Biologist Jim McFee (Alpena NFWCO), Tony Brady (Genoa NFH), and Ed Devries (Shiawassee NWR) sort mussels collected from the Shiawassee River. Photo by James Boase

From left to right, biologists Tony Brady (Genoa NFH), Barb Hosler (Lansing ES), George Buining (Genoa NFH), Dave Peters (Shiawassee NWR), Roger Gordon (Jordan River NFH), Jim McFee (Alpena NFWCO), and Jim Dastyck (Shiawassee NWR) sort mussels collected from the Tittabawassee River. Photo by James Boase

Researchers from the Michigan Chapter of The Nature Conservancy, Genoa National Fish Hatchery (NFH), Jordan River NFH, East Lansing Ecological Services (ES)Office, Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), and Alpena National Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office (NFWCO) met during the week of August 25 to conduct an extensive mussel survey of the rivers in and upstream of the Refuge.  We sampled the Cass, Shiawassee, Tittabawassee, and Saginaw rivers.  The goal of this survey was to determine the number of species of native mussels that still inhabit these rivers.  Prior to the survey, there were five known species of native mussels located within the Refuge.  On the first day of the survey we were able to identify eight native species, and by the end of the survey we had found 21 native species including two state listed mussels—the pink papershell and the lilliput.  Highlights from the survey were picked up by a number of local and regional newspapers.

(http://www.fws.gov/midwest/alpena/documents/mussels-9-8-08-Detroit-Freepress.pdf)

(http://www.fws.gov/midwest/alpena/documents/mussels-9-7-08-Chicago-Tribune.pdf)

(http://www.fws.gov/midwest/alpena/documents/mussels-9-6-08-Flint-Journal.pdf)

(http://www.fws.gov/midwest/alpena/documents/mussels-9-8-08-Alpena-News.pdf)

In Michigan there are 45 species of native mussels, and one-third of those species are listed as threatened, endangered, or extirpated.  This decline is attributed to water pollution, habitat loss, loss of fish host species, and the more recent introduction of zebra mussels. 

Although no data have been analyzed at this point, our preliminary survey results indicate that there were variations in abundance and diversity of mussels from one location to another.  We were disturbed by the discovery of the remains of thousands of mussel shells along the headwaters of the Saginaw River, which appeared to have died many years ago.  However, along this same stretch of the river we did collect a number of live mussels.  Also, it does appear that recruitment of mussels is still taking place.  We found a number of young (less than five years old) mussels in the watershed.  We plan to compare our mussel survey results with other recent and historical fishery survey results to determine if there are any correlations between the absence of native mussels versus the absence host fish species, or to determine if there are other correlations that may explain the decline in the number and diversity of the native mussels.

Funding for this project was provided by the Service’s Challenge Cost Share Grant Program with in-kind support provided by the Nature Conservancy and the various Service offices involved.  Future plans by the group are to continue to identify mussel research needs and knowledge gaps within the Saginaw River and other Great Lakes Regions.  The Alpena NFWCO will continue to promote existing partnerships and build new partnerships in an effort to solve ongoing resource problems related to native mussels in the Great Lakes Region.