The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed Endangered Species Act protection for the rayed bean and the snuffbox, two freshwater mussels found in river systems in the eastern United States.
The rayed bean is currently found in rivers in Indiana, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, as well as Ontario, Canada. The snuffbox occurs in Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Ontario, Canada.
Populations of both species have declined dramatically. The rayed bean has been eliminated from 75 percent of its historical range, and the snuffbox has disappeared from 65 percent of the streams in which it was historically found.
Threats to both the rayed bean and the snuffbox include loss and degradation of stream and river habitat due to impoundments, channelization, chemical contaminants, mining and sedimentation. Freshwater mussels require clean water; their decline often signals a decline in the water quality of the streams and rivers they inhabit.
The Service’s proposal, published on November 2, 2010, in the Federal
Register, initiates a public comment period during which the Service will
gather information on the two mussels.
Other Links:
Press release from Center for Biological Diversity: Three Mussels and Snails, 160 Miles of River Protected Under Endangered Species Act in Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee; Two More Mussels Proposed for Protection; Rare Salamander Declared Extinct
USFWS Factsheet: Endangered and Threatened Mussels in the Appalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint Basin
USFWS Midwest Region Endangered Species website: Fresh Water Mussels page
TN Wildlife Resources Agency List of mussel species in Tennessee determined to be in greatest need of conservation (pdf)
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