A survey of the mussel densities in pool 10 of the Upper Mississippi River

Author

Duncan, Randall E.

Date

• 1983

Publisher

Madison, Wisconsin: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

Summary

• Freshwater mussels were collected by diving during the summer of 1980 from Pool 10 of the Upper Mississippi River. The entire pool was divided into four different regions (upper end, lower end, East Channel, and West Channel) and three habitat types (main channel, main channel border, and backwater) so comparisons of mussel densities (no./ft²) could be made. Of the 309 sites sampled, mussels were found at 224 sites (72%). The East Channel near Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin had the richest mussel fauna with an average density of 2.964 mussels/ft² and only 6% of the sites nonproductive. The lower end of Pool 10 had the lowest mussel density (0.655/ft²) and the highest percentage of nonproductive sites (38%). The mussel density in the main channel border was 2 times greater than in the main channel and backwater.