Chapter 4 Habitats
4.2.13 Reservoirs & Impoundments 4.2.13.1 Ecosystem Description
Reservoirs and impoundments are found statewide and vary greatly in size; however, the systems considered in this community description include waterbodies of approximately 100 acres or larger. These systems formed when dams were built on large riverine systems, most often constructed to generate hydroelectric power or provide drinking water for nearby communities. The diverse nature of the impounded streams and rivers contributes to their unique configuration, flow pattern, water chemistry, and biota. Water depths in many of these systems may be subject to some fluctuation because water is released to maintain downstream flow regimes or to release flood waters. Farm ponds and smaller lakes constructed as local storm water or flood control facilities are not included in this description. These man-made systems will likely have a combination of maintained shoreline with hardened structures and natural shoreline covered by vegetation. Where the shorelines are marshy, such as shallow margins and wetlands affected by the lake’s hydrology, the vegetation is expected to include emergent aquatic plants, while the upper banks will be covered by a mix of herbaceous and woody vegetation. Reservoirs, mill ponds, and other impounded waterbodies provide habitat for a variety of fully and semiaquatic species including reptiles, amphibians, and aquatic mammals. They provide habitat that supports prey species and area foraging areas for many terrestrial species, such as birds and bats. 4.2.13.2 Location of Habitat There are numerous reservoirs and impoundments with various sized drainage areas located across the state. Notable examples include the B. Everett Jordan Lake Dam on the Haw River (Cape Fear River Basin); Hiwassee Lake Dam on the Hiwassee River (Hiwassee River Basin); East Fork, Cedar Cliff, and Bear Creek dams on the Tuckasegee River (Little Tennessee River Basin); Falls of the Neuse Dam on the Neuse River (Neuse River Basin); Lake Gaston and Roanoke Rapids Lake dams on the Roanoke River (Roanoke River Basin); and the Tillery/Norwood and Blewett Falls Lake dams on the Pee Dee River (Yadkin-Pee Dee River Basin). 4.2.13.3 Problems Affecting Habitats The protection of aquatic ecosystems under an expanding human population is of global concern and water quantity is becoming a major issue for urbanizing landscapes (Armstrong et al. 2001) . Aquatic systems in North Carolina have been threatened by a variety of perturbations in the past, and many of those same threats continue today. Water impoundment imposes fundamental changes on natural landscapes by transforming rivers into reservoirs. The dramatic shift in physical conditions accompanying the loss of flow creates novel ecological and evolutionary challenges for native species (Haas et al. 2010) . Land Use . Aside from converting extensive reaches of stream habitat into standing water, reservoirs flood large areas of land, change the magnitude and timing of water flows, reduce the sediment load, form barriers for fish migration, and extirpate shallow-water species
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2025 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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