Tim LaneSouthwest Virginia Mussel Recovery CoordinatorVirginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries

Established in 1998 following a catastrophic toxic spill that resulted in a fish/mussel kill over 7 miles of the Clinch River in Cedar Bluff, VA

In 2004 Certus Inc. settled for $3.8 million which started a 12-yr propagation program to re-establish populations in kill zone

Our Mission:▪ To protect and recover endangered aquatic

species in the Upper Tennessee River Basin▪ By propagating and cultivating native aquatic species

jeopardized by anthropogenic activity, with a primary focus on endangered freshwater mussel recovery

▪ By re-establishing aquatic communities impacted by toxic spills and poor land use and reconnecting those fragmented by dams

▪ By augmenting populations or species in decline to prevent the need for future listing

▪ To ensure our unique aquatic resources will be preserved and passed on to future generations

Freshwater Mussels Most Imperiled Group of Organisms in Virginia, U.S.

Clinch and Powell Rivers Hotspot for Biodiversity: Historically Contained at least 55 of the ~300 known species in U.S. – Now down to 47

Extirpated or Extinct

14%

Non-listed33%

Federal Endangered

24%

State Endangered

29%

Facility StaffTim LaneMussel Recovery Coordinator, Region III

Sarah CollettiMussel Recovery Specialist, Region III

Joe FerraroMussel Propagation Specialist, Region III

Tiffany LeachAquatic Resource Specialist, Region III

Faith FenykIntern, Summer 2017

Affiliated StaffBrian WatsonState Malacologist, Region II

Katie MillerAquatic Resource Specialist, Region II

Virginia’s Wildlife Action Plan 2015 – Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries▪ Practical and cost-effective actions to restore wildlife across the Commonwealth of Virginia

Plan for the Population Restoration and Conservation of Imperiled Freshwater Mollusks of the Cumberlandian Region 2010▪ Framework for the restoration of priority mollusk species through reintroduction, augmentation,

and controlled propagation

10-Year Strategic Mussel Augmentation Plan 2016 ▪ Clear goals for mussel propagation facilities working in Clinch/Powell Rivers

▪ Release 114,000 mussels/year to Clinch River (RM 220-260)▪ 187,000 mussels/year to Powell River (RM 65-123)

Species Recovery Plans – U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service▪ Many now outdated but useful in strategizing particular recovery actions

Imperiled Aquatic Species Conservation Strategy for the Upper Tennessee River Basin 2017 –U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service▪ Suggested Management Approach for 36 Fish and Mussel Species’ Recovery▪ Prioritize Listed Species recovery actions in cost-effective ways

Holston

LEE

SCOTTWASHINGTON

WISE RUSSEL

TAZEWELL

WYTHE

BLAND

SMYTH

10 miles

1 2

3

64

5

1=Lower Powell, 2=Lower Clinch, 3=Clinch Islands, 4=Middle Clinch, 5=Upper Clinch, 6=N.F. Holston

10-Year Augmentation Strategy

Virginia Department of Game & Inland Fisheries – Lead Agency

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency Virginia Tech Freshwater Mollusk

Conservation Center The Nature Conservancy

Species (Priority Top to Bottom) Common Name Status Target Streams

VDGIF

Augmentation

Reach

Batches

Planned

Target

Produce

Target

Release

Alasmidonta viridis Slippershell SE Clinch/Indian Creek 4,5 1 500 100

Cyprogenia stegaria Fanshell FE Clinch/Powell 1,4 2 5,000 250

Dromus dromas Dromedary pearlymussel FE Clinch/Powell 1,4 2 3,000 250

Epioblasma brevidens Combshell FE Clinch/Powell 1,4 3 75,000 25,000

Epioblasma capsaeformis Oyster mussel FE Clinch/Powell 1,4 3 50,000 15,000

Epioblasma florentina aureola Golden Riffleshell FE Indian Creek/Where suitable 5 1 500+ 200

Epioblasma triquetra Snuffbox FE Clinch/Powell 1,4 2 25,000 5,000

Fusconaia barnesiana Tennessee pigtoe Stable Clinch/Powell 4,5 4 5,000 1,000

Fusconaia cor Shiny pigtoe FE Clinch/Powell 1,4 3 5,000 1,000

Hemistena lata Cracking pearlymussel FE Clinch/Powell 1,4 1 500 100

Lemiox rimosus Birdwing pearlymussel FE Powell/TWRA partnership 1,4 5 10,000 2,000

Medionidus conradicus Cumberland Moccassinshell Stable Clinch/Powell 4,5 4 20,000 5,000

Plethobasus cyphyus Sheepsnose FE Clinch/Powell 1,4 1 1,000 100

Ptychobranchus subtentum Fluted Kidneyshell FE Clinch 1,4 2 7,500 2,000

Quadrula cylindrica Rough Rabbitsfoot FE Clinch/Powell 4,5 1 500 50

Quadrula intermedia Cumberland Monkeyface FE Clinch/Powell 1,4 2 1,000 100

Quadrula sparsa Appalachian Monkeyface FE Clinch/Powell 1,4 1 500 50

Venustaconcha trabalis (Beech Creek/Hiwassee River)

Tennessee Bean FE NF Holston/TWRA partnership 6 2 5,000 500

Venustaconcha trabalis (Indian Creek) Tennessee Bean FE Clinch/Indian Creek 4,5 1 5,000 500

Villosa vanuxemensis (Indian Creek) Mountain Creekshell Stable Clinch/Indian Creek 2,4,5 1 5,000 2,000

Total 19 Speices 40 224,500 60,000

Species Common NameImperiled

Status Batches Number of Drop-offs # left at last sample % survival

Alasmodonta viridis Slippershell SE 1 850 99 11.6

Cyprogenia stegaria Fanshell FE 1 33 0 0.0

Dromus dromas Dromedary Pearlymussel FE 1 240 0 0.0

Epioblasma brevidens Cumberlandian Combshell FE 8 76,782 44,176 57.5

Epioblasma capsaeformis Oyster Mussel FE 5 22,669 11,766 51.9

Epioblasma triquetra Snuffbox FE 1 1,038 25 2.4

Fusconaia cuneolus Fine-rayed Pigtoe FE 1 435 241 55.4

Lampsilis ovata Pocketbook Stable 2 9,496 6,425 67.7

Lemiox rimosus Birdwing Pearlymussel FE 1 37,684 472 1.3

Medionidus conradicus Cumberland Moccasinshell Stable 1 145 2 1.4

Ptychobranchus subtentum Fluted Kidneyshell FE 2 10,773 409 3.8

Quadrula cylindrica Rabbitsfoot FE 1 211 183 86.7

Venustaconcha trabalis Tennessee Bean FE 3 8,910 1,830 20.5

Villosa vanuxemensis Mountain Creekshell Stable 2 19,576 14,211 72.6

Total 14 Species 26 188,842 79,839 42.3

Species Common Name Imperiled Status VDGIF Augmentation Reaches Number of Drop-offs

Epioblasma brevidens Cumberlandian Combshell FE 1&4 57,044

Epioblasma capsaeformis Oyster Mussel FE 1&4 8,090

Epioblasma triquetra Snuffbox FE 1&4 9,608

Lampsilis fasciola Wavy-rayed Lampmussel Stable 5 70,542

Medionidus conradicus Cumberland Moccasinshell Stable 5 9,517

Ptychobranchus subtentum Fluted Kidneyshell FE 1,4,5 10,781

Venustaconcha trabalis Tennessee Bean FE 4,5 2,771

Villosa iris Rainbow Stable 5 105,613

FMCC Total 8 Species 18 273,966

AWCC Total 14 Species 26 188,842

Both Facilities Combined Total for 2017 16 Species 44 462,808

*Data used courtesy of Jess Jones and Anna Delapenta, VaTech FMCC

Cohort Year

Species Imperilment Status 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Totals

Alasmodonta viridis SE 99 99

Dromus dromas FE 1 1

Epioblasma aureola FE 4 271 40 315

Epioblasma brevidens FE 194 1,637 8,020 36,176 46,027

Epioblasma capsaeformis FE 44 2,779 11,766

14,589

Epioblasma triquetra FE 25 25

Fusconaia cuneolus FE 241 241

Lampsilis abrupta FE 1 1

Lampsilis fasciola Stable 31 231 748 1,010

Lampsilis ovata Stable 3 98 6,425 6,526

Lemiox rimosus FE 7 312 472 791

Medionidus conradicus Species of Concern 33 1,465 2 1,500

Pleuronaia barnesiana Stable 120 120

Ptychobranchus subtentum FE 1 409

410

Quadrula strigilata FE 183 183

Venustaconcha trabalis FE 10 491 1,8302,331

Villosa iris Stable 159 159

Villosa vanuxamensis Stable 1,655 14,211 15,866

Total 4 418 1,932 15,961 71,879 90,194

Species Clinch Augmentation Reach - VA

Powell Augmentation

Reach - VA‘TNC Grant' Powell River (LMU Study)

‘Certus' Spill Reach

‘Estonoa' Student Silo Study Provided to TWRA Total

Dromus dromas4 4

Epioblasma brevidens3,500 1,940 60 1,500 7,000

Epioblasma capsaeformis760 440 60 500 1,760

Epioblasma f. aureola761 761

Io fluvialis (Spiny River Snail)70 70

Lampsilis fasciola600 25 625

Lampsilis ovata75 99 174

Lemiox rimosus25 25

Medionidus conradicus250 250

Villosa iris60 185 245

Venustaconcha trabalis300 95 395

Villosa vanuxemensis1,000 354 25 1,379

Total6,584 2,380 180 1,309 235 2,000 12,688