Re: NANFA-L-- Flame Chub Testimony On Friday

Bruce Stallsmith (fundulus-in-hotmail.com)
Tue, 01 Nov 2005 20:10:40 -0500

Casper, I think you named the reasons behind flame chubs disappearing. Some
of the creeks we visited that apparently had large populations are now
stinking cow pasture ditches; another one has been channelized between two
crop fields. Some streams are more puzzling, though. Larkin Fork of the
Paint Rock River historically produced flame chubs from two locations, and
even though it still looks mostly good we couldn't find any in most of a
day's worth of netting. But even there, we found cows in the water, kept in
one location by barbed wire across the stream. I have to think that has
something to do with it. But Tennessee shiners, telescope shiners, and
bunches of darters were still common, so it's obviously an uneven effect on
different species.

One odd thing I noticed, comparing sites where we found flames compared to
those without: Total Dissolved Solids readings were statistically
significantly higher-in-sites without flame chubs than with, by ~140 ppm to
~120 ppm. This is a species that likes elevated TDS, maybe they're getting
too much of a good thing in the form of enhanced runoff.

--Bruce Stallsmith
along the Tennessee
Huntsville, AL, US of A

>From: Prizma-in-aol.com
>Reply-To: nanfa-l-in-nanfa.org
>To: nanfa-l-in-nanfa.org
>Subject: Re: NANFA-L-- Flame Chub Testimony On Friday
>Date: Tue, 1 Nov 2005 19:58:11 EST
>
>president bruce...
>good luck and i know you will speak well from experience-in-the flame chub
>hearing.
>terrible to hear that only 5 of 17 sites still harbor the beautiful flame
>chub. what a shame that they are lost from 12 recent and previously known
>sites.
> that says a lot about our impact on our waters and this cool spring
>dwelling regional fish. i see a lot of springs destroyed in my wanders.
>hats off to you for your work and testimony. im proud that you are
>representing our native fish and our organization.
>thank you.
>
>seems like i remember ray katula having success-in-providing them breeding
>conditions. until we can return their disturbed habitats to their natural
>required habitats we are-in-a loss tho.
>
>what do you see as causes for their disappearance?
>
>i see springs and their runs dammed and turned into ponds.
>siltation. runoff. erosion.
>devegatation of the banks.
>
>i still hope to snorkel w/ a flamed up pod... maybe even get a chance to
>film them.
>
>casper
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