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AJC.com > Metro > View from the cop > Archives > 2007 > October > 24 > Entry
Pulling mussels from their shells
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The reason my boat drags the bottom of Lake Lanier is because I’m doing my part to save the freshwater mussel. I don’t mind doing that but I can’t figure out how the freshwater mussel affects me other than taking all the water out of Lake Lanier. I did some research on freshwater mussels and here is what I found:
Freshwater mussels (several allied families, the largest being the Unionidae) and saltwater mussels (family Mytilidae) are not closely related at all—if any, only by marriage or by bad decisions during family reunions.
Unionidae is a family of freshwater mussels, found world-wide living buried in mud, silt or sand in rivers, streams and lakes. The shell is described in big words, at least four to five syllables, and when one visualizes it, the word gross comes to mind. Basically they lie half-buried in the sediment and pump water and oxygen in and out— much like my Uncle Randolph used to do when he got drunk on his “special medicine” delivered every Friday evening from Dawsonville, Georgia.
To reproduce, mussels do things like “eject sperm from a mantel cavity” through the “male’s excurrent siphon,” which some mussels refer to as “Little Elvis.”
There’s more. The female takes it into her mantel cavity through the incurrent siphon; all the while listening to the male’s mating noises sounding remarkably like Barry White singing “Can’t get enough of your love, babe.” The fertilized eggs eventually move to a host fish, also known as dumb fish who don’t know something is hanging off their gills, until they are juveniles at which time they drop to the sediment and do what most teenagers do—which is mostly nothing.
According to the Chattanooga Times Free Press (October 15th), the Corps of Engineers has been asked to reduce the water flow to these areas. The Corps contends the water flow is needed for two species of federally-protected freshwater mussels in Florida and a coal-fired power plant. Instead of decreasing the flow, they increased it. They are pumping 37,400 gallons of water into Florida every second, the equivalent of an Olympic-size swimming pool every 20 seconds. Last week the Corp released an average 1.5 billion gallons a day. On Thursday, the Corps released more than nine times as much water downstream as entered the lake by rainfall or feeder streams.
Aside from my selfish reasons of not wanting to tube in the mud, it seems like the Corps of Engineers need to sit down and look at some of the solutions proposed. If for no other reason, we don’t want the lake to dry up exposing all those bodies dumped in it over by the dam. (I know nothing.)
Another reason is the certain impending doom to dozens of goobers with their metal detectors looking for money and valuables eaten by the evil man-eating, fast-evolving giant carp and catfish, which live down at the bottom of the dam and probably ate those bodies I know nothing about. (Note to goobers: My car keys are about fifty feet into the cove off Charleston Park. My wallet is close by.)
What if these freshwater mussels become extinct? Other things have become extinct and we’re OK with it. Fortunately for us the dinosaurs were here before us. What if it were the other way around? What if we went to all this trouble back when and actually saved the dinosaurs? What a mess that would be. Sooner or later we would try to domesticate them and that means house-training them and taking them for walks (talk about a big poop-bag) and just how are you going to teach them not to hump your friend’s leg before someone gets killed?
Comments
Commenting is now closed for this entry.
By Prophetess Bennetta
October 24, 2007 3:04 PM | Link to this
email out
By cara
October 24, 2007 3:05 PM | Link to this
I think they should gather all of the mussels and put them in the Georgia Aquarium. Heck, they could have their own “Mussels Only” tank. Then we can stop sending all the water downstream and divert it to my endangered lawn.
By Atlanta Pearl Girl
October 24, 2007 3:13 PM | Link to this
At least someone’s having sex…….
Atlanta Pearl Girl
By court_fanatic
October 24, 2007 3:32 PM | Link to this
Why can’t they gather up some of those mussels and transplant them into another fresh water lake and let them “go to town” (wink, wink) until they re-establish their population? This whole situation borders on ridiculous at this point. And the governor of Alabama needs to get over himself - Let them draw water from their own lakes for a while.
By CJP
October 24, 2007 4:25 PM | Link to this
Two weekends ago I camped at Lake Lanier with my son’s Cub Scout Pack. As we walked along the vast expanse of beach we noticed hundreds of dead & half dead mussels right here on our own turf. If they are so darn special why isn’t some bleeding-heart liberal doing something to save the mussels at Lake Lanier. I say we start our own petition to keep all water in Lake Lanier to keep our own mussels alive. Maybe then we’ll have something to drink next year.
By Matt
October 24, 2007 4:27 PM | Link to this
And why are we putting the welfare of mussels over that of people? Someone give me one good reason?
By dork
October 24, 2007 4:31 PM | Link to this
U gotta love PETA!!!
By BiteMe
October 24, 2007 5:17 PM | Link to this
I can’t believe they are pumping MORE water now than the previous 22,000 gallons a second they were before? ARE THEY INSANE???
By John W. Booth IV
October 24, 2007 6:47 PM | Link to this
Sonny Needs to have the National Guard sieze the dam from the Corps of Engineers and close the valves.
Sic Semper Tyrannis!
By John W. Booth IV
October 24, 2007 6:50 PM | Link to this
Sonny Needs to have the National Guard sieze the dam from the Corps of Engineers and close the valves.
Sic Semper Tyrannis!
By John W. Booth IV
October 24, 2007 6:50 PM | Link to this
Sonny Needs to have the National Guard sieze the dam from the Corps of Engineers and close the valves.
Sic Semper Tyrannis!
By mymusselcanbeatupyourmussel
October 24, 2007 8:44 PM | Link to this
I think all of these so-called environmentalists should fill up their bath tubs with water (while they can) and assume a face down horizontal position in the tub and breathe deeply.
By woodrow
October 24, 2007 8:56 PM | Link to this
PETA ,,,, as told by a friend
People Eating Tasty Animals
By comp133xi7y
October 24, 2007 9:15 PM | Link to this
I guess y’all don’t understand that the ecosystem that sustains us all and allows us to have these kick-a* lives is dependent on more than just human activity…
The whole of human existence is predicated upon a complex interaction of creatures and ecologies that begin with bacteria and end with us. We may be so arrogant as to think that we can treat the world as our plaything without consequences, but that is both arrogant and stupid.
And no - I’m not some vegetarian PETA nut-job. I love my steaks. I love my shellfish. However, I am aware that we can’t continue to wipe out the species that help maintain a balance within our own ecosystem without consequences.
The destruction of a species should never be acceptable, particularly when we are just more concerned with our own comfort than we are with the functioning of nature. Where are all the religious fundamentalist whackos when it comes to sacrificing a little bit of personal comfort to maintain the world that God gave us stewardship over?
By really concerned
October 24, 2007 9:31 PM | Link to this
Looks like a protest at the dam on Saturday. It appears to be getting media attention as well.
By Voice of Reason
October 24, 2007 10:21 PM | Link to this
I’ve got to have water so I can be squeaky clean for when I have sex. Later for the mussels.
By Ekim
October 24, 2007 11:58 PM | Link to this
I am a bleeding heart liberal who also owns a house and dock on Lake Lanier.
My dock has crushed hundreds of mussels and millions of others have died in the hot summer sun. It’s not pretty. Oh the huge manatee!
My biggest concern is when is the best time to mow around my dock and if mowing will harm the mussels.
The Dawsonville, GA comment is way out of line. We (oops), I mean they, have the same brands of government liquor up here as can be found at any Jax in the metro area.
Who will lead he charge? “Give it all for the bottom feeders!”
By Biologist
October 25, 2007 7:03 AM | Link to this
Cops should stick to crime and other related problems within their field of expertise. Afterall, when have you heard a biologist stand on a soap box and profess knowledge on law enforcement?
By WTF
October 25, 2007 7:03 AM | Link to this
As long as they’re “watering” the mussels, I will continue to run the water while I brush my teeth, wash my food really, really good, and take as long a shower as I damn well please. What a bunch of idiots!!!!!!!!
Ekim, mow away!!!!!!!!
By jrl
October 25, 2007 9:29 AM | Link to this
What did the mussels do during previous droughts BEFORE Buford Dam was built?
By Lt. Steve
October 25, 2007 2:13 PM | Link to this
Well since you asked, the last Biologist who professed to me his knowledge of the law was trying to explain why he walked out of Red Lobster without paying for his meal. He had the platter including the mussels. How ironic was that? Aw hell, I made that part up Bio-Dude but let’s face it, if more Biologist would profess a knowledge of the law, we’d all benefit don’t you agree? Seriously, nothing screams excitement more than a Biologist in the courtroom, cross examining a witness who, by thier actions, show an intent to convey that they don’t know anything about this mussel situation, or mussel memory. I think the real reason is the judge won’t let them wear those little white lab coats.
By Shipps
October 25, 2007 3:43 PM | Link to this
Steve, Steve, are you there? Seems like you didn’t finish that last thought? Maybe you need to have a glass of water….
By jerry
October 25, 2007 5:18 PM | Link to this
Beware Atlanta and all the water you get is from the hills north of you and we belive in recyling!! BEWARE of that water from Dawson County. IT MAY BE UNSAFE TO OPERATE MOTOR VECHICLES OR HEAVY EQUIPMENT after consumption. We do a lot of recycling up here HE HE
By bestbets
October 26, 2007 10:33 AM | Link to this
There is no need to print my comment, but please finish your column. This is how it ends on-line.
“Sooner or later we would try to domesticate them and that means house-training them and taking them for walks (talk about a big poop-bag) and just how are you goi”
By Soryu
October 26, 2007 2:46 PM | Link to this
comp133xi7y:
Hey do you miss the passenger Pigeon? The Carolina Parakeet? The Vegas Valley Leopard Frog? Me either.
I wouldn’t miss the purple bank climber or fat three ridge either.
So the destruction of a species should never be acceptable—so you’d want to protect the fireant and Formosan termite as well? If they found a remanant population of Velociraptors, you’d be all for protecting them too?
By Cynthia
October 27, 2007 3:01 PM | Link to this
The problem is if we run out of water what will we save then? People won’t just not have water to drink and bathe in we won’t have electricity either. The funny thing about that is neither will Florida or Alabama…course that is when they will suddenly demand that all lakes in Florida and Alabama are only that of their state and not belonging to Georgia. Unlike they try to insist about Lanier belonging to all three of us…interesting how it is only in our state though
By CBS
October 28, 2007 2:14 PM | Link to this
You know what I care even less about than I do mussels? Grass. And whether its green or not. And whether your house has resale value because of green grass. Stop watering it, already.
By W.T. Sherman
October 28, 2007 7:28 PM | Link to this
“Sonny Needs to have the National Guard sieze the dam from the Corps of Engineers and close the valves.”
The last time you tried that it did not work out so well for you.
By JD
October 28, 2007 11:23 PM | Link to this
Have the metro counties issued moratoria on building permits? If not, then you all still haven’t learned anything. It took you forever just to fix your sewer system. Yes, we know that all of the people, animals, and plants who live down stream from you don’t matter to you and never have… and never will… we simply don’t exist (or at least you wish we didn’t).
By Teri
October 29, 2007 5:28 PM | Link to this
Arrogant and stupid because we are concerned more with our comfort than the functioning of nature? Are you nuts? The need for drinking water is more than a comfort. I believe in protecting nature but I don’t think watering mussels is more important than our drinking water.