New River Symposium

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https://hdl.handle.net/10919/86759

The New River Symposium is a multidisciplinary conference held biennially in the New River watershed (parts of North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia) organized by the New River Conservancy. Photo: Shumate Falls, Va., near the West Virginia state line.

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Back to the Future: The TIA Alliance as a Student Recruitment Tool
Copeland, John R.; Smith, A. Kirk; Murphy, Brian R. (New River Symposium, 2019-04-12)
Future natural resource management success depends on a workforce of well-trained, motivated, and relevant conservation professionals. Today’s high school students need to ‘rub elbows’ with inspirational natural resource managers doing field work culminating in meaningful experiences. Over the last six years, a James Madison High School club in Vienna, VA piloted a successful program. Urban students traveled to the Blue Ridge Mountains, conducted basic headwater drainage basin assessments and identified release sites for brook trout raised in Northern Virginia Classrooms. They were rewarded with fishing trips sponsored by a local Trout Unlimited (TU) chapter, potentially recruiting them as nontraditional anglers. In November 2018, TU joined the Izaak Walton League of America (IWLA) and the American Fisheries Society (AFS), creating the TIA Alliance, pledging to work together to expand the Madison club approach, potentially creating a nationwide program. One local area where this work may happen is the New River Valley, Virginia area, where the primary author is the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries fisheries biologist, an IWLA member and an active AFS member. Meaningful outdoor experiences will be enhanced by leaders providing quality mentorship to propel us ‘Back to the Future’ by creating new natural resource managers.
Borne by the River [Excerpt]
Van Noy, Rick (New River Symposium, 2024-04-12)
Reading from the end of 'False Cape' in A Natural Sense of Wonder: Connecting Kids with Nature Through the Seasons. And 'Headwaters' and 'Falls' chapters from Borne by the River: Canoeing the Delaware from Headwaters to Home.
Community and Sustainability Along the New River
Hansell, Tom; Redding, Mary Anne; Wagner, Kelsey (New River Symposium, 2017-05-16)
In 2016, students at Appalachian State University partnered with the New River Conservancy (NRC) on a series of projects designed to celebrate the NRC’s 40th anniversary and to highlight current issues in the upper New River Watershed. The projects were executed by Tom Hansell’s Fall 2016 graduate seminar, Sustainability and the Arts in Appalachia. Students collaborated with NRC staff on four related projects: a walking tour of water quality enhancement projects in downtown Boone, a series of educational presentations at the Elk Knob and New River State Parks, and an interactive history for NRC’s website. These projects culminated in an art exhibit at the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts titled: Collective Vigilance: Speaking for the New River. Curator Mary Anne Redding says the exhibit was designed “so that visitors will get involved with our community partners and go back out into the community and onto the river with more information and a deeper commitment to preserving this important natural and cultural resource.” During this presentation, Tom Hansell, Mary Anne Redding, and Kelsey Wagner will discuss how their collaboration with the NRC helped connect the expertise and energy of a college campus to support communities in the upper New River watershed.
Crayfishes of the New River watershed and Factors Affecting Their Distributions
Mouser, Joshua; Loughman, Zachary; Frimpong, Emmanuel A. (New River Symposium, 2024-04-12)
Crayfishes are keystone species within aquatic ecosystems and many species require conservation efforts to support their continued persistence. Unfortunately, we lack basic data needed to make effective conservation decisions for many crayfishes, especially those that occur in the New River watershed (hereafter New River). Therefore, we investigated coarse-scale drivers of crayfish occurrence in the New River. We used generalized linear mixed effects models to predict occurrence of eight taxa based on instream and landscape-scale environmental data and biotic interactions. There are at least 10 species of crayfishes that occur in the New River. Faxonius cristavarius, F. virilis, Cambarus appalachiensis, and C. chasmodactylus are found in larger tributaries throughout the New River. The following species occupy smaller tributaries of the New River: F. spp. (either F. sanbornii or F. obscurus), C. aff. robustus, C. cf. bartonii, and C. smilax. We found that increasing anthropogenic disturbance led to declines in F. spp., C. cf. bartonii, and C. smilax but had a positive relationship with F. cristavarius. The presence of the potentially invasive species, F. cristivarius, was negatively associated with most species. Embeddedness, substrate, proportion riffle habitat, and lithology were additional variables that structured crayfish assemblages. Our results reveal that increasing human-mediated changes and invasive crayfishes threaten the persistence of native crayfishes in the New River.
Eastern Hellbender
Blatny, Doug (New River Symposium, 2017-05-16)
Program will include a presentation about the natural history of the Eastern Hellbender. Following will be a discussion about the baseline study results concerning the Eastern Hellbender's population in the South Fork New River in North Carolina. The study has involved NC Wildlife Commission Biologist, NC State Park Biologists and New River State Park staff along with many citizen volunteers. The Eastern Hellbender is one of the largest salamanders in North America. The Hellbender, also called the Snototter, grows on average to 18-26 inches and may live for 30 years. The Snototter, as with other amphibians, is an indicator species of the health of the New River and of the local environment. Ranger Doug Blatny is the Lead Natural Resource Ranger for New River State Park. He has worked for New River for 19 years and has been with the Division of NC State Parks for 22 years.
Eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) in New River Gorge National Park and Preserve: Trends, Concerns, and Management
Kull, Katie (New River Symposium, 2022-04)
The eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) is a long-lived, shade-tolerant evergreen tree which grows throughout eastern North America, including within New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. Its dense foliage creates a dark, cool forest understory that supports a unique assemblage of plants, as well as facilitating exceptional stream habitat for fish species such as brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis). However, eastern hemlocks face an ecological threat from several invasive pests, most notably the hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA; Adelges tsugae). This tiny insect feeds on the sugars produced by the hemlock tree, causing physiological stress that can kill in the tree in as few as four years, particularly when combined with other stressors such as drought. First detected in the southern West Virginia national parks in 2000, HWA is now common throughout hemlock ecosystems in the New River Gorge. While some mortality has occurred, the National Park Service utilizes a variety of tools to maintain ecological value and scenic enjoyment of hemlock forests in the park, including chemical treatments, biological control agents, and forest health monitoring. This poster will detail the park’s hemlock program over the past 25 years, providing data on monitoring trends, exploring emerging threats, and outlining future plans.
Effects of Land Cover and Riparian Buffers on Coldwater Fish Assemblages in Upper South Fork New River Headwater Streams
Sanders, C. L.; Kinlaw, T.; Colby, J.; Martin, D.; Goughnour, E.; Kuntz, N.; Spagnolo, W.; Buckner, G.; Tuberty, S. (New River Symposium, 2019-04-12)
Riparian vegetation is an essential component of a stream ecosystem. Riparian buffers reduce runoff contamination, improve bank stability, and produce shading that regulates the water temperature for many organisms that can only thrive within specific temperature thresholds. Climate change combined with expanding urbanization and changes to land use pose a serious threat to many coldwater species as temperature increases during the summer months. Western North Carolina has many sensitive coldwater fish species to include brook (Salvelinus fontinalis), brown (Salmo trutta), and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Maintaining the biodiversity of the coldwater fish species of the Southern Appalachian Mountains is not only vital to the stability of the ecosystem but also to the state of North Carolina. Fishing provides substantial revenue and job opportunities from trip expenses, fishing equipment, licensing, and guides My study focuses on effects of temperature and conductivity to the coldwater fish assemblages in seven headwater streams that comprise the Upper South Fork New River watershed. These streams vary widely in ability to support sensitive and endemic fish species ranging from extirpation to successful localized reproduction. The goals of this project are: 1) to determine ecological conditions and environmental variables critical to healthy rural and urbanized streams, and 2) to identify best management practices, remediation techniques, and sustainable technologies that can aid in maintaining or returning healthy fish habitat, Assemblages in each headwater stream will be obtained by electrofishing and regressed vs percent impervious or forested cover, riparian zone width, bank erosion hazard index (BEHI), temperature, discharge, and specific conductivity. Fish size and weight will be recorded to determine size-class composition metrics. Water chemistry data is recorded with Eureka water quality sensors that record temperature, specific conductivity, dissolved oxygen, and depth every 15 minutes.
Engagement, Happiness, and Bugs: Building Connections Between Physical Activity and Science Lessons
Cybulski, Stella; Towner, Brooke; James, Joy; Sibley, Ben; Bowman, Mary (New River Symposium, 2024-04-12)
Spending time in nature settings and being physically active have positively impacted children's and adults' physical and mental health. The United States Department of Health and Human Services recommends 60 minutes of daily physical activity (PA) for children (2018). Today, only 24% of children meet that requirement. In addition to promoting physical and mental health, spending time in nature and PA has been shown to have brain health benefits for children improving cognition and academic performance! This session will share a recent study conducted using leisure intervention of physical activity and nature to boost students' academic performance, physical fitness, and mental health. The study investigated PA levels throughout the school day, the influence of classroom (indoor/outdoor) setting on PA levels, teachers' perceptions of stude nt behavior/engagement/content knowledge, and the influence of classroom setting on student enjoyment. During the two-week periods, there were control periods of inactive classroom lessons(the teachers planned all lessons) and intervention periods of active classrooms measured in outdoor settings, including a bug exploration lesson. Using the surveys and the data collected, we evaluated the impact of the activities through a cross-examination. Exploring innovative strategies and encouraging teachers to use movement/PA in outdoor environments has the potential to lay a foundation for promoting the well-being and quality of life of our children in elementary schools.
Fish, Fishing, and Ecosystem Services and Dysfunctions in the New River
Orth, Donald J. (New River Symposium, 2019-04-12)
This paper reviews the selected ecosystem services provided by New River to riverside communities. I also highlight threats to sustaining these services and dysfunctions and possibilities for restoration. A framework of ecosystem services is useful for examining threats to future sustainability. These services include four broad categories: provisioning, such as the production of food and water; regulating, such as the control of climate and disease; supporting, such as nutrient cycles and oxygen production; and cultural, such as spiritual and recreational benefits. Present day threats to New River ecosystem services include dams, legacy pollutants, non-native plants and animals, and agricultural runoff. Social justice issues are too often ignored in present management paradigms and we forget to ask, “What do we care about?” If we care about human well-being, it is important that we foster more effective collaborations with the people whose well-being is to be assessed.
Longitudinal assessment of estrogenic activity along the New River
Pena-Ortiz, Michelle; Tuberty, Shea (New River Symposium, 2022-04)
The presence of endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) exhibiting estrogenic activity in aquatic environments has been recognized as a widespread, pervasive environmental issue since the mid-1990s. These estrogenic compounds have been shown to adversely impact fish species at exposure concentrations as low as 1.0 ng/L Estradiol Equivalents (EEQ) (0.00367 nM). The aim of this research was to screen for all three fish estrogen receptors using the TriFishER assay to assess risk of impacts of estrogenic EDCs along the entire New River (360 miles) and link estrogenic EDCs to land use by screening for binding activity to three estrogen receptor (ER) isoforms (acERα, acERβa, acERβb) using the TriFishER assay. Results show that at most sites the estrogenic EDC concentrations represented a high risk for all 3 ER isoforms, despite collection of samples during 90th percentile river flows from seasonal rainfall. The acERα and acERβa were positively correlated to urban land use in stream sites, and acERβa was negatively correlated to forested land use. Since 23% of sites that showed undetectable binding to acERα simultaneously showed binding to acERβa and/or acERβb, the present study demonstrated the importance of screening for all three ER isoforms, as opposed to the customary screening for acERα. Tuberty is Professor and Assistant Chair of Biology at ASU, teaches Ecotoxicology and Zoology courses, and leads research on impacts of EDCs, coal ash, and other toxins to fish and invertebrates. He serves on the New River Conservancy’s Technical Advisory Committee and hosted the 2019 New River Symposium at ASU.
Making Bank on the Banks: Finding Value in Appalachia’s Riparian Buffers
Aloi, Joey (New River Symposium, 2024-04-12)
Like many other parts of the Appalachian region, the New River watershed is a land made to serve conflicting uses. The conflicts between these uses can be cultural flashpoints, as when environmentalists or downstream residents want more forested riparian buffers, but landowners don’t want to lose the cropland, the pastureland, or the money and time it takes to install fencing. These perceived conflicts evaporate on long-enough timescales – when the cropland gets inundated through a flash flood – and, more importantly, they can be dissolved through ideological reframing. The Appalachian Program of Future Generations University has developed a series of primers and videos which showcase a handful of crops grown in the riparian buffer area under a healthy forest canopy. These tools initiate a practical paradigm shift – any costs associated with maintaining its health have become investments in the farm, rather than external impositions from meddling environmentalists. They emphasize and integrate the economic, cultural, and environmental values associated with these crops, with an eye towards the contemporary emergence of these values in increasingly popular practices for farmers and products for consumers. To complete this project, we needed to build a transdisciplinary team – natural scientists, social scientists, humanists, and practicing forest farmers – and develop best practice sites where good management can be exhibited to landowners, technical service providers, and policy makers. This presentation summaries and showcases the primers and videos, and explains the unique manner in which community development and conservation come together in the work of the Appalachian Program.
Marker-assisted restoration of native New River walleye
Harris, Sheila; Copeland, John R.; Palmer, George Caleb; Hallerman, Eric M. (New River Symposium, 2017-05-16)
Walleye (Sander vitreus) is an important game fish in the Upper New River, with March and April walleye fishing effort from Buck Dam to Claytor Lake increasing from 49 to 66% of total fishing effort between 2007 and 2016. Population genetics research has shown the persistence of the presumptive native stock in the New River. Although the river had been stocked from sources in the Great Lakes region, unique genetic markers (microsatellite alleles at the Svi17 and Svi33 loci and mitochondrial restriction fragment haplotype 43) were observed, indicating that the native stock had persisted. Native walleye is of conservation interest due to their adaptation to a southern river system and their large ultimate size. Genetic marker-assisted selection of presumptive native walleye has been carried out since 2000, and has led to an increase in native allele frequencies from 16% and 14% in the 1997 and 1999 genetic surveys to 46% and 58% in the 2004 and 2006 surveys. Walleye abundance and angler catch increased over this time period in relation to annual stocking success. Ongoing work is aimed at deepening our understanding of population genetics and natural history of walleye in the southeast.
Middle Fork New River Restoration Prioritization Plan
Jennings, Greg; Patoprsty, Wendy; Blount, Chelsea; Hartsell, Jonathan (New River Symposium, 2019-04-12)
The Middle Fork Greenway is an emerging multi-use greenway connecting the towns of Blowing Rock and Boone along the Middle Fork New River in Watauga County, NC. We developed a comprehensive River Restoration Prioritization Plan in 2018 to guide restoration activities and contribute to the health of the corridor as the trail is developed. This restoration plan describes existing conditions for six river reaches extending from Blowing Rock to Boone. Assessments of stream morphology, erosion potential, and riparian vegetation were used to classify river segments based on level of concern. For each segment, specific river restoration opportunities were identified to improve water quality, aquatic habitat, floodplain function, streamside vegetation, and environmental educational opportunities for greenway users. River segments classified as Extreme are the highest priority for restoration due to severe problems with bank erosion, in-stream habitat, floodplain functions, and riparian vegetation. Recommended restoration plans for these river segments include channel realignment and floodplain connection, streambank grading, in-stream log and rock structures for protecting banks and enhancing habitat, and native riparian vegetation planting. This presentation describes results of the plan and next steps for priority restoration projects including funding acquisition, engineering, permitting, construction work, and vegetation management to achieve ecological objectives.
Mountain Valley Pipeline, LLC's assault on the Virginia Headwaters of the New River
Pitt, Donna (New River Symposium, 2024-04-12)
Designed on a desktop in Pittsburgh, PA, without boots on the ground or any sort of analysis of topography and geology, Equitrans took the shortest, least politically powerful route for its Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) to the purported energy need in the Southeast. Paying over $5m in mitigation money up front to Virginia’s political leaders for the environmental damage it knew it could cause, it was free and clear to proceed. Except we fought back. We became Mountain Valley Watch. And for eight years we held MVP to starts and stops because of their failure to adequately limit environmental damage, causing their costs to double and their timetable to languish. And there, but for an act of Congress and votes sold, we would be stalling them still to protect our resources from the environmental damage still to come, and we just might have won. However, the MVP project was authorized to proceed and the environmental damages were allowed to continue. In this presentation we will provide an overview of the Mountain Valley saga and the environmental damages that have continued to occur and be mostly ignored by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality.
Mucking Around with Aquatic Plants in Claytor Lake: What Have We Learned?
Copeland, John R.; Blankenship, Joan; Walters, Laura (New River Symposium, 2019-04-12)
Aquatic vegetation is an important habitat component in southern reservoirs, but native vegetation in these important fisheries is often displaced by unwanted non-native species, creating less desirable habitat conditions. Claytor Lake, a 1,764 ha mainstem reservoir of the New River in Pulaski County, Virginia, contained a number of native aquatic plants historically, but was colonized by hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata) in the early 2000’s. Hydrilla control during the early 2010’s using triploid grass carp (Ptenopharyngodon idella) resulted in hydrilla suppression and the loss of remaining native aquatic vegetation beds in Claytor Lake. While the management plan guiding hydrilla control discussed native vegetation restoration as an outcome, additional partnerships were created and grant funding was awarded to make the dream a reality. After 5 years of native vegetation restoration work on this reservoir, we share our story as an example of what can be accomplished when diverse constituencies converge in natural resource management. Potential impacts of the Claytor Lake triploid grass carp stocking on native aquatic plants in the Upper New River will be discussed, as well as spin-off effects on the aquatic integrity of the New River, as well as the potential for native plant reintroduction in the Upper New River.
The National Park Service in Southern West Virginia
Allison, Amanda (New River Symposium, 2017-05-16)
The National Park Service manages three units in southern West Virginia, New River Gorge National River, Gauley River National Recreation Area, and Bluestone National Scenic River. All three units were designated for their outstanding natural and cultural resources in addition to their exceptional recreational opportunities. As the National Park Service moves into its second century of service, park managers must find new ways to create a culture of civic engagement, stewardship, and advocacy within our communities. Friends of New River Gorge NR provides public support to all three national parks in southern WV with fundraising campaigns, volunteer projects, and advocacy for park programs.
Natural history, threats, and current research related to Candy Darter (Etheostoma osburni) in Virginia
McBaine, Kathryn E.; Angermeier, Paul L. (New River Symposium, 2017-05-16)
The candy darter (Etheostoma osburni) is a small riffle-dwelling, non-game fish species endemic to the New River drainage in Virginia and West Virginia. It is narrowly restricted to medium-size streams with cold-cool temperatures, high-velocity riffles, and silt-free substrates. It primarily eats aquatic insects. Candy darter’s distribution has been sharply reduced over the last century, now occurring in only four streams in Virginia. Stony Creek, in Giles County, is thought to support the largest and most stable population in Virginia. It is listed as a species of Special Concern in Virginia and is being reviewed for federal listing under the Endangered Species Act. Main threats include fine sediment, warming waters, and introduction of non-native species. Potential management actions to facilitate conservation include improving riparian buffer and excluding cattle from streams. Key knowledge gaps germane to conservation include spatiotemporal distributions, population dynamics, and genetic differentiation of populations. Our research is addressing the following questions: 1) How does detectability of candy darter vary across habitat configurations and seasons? 2) How does the juxtaposition of suitable habitat patches influence movement of candy darter? Answers to these questions could inform management regarding protection and/or enhancement of critical habitats and of connectivity among populations.
The New River Grant Trail: From 5ML to 5 Liters
Blankenship, Joan (New River Symposium, 2019-04-12)
This presentation is designed to show the connection between native habitat restoration and the funding that is necessary to make the projects happen. The BASS Nation of Virginia with a partnership between Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries all supported the application to get a small grant to pay for the first step in the program. Thanks to some quick team building we were able to save the project and move to the next step. We needed to continue but we needed more money. We added two more grants to the project and moved from Henry County to Pulaski County High School and closer to Claytor Lake. We continued to add to our information data base. We were able to find another grant to continue. This allowed us to move the project to Virginia Tech where our hard work finally started to gain some added traction. Enter Dr. Sara Sweeten who took a real interest in the native plants and made suggestions to really grow the project. With our current grant we were able to fund further expansion of the program.
New River Symposium 2011 Program
(New River Symposium, 2011-05-19)
A program overview for the New River Symposium held May 19-20, 2011, at Concord University in Athens, West Virginia.
New River Symposium 2017 Program
(New River Symposium, 2017-05-16)
A program overview for the New River Symposium held May 16, 2017, at the Selu Conservancy in Radford, Virginia.

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