Let's Get Musscular!
Given that freshwater mussels are keystone organisms, entire ecosystems would collapse in result of local and/or overall extinction. This is because freshwater mussels filter feed phytoplankton from every drop of water in their environment, keeping water quality and clarity as clean as possible in the process. A large decline in mussel numbers would lead to an overabundance of nutrients in North America's waterways, turning them murky and poor environments for previous ecosystems to thrive in. "Of 300 mussel species native to the North America, over 70 percent are endangered and dozens have already gone extinct." says Nathan Rott from NPR in Smithsonian Magazine, bringing great alarm to this issue.
What Does The Future Hold?
In the few dams that are able to provide reliable data to scientists, it is being seen that over certain amounts of time, after slow dam removal, river ecosystems are restoring themselves, and staring to resemble their previous states from pre-dam times. Along with this, it is being seen that restoration of these ecosystems is happening over spans of months and small amounts of years versus the several decades that were previously hypothesized. This all points us in the right direction as more and more data is collected with every passing day that helps us to understand our local waterways and their relationships with dams that much better. There are pros and cons to the keeping and removal of dams, and hopefully we continue moving in the direction of lessening our dam additions and strengthening our relationships with the natural world.
How Can YOU Help?
In regards to dams, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recommends to focus on conserving your personal energy in your home by remembering to turn off the lights, unplug electronics not being used, and opt for more natural light use than electrical light use, etc. The less energy you use in your daily life, the less of a need there will be for new hydroelectric power plants.