Partners from Harman Reserve, Iowa DNR, and the Cedar Vally Walleye Club inoculate walleye with black sandshell mussel larva. - USFWS photo

Kids attending Earth Fair joined in the activities by inoculating bass with plain pocketbook mussel larva. - USFWS photo

After two meetings this past winter to build support for a mussel restoration project on the Cedar River in Iowa, Genoa National Fish Hatchery, Hartman Reserve Nature Center and the Cedar Valley Walleye club began mussel restoration efforts by demonstrating mussel propagation techniques to stakeholders of all ages attending Hartman Reserve’s annual Earth Fair event on April 23. 

Two hundred largemouth bass and 100 walleye cultured at Genoa NFH were transported to Hartman Reserve where kids and adults alike had the opportunity to inoculate them with mussel larva called glochidia.  Glochidia from the plain pocketbook mussel were used to inoculate the bass while walleyes were inoculated with black sandshell glochidia. 

Genoa NFH’s mussel biologist Tony Brady led the demonstration by harvesting the glochidia from the mussels and distributing glochidia to buckets, containing fish, used by volunteers for the inoculation.  Volunteers would then place an air stone in the bucket to complete the inoculation.  After several minutes, the fish were checked by Brady for an adequate inoculation, and then the fish were released into the Cedar River where with luck, the glochidia will complete their metamorphoses, break free from the fish and begin growing in their new home. Members of the Cedar Valley Walleye Club assisted in the demonstration by distributing fish to the volunteers and directing them to the release site, while Hartman Reserve provide access to the river and additional volunteer guidance over the course of the event. 

In addition to releasing inoculated fish, a small floating cage containing inoculated largemouth bass was deployed in Shirey Lake on the grounds of the Hartman Reserve.   This cage will give Hartman Reserve staff an opportunity to share with visitors about native freshwater mussels in the Mid-west. 

Stay tuned, additional activities are planned for the future.