Potential impacts of small dam removal on fish and mussel communities in North Carolina
Abstract
As many small dams exceed their structural life expectancies, dam removal is becoming
a priority to safeguard aquatic ecosystems against potential failures. While this
restoration tool improves habitat connectivity and water quality, there are also several
costs associated with it such as potential impairment of freshwater mussel communities.
Such risks are of great concern in North Carolina, which has one of the highest small
dam densities in the U.S. and is a hotspot for endangered and threatened mussels.
To help characterize potential impacts, this research paper provides a literature
review of mussel and fish responses to dams and dam removal and an evaluation of monitoring
reports from past projects.
The results suggest that ecological rebound following removal may depend on the degree
to which resulting discharges and sediment loads correspond with historic floods.
Moreover, both project design and monitoring efforts should better incorporate habitat
tolerances and life histories of sensitive species present at specific project sites.
When resources limit monitoring efforts, sampling should occur in un-impounded waters
where substrates are consolidated, and adequate distances downstream where dam impacts
on species abundance and richness are minimal. The timing of post-removal monitoring
should also be guided by visual surveys, and by specific habitat preferences of project
target species.
Type
Master's projectPermalink
https://hdl.handle.net/10161/6918Citation
Sherman, Mary (2013). Potential impacts of small dam removal on fish and mussel communities in North Carolina.
Master's project, Duke University. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/6918.Collections
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