1

Freshwater Mussels & Natural Resource Permitting

An overview of DEC’s Review Process forMussel Impact Evaluation

October 22, 2020

2

Plan for Today

• What’s new (and what is not)?• What are freshwater mussels?• Why do we care?• What is NYSDEC doing about them?• How do you know if you have to worry

about mussels?• What happens if your project has

mussels?• Tips for a smooth project review…• Questions?

3

What’s new? Internal Guidance for NYSDEC: Clarify internal procedures. Provide predictable and consistent

service. Improved “Mussel” Maps. Statewide “Mussel” Waterbody List.

Stay tuned for more… Environmental Resource Mapper

(ERM) Environmental Assessment Form

(EAF Mapper).

4

What isn’t newArticle 11-0107. Application of Fish and Wildlife Law.• “No person shall, at any time of the year, pursue, take, wound or kill in any manner,

number or quantity, any fish protected by law, game, protected wildlife, shellfish, harbor seals, crustacea protected by law, or protected insects, except as permitted by the Fish and Wildlife Law.”

Article 11-0103 Definitions:• "Shellfish" means oysters, scallops, and all kinds of clams and mussels.• "Taking" and "take" include pursuing, shooting, hunting, killing, capturing,

trapping, snaring and netting fish, wildlife, game, shellfish, crustacea and protected insects, and all lesser acts such as disturbing, harrying or worrying, or placing, setting, drawing or using any net or other device commonly used to take any such animal.

5

Stream Disturbance Project Permitting

• Routine Joint Permit applications that involve fresh waters containing imperiled mussels.

• NY’s rich mussel diversity includes 40 species ranging in rarity. Guidance emphasizes T&E as well as S1 & S2 ranked species.

• We will not cover all permitting (e.g., FERC, Haz waste, large stream diversions, etc.) but may still be useful and even similarly applicable.

Mussels –what are we talking about here?

• Mollusks of the superfamily Unionacea, or pearly mussels

• Benthic, filter feeding bivalves (2 shells)

• Live in perennially wetted/ permanently inundated habitat including rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, and wetlands

• Free living, with a muscular foot for burrowing or crawling

• Siphons are not fused

They are not:

• Invasive Dreissinids: 

• Quagga and Zebra mussels

They also are not the invasive Corbicula fluminea,

Asian clam

They are also not the  

native Sphaeriidae, fingernail and pea 

clams

Native Pearly Mussels Pocketbook

Fat mucket

Elktoe

Wabash pigtoe

Rainbow

Pink heelsplitter

11

Why are we talking about mussels so much?

1. Ecosystem Function

•Aquatic food webs•Water quality•Benthic structuring•Natural filterers•Nutrient cycling

12

Why are we talking about mussels so much?1. Ecosystem Function2. Imperilment

13

Why are we talking about mussels so much?1. Ecosystem Function2. Imperilment3. Complex life history• Released into the water where

they attach onto gills of a fish • Hitch a ride on the fish for

weeks to months • Drop off and develop on stream

bottom into adult

15

What are we doing about these imperiled mussels?

Three-pronged Approach: Monitoring and Research

• Where are they and how are they doing?• What do they need?

Management• Proactive efforts to promote recovery:

habitat management, recovery, restoration, etc.

Regulation Limiting negative impacts to the species Protecting and maintaining what we have left

16

Freshwater mussels

Reasons for decline include:• physical alteration of waterways• pollution• siltation & nutrient inputs• invasive species• direct harvest

phys.org

17

Permit Application Review ProcessBasic Steps of Review Process:• Step 1 – Application Screening• Step 2 – Application Distribution & Initial Completeness

Determination• Step 3 – Application Site Review to Determine Likelihood of

Mussel Presence• Step 4 – Mussel Impact & Avoidance Review• Step 5 – Identify and Approve Survey Requirements• Step 6 – Survey Results Analysis• (Step 7) – Notice of Complete Application & Incorporate

Requirements in Final Permitting Decision(s)

18

Permit Application Review ProcessStep 1 – Application ScreeningPermits subject to guidance:• Article 15, Disturbance of bed and/or banks• Article 15, Excavation & Fill in Navigable waters• Article 24, Freshwater Wetlands• Section 401 Water Quality Certification• Part 182, Incidental Take

(Guidance does not address SPDES permits.)

Desktop Review

Mussel Screening

A little perspective:  

56,980 mapped streams

•173 streams with S1S2 Mussels

•48 of those have listed mussel species

21

Permit Application Review ProcessStep 2 – Distribution and Completeness Review• Notice of Availability of Review to Fish & Wildlife,

with response date to meet 15-day deadline• Adequate project description to determine impacts

• includes all project components• limits of disturbance• construction and equipment access• utilities, frac-out plan, erosion controls?

• Adequate photographs, showing shoreline & substrate

22

How do I know when I have to be concerned about freshwater mussels?

Currently:• Is there in-water work?• Mussel Waterbody List (see handouts)• Mussel PDF maps (see handouts)• Contact your Regional NYSDEC Division of

Environmental Permits (DEP)!

23

Or• Is there in-water work?• Contact your Regional NYSDEC Division

of Environmental Permits!

How do I know when I have to be concerned about freshwater mussels?

24

Notices of Incomplete Application• Within 15 days from receipt of application or

resubmission.

• Will include a description of deficiencies and all identified areas of incompleteness

• Information needed to:• Determine full scope of project• Characterize the nature of the site• Allow evaluation of impacts and permit

issuance standards

25

Permit Application Review ProcessStep 3 – DEC will determine whether mussel

presence is likely• Site visit – weather and site conditions permitting

• Likely presence in project area:• known surveys, barrier free within 10 km• suitable habitat• observations of live mussels or mussel shells

• Where presence is unlikely:

Photo ShootThese two photos are critical; but take more to capture any additional clues.

Broad View Beak View

ElongateSubtrapezoidal

OvateSubovate(Oval) (Round)

(Long)

(Trapazoidal, Boxy, Rectangular)

Shell Shapes

Nedeau, 2008

Beak

Hinge

Pseudocardinal Teeth

Rays

Beak Cavity

Nacre

Growth Line

Lateral Teeth

Periostracum

Right Valve

Left ValveShell

Parts

Nedeau, 2008

LaterallyCompressed(end view)

InflatedLaterallyInflated(end view)

Compressed

elktoe

creek heelsplitter

Shell Profiles

Fat mucket

Beak Sculpture

Numerous wavy ridges 

Beak Sculpture

Bars (staples)

Eastern elliptio

Fluted shell

TeethTeeth

• Alewife floater• Creeper• Cylindrical papershell

• Eastern floater • Giant floater • Paper pondshell

Absent/nearly absent

Giant floater

TethTeeth

Lasmigona species:

• Creek heelsplitter• Fluted shell• Green floater

Interdental

Fluted shell

Recent photos from a consultant…

35If DEC determines no suitable

habitat is in the work site, you’re done

• Bedrock only*• Excessive/anoxic mud• Concrete, channelized bed• High gradient• Unstable sediments• Seasonally dry streams or

within dry stream edges

36

Permit Application Review Process

Step 4 – Impact Evaluation

37

Will this project impact mussels?

Think like a mussel!

Important questions DEC considers when determining if mussels will be impacted:

• Will you be driving on me, crushing me, or setting “stuff” on me?

• Will you be depriving me of water or flowing water?

• Will you be subjecting me to more or faster water?

• Will you be changing my water chemistry or water quality? 

• Will you be cutting me off from paths of recruitment or distribution?

Equipment, fords, causeways, rip rap, fill, sediments, directional boring

Flow changes, coffer dams, water withdrawals, causeways

Bed load, scour, decreased stability, redirecting the thalweg

Outflows, increased/different runoff, temperature changes, changes in interstitial water chemistry (fertilizer, sewage)

Impacting host fish movement, recruitment, or survival; disturbance during mussel spawning, impassable culverts

Think like me!

39

In-stream work Sedimentation• Consider the total footprint

• Equipment access and operation

• Placement of rip rap, fill, structures (grade control, culverts and bridges.

• Dredging/backfilling

• Ground clearing (especially on the stream bank)

• Discharge

• Instream work like dredging

• Fording, skidding of logs

40

Water Quality Flow• Changes in temperature (up or

down)

• Chemical load (fertilizer, sewage, road runoff, waste disposal)

• Dissolved oxygen changes

• Drying (cofferdams, drawdowns, diversion of flow)

• Scour from discharges

• Changes in velocity or bedload

• Redirection of thalweg

41

Step 4a - Imperiled mussels (T&E, S1/S2) confirmed likely and there is not a potential impact…

• Analyst continues to process application for DEC natural resources permit

• Apply blanket Section 401 Water Quality Certification

• Condition approval (or NJ determination) on strict conformance with plans to ensure that project limits and avoidance measures are fully understood and will be implemented

42

Step 5 - Imperiled mussels (T&E, S1/S2) confirmed likely and there is a potential impact…

Is it possible to modify the project to prevent impacts?

• Yes? No further review required Analyst will memorialize by requesting revised plans and

incorporating them into the final decision.

• No? Order Mussel Survey and evaluate results. Analyst will send incomplete notice or request for additional

information identifying need for survey and, to the degree possible, the parameters for the survey

Mussel surveyors are required to obtain a special license (Albany) and should get approval of survey methods and survey extent (Regional Natural Resource Staff) prior to conducting surveys.

43

Where and How Much to Survey?

Obvious footprint (actual work, causeways, excavation, fill)Equipment access, material staging areas etcReasonable buffer – West Virginia 2018, DOT Hydraulic study or estimates, 30%? Include areas for potential change in project scope?Up and downstream areas affected -- both temporarily and permanently including:

DewateringScouringSediments transportedFrac‐outs

PoolingConcentrating flowRedirecting flow

44

Step 6 – Survey Findings – T&EFirst remember – Avoid > Minimize > Mitigate…and be aware that moving mussels is not avoidance

• If survey confirms presence of T&E and disturbance cannot be altogether avoided Part 182 Permit is required for incidental take Follow Part 182 Procedures Handling listed mussels requires a License to

Collect and Possess Endangered and Threatened Species.

45

Net Conservation 

Benefit

Mitigation Plan (as part of a Part 182 permit)

• Must benefit the listed species that will be impacted.

• Listed species should be better off than if the project did not take place.

• Scale of the mitigation project should be in proportion to the scale of the taking.

• Moving mussels is part of minimization and is often required, but this is not mitigation!

46

Step 6 – Survey Findings – S1 & S2First remember – Avoid > Minimize > Move…and be aware that moving mussels is not avoidance

• If survey confirms presence of S1 or S2 and disturbance cannot be altogether avoided. Handling mussels requires a License to Collect and

Possess (LCP).

47

Step 6 – LCP ProcessTo perform a survey or relocate mussels,

person handling mussels is required to obtain a special license (DFW in Albany).Approval of methods must occur prior to

conducting action.• Survey plan• Relocation Plan• Follow up monitoring

48

Finalize Notice of Complete Application & Permit Decisions

• Notices of Complete Application complete SEQR determination minimum 15-day comment period Final permit decision(s) – incorporate all

mitigation measures approved plans special conditions (timing, methods, etc.)

49

In Summary...Plan ahead:

• Gather project details as soon as possible!

• Plan to AVOID impacts where possible.

• Plan to MINIMIZE impacts that cannot be avoided.

• Consider potential survey in your timeline.

• Be aware you may have to relocate and/or mitigate (Net Conservation Benefit Plan) before implementing your project.

50

In Summary...Contact Your Regional DEC Permit Office:

Request:• Pre-application• Clearinghouse/SEQR review• Jurisdictional determination

Begin the application process—an incomplete notice is not a failure!

Provide as much detail as possible/available (location, timeline, plans, methods, access, etc)

Ask questions!

51

Questions?