Biodiversity: Endangered Species

The slackwater darter is a small species of freshwater, ray-finned fish found in the upper reaches of the Cypress Creek system (and in streams towards Huntsville) in TN & AL. This species occupies two distinct habitats during different parts of the year, similar to salmon.

The slackwater darter has an unusual strategy for breeding, migrating into the smallest wet weather springs and streams in winter/early spring, where it lays eggs on vegetation and other debris. These streams and springs are often in soggy fields or woods. The fields are not suitable for growing crops and the moist soil produces vegetation that is not suitable for grazing. Landowners often convert these fields to farm ponds, or the field is ditched and drained to dry it out for grazing or crops. Due to this land conversion, the breeding habitats of the darter have been gradually reduced over the last several decades.

The slackwater darter is federally listed and state listed in Alabama as an endangered species because of these practices. Poor land use practices (like farming to the edge of the creek) and clearing of land are other large threats to the slackwater. The USDA has worked with landowners to take some fields out of crop production through its Conservation Reserve Program, which rents land from private owners and converts it back to a more natural state to help improve water quality, prevent soil erosion, and reduce loss of wildlife habitat.