3.5 Freshwater Fish
blocked by Buckhorn Dam on the Cape Fear River and Lockville Dam near the mouth of the Deep River. Fish passage around these obstructions is needed for migratory fsh to reach historic spawning sites in the Deep River. Restoring migratory fsh access to historic spawning and nursery habitats will help rebuild currently depressed populations to sup- port healthy ecosystems and sustainable recreational and commercial fsheries (CFRP 2013) . Management activities difer depending on the type of habitat involved. Many large rivers have one or more hydropower operations so a main concern is maintaining a natural fow regime. On small streams, bank stability is a major concern. Fish passage is an issue of both large and small streams. Reservoirs are typically managed diferently than natural lakes. Reservoirs are usually managed for sport fsheries to provide recreation. Participation in the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) relicensing process will facilitate negotiation of more natural fow regimes in regulated rivers and help identify opportunities to mitigate negative impacts from hydropower development. Natural lakes such as Lake Waccamaw and Lake Phelps are managed for both recreational fsheries and native species.
Advancements in propagation techniques and hatchery facilities have contrib- uted to the successful raising of Robust Redhorse and Spotfn Chub in captiv- ity at NCWRC fsh hatcheries. Partners such as Conservation Fisheries, Inc., have reared Sicklefn Redhorse and the state
Spotfn Chub (SJ Fraley, NCWRC)
of Tennessee is propagating Lake Sturgeon. Tese captivity-raised fsh have been used for augmentation stocking in areas with appropriate habitat and extant populations. Management needs include improvements to and expansion of fsh hatchery facilities in order to support a successful propagation program. Tere are numerous instances of nonnative fsh species being introduced into NC waters and for some of these species, there are signifcant concerns. For example, the Flathead Catfsh is an obligate piscivore (fsh-eating species) that has been associated with declines of native fsh populations in areas where it has been introduced. 3.5.6 Threats and Problems Tere are water quality concerns beyond turbidity and sedimentation. Te presence of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), even at very low concentrations, can disrupt normal development and lead to reproductive problems. Many fshes, especially pisciv- ores, bioaccumulate and bioconcentrate (retain in tissue) heavy metals such as mercury and arsenic, as well as many chemical pollutants, via predation on other fsh that have
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2015 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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