7 Central Texas mussels flagged as endangered, threatened species

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Seven freshwater mussels found in Central Texas waterways are now classified under the Endangered Species Act, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service announced Monday.

The new classification also came with the designation of 1,577 river miles of critical habitat for the seven species, which are found in the Colorado, Guadalupe, Brazos and Trinity river basins, the release added.

Among the seven species flagged, six received endangered species listings:

• Guadalupe fatmucket
• Texas fatmucket
• Guadalupe orb
• Texas pimpleback
• Balcones spike
• False spike

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service deemed the seventh species earmarked, the Texas fawnsfoot, as a threatened listing. Monday's release noted the seven species were once prevalent in the four flagged basins, but their populations have since declined "due to reduced water quality and habitat destruction."

These latest classifications are designed to help support new and present conservation efforts already underway. Officials with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service said existing partnership with Central Texas river authorities have helped minimize the Texas fawnsfoot's endangerment, receiving a threatened listing instead of an endangered one.

“Creative collaboration with Central Texas river authorities has led to some ground breaking conservation actions making it possible to list the Texas fawnsfoot as threatened,” said Amy Lueders, the Service’s Southwest Regional Director, in the release. “That's important because it opens the door to more flexibility for solutions that reduce the threats to these mussels while boosting water quality in the watershed.”

Lueders added in the release these seven freshwater mussels aren't found anywhere else in the world, save for the rivers and streamways in Central Texas. The Brazos River Authority, the Lower Colorado River Authority, the Trinity River Authority and the Tarrant Regional Water District have each worked with the federal service to create voluntary Candidate Conservation Agreements with Assurances, or CCAAs.

The service is also working in tandem with the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority on a Habitat Conservation Plan, the release noted.