Changes to freshwater mussel assemblages after 25 years of impoundment and river habitat fragmentation

Abstract

Abstract The Tennessee–Tombigbee Waterway is among the largest and most expensive environmental engineering projects of the 20th century. The waterway accommodates barge navigation between the Tennessee River Drainage and Mobile River Basin through a series of locks, dams, canals, and dredged and diverted streams. These structures have altered riverine habitat and fragmented lotic habitats resulting in isolated freshwater mussel populations in patches of streams such as the East Fork Tombigbee River, where 42 species were known historically. The first post‐waterway mussel surveys in 1987 and 1988 reported 31 taxa. During 2010 and 2011 surveys, 70 sites were sampled using both timed searches and quadrats and detected 29 extant mussel species. Between 1988 and 2010–2011 the relative abundance of nine mussel taxa decreased, whereas the abundance of 11 taxa increased. The populations of three federally listed species were detected at levels below the detection limits in 1988 as well as three non‐native unionids that appear to have colonized the East Fork Tombigbee River via the Tennessee–Tombigbee Waterway River. Although mussel abundance and total species richness were relatively unchanged, assemblage composition shifted toward animals typical of smaller streams rather than large rivers. This shift suggests that present‐day East Fork Tombigbee River habitats favour smaller‐bodied, thinner shelled taxa that are laterally compressed and lack shell sculpture. These taxa are likely to be better adapted to hydrologically and hydraulically variable habitats than are thick‐shelled, large bodied, and sculptured mussels. The results suggest that mussel assemblages are dynamic and may exhibit predictable responses to changes in hydrology, physical habitat conditions, and stream connectivity. However, examinations over broad (20+ yr) temporal scales are needed to observe these shifts. The data demonstrate the value of regular monitoring of diverse mussel assemblages and the importance of stream connectivity and flow modifications to this long‐lived group of benthic invertebrates.