WHAT MAKES A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT FOR NATIVE FRESHWATER MUSSELS?
What are freshwater mussels, and what makes them special? Freshwater mussels are mollusks close relatives of clams, oysters, and saltwater mussels. Many species of freshwater mussels can live for 20 to 30 years, and individuals of some species live for more than 100 years. Freshwater mussels have been valued by humans throughout history. They can produce pearls, and their shells can be used to make buttons for clothing or to serve as seedstock for the cultured pearl industry. In past times, freshwater mussels also were food for Native Americans. Freshwater mussels are sensitive to contamination of sediment that they inhabit and to the water that they filter, making the presence of live, adult mussels an excellent indicator of ecosystem health and stability. Freshwater mussels are relatively immobile, imbedded in the streambed with part of their shell sticking up into the water so that they can filter water to obtain oxygen and food. This lack of mobility makes them particularly vulnera
