Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership

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CONSERVATION IN ACTION
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SARP Steering Committee
Federal and State agencies with management
authority over fisheries

• 14 State Resource Agencies
• FL, SC, NC, GA, AL, KY, TN,
• MS, LA, AR, MO, OK, TX, and VA
• U.S. Fish Wildlife Service
• National Marine Fisheries Service
• Coastal Commissions/Councils

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Partners

• The Nature Conservancy
• SEAFWA
• Southeast Watershed Forum
• National Park Service
• Southern Company
• Bass Pro Shops
• BASS/ESPN

• US EPA Gulf of Mexico Program
• Southern Company
• World Wildlife Fund
• USGS
• US Army Corps of Engineers

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Strategic Planning
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Southeast Aquatic Habitat PlanObjectives

• Riparian Zones
• Water Quality
• Watershed Connectivity
• Hydrologic Conditions (Instream Flows and Water
  Level Management)

• Sediment transport
• Physical Habitat
• Aquatic Nuisance Species (Ecological Balance)
• Coastal, estuarine, and marine habitats

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Strategic Planning
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Next Steps

• Plan is used as a guide for action to put habitat
  improvements in the water and on the ground

Volunteers building habitat structures in the
Altamaha river basin
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Habitat Assessment

• Habitat condition assessment based on NFHAP
  Science and Data Report on Tennessee/Cumberland
  river basin and Red and Sabine river basins
• Detailed data collection and watershed assessment
• Project funded by NFWF State Wildlife Action Plan
  support program

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Habitat Assessment

• River basin habitat condition assessments
• will allow SARP to identify and evaluate
  opportunities for investment
• Develop prescriptive measures to protect habitats
  in major basins of the southeast
• Habitat assessment will help guide the
  implementation of the Plan

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Measuring Progress

• Monitoring and Evaluation on three scales
• Project level individual projects provide
  feedback and monitor key species or habitat
  components (SARP)
• Regional/river basin level Habitat Condition
  Assessments (SARP)
• National Habitat Condition Assessment (NFH Board
  and Staff)

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Time for ActionLake Oconee, Georgia

• Altamaha River basin identified as a priority
  watershed
• Island erosion and degradation identified locally
  as a habitat and public use issue
• Georgia Wildlife Resources Division proposed
  island restoration project to SARP for NFHAP
  funding
• SARP Steering Committee selected project for
  funding

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Island Restoration Project
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Island Restoration Project

• Partners
• EPA Five Star Program
• US Forest Service
• Georgia Power Company
• Local Boy Scout Troop
• Lake Oconee Anglers Club
• Lake Oconee Bassmasters
• Reynolds Plantation Golf Community
• Georgia DNR

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Primary site
Oconee River Gravel Bar Restoration
Avant Mine
Existing gravel spawning bar

• Secondary site

Possible future sites
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Gravel spawning bar, behind Avant Kaolin Mine
Washington County, GA
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• Gravel separator
• Used to separate gravel from fines

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(No Transcript)
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Approximately 75 tons of gravel will be sorted
and distributeddownriver by normal hydrological
events to augment degraded gravel spawning habitat
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NFHAP Funding for Projects

• FY06 220K to Southeast
• FY07 440K to Southeast
• FY08 600K to Southeast

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Funding for Projects

• RFP issued in November each year
• Projects selected by USFWS and SARP Steering
  Committee
• Funding usually available the following spring or
  summer

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FY 08 Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership
Projects

• Stony Creek riparian restoration and stream
  habitat improvement (VA) 28,570
• Improved Recreational Fishing through Community
  Based
• Oyster Reef Habitat Restoration (TX)
  60,000
• Lake Oconee island restoration and habitat
  enhancement (GA) 114,286
• Nuisance aquatic vegetation removal/control in
  Caddo Lake (TX and LA) 40,000
• Lake Mary (MS) weir repair 114,286
• Erosion control in Doe/Mill/Wildcat Branch
  Watershed (AL)
• to benefit rush darter 35,714
• Spring enhancement and restoration in the lower
  Flint River (GA) 5,714
• Restoration of eroding streambanks in tributaries
  adjacent to
• native mussel communities within Buffalo
  National River (AR) 78,572
• Gravel augmentation at spawning sites in the
  Cooper River, (SC) 122,858
• TOTAL 600,000

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NFHAP Legislation

• Legislation in development
• Proposed funding level of 100 million nationwide
  about 75 million to on the ground projects
• Distribution of funds similar to North American
  Wetlands Conservation Act
• Fish Habitat Partnerships (SARP) recommend
  projects for funding

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NOAA Community Based Habitat Restoration Program
Mangroves Kelp Forests Coral Reefs Oyster Reefs

• Debris removal
• Restoring tidal flow
• SAV and salt marsh restoration
• Spawning habitat restoration
• Oyster reef restoration and creation

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NOAA Habitat Partnership

• SARP was recently accepted as a partner in NOAAs
  Community Based Habitat Restoration Grant Program
  
• SARP will receive a grant from NOAA SARP and
  NOAA select local projects with local partners
  for distribution of smaller grants
• 3 year program will allow SARP and NOAA to
  support projects that meet the Southeast Aquatic
  Habitat Plan goals

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Southern Instream Flow Network No Fish Without
Water
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www.sarpaquatic.org