National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Natural Resource Condition Assessment for Little River Canyon National Preserve, Alabama Natural Resource Report NPS/CUPN/NRR—2011/446 ON THE COVER Little River Canyon at the confluence of Little River and Bear Creek Photograph by: Nathan Rinehart Natural Resource Condition Assessment for Little River Canyon National Preserve, Alabama Natural Resource Report NPS/CUPN/NRR—2011/446 Authors Nathan Rinehart, MS Kenneth W. Kuehn, PhD Sean T. Hutchison Department of Geography and Geology Western Kentucky University 1906 College Heights Boulevard #31066 Bowling Green, KY 42101-1066 September 2011 U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Fort Collins, Colorado i The National Park Service, Natural Resource Stewardship and Science office in Fort Collins, Colorado publishes a range of reports that address natural resource topics of interest and applicability to a broad audience in the National Park Service and others in natural resource management, including scientists, conservation and environmental constituencies, and the public. The Natural Resource Report Series is used to disseminate high-priority, current natural resource management information with managerial application. The series targets a general, diverse audience, and may contain NPS policy considerations or address sensitive issues of management applicability. All manuscripts in the series receive the appropriate level of peer review to ensure that the information is scientifically credible, technically accurate, appropriately written for the intended audience, and designed and published in a professional manner. This report received informal peer review by subject-matter experts who were not directly involved in the collection, analysis, or reporting of the data. Views, statements, findings, conclusions, recommendations, and data in this report do not necessarily reflect views and policies of the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use by the U.S. Government. This report is available from the NPS Integrated Resource Management Applications website (http://irma.nps.gov) and the Natural Resource Publications Management website (http://www.nature.nps.gov/publications/nrpm/). Please cite this publication as: Rinehart, N., K. W. Kuehn., and S.T. Hutchison. 2011. Natural resource condition assessment for Little River Canyon National Preserve, Alabama. Natural Resource Report NPS/CUPN/NRR— 2011/446. National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado. NPS 152/110172, September 2011 ii Contents Page Figures........................................................................................................................................... vii Tables ............................................................................................................................................. xi Acronyms ...................................................................................................................................... xv Executive Summary ..................................................................................................................... xix Acknowledgments....................................................................................................................... xxv Prologue ...................................................................................................................................... xxv 1 - NRCA Background Information ............................................................................................... 1 2 - Park and Resources Context ...................................................................................................... 5 2.1 Site Description ................................................................................................................. 5 2.2 Topography and Geologic Setting ..................................................................................... 5 2.3 Hydrologic Setting ............................................................................................................. 8 2.4 Climate, Soils, and Ecological Setting ............................................................................ 11 2.4.1 Climate ..................................................................................................................... 11 2.4.2 Soils.......................................................................................................................... 15 2.4.3 Ecoregion ................................................................................................................. 15 2.5 Land Use History ............................................................................................................. 19 2.6 Significant Park Resources .............................................................................................. 21 2.6.1 History, Purpose, and Significance .......................................................................... 21 2.6.2 Natural Resources .................................................................................................... 22 2.6.3 Archeological, Historical, and Cultural Resources .................................................. 22 2.6.4 Natural Resource Management Zones ..................................................................... 22 2.7 Biological Setting ............................................................................................................ 23 3 - Study Approach and Methodology .......................................................................................... 25 iii Contents (continued) Page 3.1 General Approach ............................................................................................................ 25 3.2 Natural Resources of Interest ........................................................................................... 26 3.3 Developing the Assessment Framework ......................................................................... 26 3.4 Information Collection and Evaluation Process .............................................................. 30 4 - National Park Service Resource Planning and Stewardship at Little River Canyon National Preserve .......................................................................................................................... 31 4.1 Resource Planning Efforts ............................................................................................... 31 4.2 Review of Other Research Efforts ................................................................................... 34 4.3 Management Planning Status .......................................................................................... 35 5 - Condition Assessment ............................................................................................................. 37 5.1 Assessment of Water Resources ...................................................................................... 37 5.1.1 Watershed ................................................................................................................ 37 5.1.2 Water Quantity ......................................................................................................... 40 5.1.3 Water Quality ........................................................................................................... 43 5.1.4 Summary and Discussion ......................................................................................... 51 5.2 Assessment of Landscape Resources ............................................................................... 54 5.2.1 Land Cover............................................................................................................... 54 5.2.2 Vegetation Cover ..................................................................................................... 58 5.2.3 Wetlands .................................................................................................................. 61 5.2.4 Summary and Discussion ......................................................................................... 62 5.3 Assessment of Biota ........................................................................................................ 62 5.3.1. At-risk-Biota ........................................................................................................... 64 5.3.2 Aquatic Insects ......................................................................................................... 65 iv Contents (continued) Page 5.3.3 Birds ......................................................................................................................... 65 5.3.4 Fish ........................................................................................................................... 69 5.3.5 Herpetofauna ............................................................................................................ 70 5.3.6 Mammals.................................................................................................................. 71 5.3.7 Mollusks ................................................................................................................... 71 5.3.8 Vascular Plants and Vegetation Communities ......................................................... 72 5.3.9. Condition Summary and Discussion