Flexing mussels for clean water
Streams and rivers can harbor hundreds of thousands, and they live as long as 100 years. They may even be among the most important creatures inhabiting a coldwater Oregon stream. But western pearlshells – freshwater mussels – still don’t get the respect they deserve, even after all they do for us.
Researchers from Willamette Riverkeeper are working to change that.
Willamette Riverkeepers volunteers Gus Butler and April Schmidt search for western pearlshell mussels in the riverbed.
They’re surveying Willamette River tributary streams for western pearlshell mussels – mapping locations, assessing overall health, and creating a database for future research. The project is supported by a $9,991 grant from Portland General Electric’s Habitat Support customers. Habitat Support funds are administered by The Nature Conservancy.
Mussels are mollusks that filter water as they feed and, in the process, help keep the water clean. Because they are long-lived, western pearlshells serve as excellent indicators of water quality over time. And their survival depends on trout and salmon.
Mussel larvae attach themselves to the gills and fins of trout and salmon, eventually dropping off into the riverbed where they grow to adulthood and establish colonies. Because western pearlshells need migrating fish to help them colonize new areas, it’s extremely important that fish populations remain healthy.
“Mussels reflect water quality better than other organisms because they don’t move much,” explains researcher Art Bass, leader of the survey work. “That makes them a great monitoring device.”
Unfortunately, freshwater mussels are among the most endangered animals in the world, victims of declining water quality often caused by human activities. In Oregon, western pearlshells are becoming less common in urban streams and are completely gone from some sections of the Columbia River. Due to their close association with trout and salmon, declines in fish populations are partly to blame.
Bass and his surveyors hope that collecting more information about freshwater mussels and educating the public will help keep these important animals around. “People don’t know about them,” he says. “Hopefully our research will help change that.”
Every PGE renewable power customer can add Habitat Support to their renewable option for only $2.50 per month.