MASSENA – The state Department of Environmental Conservation DEC is relocating mussels from the lower Grasse River before a cleanup project to remove polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) begins next year, according to John Tenbusch, a planner for St. Lawrence County.

By relocating these mussels away from the dredging project and keeping them healthy, DEC will be ready to return mussels to the river after the dredging project is complete. In 2017, 4,000 mussels were moved, and 4,700 mussels were moved in 2018, and around 2,000 mussels were safely placed in cages in other parts of the river. Approximately 98 percent of these relocated mussels survived last winter, which shows the success of this previously untried technique, Tenbusch said.

Mussels are important for healthy freshwater ecosystems and can make up a majority of the biomass within an ecosystem. In addition, a healthy mussel population directly benefits the water quality of the area. As filter feeders, mussels obtain their food by filtering out microscopic organisms from the water column, Tenbusch said.

The New York State Museum, St. Regis Mohawk Tribe, and SUNY Cobleskill are collaborating with DEC on the project.

For more information about this, see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDk-9yGV-w0.