Critter Count Feds to review habitat of endangered speciesBy Anita Miller San Marcos Record News Editor San Marcos — Except for the long, waving strands of Texas Wild Rice, the endangered species that live in the Edwards Aquifer and San Marcos River are a tiny lot; the largest of which measures only a couple of inches.
But all of them, the fountain darter, San Marcos gambusia, San Marcos salamander and Texas Blind Salamander have played big roles in assuring the quality and quantity of water that gushes from below Spring Lake. Now, the habitat of each is about to be reviewed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and the public is invited to give input on changes to biology, threats and other information. Through July 23, USFW is accepting comments both electronically and through the mail. Dr. Glen Longley of the Edwards Aquifer Research and Data Center on the Texas State University campus, who has been a part of previous reviews by the agency, said though the springs are still outputting constant, clean water, the future of each endangered species is still threatened. “I think if anything, the situation for the species has become even more tenuous,” Longley said. “The significant change has been the population growth in the region,” he said on Thursday, the same day the U.S. Census Bureau ranked Hays County the 20th fastest growing county in the country. “The effects of a severe drought will be much worse than in the 1950s simply due to the numbers.” The area’s Drought of Record occurred during the 1950s, when San Marcos Springs continued to flow though Comal Springs in New Braunfels failed. “The amount of water use has greatly increased even though conservation in San Antonio has increased,” Longley said. San Antonio remains the largest city to draw its water exclusively from the Aquifer; San Marcos switched over to using mainly Canyon Lake water from Lake Dunlap in 2000. “If we get into another severe drought all the kinds of things that affect the endangered species will occur more rapidly, like the potential for losing spring flow. It all goes back to the amount of water being used in the region, and that goes back to the number of people.” The local endangered species are among 28 in Texas, Arizona and New Mexico that are under USFW review. “Each review will result in a recommendation to maintain or change species classification,” the agency said, adding that before a species would be dropped from the endangered species list, a separate rule-making process would be invoked along with the opportunity for additional public comment. “This is an opportunity for the scientific community and the public to actively engage in the evaluation of the status of our nation’s threatened and endangered species,” said Benjamin N. Tuggle, Ph.D., USFW southwest regional director. Categories of information requested include: • Species biology, including population trends, distribution, abundance, demographics and genetics. • Habitat conditions, including amount, distribution, and suitability. • Conservation measures that have been implemented that benefit thespecies. • Threat status and trends. Even though the San Marcos gambusia is among the listed species, many believe it is already extinct. “I think it possibly has been hybridized out of existence,” through mating with other species, Longley said. “No one knows.” For further information on submitting comments, go to fws.gov/policy/library. _http://www.sanmarcosrecord.com/local/local_story_082164133.html_ (http://www.sanmarcosrecord.com/local/local_story_082164133.html) **************Create a Home Theater Like the Pros. Watch the video on AOL Home. (http://home.aol.com/diy/home-improvement-eric-stromer?video=15?ncid=aolhom00030000000001)
