AN INVENTORY OF THE SIGNIFICANT NATURAL AREAS OF ANSON COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA Bruce Sorrie North Carolina Natural Heritage Program Office of Conservation, Planning, and Community Affairs Department of Environment and Natural Resources Raleigh, NC Funding provided by the North Carolina Natural Heritage Trust Fund August 2011 AN INVENTORY OF THE SIGNIFICANT NATURAL AREAS OF ANSON COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA Bruce Sorrie Inventory Biologist North Carolina Natural Heritage Program Office of Conservation, Planning, and Community Affairs Department of Environment and Natural Resources Raleigh, NC Funding provided by the North Carolina Natural Heritage Trust Fund August 2011 ABSTRACT This inventory of the natural areas, biological communities, and rare species of Anson County was funded by the North Carolina Natural Heritage Trust Fund. This inventory identifies the most significant natural areas in the county, describes their features, and documents all natural communities and rare species of plants and animals associated with them. Habitat conditions, natural processes, and threats are also described. The inventory is intended to provide guidance for land use decisions by the county government, conservation and land management organizations, and interested citizens. Field work was carried out by Bruce A. Sorrie of the North Carolina Natural Heritage Program during 2007, 2008, and 2009. The inventory identifies 19 areas of significance at the national, state, regional, and county level, as determined by criteria established by the North Carolina Natural Heritage Program. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Many individuals and agencies contributed to the planning, progress, and completion of this inventory. I am particularly indebted to the following public agencies and personnel: Linda Pearsall, Judy Ratcliffe, Kristen Sinclair, Steve Hall, Mike Schafale, Misty Buchanan, and Harry LeGrand of the NC Natural Heritage Program; J.D. Bricken of Pee Dee National Wildlife Refuge; Kacy Cook and Jeff Marcus of the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission; Laura Fogo of the US Fish and Wildlife Service; Jeff Beane of the NC Museum of Natural Sciences; Arleigh Birchler. The Land Trust for Central North Carolina contributed significantly as a private agency. Cover photograph: Triassic Basin habitat along Lower Brown Creek on the Pee Dee National Wildlife Refuge by Bruce Sorrie. TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................... 1 Objectives ...................................................................................................................................... 1 Methods ......................................................................................................................................... 1 DESCRIPTION OF THE STUDY AREA ................................................................................ 3 Anson County ................................................................................................................................ 3 Climate .......................................................................................................................................... 3 Topography and Physiography ...................................................................................................... 3 General Vegetation ........................................................................................................................ 7 Geology and Soils.......................................................................................................................... 8 Land Use ........................................................................................................................................ 9 SUMMARY OF RESULTS ...................................................................................................... 10 Natural Areas ............................................................................................................................... 10 Natural Communities ................................................................................................................... 13 Natural Community Descriptions ................................................................................................ 13 Flora and Fauna ........................................................................................................................... 20 BIOLOGICAL SURVEYS AND ENDANGERED SPECIES LAWS .................................. 30 Federal Law ................................................................................................................................. 30 State Law ..................................................................................................................................... 31 REFERENCES .......................................................................................................................... 32 SITE DESCRIPTIONS ............................................................................................................. 33 BEAVER POND ROAD LONGLEAF PINE FOREST ............................................................. 35 BENNETT BRIDGE DIABASE DIKE ...................................................................................... 39 BLEWETT FALLS LAKE BASIC MESIC FOREST ................................................................ 43 DEEP BOTTOM BRANCH BLUFFS ........................................................................................ 47 FLAT ROCK CHURCH OUTCROP .......................................................................................... 51 GRASSY ISLANDS/SMITH LAKE .......................................................................................... 55 HIGHTOWER FLATROCKS ..................................................................................................... 59 INGRAM MOUNTAIN HARDWOODS ................................................................................... 63 LOWER BROWN CREEK SWAMP ......................................................................................... 67 LOWER PEE DEE RIVER AQUATIC HABITAT ................................................................... 71 MIDDLE PEE DEE RIVER AQUATIC HABITAT .................................................................. 75 MILLSEAT OUTCROP .............................................................................................................. 79 NORTH FORK SMITH CREEK ................................................................................................ 81 PLANK ROAD SOUTH ............................................................................................................. 85 RAILROAD ISLAND HARDWOODS ...................................................................................... 89 RICHARDSON CREEK SLOPES .............................................................................................. 93 SAVANNAH CHURCH DIABASE DIKE ................................................................................ 97 THOROUGHFARE CREEK .................................................................................................... 101 i UPPER BROWN CREEK SWAMP ......................................................................................... 105 LANDOWNER PROTECTION INITIATIVES .................................................................. 107 INDEX OF RARE SPECIES .................................................................................................. 109 LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Natural Areas in Anson County………………………………………..…………..…..11 Table 2. Natural Community Types in Anson County, with Natural Areas for Each..……........18 Table 3. Rare Plants Documented from Anson County…………………..……………………..22 Table 4. Rare Animals Documented from Anson County…………………..…………………..26 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Anson and surrounding counties, North Carolina.…………………………....……..…4 Figure 2. Towns and roads in Anson County, North Carolina.……………………….………….5 Figure 3. Major hydrological features in Anson, North Carolina..……………………………….6 Figure 4. Location of Significant Natural Heritage Areas in Anson County……………………12 ii INTRODUCTION Objectives The primary objective of the Anson County natural areas inventory is to identify places of outstanding ecological significance. These areas contain the best remaining examples of natural habitats and/or locations of rare plants, animals, and natural communities in the county. Natural areas are resources that make the state and its counties attractive to live in and to visit. They also include wildlife corridors along streams and rivers, as well as corridors of intact natural habitat which link upland areas. These areas are critical for recreational, ecological, aesthetic, educational, scientific, cultural, and environmental health values. They can also play significant roles in ground water recharge and pollution abatement. Natural areas are reservoirs of biological diversity, sanctuaries for native plants and animals, and key resources for recreational and hunting/fishing activities. With increasing population growth and land development in all parts of North Carolina, it is urgent that areas of outstanding natural significance be identified, and that efforts be made to protect these sites for posterity. This report begins with a brief overview of how the inventory was conducted, a description of the county’s environmental features, and a discussion of the natural communities, rare plants, and rare animals documented