Cold water streams problem analysis in the Southern Appalachians and an examination of benthic community composition in an acid affected stream

The degradation of the cold water fisheries resource in the Southern Appalachians was assessed. Portions of five states lie within the boundaries of the defined study area: northwestern South Carolina, northwestern Georgia, western Virginia, western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee. Within each state as well as from a regional perspective the agencies and organizations involved in the management and/or conservation of cold water (trout) fisheries and the management practices they followed were identified. The individuals contacted were asked to assess the negative perturbations to the resource. Siltation was identified as the major perturbation to the resource and acid precipitation as an unknown but potentially serious threat.

An investigation of the benthic community composition in an acid affected stream in the Cherokee National Forest in Polk County, Tennessee, was conducted to give insight into how acidic precipitation in the region may affect cold adapted local stream fauna. The riffle macrobenthic invertebrate communities of two adjacent streams were sampled monthly for a six-month period and analyzed. The fauna of Rock Creek, a stream naturally acidic due to Anakeesta shale effects was compared to that of Gassaway Creek, which is circumneutral. The two creeks did not differ in overall numbers of benthic organisms. Differences existed in the number of taxa; fewer being found in Rock Creek. Examination of the numbers of individuals in different functional feeding categories reveals additional differences between the streams. Scraper species show greater representation in Gassaway Creek. The filter feeders are represented by fewer species in Rock Creek but of comparable total numbers.