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TATE OF ORTH AROLINA
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EPARTMENTOFRANSPORTATION

MF.E LT
ICHAEL ASLEYYNDO IPPETT
G S
OVERNOR ECRETARY

June 17, 2008

Memorandum To: Mike Mills P.E., Division Engineer
Division 7

From: Jared Gray, Environmental Program Consultant
Biological Surveys Group

Subject: Federally protected species survey report for the proposed replacement of
Bridge No. 33 on SR 2359 (Huffiness Mill Road) over Huffiness Mill
Creek, Rockingham County, Division 7 Project.

The proposed project calls for the replacement of Bridge No. 33 on SR 2359 (Huffiness
Mill Road) over Huffiness Mill Creek in Rockingham County. Huffiness Mill Creek is located in
the Roanoke River basin. From the project site, Huffiness Mill Creek flows 2.3 miles to Little
Jacobs Creek, and Little Jacobs Creek flows 1.0 mile to the confluence with Jacobs Creek, which
flows 4.2 miles before entering the Dan River. A map of the project site is attached.

The Roanoke logperch (Percinia rex) and James spinymussel (Pleurobema collina) is listed by the
United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) as endangered and potentially occurring in
Rockingham County (USFWS, 2008). Therefore, surveys of the project area were conducted to
document the presence/absence of these species. In North Carolina, the logperch is known from the
upper Roanoke River basin. The fish typically inhabits warm, usually clear, small to medium-sized
rivers. These waterways have a moderate to low gradient, and the fish usually inhabit riffles and
runs, with silt-free sandy to boulder-strewn bottoms. Young are usually found in slow runs and
pools with clean sandy bottoms. In winter, logperch may be more tolerant of silty substrates, and
may also inhabit pools. Spawning occurs in April or May in deep runs over gravel and small
cobble. Males are associated with shallow riffles during the reproductive period; females are
common in deep runs over gravel and small cobble, where they spawn. The James spinymussel was
once found throughout the main stem of the James River and all of its major tributaries upstream
of Richmond VA. The species has experienced a precipitous decline over the past two decades and
now exists only in small, headwater tributaries of the upper James River basin in Virginia and
West Virginia and the upper Roanoke River drainage of Virginia and North Carolina. The James
spinymussel is found in waters with slow to moderate current and relatively hard water on sand and
mixed sand-gravel substrates that are free from silt.

Prior to conducting in-stream surveys, a review of the North Carolina Natural Heritage
Program (NHP) database was conducted (April 18, 2008) to determine if there were any records of
This review
rare fish or mussels within the proposed project study area or receiving waters.
indicated that there are no known occurrences of the federally protected Roanoke Logperch
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or James spinymussel within the project study area or in Huffiness Mill Creek.
There is only
one record of the Roanoke logperch in North Carolina; from an area near the confluence of the Dan
and Smith Rivers approximately 22 river miles downstream from the Huffiness Mill Creek
confluence. The newly discovered (fall 2007) population of Roanoke logperch may represent a
range expansion for the species. The closest record of James spinymussel is 10 miles upstream of
Huffiness Mill Creek in the Mayo River (NCNHP, 2008).

The section of Dan River at the confluence with Jacobs Creek downstream from the
project site appears on Division of Water Quality’s (DWQ) 2008 Draft Impaired Waters List as
impaired for recreation because the fecal coliform bacteria standard was exceeded).

NCDOT biologists Neil Medlin (Permit Number NC.2008.ES.30), Jared Gray, Heather
Renninger, Anne Burroughs, and James Pflaum conducted a mussel survey on April 23, 2008 by
wading using a batiscope from approximately 400 meters downstream to 100 meters upstream of
No freshwater mussels were found in 1.0 man-hours of survey time
the project crossing. .

NCDOT also conducted fish surveys at the project site on April 23, 2008. The survey was
conducted using two Smith-Root model LR-24 backpack electrofishing units and dip nets. The
streams were sampled with two biologists operating the electrofishing units while the other
biologists collected the stunned fish with dip nets. All stunned fish were collected and temporarily
placed in five gallon buckets, where they were identified and released onsite. Fish surveys were
conducted from a point approximately 400 meters downstream of the project crossing to a point
approximately 100 meters upstream of the project crossing and totaled 735 shocking seconds.
NCDOT spent 7.75 man-hours surveying for Roanoke logperch.

Within in the project area, Huffiness Mill Creek is roughly four meters wide, and had some
undercutting and erosion of the banks. The stream banks were one meter high. On the day of the
site visit, the overall water depth was very shallow; with 95% of the stream reach less than 2 feet in
depth. The creek contained runs and riffles with normal substrate compactness. The substrate
above and below the bridge was generally dominated by bedrock, with some sand, cobble,
boulders, and a considerable amount of gravel. The riparian buffer width is generally wide, with
surrounding land use of natural woodland. In general, the in-stream habitat available in Huffiness

Mill Creek is not suitable for Roanoke logperch.All fish species that were collected during the
No Roanoke logperch were observed during the site
survey are summarized in the table below.
visit on April 23, 2008.

Table 1. Fish Species and Number of Individuals collected at Bridge No. 33 over Huffiness
Mill Creek, Rockingham County, on April 23, 2008.
Common Name Species NameNumber of Individuals

Mountain redbelly dace Phoxinus oreas 186
Rosyside dace Clinostomus funduloides 137
Fantail darter Etheostoma flabellare 39
Margined madtom Noturus insignis 5
Creek chub Semotilus atromaculatus 75
Redlip shiner Notropis chiliticus 95
Cresent shiner Notropis cerasinus 10
Bluehead chub Nocomis leptocephalus 93
White sucker Catostomus commersonii 6
Roanoke hogsucker Hypentelium roanokense 2
Central stoneroller Campostoma anomalum 3
Amerius sp. 2
2

As a result of this survey, as well as the physical characteristics of the creek, and a review
of GIS and NHP data, it appears that neither the Roanoke logperch nor the James spinymussel
exist in the project vicinity. Huffiness Mill Creek is comparatively smaller than other waterways
where the Roanoke logperch or James spinymussel are known to live. Furthermore, the study area
In summary, the
is quite far from the known population of these species in North Carolina.
Biological Conclusion for both Roanoke logperch and James spinymussel for the replacement
of Bridge No. 33 over Huffiness Mill Creek is “No Effect.”

References:

NatureServe. 2007. NatureServe Explorer: An online encyclopedia of life \[web application\].
Version 6.2. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available http://www.natureserve.org/explorer.
(Accessed 02/12/08)

NatureServe. 2007. NatureServe Explorer: An online encyclopedia of life \[web application\].
Version 6.2. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available http://www.natureserve.org/explorer.
(Accessed 02/14/08).

NCDWQ. 2008. North Carolina Division of Water Quality Assessment and Impaired waters 303
(d) list draft report. http://h2o.enr.state.nc.us/tmdl/documents/B.Draft2008303dList.pdf (Accessed
06/09/08).

NC Natural Heritage Program. 2008. North Carolina Natural Heritage Program database
(Accessed 04/18/2008). Raleigh, N.C.

\[USFWS\] United States Fish and Wildlife Service. James spinymussel in NC:
http://www.fws.gov/nc-es/mussel/jamesspiny.html (Accessed 02/14/08)

\[USFWS\] United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Roanoke Logperch (Percina rex)
http://www.fws.gov/northeast/virginiafield/PDFS/EndSpecies/Fact_Sheets/roanoke%20logperch.p
df.

\[USFWS\] United States Fish and Wildlife Service. 1991. Roanoke logperch (PERCINA REX)

recovery plan. Agency draft. U.S. Fish and Wildl. Serv., Newton Corner, Massachusetts. 31 pp.

\[USFWS\] United States Fish and Wildlife Service. 2008. North Carolina Ecological Services
website http://www.fws.gov/nc-es/es/countyfr.html.

cc: Jerry Parker, Division Environmental Supervisor

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