PTS: 3210APN.14.53 Title: TN-Habitat characterization and distribution surveys for Chucky Madtom (Noturus elegans) in tributaries to Little Chucky Creek (05-R4-04) Leaders: * Fennell, Shannon R., shannon_fennell@usgs.gov, 703-648-4265, FAX 703-648-4269, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive Mail Stop 303, Reston, VA 20192-0002 * Layzer, James B., jim_layzer@usgs.gov, 931-372-3032, FAX 931-372-6257, Box 5114 Tennessee Tech University, Cookeville, TN 38505-0001 Communication Plan: Information will be dissemenated to all cooperators. Products are as follows:
1. Quarterly reports on project activity will be filed electronically beginning 31 July 2005.
2. Interim Report (electronic and hard copy) ¿ Submitted by 31 December 2005. The report will summarize progress towards establishing landowner contacts and securing access to streams, present preliminary results of habitat characterization, and sampling.
3. Final Report (electronic and hard copy) ¿ Submitted by 31 December2006, and will include results of all habitat characterization and sampling for the chucky madtom.
4. Geographic Data ¿ for all sites sampled. The USGS and Service project officers will collaborate on developing mapping methods and spreadsheet designs prior to commencement of fieldwork. Objectives: 1. Conduct a survey for chucky madtom in at least one reach of each tributary (contingent upon landowner permission).
2. Describe habitat at each site sampled.
3. Collect individuals for use in captive propagation by CFI. Statement of Problem: The chucky madtom, an undescribed member of the elegant madtom (Noturus elegans) species group, is a candidate for federal listing that is known from only two streams in east Tennessee: Dunn creek in the French Broad river drainage and Little Chucky creek in the Nolichucky river drainage. Only 14 specimens of the chucky madtom have ever been collected, and the species has not been found in Dunn creek since a lone specimen was collected from this drainage in 1940. Collections from Little Chucky Creek include a pair collected during a TVA survey in 1991, nine specimens collected in 1993 (Burr and Eisenhour 1994), and a pair collected in May 2004. These few collections are the only confirmed observations of this species despite numerous surveys initiated by the Service and others since 1993 (Burr and Eisenhour 1994, Shute et al. 1997, Lang et al. 2001, Rakes and Shute 2004). All of the surveys included the Dunn Creek and Little Chucky Creek, as well as other streams with physically similar habitat in the Nolichucky and French Broad rivers systems. Extensive surveys have not been conducted in tributaries or headwaters of either Little Chucky or Dunn creeks: however, an unknown number of (unidentified) madtoms were collected from a tributary to Little Chucky Creek during a fish kill investigation in March 1973. This collection of madtoms from a tributary to Little Chucky Creek warrants a survey for chucky madtoms in tributaries throughout the drainage. Distributional data from the entire Little Chucky Creek drainage are needed to support conservation planning and to make a decision on potential listing actions for chucky madtoms. The urgency of conducting the proposed surveys is heightened by CFI¿s ongoing chucky madtom captive propagation effort that began with the two individuals collected in 2004. For captive propagation to be an effective component of efforts to conserve the chucky madtom, additional brood stock is required to maximize the genetic heterogeneity of progeny to be used for reintroduction. 2005 Statement of Work: Plan project, establish study sites, initiate sampling. First year will focus on establishing landowner contacts and securing access to streams, habitat characterization, and sampling. Product: Report Planned Report, Planned: tbd, tbd, tbd
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