Shallow Water Fish Habitat Survey
Table 3.3-2 summarizes the shoreline classification for Lake Hickory, based on the
results of the SWFHS.
Table 3.3-2
Lake Hickory Shallow Water Habitat Shoreline Classifications (Miles)
| Lake | Developed | Sand | Cobble | Woody Debris | Vegetated | Natural | Undeveloped No Critical Habitat |
Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hickory |
54.7 |
1.4 |
0.8 |
2.6 |
17.5 |
0 |
29.1 |
106 |
Lake Hickory Woody Debris Study
See the final results of the Woody Debris Study in Appendix A.
In 1999, Duke Power implemented a cooperative study to evaluate the importance of coarse woody debris as shallow water fish habitat. The study was developed cooperatively with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR), and was conducted in three Duke Power lakes (i.e. James, Hickory, and Fishing Creek) located on the Catawba-Wateree Project in North Carolina and South Carolina. Eight 100-m shoreline transects were selected in coarse woody debris, developed and undeveloped habitats and associated fish populations were sampled using daytime boat electrofishing in spring (March or April), summer (July), and fall (October or November) of 1999-2000. Coarse woody debris, developed and undeveloped habitats were defined as: littoral zones composed of >50% felled trees that were >25.4 cm in diameter at chest height, littoral zones composed of >50% piers and riprap, and undeveloped littoral zones with no piers, riprap, and <50%coarse woody debris, respectively.
