After Ashland Dam Removal, Freshwater Mussel Species Reintroduced to South Anna River

After Ashland dam removal, freshwater mussel species reintroduced to South Anna River | Mussel plantings hope to reintroduce alewife floaters, which had gone nearly extinct due to the dam.

After Ashland dam removal, freshwater mussel species reintroduced to South Anna River

For about 200 years the Ashland Mill Dam, about a half-hour north of Richmond, blocked many fish from moving through the South Anna River. Without fish like herring to attach their larvae to, a freshwater mussel species known as the…

Planting a future for the Chesapeake Bay in the South Anna River

Now that the Ashland Mill Dam is down and the fish that mussels depend on are returning, volunteers planted 750 alewife floater mussels in the South Anna River.

After Ashland Dam Removal, Freshwater Mussel Species Reintroduced to South Anna River (6-5-2026)

For about 200 years, the Ashland Mill Dam, about a half-hour north of Richmond, blocked many fish from moving through the South Anna River. Without fish like herring to attach their larvae to, a freshwater mussel species known as the alewife floater disappeared from the waterway, making them “functionally extinct” in the area, according to Joe Wood with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. Continue reading After Ashland Dam Removal, Freshwater Mussel …