Effective in May 2016, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USWFS) has listed two crayfish species as protected under the Endangered Species Act. They are the federally threatened Big Sandy crayfish (Cambarus callainus) and the federally endangered Guyandotte River crayfish (Cambarus veteranus). These crayfish can be found in parts of West Virginia, Kentucky, and Virginia. Generally, these crayfish are often found hiding in cool, fast-flowing water beneath large slab boulders in rivers and streams. These three- to four-inch creatures play an important role within stream environments by serving as food for fish and other wildlife as well as by recycling animal and plant matter.
With the new listing, projects involving in-stream work within these three states may be required to perform a crayfish survey prior to proceeding with work. EnviroScience is pleased to announce that one of our most experienced aquatic biologists, Nicole Jordan, has been approved by the USFWS to perform surveys on these crayfish.
Call us toll-free today for more information at (800) 940-4025.
For more information on these crayfish, visit the USFWS’s webpage here.
