Mussel salvage at Caledonia bridge reveals wealth of river filters

By C. Blott, Haldimand Stewardship Council

To The Haldimand Press

CALEDONIA—A team of aquatic specialists from Natural Resource Solutions Inc. of Waterloo continues to oversee collecting and relocating of mussels from the Grand River within the Argyle bridge replacement work area, having moved over 20,000 mussels in the first two weeks of salvage.

Mussels (also known as freshwater clams) play a large roll in cleaning the river water because they filter small invertebrates, plant particles, and algal particles from the water. The nutrients in these food items are used to make the tissue and shell of the growing mussel and are ‘locked up’ for the duration of the decades-long lifetime of the mussel.