Meeting Minutes - February 10, 2005 - Virginia Beach, Virginia
The meeting was called to order at 9:00 a.m. by Chairman, John Copeland (VA). Chairman, John Copeland (VA) distributed the meeting agenda and Secretary-Treasurer, Dennis Riecke (MS), distributed the minutes from the previous committee meeting on September 28, 2004, in Asheville, North Carolina.
A. Introduction of Committee Members & Guests
9 committee members were in attendance: Chairman, John Copeland (VA), Secretary-Treasurer, Dennis Riecke (MS), Frank Fiss (TN), Jeff Quinn (AR) Chad Thomas (for Kin Hodges) (NC), David Sager (TX), Dr. Hal Schramm (MSU), Ed Scott (TVA) and Chris Thomason (SC). Also present was the following guest: Jason Olive (AR).
B1. Approval of Agenda
Motion was made by David Sager (TX)) and seconded by Chris Thomason (SC) to approve the meeting agenda as written by Chairman, John Copeland (VA) after deleting joining the IFC for their 10:00 a.m. presentation, which was cancelled. It was determined that a quorum existed and a committee membership roster was circulated for those present to check and update or add their E-mail contact information.
B2. Secretary’s Report and Approval of Minutes
Secretary-Treasurer, Dennis Riecke (MS) read the WWSC meeting minutes from the committee meeting on September 28, 2004, in Asheville, North Carolina. A motion was made by Frank Fiss (TN), and seconded by Chris Thomason (SC) to adopt the minutes as corrected by adding David Yow (NC) to the lists of guests in attendance. The motion passed.
B3. Treasurer’s Report
Secretary-Treasurer, Dennis Riecke (MS) distributed and reviewed the February 24, 2004 - September 27, 2004 and September 28, 2004 - February 6, 2005 Financial Statements. passed. Motion by Frank Fiss (TN), seconded by David Sager (TX) to accept the September 28, 2004 - February 6, 2005 Financial Statement as presented. Motion passed. The February 24, 2004 - September 27, 2004 Financial Statement was approved at the Sept. 28, 2004 committee meeting.
C. Old Business
C1. Committee Officers
After soliciting volunteers and speaking with several committee members, Chairman John Copeland reported that Kin Hodges (NC) had agreed to serve as the new Secretary-Treasurer and he will be installed at the summer 2005 meeting and serve for a 2-year term.
C2. Jimmie Pigg Student Travel Award
Chairman, John Copeland reported that we had 5 applicants from the following universities: Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, Univ. of Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Louisiana State. This year’s recipient is Daniel Duawalter of Oklahoma State University. Chairman John Copeland reviewed the balance of funds in this account. He asked if we should award more than $200.00 in travel money to the students. Chairman John Copeland spoke with several individuals regarding investment options for this fund. Since stock funds are under performing, no decision was made on reinvesting these funds in another financial instrument. Frank Fiss, Chairman-Elect (TN) will examine the interest rates on checking accounts at our bank, Regions. The Virginia Chapter of the AFS has invested into Certificates of Deposit. Frank Fiss, Chairman-Elect (TN) expressed the desire to have an E-mail discussion concerning the length of the Jimmie Pigg Travel Award Application. It appears to be redundant and could be shortened.C3. Committee History
Secretary-Treasurer, Dennis Riecke (MS) expressed his intention to use the committee meeting minutes and files to make our committee history more specific and informative.C4. Warmwater Streams Values Video Update
Dennis Riecke, Secretary-Treasurer reviewed the video distribution plan. John Copeland, Chairman will send the committee members the web link for the video and he encouraged all committee members to distribute the video. Frank Fiss, Chairman-Elect (TN) suggested that all members distribute the video within their state.C5. Warmwater Streams Committee Website Update
Dennis Riecke, Secretary-Treasurer passed out a handout with his ideas for reorganizing our website. He asked for input. Frank Fiss, Chairman-Elect (TN), John Copeland, Chairman (VA) and Kin Hodges volunteered to assist in this effort. John Copeland, Chairman (VA) recalled that in the past the committee had an outreach liaison person.Dr. Hal Schramm (MSU) stated that it should be our intent to make warmwater streams more visible in people’s minds. There are plenty of links within the AFS to the AFS groups but he asked about links from other entities (e.g. NRCS) to our website. It seems like we are the only ones concerned with warmwater streams but the committee is a resource for other entities. David Sager (TX) commented that we need to reach out beyond the AFS. Dr. Schramm (MSU) asked if our web links are bidirectional. No one seemed to know.
C6. STAFFS State Stream Sampling Protocols
Dennis Riecke, Secretary-Treasurer, commented that since our last meeting, he learned that the Fisheries Management Section (FMS) is preparing a book on standard sampling guidelines by habitat type. He passed out an announcement of such from a recent FMS newsletter. Jeff Quinn (AR) stated that there was to be a national meeting on stream habitat protocol. Dr. Hal Schramm (MSU) stated that Scott Boar solicited some funds from the FMS for this project. Frank Fiss, Chairman-Elect (TN) thought that if we have the opportunity to review the manuscript, we should do so. Dr. Hal Schramm (MSU) commented that the existence of the Warmwater Streams Techniques Manual publication should be mentioned to those working on the current project. The membership decided to offer their assistance to the FMS project. Members asked if the project will include sampling stream habitat and sampling for nongame fishes. Dennis Riecke, Secretary-Treasurer (MS) will convey the committee’s interest to Dr. David Willis, FMS President.
D. New Business
D1.Installation of New Chairman
Frank Fiss (TN) was installed as the new committee chairman by John Copeland, Immediate Past Chairman. Frank Fiss, Chairman (TN) presented John Copeland with a recognition plaque and pocket knife for his service as chairman for the past 2 years. Frank Fiss, Chairman (TN) thanked John Copeland (VA) and Dennis Riecke, Secretary-Treasurer (MS) for all their efforts to get the values of warmwater streams video project completed.D2. Future Items for Committee Action
Frank Fiss, Chairman (TN) asked if anyone had any new business for now and in the future.Ed Scott (TVA) suggested the committee follow what happens with the FERC relicensing.
Jeff Quinn (AR) said their main concern is large resource development projects e.g. deepening river channels and big irrigation projects.
Dennis Riecke, Secretary-Treasurer, (MS) suggested stream teams, stream bank mitigation and stream restoration.
Jeff Quinn (AR) stated that stream sampling techniques are nice to follow but if every state is like Arkansas, they will only sample 10 sites per year.
David Sager (TX) suggested working on TMDL’s and stream sampling standards.
Dr. Hal Schramm (MSU) commented that streams are really important to state environmental quality departments. But they focus on larger items such as TMDL’s, sediments, and confined animal feedlots. He asked if our interests would not be better served to us if we worked with or turned such concern over to these agencies. He stated that the Upper Pearl River is really a concern for the Miss. Dept. of Environmental Quality (MDEQ).
Dennis Riecke (MS) stated that the MDEQ is concerned with water quality, fish contaminant sampling and is developing an IBI for Delta streams in Mississippi.
Frank Fiss, Chairman (TN) commented that we need to invite the DEQ folks to come and talk with us to expand our horizons. Ed Scott (TVA) stated that we need to use the term “Clean Water Act” more. Jeff Quinn (AR) commented that their DEQ uses barge-electrofishers and has large online databases. Dennis Riecke (MS) said that his agency has little contact with the MDEQ outside of Basin Advisory Committees and workshops. He stated that they know enough about macro invertebrate habitat requirements to correlate the presence of certain species to water quality parameters. Chris Thomason (SC) said that the SCDNR and DEQ are working together on fisheries surveys.
David Sager (TX) stated that the USEPA had funded a study to develop regional IBI’s on wadeable streams and also gather flow data.
Jeff Quinn (AR) asked if South Carolina was going to sample large rivers also. Chris Thomason (SC) commented that their focus is currently on wadeable streams. David Sager (TX) stated that such streams were “the big unknown” in Texas. Chris Thomason (SC) commented that statewide stream surveys were performed in the 1960's and 1970's prior to channelization work. Now they are assessing the streams and examining land use. David Sager (TX) stated that Texas had conducted statewide stream survey’s in the 1950's. Jeff Quinn (AR) said there were rotenone surveys in the 1950's in Arkansas.
Chad Thomas (NC) commented that the North Carolina Division of Water Quality had done stream assessments in wadeable mountain streams but not in coastal streams. In 1996 they began working on methodologies which are set but now the problem is trying to find unimpacted reference streams. There is industrial development in coastal plains. There are few intolerant species remaining and the metrics are all wrong. Since 1996 NC and SC have had 12 cyclonic events that have disturbed their streams. They have plenty of prestorm data.
David Sager (TX) commented that severely impacted regions were one of the reasons Texas wanted regional IBI’s rather than one for the entire state because the impacted areas were so different that they would have lowered the water quality standards for the certain regions of the state if only one IBI was used.
Dennis Riecke (MS) stated that stream sampling is not a priority in Mississippi. No one is pushing the issue. A slatbasket study was performed in 12 streams and their biologists are not familiar with successful stream sampling techniques. The biologists are they are becoming weary of annual sampling of their state fishing lakes so their sampling focus may shift to streams.
Chris Thomason (SC) stated that his agency is asking for justifications for all work tasks.
Frank Fiss, Chairman (TN) stated that State Wildlife Grant (SWG) funding is available and that the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency has hired personnel to work on nongame species. It is not known if they will sample aquatic nongame species. Frank asked if any committee members were on the SWG committees. No one present was on the SWG committees. Tennessee intends to develop management plans for all nongame species.
Chris Thomason (SC) commented that an entire watershed review approach is in progress and that the Fisheries Division has nongame species management responsibility. Jeff Quinn (AR) stated that his director indicated that he will spend all the SWG money on nature centers and then on game management. David Sager (TX) stated that the SWG effort in Texas is being led by terrestrial nongame species folks.
Chad Thomas (NC) stated that North Carolina has a nongame fisheries program and a watershed enhancement program which is examining division objectives. How do sportfish biologists and nongame biologists work together? There is a push for everyone to work together. The nongame folks are in the survey phase, where stream sampling was in the 1950's and 1960's. Jeff Quinn (AR) commented that Brian Wagner is their nongame aquatics person and Bill Posey is their mussel biologist.
Frank Fiss, Chairman (TN) was curious regarding what kind of people will be serving on the warmwater streams committee in the future since there is a SDAFS nongame aquatics committee.
Jeff Quinn (AR) asked if other states were dealing with large Corps of Engineers development projects. David Sager (TX) said no. Jeff Quinn (AR) asked if the Corps is performing impact analysis and using Habitat Evaluation Procedures (HEP) in other states. David Sager (TX) said they have done that in Texas. Jeff Quinn (AR) stated that aquatic mitigation is not worked out but terrestrial mitigation is. Jeff would like to see some standards for aquatic mitigation.
Frank Fiss (TN) commented that the Southeast Aquatic Resource Partnership (SARP) is working on trout mitigation below dams and a book on this is almost complete. It is a collection of biologist’s opinions. The next project is to examine mitigation on large warmwater projects. Frank is the chairman of this with Chuck Coomer of Georgia. This approach has worked effectively in SARP because the fisheries chiefs attend their meetings and instruct their biologists to work on these issues. It’s something the warmwater streams committee could assist with. Tennessee will work on a Rivers Strategic Plan.
Committee business was adjourned for a presentation on instream flow.
Integrated Licensing Protocol
by Scott Smith,
Virginia Dept. of Game and Inland Fisheries
There is a FERC relicensing for Smith Mountain Lake (20,000 acres)/Leesville Lakes (5,000 acres) to develop instream flows for the Staunton River. There are 2 pumped storage reservoirs (Leesville Lakes) 80 miles downstream from John H. Karr Reservoir. The study areas is between Leesville Lakes and John H. Karr Reservoir. Inflows to these lakes are usually 100-125 cfs. Leesville Lake releases 650 cfs. Weekly average flow is 60 cfs baseflow for 100 minutes out of every 2 hours. 3,750-9,000 cfs generation flow for 20 minutes except for spring flows of 1150 cfs for 45 days for striped bass spawning and reduced or minimum flows of 400 cfs during extreme drought. Prior to 1989 this was a peaking project.
John H. Karr Reservoir has a reproducing striped bass population and Virginia has a striper hatchery on the river.
Species of interest are:
Migratory Species
- striped bass, walleye, white bass, introduced Alosids and eels - should fish passage become a reality.
Resident Species
- Centrarchids - smallmouth, largemouth, spotted bass and sunfishes.
- Percids - Roanoke Logperch, an endangered species and walleye.
- Ictalurids - channel, blue, flathead and white catfishes.
- Esocids - chain pickerel
- Catastomids
- Cyprinids
Virginia Dept. of Game and Inland Fisheries Issues
- resident species
- migratory species
- fish passage
- nutrient input/transfer
- water quality (past problems with high temperature and low dissolved oxygen during drought)
- channel morphology - altered by 50 yrs. of flow and bedload modifications.
- recreation flows - canoeing - 40 miles upstream & motor boating - 40 miles downstream.
- complex issues involving multiple species and times of the year in association with water quality and stream channel morphology.
Power Company Proposal
Instream Flow Study using the Demonstration Flow Assessment Method
The power company will examine whatever parameters the VDGIF wants using this method.
What is the best method for determining desirable flows?
- IFIM - will it address these issues?
- 2-D models?
- other methods?
New FERC Guidelines for Proposed Studies
- Goals & Objectives
- Relevant resource management goals of agency
- Existing information and need for additional information
- Nexus between project operations and need for study and how the study would provide the necessary data.
- Justify proposed study methodology
- Describe effort/cost of proposed study and justify why a cheaper alternative would not be sufficient.
This is a front-loaded process. Resource agency has 12-18 months to design and request all studies necessary for relicensing.
- 5 weeks for study proposal
- 60 days for review
- applicant drafts study design
- 60 days for review
A roundtable discussion followed our meeting. See the roundtable minutes for a summary of that discussion.