The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released its amended Biological Opinion on the “Exceptional Drought Operations” (EDO) proposed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the Apalachicola - Chattahoochee - Flint River Basin. The Service also announced its concurrence with water management actions requested for the Alabama - Coosa - Tallapoosa River Basin. -- (Learn more . . . )

 

Heavy flooding in Arkansas severely damages two fish hatcheries

A round of heavy rains and severe weather that arrived on April 8, and stalled over parts of northern Arkansas has severely impacted two National Fish Hatcheries. On April 10, rains caused extensive flooding of the Spring River adjacent to Mammoth Spring National Fish Hatchery in Mammoth Spring, Arkansas. The river crested at a height that equaled or exceeded a record 100-year flood that occurred in 1982. The flooding topped hatchery levees causing muddy flood water, more than 10 feet deep in some places, and debris to rush through the hatchery causing extensive damage to levees, dikes, roads, buildings, equipment, offices, and a newly constructed intensive culture building for endangered aquatic species. Manyvaluable fish were lost, and the hatchery’s ability to function has been severely compromised.

Norfork National Fish Hatchery is located at the base of Norfork Dam in Mountain Home, Arkansas, where there was so much rain that water had to be released from the dam. On a normal day, 6800 cubic feet per second is released. On April 10, twelve times that amount was released. This created extensive flooding along the Norfork River between the dam and the upper reaches of the White River. The hatchery experienced severe erosion and undermining of structures, and will suffer the effects of poor water quality which may impact fish production.

Total damage estimates for federal hatcheries in the Southeast as a result of recent severe weather events are expected to top $3 million.

By Judy Toppins, Fisheries, Atlanta, Georgia

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U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Announces 2008 Georgia Junior Duck Stamp Student Art Competition Winners

(Atlanta, GA) – A 17-year-old artist from Lawrenceville, Georgia, Soo Kim, is the winner of the 2008 statewide Junior Duck Stamp Art Contest held April 3, 2008, at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Regional Office in Atlanta, Georgia. Five judges unanimously selected Kim’s prisma colored pencil rendition of a hooded merganser duck out of the 591 artwork entries as the Georgia Best of Show. -- Learn more.

More information about the Southeast Region's Junior Duck Stamp

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Southeast Region Celebrates Endangered Species Day with Partners May 16, 2008

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Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration Successes -- Learn more ...