Checking Culverts, Helping Darters

Did you know that road culverts are key to conserving trispot darters, a federally threatened species native to the upper Coosa River system in Georgia, Alabama and southeastern Tennessee?

The reason why is because culverts that don't allow these 2-inch fish to pass - such as a culvert where the lip is perched too high above the downstream channel - block the darters' winter runs upstream into small creeks to reproduce.

As part of an America the Beautiful Challenge grant, Georgia DNR and partners have been working in northwest Georgia to find these problem culverts and replace the ones that, when fixed, provide the most benefits for darter spawning habitats and stream health.

Thanks to an A-Team culvert crew including the Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership, The Nature Conservancy, Limestone Valley Resource Conservation and Development Council, Dalton State College and the University of North Georgia, connecting with vital spawning waters is becoming less of a challenge for trispots.

'LITTLE FISH, BIG JOURNEY'

Parents and teachers, help children learn about these native fish and the habitats they need to survive. Download a copy of the free coloring book "How to Spot a Trispot."

Top: Male trispot darter (Alan Cressler)