To prevent the loss of a species of unique fish, the Little River Marbled Darter, this project consisted of activities to regenerate the local fish population in the Little River. The Marbled Darter population is considered stable but extremely vulnerable. Without interventions from conservation organizations such as Conservation Fisheries Inc. and The Nature Conservancy (TNC), any adverse event could cause irreversible declines. Arconic Foundation supported the hatching and relocation of Marbled Darter fish in two project locations along the French Broad River and the Little River.
Project Partner: The Nature Conservancy of Tennesse
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Citico Creek Watershed Restoration & Aquatic Connectivity Projects
Culverts are human-made interruptions to naturally flowing creek ecosystems that prevent local fish populations and other aquatic species from continuing in their migrations. The Nature Conservancy in collaboration with the U.S. Forest Service in East Tennessee is continuing aquatic connectivity work in the Cherokee National Forest, and with the support of the Arconic Foundation, funding was leveraged to complete seven culvert replacements and a dam within the Citico Creek watershed, which contains designated critical habitat for 3 federally listed fishes, and more than 60 total fish species. The set of project plans enable barrier removals in this high priority watershed, including reconnection of 15 linear miles of priority habitat for listed species in Citico Creek. The conservation benefits of this work include improved stream network connectivity and aquatic organism passage, reduced risk of sedimentation, and transportation infrastructure resiliency during large rain events.