Affected Parks

Big South Fork NRRA (BISO)
Obed Wild and Scenic River (OBRI)

Endangered duskytail darter (Etheostoma percnurum) – only 4 populations remain in existence (Photo: Conservation Fisheries Inc.)

Importance / Issues

The Duskytail Darter, a federally-listed Endangered species, occurs in shoals along the Big South Fork of the Cumberland River. The Big South Fork Duskytail population is one of three extant populations described in the Recovery Plan for Duskytail Darter. A fourth population has been reintroduced into Great Smoky Mountains National Park. These populations are all geographically isolated and relatively restricted in size, and all except the Big South Fork population are located in the Tennessee River drainage. Because it differs morphologically from the Tennessee River populations, ichthyologists believe that the Big South Fork population is likely to be a distinct species, restricted to this one drainage. NPS-contracted surveys of the park’s rivers have expanded the known range of the Big South Fork population to 12 shoal areas along a fourteen-mile reach of the most pristine and inaccessible portion of the main river.

The Spotfin Chub, a federally-listed Threatened species, is restricted to clear upland streams in the Tennessee River drainage. In recent decades, it has disappeared from much of its former range, and some of its best remaining habitat occurs in the Obed-Emory watershed.

Monitoring Objectives

Specific objectives are to:

1. Determine long-term trends in the abundance of duskytail darter populations at selected index sites at BISO.

2. Determine long-term trends in the abundance of spotfin chub populations at selected index sites at OBRI.

3. Correlate changes in physical and chemical habitat measures with changes in the distribution and abundance of these fish.

Protocol Development and Status

The first two years of evaluation sampling have been completed by the cooperator, Dr. Brad Cook, Tennessee Tech University. Dr. Cook is using surrogate species [stripetail darter (Etheostoma kennicotti) and whitetail shiner (Cyprinella galactura)] to estimate detectability for the target species. If he’s successful, this will allow us to estimate population numbers, rather than relative abundance. Information collected during this part of the project will be used as baseline data to adjust counts based upon the probability of detection. Habitat information was collected at each sampling site to determine if any habitat features affect detectability. A second year of sampling will be carried out in summer, 2008, and a draft protocol will be completed by May 2009.

Management Applications

Severe water quality problems exist at BISO. The Big South Fork system has been, and continues to be, heavily impacted by coal mining activities due mainly to acid mine drainage and siltation, particularly in the New River watershed. Some headwater streams in these drainages are completely devoid of life; others are habitat for only the most pollution-tolerant organisms. The Big South Fork and its major tributaries are impacted by forestry practices, municipal and domestic waste, agricultural runoff, and oil and gas operations, as well as by water withdrawal.

The water resources of the Obed Wild and Scenic River drainage have historically been impacted by pollution associated with agriculture, forestry, and coal mining. In recent years, urban development in the upper reaches of the system has created greater pressures on water quality and quantity in the park, which could directly impact the Obed River and its two largest tributaries - Clear Creek and Daddy’s Creek.

The northern Cumberland Plateau, where BISO and OBRI are situated, produces more coal and oil than any other region in Tennessee, much of it coming from the parks’ watersheds. Mining can cause contaminated mine drainage, sedimentation (from road construction), introduction of coal fines into aquatic systems, and pollution from brine and other contaminants employed during mineral extraction operations. Because of the significance of the duskytail darter and spotfin chub populations protected by the parks, and the multitude of potential threats upstream, long-term trend data are needed to monitor changes in these populations. Tracking rare fish population trends through time, in combination with long-term water quality/quantity monitoring, aquatic macroinvertebrate monitoring, and freshwater mussel monitoring, will provide park managers with the level of information they need to determine whether changes in management are warranted.

Contact Information

Robert Emmott
Appalachian Highlands Network
67 Ranger Dr.
Asheville, NC 28805
Robert_Emmott@nps.gov

Jim Hughes
Appalachian Highlands Network
4564 Leatherwood Road
Oneida, Tennessee 37841
James_D_Hughes@nps.gov