Roger Gordon (center) receives 2006 Recovery Champion Award from Regional Director Robyn Thorson and Deputy Regional Director Charlie Wooley. - FWS photo

Roger Gordon, Genoa National Fish Hatchery, was presented with Region 3's 2006 Recovery Champion Award, on March 28, at the Stoney Creek Lodge's Thomas Rowe Center.  

Gordon was given a plaque and letter of appreciation signed by Service Director Dale Hall, presented by the Midwest Region Regional Director Robyn Thorson. 

The award of Recovery Champion is a national award used by the Service to honor 8 Service employees and 8 non-Service employees for their accomplishments in helping recover the nation's threatened and endangered fish and wildlife resources.  

Gordon earned his award through his ground-breaking work in endangered mussel recovery. 

Through Gordon and the staff’s efforts at Genoa, and through the cooperative work with the multi-agency mussel coordination team, more than 6 million endangered mussels of two species (the Higgins Eye Pearlymussel and Winged Mapleleaf) have been released since 2000.  Additionally, more than 35,000 Higgins eye adult mussels are now available to be released into portions of the Upper Mississippi River basin.

Native mussels are among the most endangered fauna today, with an estimated 55 percent of nearly 300 North American species in danger of extinction. With the introduction of the zebra mussel into North America in the late 1980’s, the mussel’s already serious plight took a turn for the worse. 

Zebra mussels use native mussels as substrate, which interferes with the mussel’s ability to breathe, feed, and reproduce.  This caused serious declines in mussel populations in the Upper Mississippi River. 

Through propagation efforts at Genoa, it is hoped to maintain species numbers and viability while addressing habitat declines and invasive species in order to save these unique and special aquatic fauna.