SRBC Chesapeake Bay Watershed Region Freshwater Mussel Partnership

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Chesapeake Bay Watershed Region Freshwater Mussel Partnership

The Chesapeake Bay Watershed Region Freshwater Mussel Partnership is a voluntary affiliation of stakeholders drawn by our interest in freshwater mussels to:

Advance and promote Conservation & Restoration; and,
Evaluate Water Quality best management practices (BMPs) to lessen excess nutrients and sediment in tributaries to the Bay.

Interest in freshwater mussels throughout the Chesapeake Bay Watershed is growing and for good reasons, such as:

Freshwater mussels are among North America’s and the Bay Region’s most endangered group of organisms
Freshwater mussels have unique life strategies linked to individual fish species
Much like benthic macroinvertebrates, freshwater mussels are indicators of existing water quality conditions in a stream
As they feed, freshwater mussels transfer suspended matter from the water column to the stream bed
Freshwater mussels are ecosystem engineers, capable of modifying aquatic habitat to make conditions more suitable for themselves and other organisms

Mussel surveys in Lower Susquehanna River near Port Deposit, MD (July 2024) Mussel Sampling in Susquehanna River

Freshwater mussel in Lower Susquehanna River near Port Deposit, MD (July 2024)

News & Announcements

Anacostia Watershed Society: Mussel-Themed Activities (K-12 Education)
April 23, 2025

Freshwater Mussel Partnership Newsletter - November 2024
November 13, 2024

The Partnership Submitted Comments to the Chesapeake Bay Program Beyond 2025 Draft Report:
Comments PDF
Beyond 2025 Steering Committee website
August 27, 2024

NFWF announces awards of over $1M in sum to fund 4 projects that conserve, protect, and/or restore freshwater mussels in parts of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed (MD/DC, WV, PA, and NY). In addition to grant funding, these projects will collectively leverage more than $1.75M in matching resources. Congratulations to all 2024 grant awardees.
August 27, 2024

PA Environment Digest Blog: Environmental Hearing Board Assesses $65,766.68 Penalty Against Venango County (PA) Man For Violations Of The Dam Safety & Encroachments Act that resulted in the deaths of endangered freshwater mussels in the Allegheny River
August 13, 2024

Meetings & Events Calendar

Partnership Steering Committee Meeting 2025 Schedule:

Every Other Month beginning March 2025

(invitation only)

Resources

Freshwater Mussel Publications (link to Zotero website)

Lower Susquehanna Freshwater Mussel Survey Video (link to YouTube)

About Us

The Chesapeake Bay Watershed Region Freshwater Mussel Partnership evolved mainly from the Chesapeake Bay Program’s Science & Technical Advisory Committee workshop (March 5-6, 2020): Incorporating Freshwater Mussels into the Chesapeake Bay Restoration Efforts and the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation and state of Maryland’s workshop (April 13, 2022): Broaden and Enhance Regional Freshwater Mussel Partnerships in the Chesapeake Bay.

In 2023, staff from the Susquehanna River Basin Commission transitioned to the role of coordinators for the Regional Freshwater Mussel Partnership. As coordinators, SRBC staff: facilitate communication among the Partnership members, Action Teams, and Steering Committees and with pertinent elements of the Chesapeake Bay Program; schedule Partnership Steering Committee meetings; coordinate an Annual Symposium; and manage resources and information for this web page.