Current Conditions of Historical Mussel Habitat in the Flint River Basin, Georgia

Muenz, Tara K.; Opsahl, Stephen P.; Golladay, Stephen W.

Title:

Current Conditions of Historical Mussel Habitat in the Flint River Basin, Georgia

dc.contributor.author	Muenz, Tara K.	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Opsahl, Stephen P.	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Golladay, Stephen W.	en_US
dc.contributor.corporatename	Joseph W. Jones Ecological Research Center	en_US
dc.date.accessioned	2013-07-03T19:08:49Z
dc.date.available	2013-07-03T19:08:49Z
dc.date.issued	2007-03
dc.description	Proceedings of the 2007 Georgia Water Resources Conference, March 27-29, 2007, Athens, Georgia.	en_US
dc.description.abstract	Streams of the Flint River Basin (FRB) remain as viable habitat for many freshwater species and harbor some of the most diverse mussel assemblages in the Southeast. However, land use changes, hydrologic alterations, and declines in native fish species have adversely affected mussel diversity and abundance throughout the region. Protection of rare and sensitive mussels requires the development of timely conservation strategies, supported by knowledge of current riparian and instream habitat conditions that impact their survival and recovery. We examined habitat conditions and selected water quality parameters at 81 stream sites that have historically supported populations of freshwater mussel species in the Basin. Higher nutrient, sediment, and bacterial concentrations were observed in the upper portion (Piedmont) of the Basin, which is characterized by higher gradient streams and percentages of urban land use. Sites in the lower section of the Basin (Fall Line Hills and Coastal Plain) maintained better quality riparian habitat including a larger buffer zone width, greater bank stability, and more vegetative cover. Overall, mussel habitat quality appeared good throughout the Basin. Physicochemical parameters and riparian habitat quality were influenced both by regional geologic differences and patterns of human activity.	en_US
dc.description.sponsorship	Sponsored and Organized by: U.S. Geological Survey, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Natural Resources Conservation Service, The University of Georgia, Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology	en_US
dc.description.statementofresponsibility	This book was published by the Institute of Ecology, The University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602-2202. The views and statements advanced in this publication are solely those of the authors and do not represent official views or policies of The University of Georgia, the U.S. Geological Survey, the Georgia Water Research Institute as authorized by the Water Resources Research Act of 1990 (P.L. 101-397) or the other conference sponsors.
dc.embargo.terms	null	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/1853/48205
dc.language.iso	en_US	en_US
dc.publisher	Georgia Institute of Technology	en_US
dc.relation.ispartofseries	GWRI2007. Riverbasin and Stream Studies	en_US
dc.subject	Water resources management	en_US
dc.subject	Flint River basin	en_US
dc.subject	Mussel habitat	en_US
dc.subject	Land use changes	en_US
dc.subject	Hydrologic alterations	en_US
dc.subject	Native fish species decline	en_US
dc.title	Current Conditions of Historical Mussel Habitat in the Flint River Basin, Georgia	en_US
dc.type	Text
dc.type.genre	Proceedings
dspace.entity.type	Publication
local.contributor.corporatename	Georgia Water Resources Institute
local.contributor.corporatename	School of Civil and Environmental Engineering
local.contributor.corporatename	College of Engineering
local.relation.ispartofseries	Georgia Water Resources Conference
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