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Freshwater Mussel Restoration

Background

On the morning of August 27, 1998, a tanker truck overturned on U.S. Route 460 in Tazewell County, Virginia releasing 1,350 gallons of a rubber accelerant into an unnamed tributary of the Clinch River. The spill material quickly turned the Clinch River milky-white and caused a major kill of aquatic life for over seven miles downstream. It was estimated that 18,000 mussels and untold numbers of fish, snails, and other aquatic organisms perished in the event. The ages of some of the mussels killed were estimated to be over 80 years.

The Clinch River has one the most diverse fish and mussel faunas of any river in North America. Of the 300 species historically documented in the U.S., 20% are known from the Clinch River in Virginia and Tennessee. Prior to the spill, the Clinch River at the town of Cedar Bluff had the most diverse mussel assemblage in the upper reaches of the river. At least 16 mussel species, including 3 federally endangered species, occurred there.

The most significant loss was that of approximately 750 individuals of three federally endangered mussel species, the tan riffleshell, purple bean, and rough rabbitsfoot. In fact, the spill is considered the most significant kill of endangered species in the history of the U.S. Endangered Species Act of 1973. Furthermore, the last viable population of tan riffleshell in the Tennessee River basin occurred in the Clinch River from about Richlands, VA upstream to Cedar Bluff, and in the lower reach of Indian Creek. The loss of the Clinch River population of tan riffleshell was a setback to the recovery of this species and to other species lost during the spill. Therefore, the recovery of these endangered species is contingent upon protecting and enhancing the remaining populations in Indian Creek. Progeny produced from remaining stocks in Indian Creek will be used to replenish the Clinch River.

In order to recover damages for the lost resource, the Department of Interior entered into a consent decree with the U.S. District Court of the Western District of Virginia on April 7, 2003. The consent decree required the trucking company to pay $3.8 million to the Department of Interior Natural Resource Damage and Assessment and Restoration (NRDAR) fund. Monies from this fund are to be used to "plan, perform, monitor and oversee native, freshwater mussel restoration projects with in the Clinch River watershed" over a 12-year period. Specific actions for restoration include freshwater mussel propagation, public outreach and education, riparian area protection, and restoration monitoring.

The ability to cultivate freshwater mussels has taken decades of research by individuals like Dr. Richard Neves and his students at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Much of the funding for their research is provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF). Culture techniques give biologists the ability to propagate and grow freshwater mussels under controlled laboratory conditions. Mussels produced in this manner can then be used to replenish and recover wild stocks. In Virginia, there are two mussel propagation facilities - the VDGIF's Aquatic Wildlife Conservation Center (AWCC), Marion and Virginia Tech's Freshwater Mussel Conservation Center (FMCC), Blacksburg. Both facilities meet the mussel restoration needs of this project.

Current Activities

Recently we continued the reestablishment of mussels into the Cedar Bluff section of the Clinch River. Specifically, we released 9 species of mussels - 7 common and 2 endangered. The ages of the released mussels ranged from 2-week-old juveniles to 25-year-old adults (Table 1). The lifespan of most mussel species range from 20 to 50 years old. Young mussels are microscopic and very difficult to see with the unaided eye. By age 2-3 years old, they can be handled and easily seen.

Mussels were released into an area with gentle flow and gravel substrate where they quickly burrowed into the river bottom. During their lives, they will grow, spawn, and produce young that will lead towards establishing self-sustaining populations. Over the course of the 12 year project, we will continue to release and monitor mussels at this location to ensure that this vital part of the aquatic environment is returned to the citizens of Virginia and the Nation.

Resources for More Information

• Regaining Our Freshwater Mussel Heritage (PDF - 1.7 MB)
• Freshwater Mussels
• A Shocking Stream (PDF)
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
  • Bringing Mussels Back in the Southeast (PDF)
  • Video Footage (Windows Media)
  • Partner Interviews