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Climate change is currently a high risk threat to the current range of the brook trout due to changing thermal regimes. The effects of climate change may be exacerbated by greater fragmentation from land use changes. In order to effectively rank projects and work strategically, the Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture is working on refining the status map to the catchment scale and establishing climate change resiliency rankings for brook trout populations throughout the partnership boundary from Georgia to Maine. JMU in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service and the Service have initiated efforts to determine resiliency rankings for brook trout populations in Virginia, Maryland and West Virginia. This project will allow the partnerhsip to expand this analysis to cover all brook trout habitat from Georgia to Maine.

The Chipola River Watershed (HUC # 03130012) is located in northwest Florida/southeast Alabama and includes parts of Jackson, Calhoun, Gulf, Washington and Bay Counties in Florida and Geneva and Houston Counties in Alabama. Some of the smaller tributaries that encompass the Chipola River watershed include: Chipola River Dead Lakes, Spring Creek, Muddy Branch and Otter Creek (subunit 020, 050). The Chipola River Watershed traverses over 100 miles through 812,800 acres with 200,000 acres being utilized in crop production, which is vital to the economy of the region and is the primary socio-economic resource. The Chipola River is defined by Northwest Florida Water Management District as a major Florida river. It originates from freshwater springs in the upper watershed and accounts for approximately 20% of the waters to the Apalachicola River, which is the largest river in Florida. High base flow in Chipola River is supported by over 63 known Floridan aquifer springs. The Chipola River is defined by Florida Department of Environmental Protection as an “Outstanding Florida Waterbody”. However, threats have been identified that could degrade water quality, reduce habitat, or negatively impact rare or imperiled species within the Chipola River watershed. In the past three decades, nitrate concentrations in spring waters have increased substantially in northern and central Florida. Jackson Blue, a tributary to the Chipola and first magnitude spring has the second highest concentration of nitrates of any spring in Florida. The Chipola River and its subunits Dead Lakes (WBID 51B), Muddy Branch (WBID 175) and Otter Creek are 303(d) listed due to agricultural non-point source pollution within the watershed area (EPD 305b report). A great diversity of habitats exist within the watershed from xeric upland longleaf pine forests, to bottomland hardwood swamps, freshwater wetlands, numerous natural springs, and meandering creeks with multiple tributaries. These habitats support rich animal communities with several hundred species of fish and wildlife. There are six federally threatened and endangered mussels species that occur within the Chipola River i.e., oval pigtoe, fat three-ridge, Chipola slabshell, Gulf moccasinshell, purple bankclimber, and shinyrayed pocketbook. The Chipola River is also a managed resource for striped bass and the unique shoal bass fishery. Other threatened and endangered species include: Amphibians & reptiles- American alligator, eastern indigo snake and flatwoods salamander; Fish; Gulf sturgeon; Birds; Arctic peregrine falcon, southeastern kestrel, bald eagle, wood stork, red-cockaded woodpecker; Mammals: i.e. Indiana bat and gray bat. Chipola plants listed on the state or federal endangered list include Marianna columbine, sicklepod, and Apalachicola wild indigo. Endangered and threatened species under serious threat from habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation have been documented and a watershed based plan of action should be developed and initiated for their recovery. A Chipola River watershed partnership between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) have been initiated since 2006. The purpose was to develop and lead a research-based platform for environmental restoration and conservation. The Service, along with FWC, West Florida RC&D; Council and others developed a Chipola River Watershed Management Plan (CRWMP) to achieve management and conservation of fish and wildlife resources. This proposal is for the next steps toward management activities under the CRWMP.

This project will create and protect intertidal oyster reefs and saltmarsh, essential fish habitat, within the Ashepoo-Combahee-Edisto (ACE) Basin National Estuarine Research Reserve in South Carolina. Organization: South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.

This project will replace three fish passage barriers and install approximately 3 miles of chop and drop instream restorations on the East Branch of the Nulhegan River and its tributaries.

This project established an oyster shell recycling program for St. Johns County, Florida, constructed a living shoreline, and planted spartina grass within the boundaries of the new reef to further protect the shoreline and provide nursery habitat for marine species at the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve.

This project will remove two improperly placed culverts and replace them with a single, bottomless arch culvert to allow brook trout and Atlantic salmon to access over 10 miles of high quality habitat in Jam Black Brook. It will also improve angling opportunities in Jam Black Brook and the St. Georges River.

This project removed a failing bulkhead on Little St. Simons Island, GA and installed a living shoreline in its place to provide stream bank stabilization, habitat for eastern oysters, and essential fish habitat.

This project will restore approximately 5.5 miles of instream habitat on the mainstem of Nash Stream between its confluence with Emerson and Long Mountain Brooks. Restoration activities will include boulder placement, pool construction, large wood additions, floodplain reconnection, and riparian vegetation.

This project will restore habitat linkages between a brook trout spawning tributary in Oats Run and the mainstem of the Upper Shaver's Fork at Spruce West Virginia. One passage barrier will be removed and replaced with passage friendly culverts and natural stream design techniques will be utilized above and below the new structure to ensure fish passage. The project will provide 4 miles of passage for brook trout.

This project will stabilize and rebuild fringing salt marsh habitat to protect Brown Pelican nesting areas and to create approximately two patch oyster reefs for fish habitat on Beacon Island in the Outer Banks of North Carolina.