Cambarus latimanus

This species has a very wide distribution (range extent approaching 200,000 sq. km) in the piedmont and coastal plain from the Tar and Cape Fear systems in North Carolina south to the Altamaha and Appalachicola systems in Georgia and Florida, and west to the Coosa River system in Georgia and Alabama. Localized threats exist but overall the species is common and secure throughout its range.

Common in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina (Hobbs, 1989). Eversole and Jones (2004) list distribution as the piedmont and coastal plain from the Tar and Cape Fear systems in North Carolina south to the Altamaha and Appalachicola systems in Georgia and Florida, and west to the Coosa River system in Georgia and Alabama.

Hobbs et al. (1976) documented it in the Savannah River Plant Park (on the Savannah River) in southwest South Carolina; where it was found to be ubiquitous. Recently it was found at several sites in the Catawba River and tributaries in South Carolina and extending into the Wateree drainage (Alderman, 2005). It is found throughout much of South Carolina except the eastern and coastal areas (Eversole and Jones, 2004). In the Cumberland Plateau it occurs in tributaries of the Coosa River system where it is uncommon (Bouchard, 1974). In Alabama, known from all river systems, except the Mobile, Pascagoula, and Perdido River systems (see also Mirarchi et al., 2004; in appendix 1-2 published separately; Schuster and Taylor, 2004; Schuster et al., 2008). Heath et al. (2010) documented it in southeastern Alabama in 3 of 50 sites (eastern Choctawhatchee River and north-central Pea River watersheds). Ratcliffe and DeVries (2004) documented it in 6 of 35 sites surveyed in the Tallapoosa River drainage, Alabama. According to Hobbs (1981), it ranges from the Chattahoochee River basin in Georgia to Halawakee Creek in Alabama. Schuster (2001) found it at 6 of 25 sites surveyed in the Coosawattee River system in northern Georgia as Georgia distribution is limited to the Piedmont Province with several occurrences also on the Coastal Plain (Skelton, 2010). Reports for this species in Mississippi are in error (T. Mann, MS NHP, pers. comm., January 2008). In the Hiwassee River drainage in North Carolina, it is known only from an unnamed tributary to Wolf Creek in extreme the southwest, once in 1982 and once in 2004, but is stable (Simmons and Fraley, 2010).

Localized threats:
The Harris Dam is a large dam on the Tallapoosa River which affects much or the river. From the dam to Martin Lake is the only reach of large river left in Alabama (State of the Rivers).
Large commercial agriculture is the major economic driver in the Tallapoosa River Basin, this involves both livestock farming and agro-industry farming on an industrial scale. There is also much river commerce from Wetumpka downstream to Mobile. This means shipping lanes have been created for barges down the canal by dredging.
Droughts have severely affected the area in the past (State of the Rivers).
Traffic on the Alabama River is almost entirely related to forest products and pulp (85% commerce)