History of the Pigeon River Recovery Project (PRRP)
Why it was implemented:
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Paper mill in Canton, NC began operations in 1908. Its toxic effluent extirpated all snails, mussels and most fish species
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Effluents included coffee colored tannins and lignins, toxins such as dioxin
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Under TN Water Control Act, TN has right to unpolluted water
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TN must reclaim polluted waters
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TDEC initiated efforts to restore the rivers ecosystem
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Modernization of mill processes drastically reduced waste effluent
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This led to a return of some fish species; however, 24 non-game species were still missing
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Description of the best practices:
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In 1996, common river snails (Pleurocera sp., Leptoxis sp.) were re-introduced in the TN segment
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Their survival and re-colonization led to the creation of the PRRP
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PRRP goal is to help restore ecosystem health by increasing aquatic biodiversity through the establishment of viable, reproducing populations of native species
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Re-establishing native fish and mollusks: Criteria for selecting candidate species to be relocated to the Pigeon River included historic range, available habitat, and source populations at other healthy sites within the French Broad River watershed
Methods:
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Fish collected by electrofishing and seining from streams within the French Broad watershed
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Tagging with various colors of Visible Implant Fluorescent Elastomer (VIE) to assess survival, dispersal, and reproduction
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Monitoring by snorkeling/seining surveys to locate tagged fish and their young
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Field tagging station: anesthetizing box, VIE (color represents season/year), measuring board, recovery tank, oxygen/temperature monitor, and oxygen aeration system
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Candidates for re-introduction: Gilt Darter (Percina evides), Bluebreast Darter (Nothonotus camurus), Blueside Darter (Etheostoma jessiae), Stripetail Darter Etheostoma kennicotti), Tangerine Darter (Percina aurantiaca), Stargazing Minnow (Phenacobius uranops), Blotched Chub (Hybopsis amblops), Mountain Madtom (Noturus eleutherus), American Brook Lamprey (Lethenteron appendix) , Mountain Brook Lamprey (Ichthyomyzon gagei), Mirror Shiner (Notropis spectrunculus), Saffron Shiner (Notropis rubricroceus), Silver Shiner (Notropis photogenis), Telescope Shiner (Notropis telescopus), Tennessee Shiner (Notropis leuciodes), Striped Shiner (Luxilus chrycosephalus), Spiny River Snail (Io fluvialis), Wavy-rayed Lampmussel (Lampsilis fasciola), Cumberland Moccasinshell (Medionidus conradicus)
Survival, reproduction, and propagation:
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Survival of relocated fish and reproduction in TN led to expansion into NC
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Project made possible by support from UTK and funding from Blue Ridge Paper Products (now Evergreen Packaging, Inc).
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In 2004, Conservation FIsheries, Inc. (CFI) began propagation and stocking of the Tangerine Darter
Project milestones:
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Gilt Darters, Stripetail Darter, Silver Shiners, Telescope Shiners and Mountain Brook Lampreys are re-colonizing the Pigeon River
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Evidence of reproduction in three additional fish species
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Spring 2007, CFI/UT released the first propagated juvenile Tangerine Darters into the Pigeon River (a first!)
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Mussels re-introduced for the first time in NC reach below mill in 2011
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Mussels re-introduced at new site in 2011 in TN
How Best Practice was Developed:
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CFI began fish species re-introduction in 1986 and have continued their propagation and re-introduction efforts
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They conducted the 1st VIE tagging of darters
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PRRP based its methods and techniques on their successes
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Their background and experience in non-game re-introduction and propagation is unrivaled and their facility is one of a kind
Environmental Benefits:
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To date, the PRRP has re-introduced 20 species of fish, over 42,000 individuals into TN & NC segments of Pigeon River
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Evidence of reproduction in 9 species of fish
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Biodiversity has increased – 2 snails and 6 fish species are re-colonizing the river
Cost of Implementation – shared manpower, equipment, supplies and time
Return – priceless
Critical factor that led to success – teamwork
Lessons learned – characterize habitats and identify microhabitat parameters, where possible
Educational Outreach Programs:
Kids in the Creek Program
Coal Creek Health Day
4-H
Tate's School of Discovery
Townsend TroutFest
Maggie Valley Trout Festival
TWISTER
Teacher's Forest Conservation Workshop
Casting for Recovery
LRWA Floatilla Event
Goals of the PRRP
The overall goal of the PRRP is to increase aquatic biodiversity in the Pigeon River through reintroduction by establishing viable, reproducing populations of native fish and other aquatic species. Of the 24 missing non-game species of fish, 15 were selected for reintroduction. A list of the species that were reintroduced are shown below:
Click on the links to the scientific names of each fish species for more information on the candidates for reintroduction.
* These species have been suspended for reintroduction due to need for further research.
Reintroduction totals as of Feb. 25, 2019
PRRP Future Plans
1. Continue reintroduction of native fish species and monitor dispersal and reproductive success of reintroduced populations.
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2. Suspend snail releases to monitor dispersal and reproductive success of reintroduced populations.
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3. Continue mussel reintroductions in North Carolina and Tennessee and monitor growth and survival.
4. Continue to expand education and outreach opportunities for the PRPP.
These mussel species have been translocated to the Pigeon River from healthy source populations from nearby rivers that are also from the Tennessee River drainage.
A mussel displays a "lure" to entice predators like Smallmouth Bass to strike it. When the predator strikes, the mussel then releases its "babies" (called glochidia) onto the gills and fins of the fish which will grow by parasitically feeding from the tissues of the fish. The fish will translocate the glochidia naturally as it moves. When they get large enough, the juvenile mussels will drop from the fish to the stream bottom to begin their sessile filter-feeding lifestyle.
Tangerine Darters have been reared by Conservation Fisheries, Inc. (CFI) in Knoxville and stocked into the Pigeon RIver to help recover populations of this majestic species.
VIDEO of juvenile Tangerine Darters. On June 29, 2017 193 juvenile Tangerine Darters were stocked by CFI and the Alford Lab into the Pigeon. Hopefully they will disperse and make more babies.
Gilt Darters are a success story for the PRRP. After stocking this species back into the Pigeon when water quality improved, it has spread throughout much of the Tennessee portion of the river to colonize riffle habitats and is now flourishing.
The first record of a surviving reintroduced Mountain Madtom (Noturus eleutherus) in the Pigeon River at Vinson Island near Newport. Photo taken August 30, 2017. Over 1,100 individuals have been translocated from the French Broad and Nolichucky Rivers since 2012 at this site.
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Another success story for the Pigeon. In July 2018, we found this juvenile Mountain Madtom (left: Photo Credit Derek Wheaton, CFI) and a juvenile Tangerine Darter (right: Photo Credit Justin Wolbert). This is the first evidence that either species has reproduced naturally and are starting to build back their population on their own.
On August 29, 2018 we canoed and snorkeled the lower 5 miles of the Pigeon in Cocke County and were pleased to find that GIlt Darters were still doing well. The males were really colored up too, trying to catch they eye of nearby females. They were also taking advantage of hanging out with Common Logperch that were busy flipping up gravel to reveal tasty insects hiding underneath. The Gilts would gobble up any insects that managed to escape the Logperch.
A school of Telescope Shiners feeding along the margins of a Water Willow bed.
A Gilt Darter feeds along side a group of Common Logperch.
In October 2018, juvenile Muskie were stocked into the Pigeon River in Cocke Co., TN for the first time. They are native to the drainage. These fish were supplied by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.