This year we went to Rocky Creek in Free Union, VA. In our first months of class, we searched for and tagged the elusive James River spinymussel, and we tested the water. When the weather started getting colder, we stopped looking for mussels because at this time they burrow down into the streambed. In the winter we continued  to collect and test water from Rocky Creek. We created a grid of the river in order to document the movement and distribution of all three species of mussels. These three tasks will continue throughout the summer.

 

      The goal for next year’s class is to continue doing these same tasks. One task we are planning to add next year is to look for new sites around the Charlottesville area that have the spinymussel. We would also like to look at the distribution and movement of the mussels. Lastly, we suggest censusing the fish populations in Rocky Creek.

 

Rest of this year:

-Looking for mussels

-Testing water

-Gridding

 

Next year:

-New sites for mussels

-Distribution and movement

-Fish