Freshwater mussels endangered by low waters
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Native mussels are protected in Indiana
Low water levels in numerous Indiana rivers and streams have begun to reveal some of Indiana's most endangered animals, the freshwater mussels.
The Indiana DNR reminds Hoosiers not to disturb or take mussels.
Seventy-seven species of freshwater mussels once inhabited the lakes, rivers and streams of Indiana.
Ten species can no longer be found in Indiana, another 15 are endangered, and an additional nine species are listed as of special concern.
Native mussels gained protected status in 1991 in an effort to reverse statewide declines in their populations. It is illegal to take native freshwater mussels, whether live or dead, or their shells, from Indiana waters.
Some mussels are also protected under federal laws.
Mussels' long narrow trails in the sand of creek beds, made as they search for deeper water, are frequently found in the waterways they inhabit.
Mussels can withstand periods of low water. Well-meaning anglers and waders who find stranded mussels should not try to "save" the mussels by moving them.
The presence of freshwater mussels, and their species diversity, is an indicator of river and stream health. They feed by filtering the water that flows by them, cleaning the water in the process.
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