Mussel Biologist Tony Brady, measures a mussel collected during the survey conducted on the Shiawassee NWR.

Biologist Tony Brady (Genoa NFH), John Johnston (Jordon River NFH), and Jim Boase (Alpena NWCO) record data on mussels collected during the survey.

An unnamed hatchery manager that once said “This ain’t your grandpaw’s fish hatchery,” meaning that as federal fish hatcheries evolve to meet new changes and programs, the hatchery’s staff has taken on duties normally not associated with traditional hatchery aquaculture.  One example is when Genoa National Fish Hatchery (NFH) began a freshwater mussel program to assist in the recovery of the federally endangered Higgins eye pearlymussel, and hired a mussel propagation biologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.  Along with knowledge about mussel propagation, this new biologist brought to the hatchery the ability to go off station and conduct mussel surveys.  The most recent mussel survey that Genoa NFH assisted with was conducted in the waters of the Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge, located near Saginaw, Mich.  This was a unique situation in which not only did Genoa NFH and Shiawassee NWR personnel participate, but the survey was headed up by the Alpena National Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office (NFWCO) and had participation from Jordan River NFH, the East Lansing Field Office and the Michigan Chapter of The Nature Conservancy.  The Shiawassee NWR is situated where four rivers (Cass, Shiawassee, Flint and Tittabawassee) merge together to form the Saginaw River which then flows into Lake Huron.  Prior knowledge of the Refuge’s mussel community was limited to five species, however that number grew by two after the first 30 minutes of searching on the Cass River.  The survey produced a total of 19 live native mussel species in the Refuge or within a few miles upstream of the Refuge.  Two of the 19 species are listed at either threatened or endangered in the State of Michigan and were found on the Refuge, giving the Refuge exciting new species to manage.