Federal agency seeks to protect 4 mussels

SANDUSKY — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has designated critical habitats in U.S. rivers for four endangered freshwater mussels, including two that have been found in the Sandusky area. The mussels that are getting protection in 17 states, including Ohio, are the rayed bean, sheepnose, snuffbox and spectaclecase mussels. All four have been listed as endangered species in 2012 under the Endangered Species Act, the agency noted in a news release. The rayed bean mussel, a small mussel, has been spotted in Erie County since 1980 and has historically also been found in Ottawa and Sandusky counties, according to the Freshwater Mussels of Ohio Field Guild, published by the Ohio Division of Wildlife and available online. The fish and wildlife regulations don't appear to show that any local rivers are affected by the habitat designation. Snuffbox mussels have historically been found in Ottawa and Sandusky counties, including the Bass Islands, according to the state's field guide but apparently not since 1980. They are small mussels less than 3 inches long. The new regulations apparently don't affect any local rivers, either. The state field guide says the other two kinds of mussels, sheepnose and spectaclecase, are only found in the southern areas of Ohio. Although the new rules apparently don't affect any rivers in the Sandusky area, the fish and wildlife Service states it is designating about 3,800 miles of rivers in 17 states, including Ohio, as "occupied critical habitat" for the four mussels. The affected states are Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin. That designation does not affect land ownership or create protected areas, but it may affect permitting for development, the fish and wildlife service states. The fish and wildlife service states that freshwater mussels play a vital role in freshwater ecosystems. They are indicators of stream health, and they also filter out food, sediments and pollutants from water.