Concerns: There are federally listed aquatic/wetland and terrestrial species that occur or could occur in this watershed. If the project contains suitable habitat for listed species, please contact your lead federal agency to determine the appropriate next step for those species to inform their NEPA and ESA decisions. Coordination with Georgia Department of Natural Resources may also be helpful in those decisions. Critical Habitat: There is Critical Habitat designated under the Endangered Species Act for at least one species in this watershed. Please see the list above to determine which species. Please coordinate with our office to determine if your project will impact this habitat. Bats/Caves: Please determine if your project will impact caves or cave-like habitats. Please coordinate with Georgia Department of Natural Resources if your project will impact these habitats. Our records indicate that there is at least one named cave or habitat within 0.25 mi of a cave in this watershed. This cave could represent hibernacula for non-federally listed bat species. Frosted Flatwoods Salamander: Suitable habitat includes isolated depressional wetlands located in pine flatwoods. If this habitat occurs in the vicinity of the project area, it may represent potential breeding sites for this species. Minimizing impacts to wetland and pond habitats including impacts caused by fill, draining, and altered hydrology in areas where this species occurs can assist with its recovery. Bald Eagle: Bald Eagles and their nests are protected from take, including disturbance, under the federal Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. For information about Bald and Golden Eagles see the Service's regional web page: https://www.fws. gov/southeast/our-services/permits/eagles/ Wood Stork: The Wood Stork feeds in shallow emergent wetlands, ditches, pond margins, and coastal areas. The successful Updated: 2/9/2021 0313000806 Lower Big Slough 3 Georgia Ecological Services U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service 2/9/2021 HUC 10 Watershed Report HUCfledging 10 Watershedof chicks from: the nest is dependent on adults finding sufficient foraging areas that contain prey species. Minimizing potential impacts and ensuring water quality is preserved or enhanced is vital to the successful recovery of this species. If the project area is located within the Core Foraging Area (13 mile radius) of a Wood Stork rookery, additional considerations may be requested for unavoidable impacts to foraging and nesting habitats. Aquatics: Several federally or state-listed aquatic species and/or critical habitat for aquatic species occurs in this watershed. These species are sensitive to sedimentation and changes in water quality. Please note that Purple Bankclimber and Fat Three-ridge mussel species are only found in mainstem rivers (e.g., Flint River) and confluences with them. Please use guidance found in the Riparian Buffer, Streambank, and Stream Channel Protection and Water Quality Protection sections below. Please coordinate any avoidance and minimization efforts for federally listed species and their designated critical habitats with our office. Because of a high level of past survey effort in the watershed, surveys for aquatic species may not be necessary for federally listed species. Please coordinate with our office prior to conducting surveys for any of these species and in accordance with your Section 10(A)(1)(a) permit. Red-cockaded Woodpecker: Red-cockaded Woodpecker requires large expanses of mature (approximately 60-80 years old or older), open pine forest, preferably longleaf, slash, or loblolly pine or younger forests with artificial nesting cavities. Natural nest cavities are excavated in mature living pines and may take several years to complete. Red-cockaded woodpecker colonies require large, contiguous tracts of habitat, ranging in size from approximately 60-600 acres per family group, depending upon the quality of the habitat. Currently, its range is fragmented and most populations are found on public lands where timber harvesting has not been maximized. Pondberry: Habitat for Pondberry includes the edges of sandhill ponds and lime sinks, and it often occurs with pondspice. Surveys for this species are best conducted during flowering (late February–mid-March) and fruiting (August–October). American Chaffseed: Typical habitat for the American chaffseed consists of frequently burned longleaf pine savannahs, sandhills, and flatwoods, as well as moist, grassy areas around ponds within these habitats. This species only flowers in response to recent fire or management simulating fire (e.g., mowing or raking). Gopher Tortoise: This species requires well-drained, sandy soil for burrowing, abundant sunlight availability, and rich herbaceous vegetation for foraging. It is a characteristic species of the disappearing longleaf pine and wiregrass community, which includes sandhills, dry flatwoods,