Natural Resources Research & Management
Natural Resources Research & Management
The Jones Center at Ichauway sits on the southern portion of the Lower Flint River Basin in southwest Georgia (SWGA). In this area, the limestone-dominated geology, hydrology, and abundance of water shape the local ecosystems and govern a robust agricultural economy. If you were to dig into the ground, you’d find a large, unconfined portion of the Floridan Aquifer, which is used to irrigate the surrounding croplands. Because this section of the aquifer is unconfined, the water can rise or fall depending on climate conditions, subsequently causing creek and river levels to behave in parallel. In turn, water scarcity due to below average precipitation causes a greater reliance on the aquifer for agricultural irrigation, thereby lowering it at a higher rate and exacerbating the effects on falling water levels in creeks and rivers. Even in water-resilient systems such as SWGA, prolonged periods of drought can cause enhanced effects on the landscape, perhaps most notably within the agricultural economy and freshwater ecosystems.
Take a deeper dive into the history of the Flint River and its subsystems here.
Freshwater ecosystems in SWGA are quite unique and harbor an impressive biodiversity of aquatic organisms. The southeastern United States boasts the nation’s highest diversity of freshwater species, including freshwater mussels. These endearing bivalves make their home in river sediments where they filter water to feed on microscopic organisms. This filtering process removes impurities and improves water quality, subsequently bettering conditions for other aquatic species. In addition, mussel locomotion through the substrate and excretion enrich the river sediment by adding structure and nutrients. Therefore, systems with healthy mussel populations measure higher water quality and support healthy recreational fisheries.
Freshwater mussels are critical to maintaining hydrologic health, and long periods of drought coupled with increased agricultural pressure will increase the chances of mussel population decline and extirpation due to habitat loss. There are currently 30 species of freshwater mussels in SWGA (six are federally listed). If we fail to consider conservation of these vital invertebrates, it could have detrimental effects on the aquatic systems.
In an effort to mitigate these effects, many farmers, through guidance of state and federal agencies, have implemented a variety of strategies that aim to increase water efficiency. The Georgia Flow Incentive Trust (GA-FIT) is currently on the forefront of developing innovative water management strategies in SWGA, including providing farmers with groundwater wells that, during drought, can access deeper aquifers that don’t have a direct impact on creek and river flows (i.e. confined). On the wildlife front, the GA-FIT initiative is developing a comprehensive Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) designed to conserve the region’s freshwater mussel diversity while continuing to protect and support the existing users and beneficiaries of the regional agricultural economy. Because there are six species of freshwater mussels in SWGA listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), which prohibits actions that detrimentally affect a species, farmers in SWGA face concern over how enforcement of the ESA will impact access to water. The HCP will support an application for a federal Incidental Take Permit which will “authorize the limited and unintentional take of listed species when it occurs incidental to otherwise lawful activities.” This permit requires regulatory and voluntary actions that will protect listed species. In the case of the HCP, this means ensuring minimal, predictable impact to water quality and aquatic habitats while maintaining economic water security through defined actions including targeted flow augmentation, adoption of enhanced water conservation practices, and state-subsidized programs aimed to support farmers during times of drought.
Predicting impact of water conservation strategies over the Lower Flint River Basin is critical to the success of the HCP. To provide accurate estimates of future impacts, the HCP utilizes a multi-part modelling approach. The Affiliate Mussel Conservation Lab at The Jones Center at Ichauway, in collaboration with the Landscape Ecology Lab, established eight monitoring reaches in the region. These sites are outfitted with sensors that continuously measure environmental conditions, such as temperature and water depth. Furthermore, our scientists and technicians are using SONAR, drone imagery, and LiDAR to render detailed 3D models of streams and their adjacent landscapes. This information is being provided to the HCP model collaborators to calibrate the models that predict the impacts of different water conservation strategies.
Besides providing data, the Mussel Lab was responsible for species status assessments, climate, and hydrology summaries for the Lower Flint River Basin in the first draft of the HCP that was submitted to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for comment in April 2024.
Additionally, the Mussel Lab hosted an expert workshop combined with an HCP Advisory Board Meeting in July 2024 at The Jones Center. The multi-day workshop was tasked with evaluating the conceptual basis of the modeling approach to make sure it had the best information available for calibration. The Advisory Board Meeting was an opportunity for the experts, stakeholders, U.S. Fish and Wildlife personnel, and the GA-FIT project partners to meet, see implementation of conservation practices, and observe mussel sampling. Moving forward, the Mussel Lab will continue to collaborate with the HCP partners and its stakeholders, to ensure a future of water security and hydrologic health in SWGA.
All mussel surveys were conducted with appropriate permits.
Read more about the work of The Jones Center at Ichauway’s Affiliate Mussel Conservation Lab.
