ARSN partners focus on targeted watersheds and river corridors across Alabama that are critical for protecting, restoring, and recovering biological diversity. The Strategic Habitat Units (SHUs) and Strategic River Reach Units (SRRUs) help prioritize areas for the management, recovery, and restoration of populations of rare fishes, mussels, snails, and crayfishes.
These units contain a substantial portion of Alabama’s remaining high-quality waterways and reflect the variety of aquatic habitats these species occupy—both historically and presently.
These priority areas were identified based on:
Suitable habitat for these species includes:
The purpose of designating SHUs and SRRUs is to facilitate watershed management and restoration efforts by addressing habitat and water quality issues. This collaborative approach was led by ARSN partners United States Fish & Wildlife Service, Alabama Department of Conservation & Natural Resources and Geological Survey of Alabama.
Planning and meeting operations are led by four regional working groups based on geographic areas for the USFWS Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program: North, South, East, and West. These working groups conduct meetings as needed in their corresponding regions and create action plans that are presented at the annual ARSN meeting.
