Volunteer power and a passion to protect native mussels will be the topic of a presentation at Canoecopia, Rutabaga Paddlesports’ paddling expo in Madison on Saturday, March 8 at 3:30 p.m. Audience members will learn how a committed group of paddlers and scientists have joined forces to help nature’s water purifying powerhouses when they are threatened by droughts and hydropower dams’ restricted water flow.

The Lower Wisconsin Riverway is a unique gem of wildness, beauty, and biodiversity not only in Wisconsin but in the entire U.S. The natural landscape of islands, sandbars, woods, and bluffs draws an estimated 400,000 people each year to this recreational paradise, where paddlers can take in the natural wonders along 93 uninhibited river miles below the last dam.

But this idyllic landscape is increasingly under threat, with impacts not only to recreational opportunities but to the creatures that call the river home. In September 2023, the unfortunate combination of drought and hydropower dams reduced Wisconsin’s namesake river to a proverbial trickle below the last dam and led to the worst-case scenario for the river’s most vulnerable species: native freshwater mussels. These fascinating creatures are the unsung heroes of freshwater ecosystems, but thanks to dams, habitat loss, and climate change, they’re also North America’s most critically imperiled species.

As the water levels continued to fall in response to prolonged drought, all along the Lower Wisconsin Riverway, tens of thousands of mussels were left stranded and drying in the hot sun. In response, volunteers heeded the call and took to the riverway to physically pick up and move thousands of stranded mussels to deeper water. 

This situation will happen again, not just here but on rivers of all sizes across the state. To be more prepared next time, Friends of the Lower Wisconsin Riverway created a mussel rescue notification system that quickly alerts volunteers when mussels need to be saved. This collaborative effort can serve as a model for other groups and rivers in Wisconsin or across the country.

At a presentation at Canoecopia, you’ll learn all about the role dams and drought play in this ecosystem, how native mussels are impacted by our changing climate, and what paddlers can do to aid in rescue efforts. Lisie Kitchel with the Wisconsin DNR will cover the wild world of mussel reproduction and the crucial role these organisms play in keeping the river clean. Ellen Voss with River Alliance of Wisconsin will discuss the impacts dams and droughts have on river life. And Timm Zumm with Friends of the Lower Wisconsin Riverway will discuss the creation of the mussel rescue squad and how paddlers can safely rescue mussels from their canoes and kayaks.

– Ellen Voss, Climate Resilience Director

Watch more TV stories about the native mussel rescue on the Lower Wisconsin in Spectrum News 1 and Wisconsin Public Television. 

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