Why do mussels matter in the South River Watershed? They act as nature’s water purifier. Freshwater mussels naturally clean water by filtering out small organic particles like bacteria and algae and eating them. In recent decades, freshwater mussel populations have dwindled significantly across America. Industrial growth, sewage systems, and agriculture have impacted the fresh water these hard-working mollusks depend upon. The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) is using a portion of the DuPont Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration settlement to stock mussels in sections of both the South and Shenandoah rivers. In 2020 they began stocking bunches of tagged mussels and will be monitoring their development over time in hopes that they begin to multiply on their own. To learn more about the history of mussel cultivation in Virginia and the Aquatic Wildlife Conservation Center built, in part, to hold, propagate, and grow mussels for Virginia’s rivers, click here.
Picture: Freshwater mussels tagged for monitoring.
