Licking River

A brown mussel shell with a white end sticks out of the Licking River.

In Kentucky’s rivers, researchers try to understand where the mussels have gone

BY: - September 18, 2023

PENDLETON COUNTY — Wendell Haag wades through the cool, moving water of the Licking River, his eyes scanning across the silty bed for the distinctive shells he’s studied for decades.  The river is seemingly paved with the shells of freshwater mussels featuring various sizes, colors and species, buried into the sediment amongst the rocks, crayfish […]

Zebra mussels can be spread when improperly cleaned boats move between water bodies. The invasive species can reproduce quickly and competes with native fish and mussels. Photo courtesy of U.S. Geological Survey and Kentucky Fish and Wildlife

Invasive zebra mussels discovered in popular Northern Kentucky lake

BY: - November 30, 2022

Kentucky Fish and Wildlife is urging vigilance by anglers and boaters after the discovery of invasive zebra mussels in Williamstown Lake in Grant County. The lake is near the Licking River, home to some of Kentucky’s rarest native mussels. Native mussels help clean water sources but are threatened by competition from the non-native species. Zebra […]