By Jenna Breeckner, Greenbrier River Watershed Association
Due to its pristine, fast-moving waters, minimal pollution, and surrounding limestone caves, the Greenbrier River watershed is home to several rare, threatened, and endangered aquatic and terrestrial species. The Greenbrier River watershed provides critical habitats for numerous fish, amphibian, mussel, plant, and bat species. At the Greenbrier River Watershed Association (GRWA), we promote the maintenance, preservation, protection, and restoration of these rare, threatened, and endangered species and their habitats.
The most notable endangered species in the Greenbrier River is the brightly colored Candy Darter (Etheostoma osburni), which is endemic to the upper Kanawha River Basin, including the Greenbrier, Gauley, and New Rivers. The Candy Darter was listed as federally endangered by the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in 2021 and exists within the designated critical habitat of the upper Greenbrier River watershed in Pocahontas County, WV. The Candy Darter faces threats from habitat loss, sedimentation, and displacement by the introduced variegate darter.
The watershed is also home to two endemic species found within the state’s cave systems. The proposed endangered West Virginia Spring Salamander (Gyrinophilus subterraneus) is found only in the General Davis Cave system in Greenbrier County, which the USFWS proposed as designated critical habitat in 2023. The Greenbrier Cave Crayfish (Cambarus nerterius) is another species found only in the state’s southeastern caves, including Greenbrier, Monroe, and Pocahontas counties. The crayfish is listed as critically imperiled and is susceptible to pollution and habitat degradation.
The Green Floater (Lasmigona subviridis) is a species of freshwater mussel currently considered imperiled and under review for listing on the Endangered Species Act. The Greenbrier River and its tributaries contain one of the best populations of this mussel in West Virginia. This species is also particularly suitable for propagation because it doesn’t rely on a fish host for reproduction, making it cheaper and easier to grow in a hatchery setting.
Virginia spiraea (Spiraea virginiana) is a rare, threatened plant species found within the Greenbrier River watershed, packed with bunches of tiny white flowers in the summer. According to the USFWS, most of the existing populations consist only of a few small clumps.
The Indiana Bat (Myotis sodalis) and Northern Long-eared Bat (Myotis septentrionalis) are both federally endangered bat species that exist within the forested areas of the watershed and hibernate in the caves and mines scattered throughout Greenbrier, Pocahontas, and Monroe counties. Preserving the cave systems and minimizing disturbance is integral to providing habitat for these natural pest controllers and indicator species.
To ensure the long-term maintenance and preservation of the watershed, GRWA has conducted monthly monitoring of the water quality at twenty-five (25) sites along the Greenbrier River since August 2023. Parameters being measured include pH, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, fecal coliform, and E. Coli. An overview of the water quality monitoring project can be viewed here. We thank our volunteers who continue to collect samples and monitor the river for impairments. Because of our donors, volunteers, board members, and community support, we have maintained one of the cleanest rivers in the state, and wildlife diversity continues to thrive.
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