Daniel Hanks holds the endangered Alabama pearlshell.
The freshwater Alabama pearlshell mussel was once abundant in headwater streams throughout south-central Alabama. Today, after decades of decline, the species is so rare that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has classified it as “endangered,” due to its risk of becoming extinct.
Daniel Hanks, an aquatic ecologist for our Southern Timberlands Environmental Research team, certainly wasn’t expecting to find any as he waded through a creek alongside surveyors from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Sept. 24. The survey was evaluating whether Brushy Creek, which runs through our timberlands, might provide potential habitat for reintroduction of the species — so Daniel was incredibly surprised to hear a USFWS employee suddenly shout, “I think I found one!”
“I didn’t believe it at first, but sure enough, he was right,” Daniel says. “It had been 30 years since it was last seen in this creek, which is part of its historical range of the Alabama River watershed. This tells us something very important: that we’re doing our part in taking care of this watershed.”
The field crew, including personnel from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Ala. Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, searched for mussels in Brushy Creek.
SHOCKING IN A GOOD WAY
These mussels were once prized by Alabamans as a food source, and their shells were crafted into decorative items like buttons. But as more human activity took place near its habitats, the Alabama pearlshell began to disappear.
Like most freshwater mussels, the Alabama pearlshell needs clean, clear water to thrive. The small stream habitats of its historically narrow range are vulnerable to habitat modification, water degradation and sedimentation.
By the early 1990s, the Alabama pearlshell was no longer found in the 22,168 square mile Alabama River drainage area, which includes Brushy Creek. The five remaining populations of the species were thought to be limited to the center of its range in Conecuh County watersheds.
“These watersheds are so self-contained, finding Alabama pearlshells in Brushy Creek is almost like spotting them on a whole different continent,” says Matthew Hodges, a biologist with USFWS based in Daphne, Alabama. “We expected to find really good habitat in that area managed by Weyerhaeuser, but to find one alive blew us all away.”
Scott Lamont (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the individual who found the elusive mussel) searches through a viewing bucket that allows one to more clearly see the stream bottom where mussels are located.
A RESULT OF LONG-TERM AQUATIC WORK
It’s not yet known exactly what this single find says about the potential for additional populations in Brushy Creek or nearby streams. But our close adherence to best management practices for streamside management zones, as well as our efforts to help other species, almost certainly play a role.
“We believe the work we’re doing to restore aquatic connectivity, like removing barriers to fish migration, can help increase mussel population sizes and increase their distribution to important habitat,” Daniel says. “Mussel larvae travel on the bodies of host fish until they mature, then they drop into the sediment. Removing barriers like dams and culverts can help mussels disperse to new habitats."
The Alabama pearlshell find isn’t likely to significantly impact our operations in the area. Most likely, an additional stream buffer will be added to the GIS maps we use to plan operations in the area, and foresters might be prompted to contact one of our environmental managers, such as Dan Perry, before starting any activities in the area.
“Streams are always a top priority for us,” says Dan, who recently transitioned to wood flow manager. “We never stop at the bare minimum to protect them. We go above and beyond. We’ll continue to implement our practices to minimize sedimentation and evaluate if there are any additional ways to reduce sedimentation to make sure the stream is as healthy as it can possibly be.”
TEAMWORK MAKES THE STREAM WORK
We have significant land ownership in North American mussel hotspots, and rare species are frequently identified in streams within our operational areas.
“That’s a reflection of the pride we take in our stewardship of the land, and our willingness to work with others, like the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and do what’s right to protect important aquatic habitats,” Daniel says.
“Our biologists and Weyerhaeuser’s ecologists were the links that made this happen,” Jeffrey Powell, deputy field supervisor with the USFWS’s Alabama Ecological Services Field Office, said in an email. “This isn't just about a new population of an endangered species, but also about partnerships and relationships between a resource agency and a large timber/land management company.”
