The upper Cahaba and Little Cahaba rivers in Jefferson, Shelby and St. Clair counties in central Alabama support a diverse freshwater community that includes populations of at least two federally listed mussels, more than 25 native fishes and a range of other endemic freshwater taxa. This is surprising because these streams flow through the city limits of Birmingham and one of the most heavily populated regions in Alabama. However, because the Little Cahaba is an important source of drinking water its watershed has historically been protected.
Historically, at least 28 species of freshwater mussels occurred in the upper Cahaba and Little Cahaba Rivers in Jefferson County (Williams et al. 2008). However, widespread land clearing and water pollution in the early part of the 20th century resulted in the loss of much of the upper Cahaba’s mussel populations. Prior to 2006, there were relatively few recent records for mussels in the Upper Cahaba River or its tributaries in Jefferson County (USFWS 2000). However recent surveys are changing that perception.
Read more on the Cahaba Riverkeeper website here.
Threatened and Endangered Mollusk Survey in the Little Cahaba River, Jefferson, County, Alabama –
Text of Final Report (Full Report with Figures Available from info@cahabariverkeeper.org)
Completed For Burr and Forman, LLP, Suite 3400 North 20th Street, Birmingham, AL 35203, BY
Dr. Michael M. Gangloff, Department of Biology, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC