New initiative calls on volunteers to protect a Wisconsin endangered species

WISCONSIN (WKOW) -- A new mission is underway to save a Wisconsin endangered species.

Clams or Mussels live at the bottom of streams, rivers and lakes in Wisconsin. 

Last year's drought conditions took a toll on the already vulnerable species when the water levels dropped and hundreds were left stranded.

Lisie Kitchel is an aquatic ecologist with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. She focuses a large portion of her work on studying mussels. 

"The main reason that we do a lot of mussel work is because half of them are listed as threatened, endangered or special concern," Kitchel explained. 

Of the 50 species in Wisconsin, Kitchel said roughly 25 could be at risk of extinction. 

"That's because of past water quality issues," Kitchel added. "So a lot of of them have not been able to recover from those past perturbations."

Unlike mussels found in the ocean, the freshwater mussels in Wisconsin are illegal to take and therefor should not be cooked. 

Kitchel told 27 News, the species plays an important role in the quality of Wisconsin waterways. 

"They're taking out contaminants, they also stabilize the substrate, and they provide food for other organisms in the system as well," she said. "But primarily, it's that filtering capacity, that's just an amazing thing that really contributes to our water quality and clarity, and removing those contaminants."

Back in September of 2023, 27 News went out with experts on the Wisconsin River near Prairie du Sac where dozens of mussels were stranded from the historically low water levels. 

The mussels were unable to get back to deeper water and would eventually die if they weren't saved in time. 

That inspired a new initiative. 

"People went, 'oh my goodness, we need to get out there and save the mussels,'" Kitchel recalled "But it was just word of mouth, they didn't have an organized effort to do it and people were just frantically trying to get out there and rescue mussels."

The Friends of the Lower Wisconsin Riverway [FLOW] created a new system. They named it their Mussel Rescue Alert program. 

"You can sign up to be notified if there's a need to do a strength mussel rescue," Kitchel added. 

Already they've seen more than 50 volunteers sign up and the number keeps growing.

A link to sign up for alerts and to volunteer with mussel rescues can be found here. 

You can learn more about freshwater mussels in this guide.