Chapter 11 Natural Resources

Chapter 11
Natural Resources

11.1 Ecological Significance of the New River Basin

The New River is renowned as one of the oldest existing rivers in North America, and North
Carolina contains a significant portion of its headwaters. The area is noted for the rare and
endemic aquatic and terrestrial plants and animals it supports. A number of species, and the
ecological communities in which they exist, are found nowhere else. While farming and
pastureland have heavily altered most of the floodplain and upland vegetation along the river,
patches of intact natural communities persist. As discussed below (Section 11.3), Southern
Appalachian bogs and a series of high mountain elevations, known as the Amphibolites, provide
two examples of the distinct natural features and biological diversity found in the New River
basin.

11.2 Rare Aquatic and Wetland-Dwelling Animal Species

Table 20 lists the rare fish, mollusks, insects, amphibians and reptiles found throughout the New
River basin. For information on any of the species listed in Table 20, visit the NC Natural
Heritage Program (NHP) website at www.ncnhp.org.

11.3 Significant Natural Heritage Areas in the New River Basin

The NC Natural Heritage Program (NHP) compiles a list of Significant Natural Heritage Areas
as required by the Nature Preserves Act. The list is based on the program’s inventory of natural
diversity in the state. Natural areas are evaluated based on the number and quality occurrences
of rare plant and animal species, rare or high-quality natural communities, and special animal
habitats. The global and statewide rarity of these elements and their quality at a site is compared
with other occurrences to determine a site’s significance. Sites included on this list are the best
representatives of the natural diversity of the state, and therefore, have priority for protection.
Inclusion on the list does not imply that any protection or public access to the site exists.

The Significant Natural Heritage Areas found in the New River basin are shown in Figure 14.
Sites that directly contribute to the maintenance of water quality in the New River basin are
highlighted on the map and in the following text. The NHP has identified more than 60
individual natural areas in the New River basin. Due to space limitations, only the aquatic
habitats and two themes that almost dominate the natural heritage of the New River basin – the
Amphibolite Mountains and the Southern Appalachian bogs – will be discussed here.

The Amphibolite Mountains are a series of mountains that stretch from northeastern Watauga
County to central Ashe County. Elevations reach 4,600 feet or higher, and because of the
underlying rock formation, soils are nutrient rich with a high pH. Many of the rare plants and
distinct natural communities found in the New River basin are associated with the rich soils and
high elevations of these mountains. This includes the only known example worldwide of the
Southern Appalachian Fen wetland. Of the nearly 120 rare plants documented in this basin, over
Chapter 11 – Natural Resources 100

Table 20 List of Rare Animals Associated with Aquatic and Wetland Habitats in the New
River Basin

Scientific
Name
Common
Name Major Group State
Status
Federal
Status
Etheostoma kannawhae Kanawha Darter Fish SR
Exoglossum laurae Tongue-Tied Minnow Fish SR
Percina caprodes Logperch Fish T
Percina oxyrhynchus Sharpnose Darter Fish SC
Phenacobius teretulus Kanawha Minnow Fish SC FSC
Cyclonaias tuberculata Purple Wartyback Mollusk E
Elliptio dilatata Spike Mollusk SC
Lasmigona subviridis Green Floater Mollusk E FSC
Leptoxis dilatata Seep Mudalia Mollusk T
Tritogonia verrucosa Pistolgrip Mollusk EX
Vireo gilvus Warbling vireo Bird SR
Autochton cellus Golden-banded skipper Insect SR
Ephemerella berneri A mayfly Insect SR
Attaneuria ruralis Stonefly Insect SR
Bolotoperla rossi A stonefly Insect SR
Ceraclea mentiea Caddisfly Insect SR
Ceraclea slossonae Caddisfly Insect SR
Ophiogomphus asperses Brook Snaketail (Dragonfly) Insect SR
Ophiogomphus howei Pygmy Snaketail (Dragonfly) Insect SR FSC
Ophiogomphus mainensis Twin-horned Snaketail (Dragonfly) Insect SR
Isoperla frisoni A stonefly Insect SR
Zapada chila A stonefly Insect SR
Stenelmis gammoni Gammon's Stenelmis Riffle Beetle Insect SR FSC
Stylurus scudderi Zebra Clubtail (Dragonfly) Insect SR
Ambystoma talpoideum Mole Salamander Amphibian SC
Cryptobranchus alleganiensis Hellbender Amphibian SC FSC
Eurycea longicauda Longtail Salamander Amphibian SC
Plethodon wehrlei Wehrle's Salamander Amphibian T
Crotalus horridus Timber Rattlesnake Reptile SC
Glyptemys muhlenbergii Bog Turtle Reptile T T(S/A)
Ascetocythere cosmeta Grayson Crayfish Ostracod Crustacean SR FSC
Rare Species Listing Criteria

E = Endangered (those species in danger of becoming extinct)
T = Threatened (considered likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future)
SR = Significantly Rare (those whose numbers are small and whose populations need monitoring)
SC = Species of Special Concern
FSC = Federal Species of Concern (those under consideration for listing under the Federal Endangered Species Act)
T(S/A) = Threatened due to similarity of appearance
EX = Extirpated
Chapter 11 – Natural Resources 101

70 percent occur in the Amphibolite Mountains. In the Amphibolite Mountains, the core area of
some of the larger mountains are essentially unfragmented and heavily forested. These areas
include Three Top Mountain, Bluff Mountain, Phoenix Mountain, Paddy Mountain, Mount
Jefferson and several high peaks that border Long Hope Valley.

The rare combination of gentle topography and high elevation in Long Hope Valley encouraged
the development of numerous unique bogs. Nearly twenty-three bogs, the largest concentration
in North Carolina, are found in Long Hope Valley. The nearest comparable concentration of
bogs occurs hundreds of miles away to the north at Cranberry Glades in West Virginia. Other
examples of this rare community occur at Sparta Bog, Skunk Cabbage Bog, Peak Creek Bog and
Idlewild Bog. Many other bogs are scattered along the southeastern margin of the New River
basin. Southern Appalachian bogs are naturally open and usually have a mixture of vegetation,
including patches of open tree canopy, shrub thickets, and beds of herbs, fens, grasses, and
sedges. The flora is comparable to bogs in the northern United States and Canada, often
containing a combination of disjunct northern plant species and typically southern wetland
species. Several of these northern disjunct species occur in North Carolina only in bogs of the
New River basin.

Southern Appalachian bogs are restricted to the mountains of North Carolina, Tennessee, and
Virginia. They are naturally rare since the flat, bottomland locations where they occur make up a
very small portion of the mountain landscape. Because of their location, the southern
Appalachian bog communities are also one of the most imperiled communities in western North
Carolina; bogs are highly susceptible to human alterations, such as draining, filling, conversion
to pasture or impoundment. Since bogs are usually small in size, alterations affect them quickly
and drastically. The dynamics of these bogs are not well understood, and the intact examples of
this natural community often contain clusters of rare plants and animals. Alleghany County Soil
and Water Conservation District (SWCD) is currently working with the NC Wildlife Resources
Commission (WRC) to identify and protect bog habitats. Refer to Section 3.5.3 for more
information.

11.4 Significant Aquatic Habitats in New River Basin

The NHP also collaborates with other agencies and organizations to identify Significant Aquatic
Habitats in North Carolina. These habitat areas often include stream segments or other bodies of
water that contain significant natural resources, such as a large diversity of rare aquatic animal
species. The impact from lands adjacent to and upstream of these stream reaches determines
their water quality and the viability of their aquatic species. The identification of a natural area
conveys no protection; these lands are the responsibility of the landowner. Significant Aquatic
Habitats in the New River basin are described below and are shown on Figure 14.

The South Fork New River Aquatic Habitat is considered significant for its cluster of sixteen
rare species, including three fish species endemic to the New River basin (Sharpnose darter,
Kanawha minnow and Kanawha darter). The South Fork New River is also the state’s only
known location for the Gammon’s riffle beetle. The South Fork of the New River also contains
important populations of Virginia spiraea (Spiraea virginiana), a federally listed plant that grows
along the riverbanks.
Chapter 11 – Natural Resources 102

Another area identified as ecologically significant is the North Fork New River Aquatic
Habitat. Here, there is a cluster of ten rare species including: Kanawha minnow; Kanawha
darter; tongue-tied minnow; green floater; and four aquatic insect species.

A third aquatic Significant Natural Heritage Area, the New River (Ashe/Alleghany) Aquatic
Habitat, extends from the confluence of the two aquatic systems mentioned above and along the
New River itself. Rare species of this stretch include: Purple wartyback; spike; pistolgrip; green
floater; Kanawha darter; logperch, sharpnose darter; Kanawha minnow; Ceraclea mentiea (a
caddisfly); Hellbender; and pygmy snaketail. While the sites are adjacent, the boundaries help
differentiate population distributions of a good assemblage of rare mussel and fish species, as
well as the extent of certain macrohabitats. The amphibian hellbender (Cryptobranchus
alleganiensis) requires large and clear fast-flowing streams with big rocks. It has been found in
this section of the New River. Biologists note that the habitat is good and land protection efforts
have been somewhat successful, but there is some concern about the unexplained decline of this
species in recent years.

A number of other rare and uncommon aquatic species are also found in North Carolina only in
the New River drainage. Uncommon fish include the bigmouth chub (Nocomis platyrhynchus),
the New River shiner (Notropis scabriceps) and the Appalachia darter (Percina gymnocephala).
The uncommon New River crayfish (Cambarus chasmodactylus), and the significantly rare
freshwater mussels – purple wartyback (Cyclonaias tuberculata) and pistolgrip (Tritogonia
verrucosa) – are also found in North Carolina only in the New River drainage; however, the
pistolgrip may be extirpated from North Carolina. An uncommon fish found primarily in the
New and Tennessee River drainages is the spotfin shiner (Cyprinella spiloptera).

There are a number of Upland, Riparian and Wetland Significant Natural Heritage Areas not
listed here that contribute to New River Water Quality. Contact the NC NHP to obtain more
information about these natural areas, or visit the NHP website at www.ncnhp.org.

11.5 Public Lands

Public conservation lands in the New River basin are also shown in Figure 14. The basin
contains significant public lands, both in terms of area and ecological value. The National Park
Service Blue Ridge Parkway is the largest federal ownership, and includes many ecologically
significant areas. The New River State Park encompasses over 1,300 acres and includes those
areas of the South Fork New River and the New River that are designated as a State Scenic
River. Here, the soils are fertile and support a variety of plant species including hardwoods,
pines, shrubs and wildflowers. Of these, at least fourteen are considered rare, threatened or
endangered. Many animal, bird and aquatic species can also be found in the New River valley.

Conservation lands in the Amphibolite Mountain region also include Mount Jefferson State
Natural Area and Three Top Mountain Game Preserve. Mount Jefferson is known for its
magnificent oak-hickory forests, and its peak of 4,700 feet, which provides a magnificent view
of a large portion of the New River basin. The Three Top Mountain Game Preserve covers over
one-third of the mountain and still another preserve located on Bluff Mountain is a private
preserve, which protects nearly all of the mountain itself. The Department of Agriculture’s
Chapter 11 – Natural Resources 103
Plant Conservation Program manages land at Paddy Mountain and owns land at Potato Hill that
Appalachian State University (ASU) helps to manage.

The Sparta Bog includes over 300 acres of wetland mitigation land. Purchased by the NC
Department of Transportation (NCDOT), the park contains walking trails, a bog turtle
observation deck, and native plant and wildflower plots. The bog showcases this unique area of
Alleghany County and is part of the New River Watershed Work Plan from the New River
Community Partners (NRCP).

Todd Island Park is a 10-acre island in the South Fork New River near the Community of Todd,
Ashe County. Trails, benches and camping sites are located on the island with much of the
construction being done by citizen volunteers. To stabilize severely eroding streambanks and to
deflect the water’s energy, the National Committee for the New River (NCNR) constructed a
whole tree revetment as a demonstration project. The whole tree revetment project involved the
use of rootwads and a cabled hemlock tree. The rootwads consist of the base of large trees and
much of their root system, which are inserted directly into the streambank. The hemlock was
secured sideways into the streambank with cables. These natural structures not only reduce the
amount of erosion, but also provide a habitat area for both aquatic and terrestrial species.
Several native trees and shrubs were also planted along the streambanks, and stairs were built for
easy canoe access. The Todd Island Park demonstration project was funded by the NC Clean
Water Management Trust Fund (CWMTF) and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. For
more information about NCNR, visit www.ncnr.org.

Chapter 11 – Natural Resources 104