Rare W.Va. mussels may get species protection

By _Staff reports_ (mailto:) , The Charleston Gazette, November 2, 2010

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed Endangered Species Act protection for two rare freshwater mussel species known to exist in streams in West Virginia and several other eastern states. The rayed bean mussel is known to exist in only six states and one Canadian province, while populations of the snuffbox mussel are found in 14 states and one province. Rayed bean mussels were believed to have disappeared from West Virginia during the 1990s, but 600 of the rare shellfish were reintroduced in the Elk River in 2006 and 2007. Populations of the snuffbox mussel have been found in the Elk River, North Fork of Hughes River near North Bend State Park, Middle Island Creek near Wheeling and in Dunkard Creek in Monongalia County prior to last September's massive fish kill in that stream. The snuffbox is a thick-shelled, triangular shaped mussel with a yellowish shell with dark green rays. The snuffbox is about 2 inches long when mature, while the rayed bean is about 1.5 inches long and has a greenish shell with heavy, wavy rays. According to the Fish and Wildlife Service, nearly 70 percent of all U.S. freshwater mussel species are already extinct or vulnerable to extinction. Six mussel species known to live in West Virginia have already received Endangered Species Act protection. According to the Fish and Wildlife Service, the rayed bean mussel have been eliminated from 75 percent of its historical range, while the snuffbox has experienced a 65 percent drop in the number of streams in which it lives. Dam and lock chamber construction, sand and gravel mining and pollution are among causes attributed to the mussels' decline. A public hearing will be held on whether or not to grant Endangered Species Act protection to the two mussel species prior to any final decision by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service