Freshwater Mussel Surveys in the Navigational Pools of the Allegheny River 2005 2007 Principal Investigator: Tamara A. Smith Presented by: Elizabeth S. Meyer Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program/ Western Pennsylvania Conservancy
Introduction Approximately 300 species of freshwater mussels are found in North America Provide community services Over two-thirds of NA mussels are considered imperiled
Freshwater Mussel Surveys - Introduction - Allegheny River: 2005-2007 Historically nearly species of native mussels in the lower Allegheny River Dams constructed from 19-1938 Few surveys have occurred since that time Improving water quality Rare mussel species occur in the upper portions of the Allegheny basin Dams provide a barrier to migration Sand and gravel dredging
Freshwater Mussel Surveys - Methods - Allegheny River: 2005-2007 Ohio River Valley Ecosystem Team (ORVET) (2004) protocol Scuba dive team pairs 100-meter transects perpendicular to flow divided into 10-m segments Minimum 10 minute search time in each segment Substrate assessment and depth of each segment 2006 surveys in areas permitted for dredging 2007 surveys in areas with shallow depths Bathymetry work completed by Eric Chapman, Eli Long and others (WPC) in 2007
Allegheny River Bathymetry
Freshwater Mussel Surveys - Results- Allegheny River: 2005-2007 Pool 4 5 6 7 8 Total All Pools No. Transects 6 8 31 10 20 75 Species Richness (Live) Max 3 8 10 10 10 Mean 1.8 5.5 6.2 5.1 4.2 SE Mean 0.3 0.8 0.4 1.2 0.9 Pool Total 6 10 17 11 13 21 Abundance (Live) Max 5 208 262 463 492 Mean 2.8 62.4 69.3 115.0 133.3 SE Mean 0.6 23.9 11.7 174.1 39.7 Pool Total 17 6 21 1150 2665 63
Freshwater Mussel Surveys - Results - Allegheny River: 2005-2007 Species G Rank S Rank Pool Presence Incl. Dead Species G Rank S Rank Pool Presence Incl. Dead A. ligamentina S5 4 5 6 7 8 L. fragilis S2 4 5 6 7 8 A. marginata G4 S4 6 7 8 L. recta S3 S4 4 5 6 7 8 *A. plicata S2 S3 7 P. clava G2 S1 S2 7 E. dilatata S4 4 5 6 7 8 P. sintoxia G4 S2 5 6 E. t. rangiana G2 T2 S2 8 P. alatus S2 4 5 6 7 D. polymorpha Invasive Invasive 5 6 *P. ohioensis SNR 4 F. flava S2 5 6 7 8 P. fasciolaris G4 S4 6 F. subrotunda G3 S1 4 6 P. grandis S4 4 6 L. cardium S4 5 6 7 8 S. ambigua G3 S1 5 6 L. fasciola S4 8 S. undulatus S4 S5 6 8 L. ovata S3 S4 6 7 8 V. fabalis G1 G2 S1 S2 6 7 8 L. siliquoidea S4 4 5 6 7 8 *Villosa iris S1 6 L. costata S4 5 6 7 8 * Only found as dead shells Key to Global and State Ranks =Secure, G4=Apparently Secure, G3=Vulnerable, G2=Imperiled, G1=Critically Imperiled S5=Secure, S4=Apparently Secure, S3=Vulnerable, S2=Imperiled, S1=Critically Imperiled
Transects in Pools 4 and 5 Total Number of Live Mussels Species Richness
Transects in Pool 6 Total Number of Live Mussels Species Richness
Transects in Pools 7 and 8 Total Number of Live Mussels Species Richness
Total Abundance for each 10-m segment by Maximum Depth 100 60 Numbers correspond to River Mile Abundance (Live Only) 80 60 20 0 60 60 60 60 59 59 60 59 60 60 59 60 59 60 60 59 60 41 6060 59 60 26 26 26 26 26 26 26 26 26 26 26 26 26 26 26 37 2 60 60 60 59 59 59 59 59 59 60 52 35 2 37 3737 37 59 52 52 53 525252 52 52 52 5252 54 53 54 54 54 52 54 54 52 52 52 52 52 52 52 52 52 54 54 54 54 54 53 53 53 54 31 3131 53 31 5331 54 53 54 54 54 31 31 54 49 54 54 56 54 54 5556 54 54 55 50 5555 50 49 55 55 5555 55 54 55 55 56 56 56 56 56 56 56 57 37 39 37 37 39 41 39 39 41 5757 565656 56 3156 31 31 56 57 39 41 41 3937 4141 41 41 37 37 39 3939 37 57 3939 39 37 37 35 35 35 35 3535 35 35 39 4141 41 41 41 33 33 59 32 32 33 3333 33 33 332 33 3 33 33 33 33 33 59 33 33 41 41 32 32 3232 33 33 33 33 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 Maximum Depth (m)
Species Richness for each 10-m Segment by Maximum Depth 60 Numbers correspond to River Mile 8 Species Richness (Live Only) 6 4 2 1 52 41 60 59 52 60 60 60 0 52 60 35 33 60 5959 60 60 33 60 59 59 32 52 52 52 4133 33 60 59 60 6059 33 6059 33 32 32 564 4 52 52 52 3939 60 41 52 33 56 56 35 41 35 5959 33 33 41 33 60 60 59 59 59 52 59 56 41 0 37 26 52 37 26 26 52 55 55 5252 56 53 55 55 56 57 52 31 39 37 37 56 56 31 52 56 37 41 35 4141 35 3541 41 56 41 33 33 3333 33 59 33 33 32 33 33 32 32 33 32 26 26 26 2626 2626 26 26 26 26 26 37 37 37 37 37 37 37 37 53 5353 37 52 52 54 53 54 53 53 54 54 54 53 54 49 54 55 54 55 54 50 51 53 54 54 4 54 54 49 26 52 53 52 54 54 52 52 52 52 52 54 54 31 31 31 31 31 31 31 54 54 54 50 55 55 55 55 55 55 56 56 39 56 57 57 57 39 41 39 41 3939 39 41 41 39 39 39 39 37 56 4557 5655 56 56 37 33 33 41 33 39 39 39 41 32 3354 33 5633 33 54 54 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 Maximum Depth (m)
Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program (PNHP) 5-Mar-07 Riverine Facultative Primarily Scientific Name Common Name (lotic) Riverine lentic Actinonaias ligamentina Mucket (x) Alasmidonta marginata Elktoe Amblema plicata Three-ridge Elliptio dilatata Spike Epioblasma torulosa rangiana Northern Riffleshell Fusconaia flava Wabash Pigtoe Fusconaia subrotunda Long-solid Lampsilis cardium Plain Pocketbook Lampsilis fasciola Wavy-rayed Lampmussel Lampsilis ovata Pocketbook Lampsilis siliquoidea Fatmucket Lasmigona costata Fluted-shell Leptodea fragilis Fragile Papershell Ligumia recta Black Sandshell Pleurobema clava Clubshell Pleurobema sintoxia Round Pigtoe Potamilus alatus Pink Heelsplitter Potamilus ohiensis Pink Papershell Ptychobranchus fasciolaris Kidneyshell Pyganodon grandis Giant Floater Simpsonaias ambigua Salamander Mussel Strophitus undulatus Creeper Villosa fabalis Villosa iris Total Number of Species Rayed Bean Mussel Rainbow Mussel 14 10 1 Charles Bier and Robert Anderson
Freshwater Mussel Surveys - Discussion - Allegheny River: 2005-2007 Higher abundance and species richness in shallow areas Areas that were dredged were deep and had only silt, boulder, and bedrock substrate Preliminary statistical analysis results indicate that percent silt, cobble and maximum dept are significant predictors of abundance and species richness
Acknowledgements This study was funded by a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service State Wildlife Grants Program Grant T-2 administered through the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PAFBC). In 2005, supplemental funding from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Pennsylvania Field office was used to conduct surveys in pools 4 and 6. Thanks to Patricia Morrison (USFWS), Janet Butler (USFWS) and Robert Anderson (USFWS) for oversight and dive training in 2005. Thanks to the PA Fish and Boat Commission for use of their dive boat in the 2005 and 2006 field seasons. Thanks to Robert Morgan (PAFBC) and Doug Fischer (PAFBC) for help with boat operations in 2005. Thanks to the Colcom Foundation for funding the purchase of a WPC research vessel that was used in 2007 and thanks to Eric Chapman (WPC) for researching and maintaining the boat. Thanks to the various marinas in the navigational pools, especially Rosston Eddy Marina and the Nautical Mile Marina. Thanks to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for allowing us lockage. Thanks to Scott s SCUBA in Freeport, PA and to Divers World in Erie, PA for being accommodating with special equipment rental and maintenance needs. Special thanks to WPC/PNHP SCUBA dive crew members Ryan Evans, Zachary Horn, Elizabeth Meyer, Nicole Rhodes, Erik Weber and Jake Winkler. 2007 field work was made more efficient by using bathymetric maps generated by Eric Chapman (WPC) and Eli Long (WPC).