New Species in Obed Highlights Importance of Environment

By Shane Gilreath
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According to a recent announcement from the National Park Service (NPS), a remarkable discovery has been made in the Obed River, a regional waterway that rises just south of Crossville in the Cumberland Plateau. That discovery, which could prove positive for environmentalists, is a new population of Pleuronaia dolabelloides, commonly known as the slabside pearly mussel. Although not new to science – and not immediately found in Scott County – the species is new to the Emory/Obed branch of the Tennessee River basin. The mussel’s presence signals a potentially significant breakthrough in conservation efforts, given that the NPS has actively monitored for freshwater mussel populations in the Obed River for several years, focusing particularly on endangered and threatened species.
“Freshwater mussels are vital to healthy rivers and streams, acting as natural water filters,” said Niki Nicholas, Superintendent of the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area and the Obed Wild and Scenic River. “They improve water clarity, remove harmful substances and serve as excellent indicators of good environmental conditions.”
Historically speaking, the slabside mussel species has been documented in river systems across the southeast, having been found in Alabama, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia. The upper Tennessee watershed already notably boasts some of the highest freshwater mussel diversity found anywhere in the entire world, but that diversity – like with the slabside pearly mussel – depends on clean, free-flowing rivers with stable shoal habitats (areas with sand, gravel, or cobble bottoms and moderate currents).While the Obed River does not run directly through Scott County, such species can be impacted by environmental degradation, including waste management, a heavily debated subject of late throughout the community, given the proposal for a second landfill and rail-to-truck transfer station and its proximity to waterways. Waste industry mainstays – landfills like Roberta II and beyond – can pose a serious risk to freshwater mussels, particularly if the landfill is near waterways, if leachate or runoff enters the watershed, and if containments fail.
Before the slabside pearly mussel, the last new species identified in Tennessee came in 2011, with the discovery of the Tennessee cave salamander. Found deep within subterranean limestone streams, this eyeless amphibian was noted for its remarkable adaptation to a dark, isolated environment. Like the mussel, it represents the delicate balance of Tennessee’s unique ecosystems and the importance of protecting them.