2015 Wildlife Action Plan Inc Addendums 1 (2020) + 2 (2022)

4.5 River Basins

T ABLE 4.61 Knowledge-gap priority species in the Hiwassee River Basin

Federal/ State Status*

Taxa Group Scientifc Name

Common Name Spotfn Shiner Redline Darter

Cyprinella spiloptera Etheostoma ruflineatum

FISH

— — —

Gambusia afnis

Western Mosquitofsh [Nonnative in this basin]

Hybopsis amblops

Bigeye Chub

— —

Ichthyomyzon greeleyi Luxilus chrysocephalus Notropis micropteryx Notropis photogenis

Mountain Brook Lamprey

Striped Shiner Highland Shiner

—/SC

— — — — — — — —

Silver Shiner

Notropis telescopus Percina aurantiaca

Telescope Shiner Tangerine Darter

Percina evides

Gilt Darter

Pimephales notatus Corbicula fuminea Utterbackia imbecillis

Bluntnose Minnow Asian Clam [Exotic]

MUSSEL

Paper Pondshell

* See Table 4.43 in Section 4.5.3.2 for abbreviations.

Management Practices. Management practices that reduce impacts and work synergis- tically with other conservation actions are needed to enhance the resilience of natural resources. Particular needs include preserving biodiversity, protecting native populations and their habitats, and improving degraded habitats. In addition, education about, and regulation and prevention of the introduction and spread of exotic or invasive species are vital. Specifc issues in this basin include secondary and cumulative impacts upon water quality, riparian vegetation and stream bank restoration and conservation, mitigation of hydropower development impacts, and species restoration opportunities. • Support conservation and restoration of streams and native riparian vegetation in pri- ority areas, especially in the Valley River, Brasstown Creek, and the Peachtree-Martins Creek watersheds. • Enforce erosion control and site-specifc stormwater control requirements in order to protect water quality where development is occurring in watersheds with ORW, HQW, and Tr waters, especially Fires Creek and Tusquitee Creek, and the Sweetwater Creek watershed (NCDWQ 2012b) . • Investigate the potential for restoring Christy’s Elimia, Sicklefn Redhorse, and priority mussel species in restored or improved habitats.

557

2015 NC Wildlife Action Plan

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