Native freshwater mussel density and population estimates from a systematic survey in the Rappahannock River, Virginia, in 2024

Native freshwater mussels are a substantial resource of concern to resource managers because of their contribution to aquatic ecosystems, First Foods status for Native American tribes, and general imperilment. As such, resource managers in the USFWS Lower Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office partnered with USGS to characterize the native freshwater mussel assemblage in the lower Rappahannock River, Virginia. USGS designed a systematic survey of the lower Rappahannock River south of Falmouth, Virginia. USFWS conducted the survey by deploying divers at 187 sites to excavate river-bed sediment and identify and measure live mussels in the sediment. USGS then used this site-level data to describe the density, population size, diversity, and evenness of the freshwater mussel assemblage in the section of river.