The Fish and Wildlife Service has denied federal protections to an obscure underground beetle found in the same Texas aquifer that’s home to several endangered species.
In a long-delayed decision prompted by a 2007 petition filed by environmentalists, the federal agency has concluded that the Edwards Aquifer diving beetle does not face an existential threat from changes to its underground habitat.
“The Edwards Aquifer diving beetle has survived significant drought periods, and despite the ongoing threats, the population has been regularly observed since its initial discovery half a century ago,” the FWS reported.
The groundwater volume extracted from the aquifer has fallen since 2008, according to the FWS, which credited in part conservation measures undertaken though the state’s Edwards Aquifer Authority Act. The 1993 law established a state agency charged with protecting the aquifer and its species, in part through a permit system that limits water withdrawals.
