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Michael Wilkinson

Prof. Hetzel

English 1102

28 October 2019

Conservation of Raccoon Creek

Raccoon Creek is home to a vast array of biodiverse species in a relatively small area. A

multitude of endemic and endangered species reside in this watershed. Despite housing such a

plethora of temperate freshwater species, not many people in our community know about its

existence. I have personally done research in my time in high school in a Biotechnology

Research class, about Raccoon Creek and the current health of the ecosystem. Our research

proved that two integral filter feeding species have already been extirpated from Raccoon Creek.

The reasons for degradation can be equated to the rapid urbanization of the counties surrounding

the creek. Conservation of Raccoon Creek is a shared responsibility of the community to ensure

the endemic species that reside can keep the only home they have.

The area in which Raccoon Creek resides is developing at an astounding rate. Paulding

County has been one of “the fastest-growing counties in the United States for over the past two

decades” (Owens and Gottlieb 1). The rapid development has led to more impervious cover, a

man-made substance that does not absorb water, being made near the creek opposed to the

farmland that were in place before the encroachment of the suburbs. Occurrence rates of fish

native to the area show a strong correlation in relation to the percentage of land that is covered

with impervious cover. At around a 2% effective impervious area or EIA, occurrence rates of the

fish species can drop to as low as 18% and at around a 6% EIA the presence of the fish drops to
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undetectable levels (Wegner 1261). Those rates are specific the Etowah River basin which is

where Raccoon Creek is located. The development of Paulding County must be carefully

monitored in order to not construct impervious structures nearby Raccoon Creek as their

presence strongly correlates to the decline of the wildlife within the watershed. 

The shift of the lands surrounding Raccoon Creek from agricultural to more urban has put

a strain on the sedimentation levels of the area. Runoff water from storm drains and other

sources can increase the amount of sediments water encounters before it returns to the watershed.

This increased movement sediments causes the naturally coarse riverbed to have a fine layer like

sand smothering the bed. In turn it causes the turbidity, the measure of fine particles within a unit

water, of the water to increase. High turbidity is a detriment to the water quality because many of

the endemic species rely on the water having a low turbidity. The higher turbidity favors

homogenization, the process of different ecosystems species becoming more similar, which

results in the extirpation or possible extinction of some species (Walters 9). An iconic species the

Brook trout for example can only lay its eggs in water with low turbidity and high clarity, with

the rising turbidity they are outclassed by other more common fish species found all over the U.S

such as the Largemouth bass. 

Another factor of assessing the quality and health of an ecosystem is the presence of filter

feeders in the water. Without these integral organisms, the water quality will suffer and so would

the other species dependent on their contributions (Elkins 20). In Raccoon Creek the extirpation

of Lasmigona etowaensis and Villosa umbran have been confirmed with environmental DNA.

Substantial damage has already been done to Raccoon Creek but now, more steps must be taken

to help preserve our unique wildlife within our community. The conservation effort is an issue

throughout communities in the United States. Creating change within this community can inspire
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others to be more mindful of their wildlife. Many local fishermen have already begun work to

reduce the amount of sediment being dumped into the watershed. With the use of trees and large

bushes at the bases of the creek, along with a series of large rocks in the water for filtering has

already created a visible change in the clarity of the water (Chapman). A great precedent of

shared responsibility for the watershed has taken a foothold and as a community must be

maintained.

Works Cited

Chapman, Dan. “The Remaking Of Raccoon Creek.” Georgia Outdoor News, 11 May 2018,

https://www.gon.com/fishing/the-remaking-of-raccoon-creek.

Elkins, Duncan C., et al. The Southeastern Aquatic Biodiversity Conservation Strategy: a Report for the

National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. University of Georgia River Basin Center, 2016.,

http://southeastfreshwater.org/wp-

content/uploads/2016/12/SE_Aquatic_Biodiv_Strat_Body_Apdx1_Apdx2_Apdx3.pdf

Owens, Katie, and Sara Gottlieb. “Encouraging a Watershed-Based Approach to Mitigation Planning in

the Etowah River Watershed.” National Wetlands Newsletter, vol. 35, no. 1, Jan. 2013, pp. 22–

24. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?

direct=true&db=eih&AN=86941874&site=eds-live&scope=site.,

https://login.proxy.kennesaw.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?

direct=true&db=eih&AN=86941874&site=eds-live&scope=site

Walters, D. M., et al. “Urbanization, Sedimentation, and the Homogenization of Fish Assemblages in

the Etowah River Basin, USA.” Hydrobiologia, vol. 494, no. 1–3, Mar. 2003, p. 5. EBSCOhost,

doi:10.1023/A:1025412804074., https://login.proxy.kennesaw.edu/login?
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url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aqh&AN=14973626&site=eds-

live&scope=site

Wenger, Seth J., et al. “Stream Fish Occurrence in Response to Impervious Cover, Historic Land Use,

and Hydrogeomorphic Factors.” Canadian Journal of Fisheries & Aquatic Sciences, vol. 65, no.

7, July 2008, pp. 1250–1264. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1139/F08-046.,

https://login.proxy.kennesaw.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?

direct=true&db=a9h&AN=33011832&site=eds-live&scope=site