Southeastern Naturalist D.A. Cincotta, S.A. Welsh, D.P. Wegman, T.E. Oldham, and L.B. Hedrick 2015 Vol. 14, Special Issue 7 297 Canaan Valley & Environs 2015 Southeastern Naturalist 14(Special Issue 7):297–313 Fishes of the Blackwater River Drainage, Tucker County, West Virginia Daniel A. Cincotta1,*, Stuart A. Welsh2, Douglas .P. Wegman1, Thomas E. Oldham1, and Lara B. Hedrick2 Abstract - The Blackwater River, a tributary of the upper Cheat River of the Monongahela River, hosts a modest fish fauna. This relatively low diversity of fish species is partly explained by its drainage history. The Blackwater was once part of the prehistoric, northeasterly flowing St. Lawrence River. During the Pleistocene Epoch, the fauna was significantly affected by glacial advance and by proglacial lakes and their associated overflows. After the last glacial retreat, overflow channels, deposits, and scouring altered drainage courses and connected some of the tributaries of the ancient Teays and Pittsburgh drainages. These major alterations allowed the invasion of fishes from North America’s more species-rich southern waters. Here we review fish distributions based on 67 surveys at 34 sites within the Blackwater River drainage, and discuss the origin and status of 37 species. Within the Blackwater River watershed, 30 species (20 native, 10 introduced) have been reported from upstream of Blackwater Falls, whereas 29 (26 native, 3 introduced) have been documented below the Falls. Acid mine drainage, historic lumbering, and human encroachment have impacted the Blackwater’s ichthyofauna. The fishes that have been most affected are Salvelinus fontinalis (Brook Trout), Clinostomus elongatus (Redside Dace), Nocomis micropogon (River Chub), Hypentelium nigricans (Northern Hog Sucker), Etheostoma flabellare (Fantail Darter), and Percina maculata (Blackside Darter). The first two species incurred range reductions, whereas the latter four were probably extirpated. In the 1990s, acid remediation dramatically improved the water quality of the river below Davis. Recent surveys in the lower drainage revealed 15 fishes where none had been observed since at least the 1940s; seven of these (Cyprinella spiloptera [Spotfin Shiner], Luxilus chrysocephalus [Striped Shiner], Notropis photogenis [Silver Shiner], N. rubellus [Rosyface Shiner]; Micropterus dolomieu [Smallmouth Bass]; and Etheostoma camurum [Bluebreast Darter] and E. variatum [Variegate Darter]) represent additions to the faunal list of the Blackwater River. Introduction The fish fauna of the Monongahela River basin—105 species, of which 14 are introduced—was assembled from pre-Pleistocene Epoch communities, altered by drainage changes during the Pleistocene, augmented by subsequent invasions that emanated from the more southerly ancient Teays River, and changed again by recent introductions (Hendricks et al. 1983, Hocutt et al. 1986, Lee et al. 1980, Stauffer et al. 1995). The Old Monongahela River was once a significant headwater watershed of the Old Lower Allegheny River, a major tributary that 1West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Section, PO Box 67, Elkins, WV 26241. 2West Virginia Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Division of Forestry, West Virginia University, PO Box 6125, Morgantown, WV 26506. *Corresponding author - dan.cincotta@yahoo.com. Southeastern Naturalist D.A. Cincotta, S.A. Welsh, D.P. Wegman, T.E. Oldham, and L.B. Hedrick 2015 Vol. 14, Special Issue 7 298 flowed north into the prehistoric Pittsburgh River and then east into the Atlantic Ocean via the ancient St. Lawrence River (Hocutt et al. 1986). The Old Lower Allegheny River was the precursor of the Monongahela and Allegheny rivers and drained present-day northern West Virginia, parts of western Maryland and western Pennsylvania, and eastern Ohio. During Pleistocene glaciation, the Old Lower Allegheny River’s north-flowing waters were dammed by the Illinoian ice sheet and formed ancient Lake Monongahela. Immediately to the south of this basin, the adjoining Teays River drainage’s west-flowing waters were dammed to create ancient Lake Teays (Hocutt et al. 1986). The surface of Lake Monongahela rose to 305 m (1001 ft) above sea level and overflowed into Old Middle Island Creek and Little Kanawha and Marietta rivers of the prehistoric Teays River (Hocutt et al. 1986). At times, Lake Teays probably overflowed into the Old Lower Allegheny watershed. During and after glacial retreat, the resultant deposits, redirected channels, stream captures, and lake overflows created today’s upper Ohio River drainage. Hocutt et al. (1986) recognized Clinostomus elongatus (Kirtland) (Redside Dace), Lythrurus umbratilis (Girard) (Redfin Shiner), Notropis dorsalis (Agassiz) (Bigmouth Shiner), and Catostomus catostomus (Forster) (Longnose Sucker) as glacial relics because of their remnant distribution in the cool/cold streams of the Monongahela River basin. We also regard Margariscus margarita (Cope) (Pearl Dace) as a glacial relic. The Redfin Shiner, Bigmouth Shiner, and Longnose Sucker are considered extirpated (Stauffer et al. 1995; WVDNR, unpubl. data), and the Redside Dace and Pearl Dace are now scant in the drainage, probably due to development, timbering, and other land-use practices that have increased water temperatures and sedimentation (Smith et al. 2014; Stauffer et al. 1995; Trautman et al. 1981; WVDNR, unpubl. data). This paper summarizes the origin and status of the fish fauna of the lower and upper Blackwater River, a tributary of the Cheat River of the Monongahela River System, via a review of the drainage history and of all known fish collections. Study Area The Blackwater River is 32.4 mi (52.1 km) long and drains a watershed of 89,393 sq mi (36,176 ha). The River heads at an elevation of 3900 ft (1189 m) on the southeastern face of Canaan Mountain, in the southern part of Canaan Valley (hereafter, the Valley), eastern Tucker County, WV. At 3200 ft (975 m), the Blackwater turns northeast (Fig. 1). Major tributaries within the southern Valley run down the western-draining Cabin Mountain of the Allegheny Front, which peaks at 4300 ft (1310 m). In the northern Valley, the River swings abruptly northwestward and cuts through Canaan/Brown Mountain at 3120 ft (951 m). At 3000 ft (914 m) above sea level, immediately below the town of Davis, it drops 60 ft (18.3 m) over Blackwater Falls and proceeds for 9.6 mi (15.4 km) through a deep gorge to its confluence with the Dry Fork River at Hendricks. This junction forms the Blackfork River, which flows for 4.4 mi (7.0 km) before merging at Parsons with the Shavers Fork to form the main channel of Cheat River. Southeastern Naturalist D.A. Cincotta, S.A. Welsh, D.P. Wegman, T.E. Oldham, and L.B. Hedrick 2015 Vol. 14, Special Issue 7 299 Review of Fish Collections We summarize data (in approximately 10-year increments) on the distributions of fishes in the Blackwater River drainage from 1899 to present (Tables 1, 2; Fig. 1). To this end, we reviewed published and gray literature, museum specimens (US National Museum, Washington, DC; Cornell University, Ithaca, NY; Pennsylvania State University; State College, PA), and unpublished stocking reports (West Virginia Division of Natural Resources [WVDNR]). We deposited the unpublished documents and raw data in the Canaan Valley Institute’s library in Davis, WV. In 1899, the US Bureau of Fisheries commissioned W.P. Hay, head of the Department of Biology of Washington, DC’s high schools, to survey the fishes of West Virginia. These collections were used to evaluate complaints of poor fishing, especially in areas that had been known for their abundance of fishes, but which were then thought to be declining (Goldsbourgh and Clark 1908). In northeastern parts of the state, Hay sampled headwaters of the Monongahela, Potomac, and Greenbrier rivers. In the Valley, he collected at one site on the North Branch, recording only Salvelinus fontinalis (Mitchill) (Brook Trout). Based on this statewide survey, Goldsbourgh and Clark (1908) reported “… that aquatic life in general, and fishes in particular, had been and are now in many streams being greatly injured and in others practically destroyed by the unwise and destructive operations of the lumberman and the miner.” Figure 1. The Blackwater River drainage noting the recent and historic fish collection sites (see Table 1 for UTM coordinates). Southeastern Naturalist D.A. Cincotta, S.A. Welsh, D.P. Wegman, T.E. Oldham, and L.B. Hedrick 2015 Vol. 14, Special Issue 7 300 Collecting resumed in the Blackwater in the 1940s. Under the direction of E. Seaman, a fisheries biologist at the WV Conservation Commission (presently the WVDNR; see Cincotta et al. 1986a), two collections were made in the drainage in 1946 as part of an effort to document the state’s fishes. They collected the following seven species: Redside Dace, Ericymba buccata Cope (Silverjaw Minnow), Pimephales notatus (Rafinesque) (Bluntnose Minnow), Rhinichthys atratulus (Hermann) (Blacknose Dace), Semotilus atromaculatus (Mitchill) (Creek Chub), Catostomus commersoni (Lacepede) (White Sucker), and Brook Trout. In 1956, F.J. Schwartz of West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, collected 10 species in the Blackwater River during 15 seine surveys, adding Table 1. Fish survey sites in the Blackwater River drainage and their Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) coordinates. Site # Site UTM 1 Blackwater River: at Rt. 32, Cosner School 170634604E, 4321775N 2 Blackwater River: east of Cortland community 170637237E, 4324899N 3 Blackwater River: east of Bearden Knob, 1.6 km upstream 170639092E, 4328413N 4 Blackwater River: east of Bearden Knob 170637763E, 4328765N 5 Blackwater River: at camp 70, 4.8 km above Davis 170637598E, 4332829N 6 Blackwater River: below Yellow Creek, just above dam pond 170635654E, 4333630N 7 Blackwater River: at mouth of Beaver Creek 170633029E, 4331897N 8 Blackwater River: at Rt. 32 crossing at Davis 170632968E, 4331879N 9 Blackwater River: above Falls, 244 m below park bridge 170631367E, 4330474N 10 Blackwater River: just above mouth of North Fork 170627826E, 4330032N 11 Blackwater River: at mouth 170618568E, 4325481N 12 Mill Run: 3.5 km above mouth 170634421E, 4318958N 13 Mill Run: 1.6 km above mouth 170633376E, 4320631N 14 Freeland Run: 1.1 km above mouth 170636346E, 4320456N 15 Idelman Run: 2.2 km above mouth 170636810E, 4321908N 16 Yoakum Run: 2.4 km above mouth 170637791E, 4324154N 17 Sand Run: at impoundment on edge of Timberline Resort 170639329E, 4324714N 18 Sand Run: at bridge near Monongahela Power/Timeberline border 170639571E, 4326970N 19 North Branch: near Cortland community 170636001E, 4325134N 20 Glade Run: 4 km above mouth, just downstream of jeep crossing 170641786E, 4330797N 21 Little Blackwater River: 6.4 km above mouth at bridge 170642200E, 4334887N near frame cabin 22 Little Blackwater River: just above mouth 170639361E, 4332037N 23 Yellow Creek: 61 m above mouth, just above Blackwater Rd. 170635854E, 4333725N 24 Beaver Creek: headwaters, downstream of Rt. 93 culvert 170645145E, 4340056N 25 Beaver Creek: just upstream of Gatzmer 170640693E, 4338373N 26 Beaver Creek: at Rt. 93 bridge 170634960E, 4334234N 27 Unnamed tributary of Beaver Creek: 12.9 km above Rt. 93 bridge 170643730E, 4339820N 28 Unnamed tributary of Beaver Creek: 12 km above Rt. 93 bridge 170642802E, 4339669N 29 Unnamed tributary of Beaver Creek: 9 km above Rt. 93 bridge 170640690E, 4338308N 30 North Fork: at William, Rt. 24 1st. bridge 170630119E, 4336856N 31 North Fork: 2.6 km north of Thomas 170630105E, 4336117N 32 North Fork: at Thomas City Park 170629859E, 4334804N 33 North Fork: at Thomas City limit 170629395E, 4333618N 34 North Fork: 1.2 km northeast of Douglas at Coketown 170628623E, 4333211N Southeastern Naturalist D.A. Cincotta, S.A. Welsh, D.P. Wegman, T.E. Oldham, and L.B. Hedrick 2015 Vol. 14, Special Issue 7 301 Ameiurus melas (Rafinesque) (Black Bullhead), Salmo trutta L. (Brown Trout), Cottus bairdi Girard (Mottled Sculpin), and Ambloplites rupestris (Rafinesque) (Rock Bass) to the faunal list (F.W. Schwartz, in Core et al. 1959). Schwartz did not catch any fish at three stations, apparently due to excess acid-mine drainage. Later in the 1950s, D. Gasper of the WV Conservation Commission (WVDNR, South Charleston, WV, unpubl. data) captured Table 2. Origin and status of fishes in the upper and lower Blackwater River, Tucker County, WV. Origin designations: N = native; NI = considered native, but possibly introduced; * = found in Monongahela River and expected to occur in the lower Blackwater River; I = introduced; IP = introduced probably; Ex = extirpated. Present = whether present in drainage. Below falls Above falls Species Origin Present Origin Present Central Stoneroller N Yes N Yes Redside Dace N* No N Yes Spotfin Shiner N Yes - No Silverjaw Minnow N Yes N Yes Striped Shiner N Yes - No River Chub N Yes NI Ex Golden Shiner N Yes IP Yes Silver Shiner N Yes - No Rosyface Shiner N Yes - No Sand Shiner N* No IP Yes Bluntnose Minnow N Yes N Yes Fathead Minnow I* No I Yes Eastern Blacknose Dace N Yes N Yes Longnose Dace N Yes N Yes Creek Chub N Yes N Yes White Sucker N Yes N Yes Northern Hog Sucker N Yes NI Ex Yellow Bullhead N* No IP Yes Brown Bullhead N Yes NI Yes Stonecat N Yes N Yes Margined Madtom IP Yes IP Yes Rainbow Trout I Yes I Yes Brown Trout I Yes I Yes Brook Trout N Yes N Yes Mottled Sculpin N Yes N Yes Rock Bass N Yes N Ye Smallmouth Bass N Yes - No Largemouth Bass N Yes IP Yes Green Sunfish N Yes N Yes Pumpkinseed NI* No IP Yes Bluegill N* No IP Yes Greenside Darter N Yes N Yes Bluebreast Darter N Yes - No Fantail Darter N* No NI Ex Johnny Darter N Yes N Yes Variegate Darter N Yes - No Blackside Darter N* No NI Ex Southeastern Naturalist D.A. Cincotta, S.A. Welsh, D.P. Wegman, T.E. Oldham, and L.B. Hedrick 2015 Vol. 14, Special Issue 7 302 14 fishes during two electrofishing surveys of the Valley. He added first records of Campostoma anomalum (Rafinesque) (Central Stoneroller), Nocomis micropogon (Cope) (River Chub), Rhinichthys cataractae (Valenciennes) (Longnose Dace), Hypentelium nigricans (LeSueur) (Northern Hogsucker), Lepomis cyanellus Rafinesque (Green Sunfish), Etheostoma blennioides Rafinesque (Greenside Darter), Etheostoma nigrum Rafinesque (Johnny Darter), and Percina maculata (Girard) (Blackside Darter). During six rotenone surveys in the 1960s, D. Gasper and B. Pierce (WVDNR, unpubl. data) collected 14 species, adding Noturus flavus Rafinesque (Stonecat) and Etheostoma flabellare Rafinesque (Fantail Darter) to the state list. In 1978, six seine collections by R.F. Denoncourt, C.H. Hocutt, and J.R. Stauffer yielded 19 fishes, four of which were new to the Blackwater River (Hocutt et al. 1981, Stauffer et al. 1995). These surveys reported the first lotic records of Pimephales promelas Rafinesque (Fathead Minnow), Ameiurus nebulosus (LeSueur) (Brown Bullhead), Micropterus salmoides (Lacepede) (Largemouth Bass), and Lepomis macrochirus Rafinesque (Bluegill) in the drainage. Ten surveys made between 1978 and 1987 by D. Phares and T. E. Oldham (WVDNR, unpubl. data) also produced 19 species, adding Notemigonus crysoleucas (Mitchill) (Golden Shiner) and Lepomis gibossus (L.) (Pumpkinseed) to the Blackwater River watershed’s tally. An acid neutralization station, which was constructed near Davis in 1994, reduced the impacts from acid-mine drainage on the Blackwater River (WVDNR 2000, Zurbuch 2002b). Nine pre- and post-treatment surveys, conducted by the WVDNR with rotenone and/or electrofishing gear, yielded 21 fishes (WVDNR 2000). Of these, Notropis stramineus (Cope) (Sand Shiner), Ameiurus natalis (LeSueur) (Yellow Bullhead), and Noturus insignis (Richardson) (Margined Madtom) were taken for the first time in the watershed. M. Gatch surveyed northern West Virginia in the 1990s to evaluate the status of the Redside Dace (M. Gatch, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, unpubl. data). She made two collections in Sand Run and noted 15 fishes, all of which had been recorded previously. After 2000, one of the authors (D.A. Cincotta, WVDNR, unpubl. data) surveyed Freeland and Sand runs for a genetic study of the Redside Dace (Bowen et al. 2000), but it yielded no new species. Additionally, in 2002, he electrofished the main channel of the Blackwater River near its mouth to evaluate the re-establishment of fishes after acid remediation projects. This effort yielded 15 species, which included the following seven additions to the drainage’s checklist: Cyprinella spiloptera (Cope) (Spotfin Shiner), Luxilus chrysocephalus (Rafinesque) (Striped Shiner), Notropis photogenis (Cope) (Silver Shiner), N. rubellus (Agassiz) (Rosyface Shiner), Micropterus dolomieu Lacepede (Smallmouth Bass), Etheostoma camurum (Cope) (Bluebreast Darter), and E. variatum Kirtland (Variegate Darter). Two other surveys during this period, in (1) the Valley by the WVDNR (T.E. Oldham, unpubl. data) and (2) Beaver Creek by West Virginia University (L.B. Hedrick, unpubl. data), reported only species already known in the watershed. Southeastern Naturalist D.A. Cincotta, S.A. Welsh, D.P. Wegman, T.E. Oldham, and L.B. Hedrick 2015 Vol. 14, Special Issue 7 303 Origin and Status of the Monongahela River’s Ichthyofauna Stauffer et al. (1995) reported 68 native and 8 introduced fishes in the Monongahela River of West Virginia and mapped the distribution of each species. Today, the basin’s ichthyofauna represents species associated with the ancient Teays and Pittsburgh rivers, and with the present-day Ohio River, as formed after glacial retreat by connecting the Old Marrietta/Teays and Steubenville/Pittsburgh rivers. Proglacial overflows from Lake Teays and/or Lake Monongahela, and stream capture sites likely explain the early invasions of fishes from the prehistoric Teays River to the Monongahela drainage. Hocutt et al. (1979, 1986) hypothesized that the occurrence of Clinostomus funduloides Girard (Rosyside Dace), Exoglossum laurae (Hubbs) (Tonguetied Minnow), Silverjaw Minnow, River Chub, Greenside Darter, and Percina oxyrhynchus (Hubbs and Raney) (Sharpnose Darter) are the result of a Greenbrier and/or Old Gauley River (upper Teays River tributaries) capture of the Monongahela River. A stream-capture process may also explain the presence of a certain form of Blacknose Dace in the Monongahela River sub-basin. In the Central Appalachian region, Rhinichtys atratulus Hermann (Eastern Blacknose Dace ) is native and usually restricted to Atlantic Slope streams, while R. obtusus Agassiz (Western Blacknose Dace) is indigenous to streams of the Ohio River basin (Jenkins and Burkhead 1994, Matthews et al.1982). Even though these species are difficult to separate morphologically, in part because they may hybridize in sympatry (Matthews et al. 1982), they are recognized as valid species (Nelson et al. 2004). Hubbs and Lagler (1958) interpreted the presence of the eastern form in the Youghiogheny River of the Monongahela as a result of a reverse piracy from the Potomac River. The Eastern Blacknose Dace and Western Blacknose Dace are also sympatric in the Cheat River where many Ohio/Potomac stream-capture routes have been identified (Hocutt et al. 1986, Jenkins et al. 1972). Although no records prior to this study differentiated between these two species, we are referring to the form in the Blackwater River as R. atratulus, the Eastern Blacknose Dace. However, we recognize that this population may represent an intergrade of the Eastern and Western Blacknose Daces (Little et al. 1991). The Blackwater’s ichthyofauna is typical of the Monongahela River, and more specifically of the Cheat River. Hocutt et al. (1986) suggested that ichthyofaunal variation among the major tributaries of the Monongahela River was due to the direct or indirect influence of glaciation, especially in the depauperate eastern sub-drainages, where streams were peripheral to species invasions of the new Ohio River fauna and the effects of proglacial water levels. Faunal differences described within the Monongahela River watershed have probably also been influenced by acid-mine drainage, the rigorous montane habitat in its eastern portions, and a lack of historic collections (Hendricks 1983, Hocutt et al. 1986, Jenkins et al. 1972). Acid-mine drainage has severely affected fish populations in this basin, particularly in the Cheat and Youghiogheny rivers (Cincotta et. al 1986b, Hendricks et al. 1983, Jernejcic et al. 1978, Menendez 1978, Welsh and Perry 1997, WVDNR 2000). Physical barriers, such as cataracts and falls, have Southeastern Naturalist D.A. Cincotta, S.A. Welsh, D.P. Wegman, T.E. Oldham, and L.B. Hedrick 2015 Vol. 14, Special Issue 7 304 been suggested by many as limiting factors for fish dispersal in the region (D.A. Cincotta, in Christmas et al. 1998; Hocutt et al. 1986; Stauf fer et al. 1995). In the following sections, we discuss the origins and status of fishes in the upper and lower Blackwater River (Table 2). The upper section is upriver of the 65.4-ft (19.8-m)-high Blackwater Falls; the lower reach flows from the Falls to the river’s mouth, where it flows into the Dry Fork River (Fig. 1). Acid-mine drainage has impacted the ichthyofauna of both sections. Above Blackwater Falls Nineteen fishes are native to the Blackwater River watershed upstream of Blackwater Falls (Table 2, Appendix 1). These include the Central Stoneroller, Redside Dace, Silverjaw Minnow, Bluntnose Minnow, River Chub, Creek Chub, Longnose Dace, White Sucker, Northern Hog Sucker, Brown Bullhead, Stonecat, Brook Trout, Mottled Sculpin, Rock Bass, Green Sunfish, Greenside Darter, Fantail Darter, Johnny Darter, and Blackside Darter. All were collected before 1978, except for the Brown Bullhead. Several species (11) have been introduced into the upper Blackwater watershed (Table 2). Brown Trout and Rainbow Trout have been stocked since the early 1900s (Zurbuch 2002a, 2015 [this issue]). The stocking of warm-water fishes was apparently uncommon during this period. Conservation Commission reports (WVDNR, unpubl. data) discuss placement of sunfish into a Thomas pond in 1924, catfish in Davis and Thomas ponds in 1922 and 1924, and Largemouth Bass in beaver ponds in 1963 and 1964. Land development in the 1960s and 1970s in the upper Blackwater watershed, such as the Canaan Valley golf course and the Timberline Resort homes and ski area, coincided with new fish occurrences. Based primarily on historic data in Stauffer et al. (1995), we attribute the records of Golden Shiner, Sand Shiner, Fathead Minnow, Yellow Bullhead, Largemouth Bass, Pumpkinseed, and Bluegill to releases by landowners and anglers. The Eastern Blacknose Dace and Margined Madtom were first collected in the Blackwater River in 1997. It was noted that the Margined Madtom was hybridizing with the native Stonecat (Welsh and Cincotta 2004). Both species are indigenous primarily in streams of the Atlantic Slope (Hocutt et al. 1986, Jenkins and Burkhead 1994, Taylor 1969). Due to their disjunct distributions, rapid colonization, and/or hybridizations in the drainage, we infer that the Margined Madtom and the Eastern Blacknose Dace were introduced to the Blackwater River. Past collectors produced some problematic data. We could not verify the occurrence of the Black Bullhead in the upper Blackwater drainage as reported by F.J. Schwartz (University of North Carolina, Institute of Marine Science, Morhead City, NC, unpubl. data) and B. Pierce (WVDNR, unpubl. data) in 1956 and 1966, respectively. Owing to the difficulty in distinguishing these fishes in the Ohio River (Trautman 1981), and the absence of Black Bullhead specimens from the Monongahela basin of West Virginia (Stauffer et al. 1995) and Pennsylvania (Cooper 1983), we interpret these records to be of the Brown Bullhead. We were Southeastern Naturalist D.A. Cincotta, S.A. Welsh, D.P. Wegman, T.E. Oldham, and L.B. Hedrick 2015 Vol. 14, Special Issue 7 305 confused by certain records of F.J. Schwartz (in Core et al. 1959), where the notations of localities in the Cheat and Blackwater rivers were inconsistent. Schwartz, however, provided original field data, which helped us avoid misinterpreting data in Core et al. (1959). We found two apparent errors in the The Fishes of West Virginia (Stauffer et al. 1995). Hocutt et al. (1981) collected the Mottled Sculpin at three Blackwater River sites in the Valley. Apparently, these records were inadvertently omitted from Stauffer et al. (1995). The book also reports a record of Cycleptus elongatus (LeSueur) (Blue Sucker) taken in the upper Blackwater River, but we doubt that this large river species would live in the mountains. Distribution maps from a manuscript of the book depicted C. elongatus in the upper Blackwater River. We speculate that this record likely represented the Redside Dace, not the Blue Sucker, as both share the abbreviation C. elongatus. Because adequate baseline data are lacking, we were unable to detect many long-term changes in the Blackwater River’s indigenous ichthyofauna. However, data from before and after 1978 indicate population declines and/or losses of the following six species: Brook Trout, Redside Dace, River Chub, Northern Hog Sucker, Fantail Darter, and Blackside Darter. The range of resident Brook Trout has been reduced mainly to springs on the Valley floor and well-canopied tributaries of the adjoining ridges. Redside Dace were common in the Valley during the 1940s and 1950s, but currently they are rare or possibly extirpated. The River Chub, Northern Hog Sucker, Fantail Darter, and Blackside Darter were taken in the upper drainage only once between 1956 and 1967. Although these records may represent misidentifications or introductions by fishermen, we regard them as native because they are all found in other nearby Monongahela streams. The remaining 14 native fishes listed above are extant and common in upper Blackwater streams that have good water quality and adequate habitat (Table 2). Below Blackwater Falls Acid-mine drainage and precipitation have severely degraded the fish fauna of the Blackwater River’s main channel from the mouth of Beaver Creek downstream to its confluence with the Dry Fork (Fig. 1; WVDNR 2000). Recent acid remediation projects have been followed by increases in fish diversity. Based on historic records (Zurbuch 2002a, 2015 [this issue]), we consider Brook Trout to be a native species in the lower Blackwater basin, although we did not verify self-sustaining populations below the Falls where it is regularly stocked. Fishes currently found below the Falls include: Silverjaw Minnow, Bluntnose Minnow, Central Stoneroller, Spotfin Shiner, Striped Shiner, Golden Shiner, Silver Shiner, Rosyface Shiner, River Chub, Creek Chub, Eastern Blacknose Dace, Longnose Dace, White Sucker, Northern Hog Sucker, Brown Bullhead, Stonecat, Margined Madtom, Brook Trout, Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Mottled Sculpin, Rock Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Largemouth Bass, Green Sunfish, Greenside Darter, Bluebreast Darter, Johnny Darter, and Variegate Darter (Table 2). Except for the Eastern Blacknose Dace, Margined Madtom, Rainbow Trout and Brown Trout, all of these fishes are native to the lower Blackwater and Monon gahela rivers. Southeastern Naturalist D.A. Cincotta, S.A. Welsh, D.P. Wegman, T.E. Oldham, and L.B. Hedrick 2015 Vol. 14, Special Issue 7 306 Populations of the 29 extant species found below the Falls are influenced significantly by water quality. Some species characteristic of small streams, like the Eastern Blacknose Dace, Creek Chub, and White Sucker, are common in tributaries that have not been degraded by excess acid. Based on data herein, fish populations have re-established in the Blackwater’s mainstem, but their persistence hinges on continued acid remediation. The following species, which inhabit the nearby Dry Fork, Blackfork, Shavers Fork, and/or Cheat River, are expected to occur in the Blackwater River: Rosyside Dace, Pearl Dace, Notropis volucellus (Cope) (Mimic Shiner), Notropis ariommus (Cope) (Popeye Shiner), Pararhinichthys bowersi (Goldsborough and Clark) (Cheat Minnow), Etheostoma zonale (Cope) (Banded Darter), and Sharpnose Darter. Summary Since 1899, biologists have conducted 67 fish surveys at 34 sites in the Blackwater River basin. A total of 37 species have been collected. Nineteen native and 11 introduced fishes have been documented upstream of Blackwater Falls; 25 native and 4 introduced species have been documented below the Falls. We attribute the greater species richness of the upper drainage to sport-fish and baitbucket introductions. Domestic water use; excess levels of silt and nutrients; the building of impoundments, homes, and resorts; historic lumbering and tannery operations; and acidic mine drainage and deposition have impacted the species composition of the watershed. Populations of Brook Trout and Redside Dace have decreased. Four species—River Chub, Northern Hog Sucker, Fantail Darter, and Blackside Darter—have likely been extirpated from the upper basin. Recent projects to remediate acid pollution have improved the Blackwater’s water quality, which in turn has promoted fish recolonization. A recent collection from the lower Blackwater River included seven species that were new records for the drainage. The reestablishment of fishes in the lower Blackwater River, from Davis to the mouth, has been impressive, given that this reach was virtually devoid of aquatic life before 1995. Acknowledgments We thank all past and present WV Division of Natural Resources employees who collected specimens and prepared the data cited herein, particularly F. Jernejcic, R. Doyle, M. Everhart, J. Cseripko, G. Weaver, and A. Johnson. Dr. F.J. Schwartz graciously provided his original field data from 1956. Dr. M. Gatch’s data were made available through the state’s wildlife database, collected via a grant from the WVDNR’s Wildlife Diversity Program. Special appreciation is extended to J. Harrison, who provided elevations, stream lengths, and the drainage map. We are indebted to B. Sargent for retrieving much of the WVDNR’s historic information from the state stream database and to D. Hale for typing the manuscript. The West Virginia Division of Highways funded recent Beaver Creek surveys. P.E. Zurbuch and B. McDonald reviewed the draft. Lastly, we dedicate this paper to Chris Clower and Jim Rawson, whose painstaking efforts to protect and manage the natural resources of Canaan Valley gave us the impetus to prepare this paper for Canaan Valley Institute’s Celebration of the Valley. Southeastern Naturalist D.A. Cincotta, S.A. Welsh, D.P. Wegman, T.E. Oldham, and L.B. Hedrick 2015 Vol. 14, Special Issue 7 307 Literature Cited Bowen, W.C., B.D. Faulknier, D.A. Cincotta, K.G. Barnett, and D.C. Tarter. 2000. A baseline genetic study of the Redside Dace in West Virginia. Association of Southeastern Biologists Bulletin 47:151. Christmas, J., R. Eades, D. Cincotta, A. Shiels, R. Miller, J. Siemien, T. Sinnot, and P. Fuller. 1998. History, management, and status of introduced fishes in the Chesapeake Bay region. Pp. 97–116, In G.D. Therres (Ed.). Conservation of Biological Diversity: A Key to Restoration of the Chesapeake Bay Ecosystem and Beyond. 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Welsh, D.P. Wegman, T.E. Oldham, and L.B. Hedrick 2015 Vol. 14, Special Issue 7 309 Appendix 1. Fishes collected in the Blackwater River drainage by site (see Fig. 1, Table 1) and collector. A = Goldsborough and Clark 1907, B = WV Conservation Commission 1947, C = Schwartz 1956, D = WVDNR, unpubl. data 1958–1967; E = Hocutt et al. 1981, F = WVDNR, unpubl. data 1979–1987, G = WVDNR, unpubl. data 1994–2002, H = University of Michigan, unpubl. data 1997, I = West Virginia University, unpubl. data 2002). Because fishes were not collected at sites 23, 31, and 34, these columns were excluded. Site Species 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Central Stoneroller D G D, G Redside Dace B, C C C C Spotfin Shiner Silverjaw Min. B C D D G Striped Shiner River Chub D Golden Shiner G Silver Shiner Rosyface Shiner Sand Shiner G Bluntnose Minnow C, D, E D C C D, G D G Fathead Minnow E Eastern Blacknose Dace B, E C, D D, G D, G Longnose Dace D D, G D, G Creek Chub B, C, D, E C, D C C D, G D D, G White Sucker B, C, D, E C, D C C D, G C, D D, G Northern Hog Sucker D Yellow Bullhead G Brown Bullhead E Stonecat D Margined Madtom G Rainbow Trout G Brown Trout C, E D G Brook Trout Mottled Sculpin D, E D D, G G Rock Bass C, E D C C D, G D D, G Smallmouth Bass Largemouth Bass E Green Sunfish D Bluegill E Greenside Darter D, G D, G Bluebreast Darter Fantail Darter D Johnny Darter E D D Variegate Darter Blackside Darter D Southeastern Naturalist D.A. Cincotta, S.A. Welsh, D.P. Wegman, T.E. Oldham, and L.B. Hedrick 2015 Vol. 14, Special Issue 7 310 Site Species 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Central Stoneroller G G G Redside Dace G Spotfin Shiner G Silverjaw Minnow D, E G G Striped Shiner G River Chub G Golden Shiner G Silver Shiner G Rosyface Shiner G Sand Shiner Bluntnose Minnow D, E G G Fathead Minnow Eastern Blacknose Dace E G G F G Longnose Dace E G G G Creek Chub D, E G G F G White Sucker D, E G G G Northern Hog Sucker G Yellow Bullhead Brown Bullhead E G G G F Stonecat G G G Margined Madtom G G Rainbow Trout G Brown Trout E G G G Brook Trout E G Mottled Sculpin C, E G G G F G Rock Bass D, E G G G F Smallmouth Bass G Largemouth Bass E G F Green Sunfish D G Pumpkinseed Bluegill Greenside Darter E G G G Bluebreast Darter G Fantail Darter Johnny Darter D, E G G Variegate Darter G Blackside Darter Southeastern Naturalist D.A. Cincotta, S.A. Welsh, D.P. Wegman, T.E. Oldham, and L.B. Hedrick 2015 Vol. 14, Special Issue 7 311 Site Species 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Central Stoneroller H D, F, G, H E Redside Dace B E D, F, H C Spotfin Shiner Silverjaw Minnow C Striped Shiner River Chub Golden Shiner H F F Silver Shiner Rosyface Shiner Sand Shiner Bluntnose Minnow H F, G, H C, E D, F F Fathead Minnow H E F Eastern Blacknose Dace B, G F E, H D, F, G, H C, E F F Longnose Dace H D, F, G, H Creek Chub B, G F E, F, H D, F, G, H C, E, F D, F D, F White Sucker B E, F, H D, F, H C, E, F D, F D, F Northern Hog Sucker Yellow Bullhead Brown Bullhead E, F D, F Stonecat Margined Madtom Rainbow Trout Brown Trout E, F F E, F D Brook Trout B, G F F A Mottled Sculpin G F E, F F, G Rock Bass H D, F C, E, F D, F D, F Smallmouth Bass Largemouth Bass H F E, F D, F Green Sunfish G, H E, F Pumpkinseed H F Bluegill H E, F F Greenside Darter H, G Bluebreast Darter Fantail Darter Johnny Darter E, H D, F, G E Variegate Darter Blackside Darter Southeastern Naturalist D.A. Cincotta, S.A. Welsh, D.P. Wegman, T.E. Oldham, and L.B. Hedrick 2015 Vol. 14, Special Issue 7 312 Site Species 22 24 25 26 27 28 29 Central Stoneroller Redside Dace Spotfin Shiner Silverjaw Minnow C Striped Shiner River Chub Golden Shiner Silver Shiner Rosyface Shiner Sand Shiner I Bluntnose Minnow C I Fathead Minnow Eastern Blacknose Dace I Longnose Dace I Creek Chub C I I I I I I White Sucker I I I I Northern Hog Sucker Yellow Bullhead Brown Bullhead I Stonecat Margined Madtom Rainbow Trout Brown Trout Brook Trout I I Mottled Sculpin Rock Bass C I Smallmouth Bass Largemouth Bass Green Sunfish I I I I Pumpkinseed Bluegill Greenside Darter Bluebreast Darter Fantail Darter Johnny Darter I Variegate Darter Blackside Darter Southeastern Naturalist D.A. Cincotta, S.A. Welsh, D.P. Wegman, T.E. Oldham, and L.B. Hedrick 2015 Vol. 14, Special Issue 7 313 Site Species 30 32 33 Central Stoneroller Redside Dace Spotfin Shiner Silverjaw Minnow Striped Shiner River Chub Golden Shiner Silver Shiner Rosyface Shiner Sand Shiner Bluntnose Minnow C E Fathead Minnow Eastern Blacknose Dace C E Longnose Dace Creek Chub C E White Sucker C, E Northern Hog Sucker Yellow Bullhead Brown Bullhead C Stonecat Margined Madtom Rainbow Trout Brown Trout Brook Trout Mottled Sculpin Rock Bass Smallmouth Bass Largemouth Bass E Green Sunfish Pumpkinseed Bluegill Greenside Darter Bluebreast Darter Fantail Darter Johnny Darter Variegate Darter Blackside Darter