Tim Lane Southwest Virginia Mussel Recovery Coordinator Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries

Tim Lane Southwest Virginia Mussel Recovery Coordinator Virginia 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 State Endangered 29% Non-listed 33% Federal Endangered 24% Extirpated or Extinct 14%

Facility Staff Tim Lane Mussel Recovery Coordinator, Region III Sarah Colletti Mussel Recovery Specialist, Region III Joe Ferraro Mussel Propagation Specialist, Region III Tiffany Leach Aquatic Resource Specialist, Region III Faith Fenyk Intern, Summer 2017 Affiliated Staff Brian Watson State Malacologist, Region II Katie Miller Aquatic 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220-260) 187,000 mussels/year to Powell River (RM 65-123) Species Recovery Plans U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Many now outdated but useful in strategizing particular recovery actions Imperiled Aquatic Species Conservation Strategy for the Upper Tennessee River Basin 2017 U.S. Fish &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

TAZEWELL 10-Year Augmentation Strategy WISE RUSSEL 4 5 6 BLAND WYTHE LEE 1 2 10 miles SCOTT 3 WASHINGTON Holston SMYTH 1=Lower Powell, 2=Lower Clinch, 3=Clinch Islands, 4=Middle Clinch, 5=Upper Clinch, 6=N.F. Holston

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 Name Imperiled 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 14,589 capsaeformis FE 44 2,779 11,766 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 410 subtentum FE 1 409 Quadrula strigilata FE 183 183 2,331 Venustaconcha trabalis FE 10 491 1,830 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 Dromus dromas Epioblasma brevidens Epioblasma capsaeformis Epioblasma f. aureola Io fluvialis (Spiny River Snail) Lampsilis fasciola Lampsilis ovata Lemiox rimosus Medionidus conradicus Villosa iris Venustaconcha trabalis Villosa vanuxemensis Total 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 4 4 3,500 1,940 60 1,500 7,000 760 440 60 500 1,760 761 761 70 70 600 25 625 75 99 174 25 25 250 250 60 185 245 300 95 395 1,000 354 25 1,379 6,584 2,380 180 1,309 235 2,000 12,688