The Roanoke Times recently published an article (PDF) about court proceeedings that occurred as a result of a chemical spill that occurred on the Blacksburg Country Club property. The Blacksburg Country Club has agreed to pay nearly $19,000 and finance environmental restoration projects to make amends for environmental damages resulting from the spill. The agreement reached in federal court is the latest regulatory action to come from a 2007 accident that dumped herbicides into the North Fork of the Roanoke River, killing about 10,000 fish. Combined with an earlier state enforcement action, the incident will wind up costing the country club more than $60,000. The court action was taken to address the approximately 170 Roanoke logperch, a federally endangered species, that were killed as a result of the spill.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has listed the sheepnose and the spectaclecase, two freshwater mussels found in river systems in the eastern half of the United States, as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. Sheepnose are currently found in Alabama, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. The sheepnose occurs in 25 streams, down from 76, a 67 percent decline. Very few of these populations are known to be reproducing. The spectaclecase once occurred in at least 44 streams but now occurs in 20 streams, a 55 percent reduction in the number of occupied streams. Of the 20 remaining populations, six are represented by only one or two known specimens each. Spectaclecase mussels are currently found in Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. In listing the two mussels, the Service evaluated factors related to the species that could lead to extinction. Threats to both the sheepnose and the spectaclecase include loss and degradation of stream and river habitat due to impoundments, channelization, chemical contaminants, mining and sedimentation. Freshwater mussels require clean water; their decline often signals a decline in the water quality of the streams and rivers they inhabit. The Service’s final rule appears in the March 13, 2013, Federal Register. The Service will now develop a recovery plan for the two species and work cooperatively with partners to conserve their habitats. It is illegal under the ESA to kill, harm or otherwise “take” a listed species, or to posses, import, export or conduct interstate or international commerce without authorization from the Service. The ESA also requires all federal agencies to ensure actions they authorize, fund, or undertake do not jeopardize the existence of listed species. Photo Caption:Sheepnose Mussel. Credit: USFWS.

More information on mussels and endangered wildlife can be found at: http://www.fws.gov/northeast/endangered/

The Virginian-Pilot recently published an article about the recently completed restoration project at Lake Tecumseh in Virginia Beach. The project, consisting of the construction of two small weirs at the south end of the lake, was completed in February 2011. The purpose of the project was to physically separate Back Bay from Lake Tecumseh, as it was historically prior to 1960. New monitoring data confirm that the project is working as advertised. Submerged aquatic vegetation has already returned to the lake and water levels are consistently higher, providing greater recreational opportunities. Some current criticism of the project has been that the project is responsible for increased flooding in the area. However, government studies have shown that the project is not responsible for these impacts; the increased flooding is likely a result of unusually wet weather, heavy tides, and wind. The complete Virginian-Pilot article is available for more information. Photo Caption: Topographic map depicting the locations of two weirs installed for the Lake Tecumseh project. Credit: USFWS.

Read more about the Lake Tecumseh project

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has listed two freshwater mussels – the rayed bean and the snuffbox – as endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act. The two mussels are found in river systems in the eastern United States. The rayed bean is currently found in rivers in Indiana, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and West Virginia, as well as Ontario, Canada. The snuffbox occurs in Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Ontario, Canada. In its final rule listing the two species under the ESA, the Service pointed to dramatic declines in their populations. The rayed bean has been eliminated from 73 percent of its historical range, and the snuffbox has disappeared from 62 percent of the streams in which it was historically found. The final rule appears in the February 14, 2012, Federal Register. Threats to both the rayed bean and the snuffbox include loss and degradation of stream and river habitat due to impoundments, channelization, chemical contaminants, mining and sedimentation. Freshwater mussels require clean water; their decline often signals a decline in the water quality of the streams and rivers they inhabit. The Service will now work cooperatively with partners to develop recovery plans for the two mussels and coordinate efforts to conserve their habitats. Under the ESA, “endangered” means a species is in danger of becoming extinct throughout all or a significant portion of its range. It is illegal under the ESA to kill, harm or otherwise “take” a listed species, or to posses, import, export or conduct interstate or international commerce without authorization from the Service. The ESA also requires all federal agencies to ensure actions they authorize, fund, or undertake do not jeopardize the existence of listed species. Photo Caption:Snuffbox Mussel. Credit: USFWS.

More information on mussels and endangered wildlife can be found at: http://www.fws.gov/northeast/endangered/

John Schmerfeld, of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), was awarded the Eugene W. Surber Professional Biologist of the Year Award by the American Fisheries Society for his outstanding commitment to the conservation and restoration of aquatic resources in Virginia. John was the USFWS Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration (NRDAR) coordinator for Virginia from 2000 to 2010. During his tenure, John was instrumental in settling cases grossing over $8 million that have been directed towards the restoration of Virginia's aquatic resources. John has recently accepted the position of Climate Change Coordinator for the USFWS National Wildlife Refuge System in Arlington, Virginia. A full description of the award notification is available for download. Photo Caption: John Schmerfeld. Credit: USFWS

On February 6, 2012, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) published its final rule listing the Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended.  In the final rule, NMFS identified five distinct population segments (DPSes) of the Atlantic sturgeon. NMFS determined that the Chesapeake Bay distinct population segment of Atlantic sturgeon is endangered because it is currently in danger of extinction throughout its range due to:  (1) precipitous declines in population sizes and the protracted period in which sturgeon populations have been depressed; (2) the limited amount of current spawning; and (3) the impacts and threats that have and will continue to prevent population recovery.  Threats to the Atlantic sturgeon include habitat alteration and impacts of dredging, vessel strikes, degraded water quality, and incidental catch in other fisheries.  Additional information on this listing is available at: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/fish/atlanticsturgeon.htm. Photo Caption: Atlantic sturgeon at the Northeast Fishery Center. Credit: USFWS