TN Mussel Conservation Actions Guided by 2 plans: • Plan for the Population Restoration

and Conservation of Imperiled Freshwater Mollusks of the Cumberlandian Region

• Tennessee Mussel Strategic Plan

Don Hubbs, TWRA

Stephanie Chance, USFWS

Objectives Preserve diversity

Reduce risk of extirpation

Create viable populations

Down-list or de-list species

TN Priority Mussel Restoration Streams

•Big South Fork Cumberland •Clinch & Powell •Holston & French Broad

•Nolichucky •Hiwassee •Duck •Elk

Limited funding necessitates maximize partnership opportunities

• Alabama Aquatic Biodiversity Center

• National Park Service

• Kentucky Dept. of Fish and Wildlife Resources

• The Nature Conservancy

• Tennessee Aquarium

• Tennessee Tech University

• Tennessee Valley Authority

• Wolf River Conservancy

• US Army Corps of Engineers

• USFWS - Ashville, Cookeville, Frankfort

• Virginia Tech University

• Virginia Dept. of Game and Inland

Fisheries

Propagation

Endangered species Fluted Kidneyshell Ptychobranchus

subtentum

Spectaclecase Cumberlandia monodonta

Phesantshell Actinonaias pectorosa

Cumberland Moccasinshell

Medionidus conradicus

Cumberland Combshell Epioblasma brevidens

Oyster mussel E. capsaeformis

Birdwinged Pearlymussel Lemiox rimosus

Dromedary Pearlymussel Dromus dromas

Pink mucket Lampsilis abrupta

Non-listed species

Translocation - Donor Sites

• Duck River Lemiox rimosus • Clinch River

Epioblasma capsaeformis, E. brevidens, Dromus dromas, Ptychobranchus subtentum, Cumberlandia monodonta, Actinonaias pectorosa, Medionidus conradicus

Cumberland River Actinonaias ligamentina

Amblema plicata

Cyclonaias tuberculata

Ellipsaria lineolata

Elliptio crassidens

Elliptio dilatata

Lampsilis abrupta

Lasmigona costata

Leptodea fragilis

Ligumia recta

Obliquaria reflexa

Pleurobema cordatum

Pleurobema sintoxia

Potamilus alatus

Ptychobranchus fasciolaris

Quadrula metanevra

Quadrula pustulosa

Quadrula quadrula

Utterbackia imbecillis

Translocation - Receiving Sites

Big South Fork Cumberland River = Cumberlandia monodonta, Dromus dromas, Epioblasma capsaeformis, Lampsilis abrupta, Ptychobranchus subtentum

Nolichucky River = Epioblasma capsaeformis, E. brevidens, Lemiox rimosus, Ptychobranchus subtentum, Actinonaias pectorosa, Medionidus conradicus

Duck River = Epioblasma brevidens,

Cumberlandia monodonta, Ptychobranchus subtentum

Accomplishments • TTU stocked 21 species ~ 20,000

adults into French Broad NEP including 800 of 2 endangered species. Also Fluted Kidneyshell (candidate sp.) and 5 other species totaling ~ 25,000 mussels into Calderwood bypass on the Little Tennessee River

• TWRA , FWS & TNC stocked ~10,000 adult and sub-adult mussels into BSF, Nolichucky, and Duck rivers since 2004, includes 2 candidate and 8 Federal endangered species