KODAK, Tenn. — A fish listed as an endangered or threatened species for decades was officially removed from the Federal List of Threatened and Endangered Wildlife on Tuesday, Oct. 4.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and dozens of conservation partners celebrated the snail darter’s recovery and removal from the list at Seven Islands Birding State Park, according to a release from the Department of the Interior.
Officials said the snail darter is the fifth fish species delisted due to recovery in the country and the first in the eastern United States, marking an important milestone in the Endangered Species Act (ESA)'s success in supporting biodiversity.
The department said the snail darter was listed as endangered in 1975 under the ESA due to the threat of a proposed impoundment for the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Tellico Dam. At that time, it was the only known location of the fish.
Officials said the partnership work among federal and state agencies and the Reservoir Release Improvement Program managed by TVA helped the species recover, and it no longer faces the threat of extinction.
The department said it found this small freshwater fish -- native to the Tennessee River watershed in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee -- is no longer in danger of extinction, now or in the foreseeable future after an extensive review of the best scientific and commercial information available.
“The recovery of the snail darter is a remarkable conservation milestone that tells a story about how controversy and polarization can evolve into cooperation and a big conservation success,” Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said. “By protecting even the smallest creatures, we show who we are as a country; that we care about our environment and recognize the interconnectedness of our lands, wildlife and people.”
Across the U.S., more than 260 species of freshwater fish and mussels are at risk of extinction due to the loss, fragmentation and degradation of freshwater streams and rivers, according to the release. ESA protections benefit these species by raising awareness about conservation threats, inspiring diverse partnerships on their behalf and helping conserve habitats critical to conservation and recovery.
In total, 54 species have been delisted from the ESA due to recovery, and another 56 species have been downlisted from endangered to threatened, according to a release.
“As we approach the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in 2023, this little fish is emblematic of what partnerships can do to protect even the most initially controversial species, showing the ultimate importance of the ESA in preserving species for future generations,” USFWS Director Martha Williams said. “We would like to thank the many partners, including the Tennessee Valley Authority, which made this possible.”
History
In the 1970s, the snail darter was at the center of a Supreme Court ruling, an act of Congress and a giant proposed dam that threatened it with extinction.
The USFWS listed the snail darter as endangered in 1975 under the ESA due to the threat of a proposed impoundment for the Tennessee Valley Authority’s (TVA) Tellico Dam near Lenoir City, Tennessee. At that time, it was the only known location of the fish.
Conservationists sued to stop the dam from being completed because it would likely lead to the extinction of the snail darter, according to the department. This was the first ESA case to reach the Supreme Court. In 1978, the court ruled in favor of protecting the snail darter.
Congress ultimately exempted the Tellico Dam from ESA consultation requirements so it could be completed, and then-President Jimmy Carter signed the bill into law in 1979, according to the release.
Meanwhile, snail darters were collected from the Little Tennessee River and transplanted to the Hiwassee and Holston rivers in Tennessee and then to other locations, according to officials. Collaborative survey efforts with TVA and state partners also found the fish in several additional streams.
The department said these successful translocations and the discovery of other natural populations prompted the USFWS to downlist the snail darter from endangered to threatened on July 5, 1984. Designated critical habitat was also rescinded at that time.
Conservation efforts for the species increased in 1991 when the TVA began implementing strategies to improve habitat and water quality conditions associated with their dams, according to the release. These efforts benefitted the snail darter throughout its range.
Watershed level conservation efforts were also implemented by The Nature Conservancy, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and local partnerships such as the Thrive Regional Partnership and the Limestone Valley Resource Conservation and Development Council in the Paint Rock River, South Chickamauga Creek, and Sequatchie River watersheds, according to the department.
In tributary watersheds such as the Ocoee and Sequatchie where water quality was impacted by localized mining threats, conditions have improved due in part to the cessation of mining and efforts to clean up the mine sites, according to officials. In watersheds with higher levels of agriculture and urbanization, conservation programs were put in place to reduce the impact of these activities on the instream habitat used by the snail darter.
The ESA requires the USFWS to implement a system in cooperation with the states to effectively monitor the status of a species for a minimum of five years after delisting to ensure that it remains stable, according to the release. The USFWS will coordinate with other federal agencies, state resource agencies, interested scientific organizations and others as appropriate to develop and implement an effective post-delisting monitoring plan.