Monitoring federally listed mussels in the Little River watershed | Apply Online

Opportunity Summary:

The grant opportunity titled "Monitoring federally listed mussels in the Little River watershed" is a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) cooperative agreement focused on surveying and establishing long-term monitoring for rare, federally protected freshwater mussels in the Little River system of southeastern Oklahoma, extending toward the Arkansas-Oklahoma state line. The Little River, a major tributary of the Red River, includes reaches associated with Little River and Pond Creek National Wildlife Refuges. This part of the watershed is highlighted as nationally and regionally important because it supports exceptionally rare remaining populations of multiple imperiled mussel species, including one of only four known surviving populations of the federally endangered Ouachita rock pocketbook (Arkansia wheeleri) and one of only five surviving populations of the winged mapleleaf (Quadrula fragosa). The area also supports the rabbitsfoot mussel (Quadrula cylindrica), a recently listed species for which the river reach has been proposed as critical habitat.

The core purpose of the project is to strengthen conservation and recovery efforts by generating reliable information on mussel status and by creating a repeatable, standardized monitoring approach that can be used in future years to track trends and evaluate whether habitat management actions are working. The opportunity frames monitoring as essential for deciding what management needs exist on the refuges and across the broader landscape, and for verifying the effectiveness of ongoing habitat work. In practice, the project is intended to cover the Little River segment from below Pine Creek Reservoir downstream to the Arkansas-Oklahoma state line, with attention to both the listed species and the overall mussel community as part of a broader aquatic ecosystem that has been described as especially significant.

Two main goals define the work. First, the recipient is expected to assess the current status of imperiled mussel species in the specified river reach, which implies field surveys that can describe distribution, relative abundance, and other indicators needed to judge population condition. Second, the project must produce a formal survey protocol to support consistent, long-term monitoring of mussel species in the Little River. The protocol is expected to align with USFWS Inventory and Monitoring policy and to be consistent with the Survey Protocol Handbook under the National Inventory and Monitoring Policy, indicating that the methods should be scientifically defensible, repeatable, and suitable for informing management decisions over time.

The deliverables are clearly defined: a final report that assesses the status of the Little River mussel community, and a peer-reviewed survey protocol that can serve as the foundation for future monitoring. The opportunity also emphasizes collaboration and capacity-building. It is described as coordinated with, and beneficial to, USFWS, the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, and the University of Oklahoma. Beyond producing data and methods, the project is positioned to provide training opportunities for graduate students as well as refuge staff, helping build local expertise for continued monitoring and conservation implementation.

A notable feature of this funding is the level of federal involvement. USFWS staff are expected to be substantially engaged throughout the project, not just as a funder but as an active partner in conceptual development and execution. That includes helping define objectives, choosing an appropriate sampling design, selecting field and analytical techniques, participating directly in data collection and oversight, ensuring the monitoring protocol meets policy requirements, and reviewing results to confirm they are suitable for guiding management actions. This heavy collaboration aligns with the use of a cooperative agreement as the funding instrument.

From the administrative details provided, this was a discretionary funding opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number F14AS00405) under CFDA 15.650 (Research Grants - Generic). It anticipated a single award with total funding of $100,000, with the award floor and ceiling both listed at $100,000, indicating a fixed funding amount for the one expected recipient. There was no cost-sharing or matching requirement. Eligibility was limited to public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, which fits the emphasis on coordination with a university and training for graduate students. The posting date was August 19, 2014, and the closing date was August 25, 2014, described as a notice of intent to make a single-source award, suggesting the recipient may have been pre-identified due to existing partnerships or specialized capacity. For access issues, the listed contact was Michelle L. Willcox, Grants Specialist, reachable by phone at 505-248-7486 and by email at michellewillcox@fws.gov.

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