Clarks Hill Lake Fish Wildlife PDF Download

Clark Hill Lake received COngressional authorization in 1944 to provide power, flood control and navigation benefits. Post-authorization planning recommendations regarding the project-related fish and wildlife resources were developed by the state and federal wildlife agencies in 1945-1946. These recommendations were submitted in one of the first River Basin Studies Reports. The report was released by the FWS (Fish and Wildlife Statistics) in 1946. Many deficiencies were apparent in this early attempt at interagency cooperative planning for fish and wildlife. Coordination between agencies was woefully inadequate. Consideration of several important impacts of project development on these resources were omitted in the 1946 report. An unusually large acreage was acquired by the construction agency incidental to authorized project purposes. The impacts of this acquisition plan on wildlife resources were inadequately quantified. Major errors in estimating post-project fish and wildlife resources also occurred. Deer and turkey populations were not expected to develop after project construction due to a lack of suitable habitat. However, reforestation of much of the southeast, including the project area, dramatically altered the wildlife habitat and project lands presently support populations estimated at 3,140 deer and 735 turkey. The methods used to develop upland game and fur animal impact predictions, based on sound concepts of carrying capacity and harvestable surplus, were considered satisfactory.