Aquatic Habitat Restoration in Little Bear Creek Lake

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Aquatic Habitat Restoration in Little Bear Creek
Lake

• Joe Jernigan
• Aquatic Plant Manager
• Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries

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Mission Statement

• The mission of the Wildlife and Freshwater
  Fisheries Division is to manage, protect,
  conserve, and enhance the wildlife and aquatic
  resources of Alabama for the sustainable benefit
  of the people of Alabama.

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We Work to Protect The Resource
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We Work to Improve the Quality of Hunting and
Fishing in the State
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Areas that look like this we change to this
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Good habitat
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Little Bear Creek Reservoir

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Little Bear Project

• B.A.S.S.
• Little Bear Millennium Group
• Bear Creek Development Authority
• Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries

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Whats Missing?

• Several limitations have likely prevented natural
  establishment of submersed native aquatic plants
  in LBCL
• absence of a source of aquatic plant propagules
• water-level fluctuation
• Herbivory

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Approach

• Monitor emergent vegetation with the water willow
  beds present already
• Plant native submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV)
  and evaluate the success

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Water willow
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hydroseeding
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Approved SAV

• Valisineria (2 forms), V. americana
• Water stargrass, Heteranthera dubia
• Elodea, E. canadensis
• Sago pondweed, Potamogeton pectinatus
• American pondweed, P. nodosus
• Giant pondweed, P. foliosus

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Native SAV 06

• Southern Valisineria
• American Pondweed
• Water stargrass
• Elodea

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Grow out facility
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cages
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July 06
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Sept 06
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Will it survive the drawdown?
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Year 2

• Get graduate student on board
• Evaluate success of different plant species in
  the cages. Replant sites with species that
  showed the best potential to establish
• Plant additional TVA approved species that we
  were not able to acquire this year
• Actually hydro seed areas

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BENEFITS?

• Hopefully improved fish habitat which will result
  in better fishing and better water quality
• Even if the plantings fail ALWFF has entered a
  relationship with angler groups that helps to
  foster good communication
• By getting anglers educated and involved there is
  less likelihood of them taking matters in there
  own hands and planting invasives like hydrilla

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Questions??????

• Joe.Jernigan_at_dcnr.alabama.gov
• [phone]
• [phone] cell