An endangered freshwater mussel was reintroduced to the Thames River watershed Wednesday. The Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) co-hosted an event to release the kidneyshell species into Medway Creek in north London. “This is one of the individuals that was tagged by the hatchery folks over the years,” explained Todd Morris, a research scientist with Oceans and Fisheries Canada, as he stood in foot-deep water in Medway Creek. “So, the kidneyshell has those little green spots on it.” Eight-hundred species of kidneyshell were released, the first time in Canada a freshwater mussel has been reintroduced to a watershed. Considered endangered for more than two decades, the reintroduction is to help stabilize the population. Morris says it’s also to help restore the watershed. “Freshwater mussels play an important role in aquatic ecosystems. They’re almost keystone species. So, they’re very important for filtering water. They’re very important for providing nutrients to other animals like aquatic insects and fishes, and then off into the terrestrial environment as well,” Morris explained. The species is being reintroduced through a process called artificial propagation. Females were collected from nearby Sydenham River in 2004, with their young raised in captivity since then. Representatives from Oceans and Fisheries Canada, the UTRCA, and various other organizations were on hand to send them off. “It was really amazing, actually. Getting to hold them, see them, see how tiny they are. And it’s actually been great here with the community today,” said Kaidyn Deleary, a Land Guardian with the Chippewa of the Thames First Nation. This is one of the last events of its kind for UTRCA. It comes at a time when conservation authorities across the province are in the process of consolidating. “This work is at risk. Funding is at risk. And really the benefits we have to our watershed is at risk,” cautioned Ingersoll Mayor Brian Petrie, who is serving as the final chair of the board of the UTRCA. “We need your voices to make sure this keeps happening. As we get consolidation, that local knowledge and that local initiatives across the watershed. And certainly, this type of work many not be considered mandatory across the province. And so, the more voices we have at the table, the more knowledge we have of this,” he said to the group on hand, commending them on their local conservation efforts. But while local conservation authorities may soon be extinct, the goal on this day is the long-term survival and reproduction of a species long absent from the watershed. “It’s a first for Canada, it’s a wonderful time to be here today,” said Morris, as volunteers gently lowered the species into its new, but native habitat.
