# Presentation: 077942

## Cooperative Conservation 

**Little Chucky Creek**
**Greene County**

## Chucky madtom (Noturus crypticus)

- Photo courtesy of J.R. Shute

**Notes:**
Described in 2005
Candidate for listing under the ESA
Threats – primarily non-point source pollution from agricultural land uses; intrinsic biological characteristics:  small population size, short life-span, low fecundity (inferred from studies of closely related madtoms)

## USFWS Listing Priority

| Threat |  |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Magnitude | Immediacy | Taxonomy | Priority |
| High | Imminent

Non-imminent | Monotypic genus
Species
Subspecies/pop.
Monotypic genus
Species
Subspecies/pop. |      1
     2*
     3
     4
     5
     6 |
| Moderate to Low | Imminent

Non-imminent | Monotypic genus
Species
Subspecies/pop.
Monotypic genus
Species
Subspecies/pop. |      7
     8
     9
    10
    11
    12 |

## Pre-listing Conservation

- _Middle Nolichucky Watershed Association_
- Tennessee Valley Authority
- Natural Resources Conservation Service
- Greene Co. Soil Conservation District
- Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency
- US Geological Survey
- US Fish and Wildlife Service
- World Wildlife Fund
- Distribution Survey
- Watershed Action Plan - Installing Agricultural BMPs
- Community Outreach

## Distribution Surveys

**USGS Cooperative Fisheries Research Unit – TTU **
**Headwaters and tributaries**
**Assay reaches for suitable habitat**
**Sample representative reaches where suitable habitat exists**
**Cooperative, informal effort**
**Conservation Fisheries, Inc.**
**TVA**
**TWRA**
**USFWS**
**Collect brood stock for captive propagation**

## Kick-seining
Snorkeling
Backpack electro-shocking
Volunteers needed!

- Snorkeling
- Backpack electro-shocking
- Volunteers needed!

- Distribution Surveys

## Watershed Action Plan

**Identifies causes and sources of NPS pollution**
**Estimates load reductions to be expected**
**Describes proposed NPS management measures**
**Estimates technical and financial assistance needs**
**Information / education component**
**Schedule for implementing NPS management measures**
**Describes interim, measurable milestones**
**Identifies criteria for monitoring NPS loading reductions**
**Outlines monitoring program**

**Designed to meet EPA requirements for 319 funding for improving impaired waters**

## Slide 8

**Notes:**
Land use map depicts the largely agricultural setting in the Little Chucky basin.

Dominantly hay and pasture, with little row crop ag remaining.

## Area and percentage of land uses in Little Chucky Creek watershed and within 100-m buffer of streams in the watershed, as determined using Tennessee Gap Analysis land cover dataset.

| 
Land Use Class | Acres |  | Percent |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|  | w/in 100 m | total | w/in 100 m | total |
| Open Water  | 11.60 | 13.43 | 0.19 | 0.05 |
| Forested Wetland  | 10.45 | 24.65 | 0.17 | 0.09 |
| Nonforested Wetland  | 1.70 | 2.46 | 0.03 | 0.01 |
| Pasture/Grassland  | 4141.12 | 17693.43 | 66.98 | 62.88 |
| Row Crop  | 271.75 | 1031.13 | 4.40 | 3.66 |
| Upland Deciduous Forest  | 1301.95 | 7363.19 | 21.06 | 26.17 |
| Upland Mixed Forest  | 229.52 | 932.96 | 3.71 | 3.32 |
| Upland Coniferous Forest  | 90.53 | 566.13 | 1.46 | 2.01 |
| Urban/Developed  | 124.39 | 509.74 | 2.01 | 1.81 |
| 
Total | 6183.01 | 28137.12 | 100.00 | 100.00 |

**Area and percentage of land uses in Little Chucky Creek watershed and within 100-m buffer of streams in the watershed, as determined using Tennessee Gap Analysis land cover dataset.**

## Reducing NPS

**Reducing NPS**
**Bank Restoration**

## Little Chucky Conservation Projects 1994-2006*

- 14 projects completed, 5 others started
- Poultry litter storage – 2
- Dairy waste system – 3
- Livestock exclusion fencing – 28,705’ / 10 farms
- Stream crossings / access – 8
- Streambank restoration/stabilization – 250’ / 2 sites
**Total Cost-Share Spent: $313,208.33**

- *Data courtesy of Paul Hayden, Greene Co. Soil Conservation District

## Funding – FY06 Targets

| Financial Partner | Amount |
| --- | --- |
| TVA | $25,000.00 |
| NRCS (EQIP) | $50,000.00 |
| SWCD | $20,000.00 |
| US Fish and Wildlife Service | $30,000.00 |
| TWRA (TNLIP) | $15,000.00 |
| WWF | $20,000.00 |
| Total | $160,000.00 |

## Measurable Milestones

| Land Owner | Resource
Survey | Plan
Complete | Funding
Received | Contract
Signed | BMPs
Started | BMPs
Completed | BMPs
Approved | Cost Share
Payment
Received | Plan Annual
Review
Date |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Carlton
Sprinkles |  |  |  |  |  | 03/31/06 | 04/15/06 | 05/01/06 | 07/15/06 |
| Paul 
Bailey |  |  |  | 02/01/06 | 03/15/06 | 04/15/06 | 05/01/06 | 06/01/06 | 07/15/06 |
| William 
Parton |  |  |  | 02/01/06 | 03/15/06 | 04/15/06 | 05/01/06 | 06/01/06 | 07/15/06 |
| James R.
Cruey |  |  | 03/15/06 | 04/01/06 | 04/15/06 | 05/15/06 | 06/01/06 | 07/01/06 | 07/15/06 |
| Marshal
Weems |  |  |  |  | 04/01/06 | 04/15/06 | 05/01/06 | 06/01/06 | 07/15/06 |
| Hilton 
Seay |  |  | 03/15/06 | 04/01/06 | 04/15/06 | 05/15/06 | 06/01/06 | 07/01/06 | 07/15/06 |
| Mike
Finchum |  |  | 03/15/06 | 04/01/06 | 04/15/06 | 05/15/06 | 06/01/06 | 07/01/06 | 07/15/06 |
| Mabel Combs |  |  | 03/15/06 | 04/01/06 | 04/15/06 | 05/15/06 | 06/01/06 | 07/01/06 | 07/15/06 |

**Measurable Milestones**

## Monitoring

- Not monitoring NPS load reductions
- TVA conducts biological monitoring using IBI framework at one station

## Outreach / Education

- Conservation Camp
- Fifth grade, Greene Co. and Greeneville City
- 3-day, environmental science event
- Water Week
- TVA and Keep Greene County Beautiful
- One hour presentation to classes
- Kids in the Creek
- McDonald and Glenwood Elementary Schools
- Fish, benthic macroinvertebrate, and water quality sampling

## Presentations to local communities

Local news media – Greeneville Sun
Feature ongoing projects and articles on water quality
Information on landowner incentive programs and enrollment opportunities

Website:  
www.middlenolichuckywatershedalliance.org 

- Local news media – Greeneville Sun
- Feature ongoing projects and articles on water quality
- Information on landowner incentive programs and enrollment opportunities
- Website:
- _[www.middlenolichuckywatershedalliance.org](http://www.middlenolichuckywatershedalliance.org/)__ _

- Outreach / Education

## Volunteers Needed