Endangered Status Proposed For Two Georgia Species

Two animals in Georgia may get federal endangered species status. The US Fish and Wildlife Service proposed adding the interrupted rock snail and the Georgia pigtoe mussel to the growing list of creatures once abundant in Georgia's rivers.

Once upon a time they lived in waters stretching from north Georgia to Alabama, but today scientists say they're sequestered to two north Georgia rivers.

The mussel can only be found in the Conasauga, and the rocksnail in the Oostanaula. U.S. Fish and Wildlife service biologist Paul Hartfield says damming has destroyed their habitat and made them vulnerable to human activity.

"These different populations have winked out over time mainly due to past historical events, gold mining in mountain so Georgia, carpet mills so everything we do tends to affect these animals."

Hartfield says if they make the endangered species list, his agency could get funds to try to re-grow them. He says the status wouldn't affect regulation of the rivers because they already have federal oversight due to other endangered species in the area.

Hearings on West Point Lake water levels

The US House of Representatives Small Business subcommittee convened at West Point Technical College in Lagrange on Tuesday to gather testimony on the impact of the 2006-2007 drought on Georgia's economy.

Third district Republican Congressman Lynn Westmoreland heard testimony from local representatives, and Army Corps of Engineers and Fish and Wildlife officials about the epic drought's effect on West Point Lake and the area.


Brig. Gen. Joseph Schroedel, Commander of the South Atlantic Division, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and US Fish and Wildlife Service Sout heast Regional Director Sam Hamilton give testimony at the hearing. Behind them is a map of bodies of water in western Georgia affected by the drought. (Dave Bender)

Westmoreland questioned the Corps Brigadier General Joseph Schroedel and Sam Hamilton, of the US Fish and Wildlife Service, about their agencies' water policies on the lake.

Fourth District Congressman Henry “Hank” Johnson Jr. (D), who chaired the hearing, listens to testimony at the session, as Third District Congressman Lynne Westmoreland (R) reads documents detailing state water policies. (Dave Bender)

Community and business leaders say current policies are hurting them. Many of the businesses are recreation-based, and rely on the lake.

Westmoreland says some progress had been achieved at the meeting, saying the Corps would let West Point Lake and Lake Lanier store more water.

But he also was hoping for higher intervention to help the situation:

“So, we are making progress. Are we where we need to be yet? No, because we have to have some response from God, too, to let this rainfall come into areas that we need it.”

Over 200 residents attended the session, which was held at West Georgia Technical College in nearby LaGrange. The lake provides water for LaGrange.

Over 200 area leaders, businesses representatives, and residents attended the hearing. (Dave Bender)

Click here for more GPB News coverage of the drought.

Decision to come today on Lanier water release

Federal biologists are expected today to give their decision on the Army Corps of Engineers' plan to reduce the water flow out of Georgia’s Lake Lanier. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has been analyzing whether federally-protected mussels can survive on less water coming downstream, into Florida’s Apalachicola River. Earlier this month, an agreement was worked-out in Washington to help Georgia by slowing the release of Lanier’s water. It needs the O-K of the biologists to move forward.