Case study:Comal River Restoration

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Location: 29° 42' 44.37" N, 98° 8' 6.86" W

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Project overview

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Status	In progress
Project web site	http://www.eahcp.org/
Themes	Habitat and biodiversity
Country	USA
Main contact forename	Casey
Main contact surname	Williams
Main contact user ID
Contact organisation	BIO-WEST inc.
Contact organisation web site
Partner organisations
Parent multi-site project	Edwards Aquifer Habitat Conservation Plan
This is a parent project encompassing the following projects	No

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Project summary

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The Edwards Aquifer Recovery Implementation Plan (EARIP) process led to development of the approved Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) for the Comal Springs and Comal River system (Comal system) in New Braunfels, Texas. In relation to the Comal system, the EARIP process and HCP identifies a variety of options to improve and increase habitat of threatened and endangered species, including the fountain darter (Etheostoma fonticola), Comal Springs salamander (Eurycea sp.), Comal Springs riffle beetle (Heterelmis comalensis), Peck’s cave amphipod (Stygobromus pecki) and the Comal Springs dryopid beetle (Stygoparnus comalensis). The aquatic vegetation restoration conducted in these two Project Areas in 2013 contributes to implementation of Phase I of the HCP. At specific locations within these Project Areas, non-native vegetation species have become predominant. Increasing native vegetation will benefit the fountain darter by increasing available habitat and improving the quality of existing habitat, potentially resulting in higher fountain darter densities in these areas. Improvement of, and increased areas of, fountain darter habitat is also beneficial to many other native aquatic species. During Phase 1 and beyond, the Aquatic Vegetation Restoration in Landa Lake and Habitat Restoration in the Old Channel are vital to provide the protection necessary to support the species of concern while uncertainty regarding habitat change, species’ response, and effects of other related HCP projects are being addressed.

Monitoring surveys and results

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Monitoring of aquatic vegetation, especially during the prolonged drought that central Texas has been experiencing, is important to understanding potential impacts to fountain darters. Bryophytes (mosses) hold high densities of fountain darters and can be abundant in select locations of the Comal system (e.g., Upper Spring Run upstream of Landa Lake and in the upper portion of Landa Lake). Bryophyte stands in Landa Lake remained relatively constant between 2011-2012 (Figure 2). Cabomba, another native plant with relatively high densities of fountain darters, has been increasing in coverage in Landa Lake, and by fall 2012 it had the highest coverage that has been observed over the course of the study (Figure 2). In contrast, the aquatic vegetation in the Old Channel exemplifies the interactions between native (Lugwigia) and non-native (Hygrophila) aquatic vegetation in the river. Over the past several years, Ludwigia has become sparse (filamentous algae is rarely present), while Hygrophila has come to dominate most of the reach (Figure 3). Hygrophila flourishes in the Old Channel, and has been crowding out native Ludwigia (which has higher fountain darter densities) over the last several years. Ludwigia declined over the course of 2012 and is near the lowest coverage observed over the past decade. Bryophytes significantly increased in coverage during 2012, a ten-fold increase to the highest coverage ever observed at the Old Channel Reach. Since high densities of fountain darters occupy bryophytes in the Comal River, this could mean increased populations of the endangered fish if bryophytes remain in the Old Channel Reach. Filamentous algae, which covered a significant portion of this reach in the past, were still absent from the reach in 2012.

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Catchment and subcatchment Select a catchment/subcatchment Site Edit site Name WFD water body codes WFD (national) typology WFD water body name Pre-project morphology Reference morphology Desired post project morphology Heavily modified water body National/international site designation Local/regional site designations Protected species present Invasive species present Species of interest Dominant hydrology Dominant substrate River corridor land use Average bankfull channel width category Average bankfull channel width (m) Average bankfull channel depth category Average bankfull channel depth (m) Mean discharge category Mean annual discharge (m3/s) Average channel gradient category Average channel gradient Average unit stream power (W/m2) Project background Edit project background Reach length directly affected (m) Project started 2013 Works started Works completed Project completed Total cost category Total cost (k€) Benefit to cost ratio Funding sources Cost for project phases Phase cost category cost exact (k€) Lead organisation Contact forename Contact surname Investigation and design Stakeholder engagement and communication Works and works supervision Post-project management and maintenance Monitoring Reasons for river restoration Edit reasons for restoration Mitigation of a pressure Hydromorphology Biology Fish, Invertebrates Physico-chemical Other reasons for the project Measures Edit Measures Structural measures Bank/bed modifications Floodplain / River corridor Habitat restoration, Riparian planting Planform / Channel pattern Other Non-structural measures Management interventions Social measures (incl. engagement) Other Monitoring Hydromorphological quality elements Edit Hydromorphological quality elements Element When monitored Type of monitoring Control site used Result Before measures After measures Qualitative Quantitative Biological quality elements Edit biological quality elements Element When monitored Type of monitoring Control site used Result Before measures After measures Qualitative Quantitative Physico-chemical quality elements Edit Physico-chemical quality elements Element When monitored Type of monitoring Control site used Result Before measures After measures Qualitative Quantitative Any other monitoring, e.g. social, economic Edit Other responses Element When monitored Type of monitoring Control site used Result Before measures After measures Qualitative Quantitative Monitoring documents Upload monitoring documents Additional documents and videos Upload additional documents Additional links and references Edit links and references Link Description Supplementary Information Edit Supplementary Information