Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances for the Balcones Spike and Texas Fawnsfoot in the Brazos River Basin

Starting in west Texas and flowing through central Texas to the Gulf of Mexico, the Brazos River stretches for over 1,200 miles and is the third-longest river in Texas. It is home to a diverse assortment of wildlife, migratory birds and aquatic fauna including two freshwaters mussels, the Texas fawnsfoot and the Balcones spike. The Brazos River Authority submitted an application for an “enhancement of survival permit” under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) that includes a Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances (CCAA) for the Texas fawnsfoot and Balcones spike. After public review and comment the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service approved the application and CCAA.