The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service is proposing to put a mussel and two snails on the endangered species list and to designate critical habit for the three. The Georgia Pigtoe Mussel is found only in restricted shoals in a 27-mile stretch of the Conasauga River, according to a Federal Register listing by the Fish & Wildlife Service.

Historically, the Georgia pigtoe was found in large creeks and rivers of the Coosa River drainage of Alabama, Georgia an Tennessee but has been eliminated or severely reduced. It is currently known only in a few isolated shoals in the Upper Conasauga River in Murray and Whitfield counties in Georgia and in Polk County, Tennessee, making it very rare. The loss of habitat is seen as a significant threat. There is currently no state or federal protection for the species.

F&W notes that the primary cause of range curtailment for all three species has been modification and destruction of river and stream habitats, primarily by the construction of large hydropower dams on the Coosa River. The Coosa River was impounded by six major dams constructed between 1928 and 1966, fragmentation habitat and leaving isolated populations more vulnerable to natural events such as droughts, runoff from common land-use practices, discharges and accidents. The Upper Conasauga is far above the influence of the Coosa River impoundments.

The listing notes that in the reaches of the Conasauga where the pigtoe continues to survive, overall mollusk abundance and diversity have experienced a general decline over the past two decades that has been primarily attributed to water or sediment toxicity and channel instability. Food availability and quality is affected by habitat stability, adequate flow and water quality.

The Endangered Species act defined an endangered species as any species which is in danger of extinction through all or a significant portion of the its range. Based on the severity and magnitude of the threats currently affecting these special, the FWS proposed the listing. It notes that the species are faced with a tenuous future even with only the random variation of natural environmental factors. The additional threats of water and habitat quality degradation further threaten the species. All are seen as being in danger of extinction.

Critical habitat designation provides protection through prohibition against Federal agencies carrying out, funding, or authorizing the destruction or adverse modification of the habitat. The designation does not affect land ownership or establish a refuge. The designation does not allow the government or public to access private lands and does not require implementation of restoration, recovery or enhancement measures by private landowners. Where a landowner requests Federal funding or authorization for an action that may affect a listed species or critical habitat, a consultation may be needed to try to develop alternatives to avoid destruction or adversie modicication of critical habitat.

FWS is proposing to designate as critical habitat all stream channels that are currently occupied by the species, as well as some specific areas not currently occupied but that were historically occupied. This would allow for reintroduction of the species.

The Georgia pigtoe has been collected from three shoals within the 32-mile reach of the Conasauga extending from Polk downstream into Murray and Whitfield – one at each end of the reach and one site in the lower third of the reach. Other shoals in the area continued to be inhabited by a diverse mussel community, including several federally endangers and threatened special which historically co-occurred with the pigtoe, giving hope the pigtoe could expand. The site being proposed for the Conasauga begins at the confluence of Minnehaha Creek near Willis Springs, downstream to U.S. Hwy. 76 in Murray and Whitefield counties. Critical habitat is proposed for the stream channel within the ordinary high water line only. Other sites proposed for designation are portions of Terrapin Creek and the Coosa River in Alabama.

A hearing is scheduled for March 2 at Auburn University. Comments will be taken until March 12.

Copies of the proposed rule are available at  HYPERLINK "http://www.regulations.gov" www.regulations.gov a Docket Number FWS-R-4-ES-2008-01014.