Tuesday, June 5, 2007
552

Freshwater Mussel Restoration Efforts in Virginia's Upper Tennessee River Drainage

Joseph J. Ferraro1, Nathan L. Eckert1, Michael J. Pinder2, and Brian T. Watson2. (1) Wildlife Diversty Division, VA Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, 1724 Buller Hatchery Road, Marion, VA 24354, (2) Wildlife Diversity Division, VA Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, 2206 South Main Street, Suite C, Blacksburg, VA 24060

The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries established the Aquatic Wildlife Conservation Center (AWCC) in 1998 to aid in recovery of endangered freshwater mussels in the Upper Tennessee River System of Virginia.  The facility is located along the South Fork Holston River (SFHR) near Marion, Virginia.  The AWCC draws water from the SFHR that passes through a 5-acre pond to increase temperature and algal productivity.  Adult mussels are held in circular fiberglass tanks that allow us to provide optimal habitat conditions for each species.  Thirty-seven species of freshwater mussels have been held at AWCC with 25 spawning in captivity.  Nineteen species have been propagated producing over 900,000 juveniles.  A portion of juveniles are held to grow-out in a flow through system supplied with filtered river water, six species have been raised to over one year of age in this system.  To date, we have released over 160,000 mussels ranging in age from 1 week to 6 years.  In addition to mussels, the spiny riversnail, Io fluvialis, is raised at AWCC.  These species are released in 6 designated augmentation reaches in the Powell, Clinch, and Holston rivers of the upper Tennessee River System of Virginia.

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