Pink Mucket - Reason For Decline

Reason For Decline

At one time, the pink mucket was present in twenty-six rivers in the Midwest and eastern United States. The building of dams and reservoirs caused the flooding of the habitat, affecting both the mussel and the host fish. Deteriorating water quality and siltation also affects mussel populations. Other practices, such as dredging, gravel mining, removal of trees, and undergrowth along the stream bank, and non-point source pollution from agriculture and urban areas, have contributed to the decline in the pink mucket as well.