CBF Awarded Grant That Will Help Protect Freshwater Mussels of the Pamunkey River Watershed

A new alliance will help restore the mussel population in the Pamunkey Indian Tribe’s namesake river in partnership with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation as part of a grant announced this month.

Freshwater mussels, which provide critical bay ecosystem benefits like filtering water, creating habitat, and removing excess nitrogen, are considered the most endangered class of organisms in the country, with about two-thirds of species vulnerable to extinction.

The grant to CBF through the Chesapeake Watershed Investments for Landscape Defense (WILD) Grants Program will help power the work of the Pamunkey Freshwater Mussel Alliance, a coalition working on mussel restoration efforts in the Pamunkey River watershed.

The Pamunkey Indian Tribe is excited to be a partner on the WILD grant and in standing up the alliance, said Joe Capella, Natural Resources Director for the Pamunkey Indian Tribe.

“Tribal sovereignty will be strengthened through the grant by amplifying Tribal voices in deciding how these culturally significant species are managed on and around their ancestral lands while also identifying a unique opportunity for the Tribe,” Capella said.

The grant will, in part, help to conduct targeted outreach to landowners in mussel hot spots and to investigate whether the existing Pamunkey Tribe hatchery can be used to help grow freshwater mussels.

The alliance will also work to identify populations of threatened and endangered mussels and characterize fish hosts that mussels rely on for reproduction.

The Pamunkey Indian Reservation spans about 1,600 acres in King William County—an area also facing ecological and climate-related threats like flooding and erosion.

“The Pamunkey Fish Hatchery operated as an American shad hatchery for over 100 years, and we are excited to explore how we may re-tool the facility to provide meaningful restoration support for freshwater mussels and the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem through Traditional Ecological Knowledge,” Capella said.

Other alliance partners include Virginia Commonwealth University, the York River and Small Coastal Basin Roundtable, the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, Randolph-Macon College, Wetland Restoration and Training LLC, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The Pamunkey River Watershed is home to at least 18 freshwater mussel species—three of which are at significant risk of extinction.

The South Anna River, which is a tributary to the Pamunkey, represents an exciting opportunity for restoration following the recent Ashland Mill Dam removal which opened up over 100 miles of streams and rivers to migratory fish. Most freshwater mussels rely upon fish populations to complete their reproductive cycle, and this dam removal presents new opportunities for freshwater mussels in the watershed.

The first public meeting of the alliance is expected to be held virtually on February 26 and is open to the public.

The WILD grants program is administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), with major funding support from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (NWS). The total project amount of $243,800 will go toward restoration of freshwater mussels.

The alliance “represents a commitment to protecting species on the brink of extinction and restoring the biodiversity and health of the Pamunkey River watershed,” said Joe Wood, Virginia Senior Scientist at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF).

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation thanks the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for providing funding through the WILD grant program for this work.

“We welcome partners from across the region to join Tribal leadership, scientists, conservation groups, and community members in building a future rooted in collaboration, sound science, and hands-on restoration,” Wood said.

“Together, we will safeguard these remarkable mussels and share their powerful story and value with the public.”