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Thought to lurk underground in the dark, honeycomb-like recesses between two Edwards Aquifer springs in central Texas, the elusive Peck’s cave amphipod depends on steady spring flows and clean water for survival. Before the aquifer was drilled full of wells, the flow from the springs equaled the water that recharged it every year, and the amphipod likely thrived. But as humans pump out more and more water to for their growing populations in the area, this subterranean crustacean faces a permanent lights-out.
ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT PROFILE
PROTECTION STATUS: Endangered
YEAR LISTED: 1997
CRITICAL HABITAT: Approximately 38.5 acres in Comal County, Texas designated in 2007
RECOVERY PLAN: None
RANGE: Comal Springs, Hueco Springs, and the Edwards Aquifer in Comal County, Texas
THREATS: Decreased spring flow due to increased use of groundwater resources; drought; increased flooding and erosion, pollution, siltation, and storm-water runoff associated with urbanization; and the presence of exotic species
POPULATION TREND: The Peck’s cave amphipod is currently thought to be confined to small areas surrounding the spring openings of Comal Springs and Hueco Springs and the associated Edwards Aquifer. Numerous specimens have been collected from Comal Springs, and one specimen was collected from Hueco Springs in 1992. Limited data have been collected on the extent to which this species exists below ground.
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SAVING THE PECK'S CAVE AMPHIPOD
The Peck’s cave amphipod, along with its endangered fellows the Comal Springs dryopid and riffle beetles, once survived a drought that stopped the flow of Comal Springs from June 13 through November 3, 1956. The fact that these invertebrates weren’t extirpated at that time says a lot for their tenacity, but all three species were left devastated and still have very small populations. Today, groundwater pumping at Edwards Aquifer is greatly reducing the water flow of the springs in which these species are found, and that could result in years — not months — of significant drying. To make the situation worse, pollution from myriad other human activities contaminates what water remains.
The Peck’s cave amphipod, Comal Springs riffle beetle, and Comal Springs dryopid beetle were all proposed for listing under the Endangered Species Act in 1994. However, a congressionally imposed moratorium on final listing actions and reduced funding left the invertebrates without protection until 1997. In that year, all three were declared endangered, but no critical habitat was designated.
To protect the invertebrates’ home, the Center sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 2003, and finally, four years later, critical habitat was designated for all three species. But this designation, part of an arbitrary and capricious decision ordered by former Interior Department official Julie MacDonald, covered a ridiculously small area — not nearly enough to ensure the invertebrates’ recovery. In August of 2007 we filed a notice of intent to sue the Department of Interior and the Fish and Wildlife Service over this unlawful designation, as well as for illegally failing to implement protections for 54 other imperiled species. More litigation, specifically advocating for these three invertebrates and other Texas species, is planned.
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Contact: Kierán Suckling
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