It is found in the southeast US water system, with disjunctive populations throughout Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee.

It is also located in the Coosa River / Choccolocco Creek watershed which begins in Tennessee and far west Georgia, then enters Alabama.

One of the disjunct populations is located in the Talladega National Forest, which results in it being protected from human encroachment.

It is "possibly extirpated from the Calhoun County, Alabama, section of Shoal Creek due to impoundments.

[3] It can be found in rocky runs and pools that contain riffles of cool to warm creeks that are small to medium in size.

Threats to its population include dam construction that prevents movement and affects water quality in a stream.

"...small changes in stream conditions, such as hydrology, storm flow, impervious surface cover, and bank height, have been demonstrated to affect minnow and darter populations".

The holiday darter has demonstrated territorial behavior when approached by other males during the spawning process.

Sedimentation on rocks can make it difficult for the eggs to attach, so can hurt reproduction rates.

According to Gumm and Mendelson, there are "...four discrete color classes in darters; red, orange, yellow, blue/green.

National forests have riparian streamside management zones which help in the preservation of their preferred habitat.

"[7] Human-induced threats to the holiday darter result in habitat fragmentation and poor water quality, which can be a result of direct pollution into a stream or poor agricultural practices by upstream land owners.

Byron Freeman, Seth Wenger, Sarah McClurg, and Carrie Straight.

Fish Surveys of selected streams of the Chattahoochee National Forest to monitor effects of hurricane Ivan on imperiled species: 2005 interim report.

Dale Jones III, Gene S. Helfman, Joshua D. Harper, and Paul V. Bolstad.

Habitat and biological assessment of the terrapin creek watershed and development of the index of biotic integrity for the Coosa and Tallapoosa River systems.