Cumberland Lake - Duskytail Darter News

[Riverfisher]

http://www.courier-journal.com/story...arter/6872703/



Rare fish to be moved out of Lake Cumberland's way





They may be the rarest fish in Kentucky.
But those pesky duskytail darters that had the nerve to reclaim five miles of their old habitat in the Big South Fork of the Cumberland River will be moved out to make way for rising waters behind a repaired Wolf Creek Dam, according to an agreement reached between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
That should be good news to boaters who are tired of waiting for Lake Cumberland to be refilled to its level before an emergency draw-down seven years ago.
The two federal agencies announced today three conservation measures that seek to balance protection of the environment with recreation and the economy:
-- Capturing duskytail darters and establishing a temporary, captive population of the species for future recovery efforts.
-- The Corps will stop two acid mine drainage on tributaries of the Big South Fork and complete one sediment abatement and soil stabilization project.
-- The Corps will make some adjustments to the winter and spring filling cycle, with the coal of reaching elevation 723 about the middle of May each year. That was the level before dam repairs began.
"Collectively, these measures will help minimize impacts to the species and ensure the duskytail darter's future survival in the Big South Fork," said Lee Andrews, field office supervisor for the Fish and Wildlife Service in Kentucky. "This is another good example of how our implementation of the Endangered Species Act can balance economic and other human needs with the needs of our rarest species."
The Fish and Wildlife Service faced some political pressure after it decided to proceed with a mandatory review of the status of the fish, which was obligated under the Endangered Species Act.
U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell at the time had called the situation "unacceptable," saying: "The lower water level for the past few years has hurt the local economy. ... I urge the Army Corps and U.S. Fish and Wildlife to reconsider this decision, and I will contact both agencies immediately to express the concerns of those in the community."
Also back in January, Alice Howell, a board member of the Sierra Club's Kentucky chapter, said the two federal agencies were just doing their jobs, "which is making sure that our lakes and streams are healthy for both fish and humans." She said McConnell should let the agencies "follow the best science before interjecting in the situation."
Tuesday, McConnell (R-KY) along with Sens. Rand Paul (R-KY) and Lamar Alexander (R-TN), and Reps. Hal Rogers (KY-05) and Ed Whitfield (KY-01), took a victory lap around the lake, so to speak:
Recently we met with Administration officials to request that the water levels of Lake Cumberland be restored to pre-2007 water levels in a timely manner, and we appreciate the Secretary of the Interior making an expedited, 45-day decision for their Biological Opinion, which prompted the Corps to sign the order today allowing water levels to be restored to 723 feet – levels adequate to support robust tourism in 2014. This announcement is great news for the thousands of people who rely on the lake for recreation and tourism, and to the local communities, businesses, and individuals whose livelihoods are being impacted because of the lower water levels.But whether the lake gets back to 723-elevation this summer will depend on timing and amount of rainfall, Corps officials said. It was at 706 feet above sea level this morning.
Duskytail darters:
Native to the Kentucky and Cumberland river systems.Believed to be found now in one Kentucky county (McCreary), 10 Virginia counties and three Tennessee counties.Likes warm, clear, slow-running water from large creeks to medium-sized rivers with little silt, and gravel, rubble or boulder bottoms.The "dusky tail" name refers to reduced markings on the tail.Reaches a length of up to 2.5 inches and can live up to two years.Federally listed as endangered in 1993.

[peter]

Thanks

[CaptObvious]

Call me skeptical, but where were these critters all the time before the lake had to be dropped? Seems to me that perhaps they were doing just fine or maybe they were planted a couple years back to somehow derail the completed filling of the lake. Just an observation.

[Tim_T]

Call me skeptical, but where were these critters all the time before the lake had to be dropped? Seems to me that perhaps they were doing just fine or maybe they were planted a couple years back to somehow derail the completed filling of the lake. Just an observation.

For what purpose?

[CaptObvious]

For what purpose?

Just wondering if there is an environmental group out there with an agenda to derail the complete filling of the lake or to eventually get rid of the lake. To what end? I have no clue. You hear and read all kind of "way out there" things these days. I'm not wearing an aluminum foil cap or trying to see a hidden agenda behind every tree. Again, just wondering. Mainly where these critters been hiding. I would like to see the lake stay of course.

[Tim_T]

Ok I got ya. I was thinking in a different direction. I too would be interested where they came from. I thought they might have just moved down from the headwaters once the lake levels were dropped, but I don't know.

[CaptObvious]

Ok I got ya. I was thinking in a different direction. I too would be interested where they came from. I thought they might have just moved down from the headwaters once the lake levels were dropped, but I don't know.

Could have Tim T. Sounds plausible. If they did, maybe they were just as happy up there. It would interesting to hear an independent biologist take on it just for s*** and giggles.

[mhall]

Captainobvious is well....Captainobvious with spot on. The critter was there before the lake was lowered and has survived just fine. It lived through floods and the lake spiking to HUGE levels above summer pool.

They were there Then and now its not an issue until some tree hugging dumbass says it is....This whole thing is just plain STUPID!

[CaptObvious]

Captainobvious is well....Captainobvious with spot on. The critter was there before the lake was lowered and has survived just fine. It lived through floods and the lake spiking to HUGE levels above summer pool.

They were there Then and now its not an issue until some tree hugging dumbass says it is....This whole thing is just plain STUPID!

Ha! Preach it mhall!!!! I like your thinking. Perhaps the door is closed on this issue now. Cooler and smarter heads actually seem to prevail here.

[mhall]

Ha! Preach it mhall!!!! I like your thinking. Perhaps the door is closed on this issue now. Cooler and smarter heads actually seem to prevail here.

[Les Young]

I will be so glad to see her at the old levels. May take a little while, but once the fish acclimate & adjust to the new shoreline, ledges & growth it should be great fishing again. Especially after all these years. I have heard a bunch of Crappie fishermen griping about it though. Guess what ??? We all will have to relearn her again, but with the wood in the water it will be very different than it was before the draw down. Gonna be an enjoyable summer as far as I'm concerned. lol