Experimental Gravel Bar Habitat Creation in the Tombigbee River, Mississippi

摘要

Prior to development of the Tennessee Tombigbee Waterway (TTW), the Tombigbee River was well-known for supporting a dense and diverse fauna, including sculpins, minnows, mussels, snails, worms, and immature insects. Completion of this project dramatically altered the habitat characteristics of the river, converting free-flowing pool and riffle sequences to a series of reservoirs. Resource agencies expressed some concerns over the loss of shallow riffle habitat, since large numbers of state-listed endangered organisms, plus fives species of mollusks and three species of fishes that were undergoing a status review at that time were potentially affected (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) 1980a, 1980b). In response to these concerns, a shallow-water gravel habitat was designed and created to mimic those conditions existing in the Tombigbee River prior to development of the TTW. This technical note describes the design and construction of this gravel bar and the subsequent development of the biotic community.