2017 Annual Report 39
program in 2016. The species was once found in the Big Blue, Big Nemaha,
Little Nemaha, Lower Platte and Elkhorn Rivers as well as Medicine Creek
in the Republican River basin and Logan Creek in the Elkhorn River basin.
Biologists have not collected this species since 1981 and believe it may have
been extirpated from Nebraska.
"Mussel culture is relatively new and it is very exciting to be in on the cutting
edge of some of the methods that are being used to culture mussels for
restoration projects across the country," said Dean Rosenthal, Game and Parks'
fi sheries division administrator.
2017 saw the expansion of the agency's mussel research project, as well
as plans for a new research facility. This research will be continue to be an
important research focus into the future.
