June 23 – My Nature Journal

Freshwater Mussel

Family Unionidae

This large freshwater mussel shouldn’t have been where I found it.

Mussels are filter feeders that live underwater, on and just within the substrate of lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams.

Unfortunately for this particular mussel—and all the others I saw during today’s nature walk—my area is in a severe drought. Weeks upon weeks of very little rain coupled with high temperatures dropped the water level in the lake by several feet.

Many individual mussels live in the shallow water along the shore of the lake. But since the water level is now so low, these mussels find themselves marooned on dry land and baking under the burning rays of the summer sun.

Every one of the dry-docked mussels I saw was certainly either dying or already dead. But I still picked up every one and tossed them farther into the lake. As far as I could. Into the deepest water I could reach.

Just in case.