Rock Leaf’s skilled Water Resource Scientist, Brian, partnered with an engineering firm to identify key sites along the Mississippi River that matched Minnesota mussel habitat requirements. Brian used bathymetric mapping to help determine the hydromorphology (e.g., scour and deposition points, river bed stability, etc.) of the river, illuminating ideal mussel habitat.

These efforts will help rare Minnesota mussels like the Higgens Eye (Lampsilis higginsii), Creek Heelsplitter (Lasmigona compressa), Spectaclecase (Cumberlandia monodonta), and Wartyback (Pustulosa nodulata).