Scaleshell Mussels Reintroduced into the Osage River

The Missouri Department of Conservation has teamed up with Ameren Missouri, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Geological Survey Environmental Research Center in Columbia to conduct research on and management for the federal and state endangered scaleshell mussel.

 The research focused on the distribution of the mussel in Missouri, the population genetics and propagation methods in the hopes of restoring the species in the Show-Me State.

 With additional funding from Ameren, the 20-year effort was able to successfully release nearly 15,000 scaleshell into the lower Osage marking the first time since 2013 for live scaleshells to be detected in the River.

 Over the next four years, plans are to augment the scaleshell population into the Osage River as well as to continue monitoring of the mussels that have already been released.