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Reports, Conservation Management Institute

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https://hdl.handle.net/10919/52250

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Browsing Reports, Conservation Management Institute by Author "Carey, Caitlin"

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    Biological Surveys for Fries Hydroelectric Project in the Upper New River, Grayson County, Virginia
    Carey, Caitlin; Orth, Donald J.; Emrick, Verl III (FERC, 2018-04)
    Operated by Aquenergy Systems, LLC (the Licensee; a subsidiary of Enel Green Power North America, Inc.) and licensed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the Fries Hydroelectric Project (the Project; FERC No. 2883) is currently undergoing relicensing using FERC’s Traditional Licensing Process (TLP). The current license for the Project was issued June 10th, 1980 and is set to expire May 31st, 2020. In compliance with the first stage of FERC’s TLP, the Licensee filed its Notice of Intent (NOI) and Pre-Application Document (PAD) with FERC (May 2015; Aquenergy Systems, LLC 2015), conducted a joint meeting and site visit with resource agencies and members of the public to solicit input on information needs and study plans (September 2015), and received written comments from stakeholders identifying information gaps and necessary studies to be performed. Pursuant to input provided from resource agencies and the public, the Licensee prepared and distributed a draft outline of proposed studies and methodology to agencies on March 18, 2016. The Licensee held a follow-up joint agency conference call (March 24th, 2016) to receive feedback on the proposed study plans and to reach an agreement on all reasonable and necessary studies as requested by the agencies. Agency comments and changes were incorporated into study plans and a revised outline was distributed to the agencies on April 15th, 2016...
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    Freshwater Mussel Assessment in the Upper Nottoway River and its Tributaries on Fort Pickett, Virginia
    Carey, Caitlin; Wolf, Eric; Emrick, Verl III (2014-09)
    The upper reaches of the Nottoway River and its tributaries on Fort Pickett, Virginia are located within one of the most diverse river basins of the Atlantic Slope region. Freshwater mussels are vital components of these aquatic ecosystems and are often referred to as ecosystem engineers. Mussel surveys on Fort Pickett have historically concentrated on the central reaches of the Nottoway below the reservoir. Thus, assessments in tributaries and sites above the reservoir were needed. We evaluated a total of 68 sites across Fort Pickett and implemented a two-phase sampling design using time-constrained and quadrat-based surveys at a sub-set of these sites. We documented a total of 9 mussel species, including the state threatened Atlantic pigtoe and state species of concern eastern lampmussel. We found that mussels were patchily distributed and densities and species richness varied greatly between sites. Generally, species richness was lower and densities were higher in the tributaries compared to the main-stem of the Nottoway. Our findings of local mussel populations in the tributaries suggest that these areas may serve as spatial refugia for populations of several species. We found little evidence of recent recruitment across species, even at sites with high densities, indicating the need for water-quality testing and host fish surveys to identify management actions needed to support long-term population viability across species. Riparian and habitat protection should extend to the tributaries as well as to the main-stem of the Nottoway. Furthermore, we recommend additional surveys above the reservoir and in the Controlled Access Area, routine monitoring for Atlantic pigtoe and eastern lampmussel, as well as water quality assessments.