Freshwater mussel populations are in decline worldwide

In western north american mussel populations are alsoexperiencing dramatic DIE-offs due to a variety of reasons (blevins ET AL. 2017 haag and williams 2014 HAAG2012). Freshwater mussels are a first food (traditional food of ecological and cultural significance) of theconfederated tribes of the umatilla indian reservation (ctuir) and harvest of mussels remains a reserved rightfor tribal members under the treaty of 1855. Until the early 1900S, tribal members consumed freshwater mussels primarily during winter months and used the shell material for tools and ornamentation (osborne 1951). Because populations are so depleted, harvest is not currently possible in most traditional use areas. Ctuirs freshwater mussel research and restoration project (mussel project) was started in 2002 with a goal of restoring self sustaining mussel populations to areas traditionally used in the mid-columbia basin. The ctuir mussel project conducts research (e.g., status and distribution monitoring, genetic and taxonomic investigations, reproductive biology, habitat associations, artificial propagation, and critical uncertainties) and is implementingrestoration tools (e.g., translocation, propagation, augmentation, and reintroduction) as part of its musselmaster supplementation plan (ctuir 2022).one factor limiting our research and restoration application is the lack of distribution information for westernmussel species, especially for the western ridged mussel (gonidea angulata), which is currently under review for listing as endangered under the ESA (blevins ET AL. 2020). Expanding the knowledge of mussel distribution and relative abundance will help support many of the research questions we seek to address as well as bolster the regional western freshwater mussel distribution database used to collect and manage mussel occurrence records. Though our focus will be on g. Angulata, we will collect information on all mussel species. This study proposes using edna sampling to determine the presence and absence of mussels in ceded areas of the ctuir and the yakama nation (YN) thereby expanding distribution knowledge (objective 1). A portion of sites testing positive for mussels will then be ground tested using snorkeling surveys, with an emphasis on sitestesting positive for g. Angulata. Population demographics will be assessed to determine if the population can beused as broodstock for restoration focused propagation efforts (objective 2). For g. Angulata populations deemed suitable for use as broodstock populations (e.g., mussels are numerous, young mussels are present), mussels will be tracked to detect gravidity (i.e., water temperature and individual mussel monitoring), then collected for use in propagation research (objective 3). Results from this study will support the mussel projects continued goal of conserving, restoring and monitoring mussel populations throughout the ceded territory.ctuirs mussel project will partner with YN, USFWS, USFS, xerces society for invertebrate conservation, and USGS columbia environmental research center (USGS-cerc) laboratory in columbia, MO, to design methodologies, using existing studies, to conduct edna sampling (ctuir, YN, USFWS, USFS), collect demographics on positive g. Angulata sites (ctuir, YN, USFWS), to expand the mussel distribution database (xerces society), and assess populations of g. Angulata for research and restoration (ctuir, USGS-cerc). Expected outcomes of this project include improved and expanding distribution information for the three genera of mussels present in the mid-columbia region (objective 1), basic demographic information about populations of g. Angulata in the mid-columbia region (objective 2) and monitoring of select g. Angulata populations identified under work completed in objectives 1 and 2 (objective 3).