4.5 River Basins
12-digit HUC priorities statewide; this list is available for download as an Excel fle from the NCWRC web page: http://www.ncwildlife.org/plan.
4.5.3.2 Conservation Strategies Historically, aquatic conservation and management strategies have typically focused on a few commercially or recreationally signifcant game fsh species, with stock enhancement as a primary goal. Te passage of the 1973 Endangered Species Act and 1972 Clean Water Act (with amendments) stressed ecosystem protection and allowed for focused attention on all species and their habitats. Ecosystem management is likely the most efective strategy for conserving rare aquatic species because it factors in ecological relationships, land-use patterns, and threats to habitat and water quality. It is a complicated and often costly approach and relies heavily on cooperation among federal and state agencies, local govern- ments, private organizations, and individual citizens. However, its holistic approach can beneft all species within the watershed. Te US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has led in the development of detailed conser- vation strategies for mussels in the United States (Biggins et al. 1997) and fshes in the south- east (Bibb et al. 2002) . Both of these important documents identify specifc goals and detailed strategies for achieving them. Jenkinson and Todd (1997) provided a historical perspective of mollusk management in the United States and propose general strategic guidance for habitat protection, population enhancement, harvest controls, public appreciation, and invasive species control and prevention. Some region-scale strategies have recently been drafted and are identifed in the applicable river basin descriptions. Conservation eforts have only recently been focused on crayfsh. Taylor et al. (2007) identify the present state of crayfsh management (and crustaceans in general) and the challenges that face developing adequate management plans. Surface water classifcations are one tool that state and federal agencies use to manage and protect streams, rivers, lakes, and other surface waters in North Carolina. Classifcations and their associated protection rules may be designed to protect water quality, fsh and wildlife, or other special characteristics. Each classifcation has associated standards that are used to determine if the designated uses are being protected. Te NC Division of Water Resources (NCDWR) has assigned some waterbodies in the state supplemental classifca- tions. Some examples include: • High Quality Waters (HQW) or Outstanding Resource Waters (ORW) designation when they either have excellent water quality or they are a signifcant resource to humans or wildlife (NCDWR 2015d) . Te requirements to be classifed as ORWs are more strin- gent than those for HQWs and in some circumstances, the unique characteristics of
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2015 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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