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An ambitious project is underway to eradicate the invasive Silty Pond Mussel (formerly known as the Chinese pond mussel, Sinanodonta woodiana) from the Wickecheoke Creek Preserve in New Jersey. This critical initiative seeks to protect local ecosystems, safeguard native aquatic species, and prevent the spread of these aggressive invaders into the broader Delaware River ecosystem.


[caption id="attachment_16006" align="alignright" width="394"] Provided by NJ Conservation Foundation[/caption]
The Silty Pond Mussel was first discovered in the United States in 2010 at a former fish farm in Hunterdon County, now part of NJ Conservation Foundation’s Wickecheoke Creek Preserve. It is believed the mussels arrived as glochidia (a microscopic larval stage of some freshwater mussels) attached to the gills of bighead carp, another invasive species imported from China by the farm's previous owners. Initially overlooked and undocumented in North America, the mussels quickly established a foothold in the Preserve's ponds, threatening local ecosystems.
These invasive mussels, which can grow to the size of a small football, form high-density colonies that pose a severe threat to native organisms. This aggressive species outcompetes native mussels for nutrients and habitat, altering water chemistry in the process and drastically depleting the local ecosystem of resources essential to native plants and animals. Additionally, once the Silty Pond Mussel glochidia attach to the gills of native fish, a biological reaction occurs that ultimately kills the host fish thus preventing native mussels from completing their own life cycle on these fish hosts. This dual impact — monopolizing food and habitat resources as adults while denying native mussels access to necessary host fish — makes the Silty Pond Mussel especially harmful to local ecosystems.
Following the initial discovery, DNA testing conducted by the NJ Invasive Species Strike Team, New Jersey Endangered & Nongame Species Program, and the North Carolina State Museum of Natural Sciences confirmed the presence of this invasive species, marking the first documentation of the Silty Pond Mussel in North America. Early eradication efforts began shortly thereafter.
Since 2019, a coalition of partners has expanded these efforts and remained committed to the complete eradication of the Silty Pond Mussel species. Led by NJDEP Fish & Wildlife and including organizations such as tthe U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, NJ Conservation Foundation, Rutgers University, NJ Water Supply Authority, U.S. Department of the Interior's Office of Restoration and Damage Assessment (ORDA) and Princeton Hydro, the project has focused on surveying waterways using SCUBA, snorkel and physical analysis; utilizing environmental DNA (eDNA) testing to detect the presence of mussels in a waterbody; and applying targeted treatments. Community engagement and education are also central to these efforts, emphasizing the importance of collaboration in tackling this ecological threat.
Geoffrey M. Goll, P.E., President of Princeton Hydro, emphasized the collaborative nature of the efforts: "This initiative exemplifies the power of partnership and innovation in tackling environmental challenges. Together, we are making significant strides in preserving our state's rich biodiversity."




Protecting Biodiversity and Partnering for Eradication
The Wickecheoke Creek Preserve, home to nearly 400 native plant species and a wide variety of wildlife, includes 14 miles of streams and flows directly into the D&R Canal, which supplies clean drinking water to one million New Jersey residents. New Jersey is also home to 12 native freshwater mussel species, nine of which are classified as Endangered, Threatened, or of Special Concern, further underscoring the the urgency of preventing this aggressive invasive species from spreading. Left unchecked, the Silty Pond Mussel could disrupt one of the most biodiverse freshwater regions in the country and cause significant ecological harm. Swift action to address this invasive species is essential to protecting the Wickecheoke Creek Preserve, safeguarding native species, and preserving the health of the Delaware River watershed.
Each project partner plays an essential roles in the eradication process. Rutgers University is performing the environmental DNA (eDNA) monitoring and analyzing the results. Princeton Hydro is applying targeted treatments to the ponds where the mussels were initially detected, and, if eDNA or physical sampling reveals signs of the mussels in other water bodies, the team will extend these treatments accordingly. Using a highly specialized approach, Princeton Hydro’s licensed applicators have partnered with SePRO to apply Natrix, an EPA-registered pesticide developed specifically for managing invasive mollusk populations. The 2024 phase of the project has incorporated significant advancements in treatment design. The team’s strategy is both preventative and responsive. The project has garnered financial support from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Delaware River Greenway Partnership through the Lower Delaware Wild and Scenic Program.


[gallery link="none" ids="16013,16011,16010"]
In addition to treatment, Princeton Hydro is focused on rigorous documentation and educational outreach. “It’s important for us to record every aspect of this project, not only from a scientific perspective but also for public education,” said the Princeton Hydro Director of Marketing & Communications Dana Patterson Grear. “We want to ensure this species is contained here and prevented from spreading throughout New Jersey or, worse, across the United States.” As part of these efforts, Princeton Hydro aims to share detailed information on the Silty Pond Mussel’s characteristics and identification markers. “By educating communities and environmental stakeholders on what to look for, we hope to empower rapid responses in other areas, should the species appear elsewhere,” said Patterson Grear.




Dive Deeper: Watch the Video on Eradication Efforts
As part of the project's commitment to transparency and education, New Jersey DEP Fish & Wildlife created a detailed video to showcase the silty pond mussel eradication and identification efforts. This video delves deeper into the techniques and collaborative approaches being used to address the invasive species. We encourage you to watch the video to gain a comprehensive understanding of the challenges faced and the innovative strategies employed in this groundbreaking effort.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qplXLi5tOPY[/embed]


To learn more about invasive species, obtain practical tips for identifying and managing invasives, and take actions to help protect our local ecosystems, click here to check out our recent blog.
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Non-native Phragmites australis, also known as Common Reed, is a species of perennial grass found across North America, especially along the Atlantic coast, in wetlands, riparian areas, shorelines, and other wet areas like roadside ditches and drainage basins. This aggressively invasive grass can grow up to 20 feet tall, in dense groupings, and tends to spread rapidly, quickly colonizing disturbed wetlands.
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Once established, the invasive plant forms a monoculture with a dense mat, outcompeting native vegetation, lowering the local plant biodiversity, and displacing native animals. These landscape changes impair the natural function of the marsh ecosystem by altering its elevations and tidal reach. A higher, drier marsh leads to less vigorous growth of native salt marsh vegetation, allowing Phragmites australis to gain a stronger foothold and continue to take over.
Phragmites australis can also eliminate small, intertidal channels and obliterate pool habitat that offers natural refuge and feeding grounds for invertebrates, fish, and birds. The spread of invasive Phragmites australis also has negative impacts on land aesthetics and outdoor recreation by obscuring views and restricting access. And, each Fall, when Phragmites australis die off, the large concentrations of dry vegetation increase the risk of fast-spreading fires near highly populated residential and commercial areas.
Over the last century, there has been a dramatic increase in the spread of Phragmites australis, partly due to an increase in residential and commercial development that resulted in disturbances to wetlands. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the rapid spread of Phragmites australis in the 20th century can also be attributed to the construction of railroads and major roadways, habitat disturbance, shoreline development, pollution, and eutrophication.
Princeton Hydro has worked in areas throughout the East Coast to address and properly manage Phragmites australis in order to restore natural habitats and enhance plant diversity, wildlife habitat, and water quality. Two recent projects include the restoration of John A. Roebling Memorial Park in Hamilton and Pin Oak Forest Conservation Area in Woodbridge, New Jersey.




John A. Roebling Memorial Park

Mercer County’s John A. Roebling Memorial Park is home to the northernmost freshwater tidal marsh on the Delaware River, the Abbott Marshlands, an area containing valuable habitat for many rare species. Unfortunately, the area experienced a significant amount of loss and degradation, partially due to the introduction of the invasive Phragmites australis.
For Mercer County Park Commission, Princeton Hydro put together a plan to reduce and control the Phragmites australis, in order to increase biodiversity, improve recreational opportunities, and enhance visitor experience at the park. This stewardship project replaced the Phragmites australis with native species in order to reduce its ability to recolonize the marsh.
By Spring of this year, the team expects to see native species dominating the landscape from the newly exposed native seed bank with minimal Phragmites australis growth.




Pin Oak Forest Conservation Area
The Pin Oak Forest Conservation Area is a 97-acre tract of open space that contains an extremely valuable wetland complex at the headwaters of Woodbridge Creek. The site is located in a heavily developed landscape of northern New Jersey. As such, the area suffered from wetland and stream channel degradation, habitat fragmentation, ecological impairment, and decreased biodiversity due to invasive species, including Phragmites australis.
The site was viewed as one of only a few large-scale freshwater wetland restoration opportunities remaining in this highly developed region of New Jersey. A dynamic partnership between government agencies, NGOs, and private industry, was formed to restore the natural function of the wetlands complex, transform the Pin Oak Forest site into thriving habitat teeming with wildlife, and steward this property back to life.
This award-winning restoration project converted over 30 acres of degraded freshwater wetlands, streams and disturbed uplands dominated by invasive species into a species-rich and highly functional headwater wetland complex. The resulting ecosystem provides valuable habitat for wildlife including the state-threatened Black-crowned Night-heron and Red-headed Woodpecker. Biodiversity was also increased through invasive species management, which allowed establishment of native plants such as pin oak, swamp white oak, marsh hibiscus, and swamp rose. The restored headwater wetland system provides stormwater management, floodplain storage, enhanced groundwater recharge onsite, and surface water flows to Woodbridge Creek, as well as public hiking trails, all benefiting the town of Woodbridge.




Managing and Monitoring Phragmites
Scientific field research continues to be conducted in order to identify the best way(s) to manage and control the spread of Phragmites australis. Depending on the landscape and how established the Phragmites australis population is, there are several different methods that can be effective in reducing Phragmites australis infestations in order to allow for the regeneration of native wetland plant communities and protect fish and wildlife habitat.
Recently, a group of more than 280 scientists, resource managers and policy professionals gathered together at the Hudson River Estuary Program’s (HEP) annual conference to explore how natural and nature-based solutions (i.e. building living shorelines, enhancing tidal wetlands and stream corridors, and conserving vulnerable floodplains) can be used as critical tools for addressing the impacts of climate change while also protecting and enhancing critical habitat.
The conference included six interactive workshops and dynamic panel discussions. Christiana Pollack, CERP, GISP, CFM of Princeton Hydro, Terry Doss of New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, Kip Stein from New York City Parks, and Judith Weis of Rutgers lead a panel discussion, moderated by Lisa Baron from U.S. Army Corps Engineers, on "The Yin and Yang of Estuarine Phragmites Management" to share lessons learned over many years of combating invasive species, including how sea level rise is changing minds and techniques.
Together, representing decades of experience in Phragmites australis management and research, these experts presented the evolving nature of restoration for this habitat type, common control/management methodologies, and long-term management and monitoring strategies for this reed and other invasive species. During the panel discussion, Christiana made specific mention of the Roebling Park project as one example of successful strategies in action.
If you’re interested in learning more and seeing photos from a few recent Phragmites australis management projects, click below for a free download of Christiana’s full presentation.



Through a combination of prevention, early detection, eradication, restoration, research and outreach, we can protect our native landscapes and reduce the spread of invasive species. Click here to learn more about how invasive species disrupt our ecosystems, why managing them is so important, and the cutting-edge tools and innovative techniques helping to eradicate invasives and restore balance to delicate ecosystems.
 

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Freshwater mussels are among the oldest living and second most diverse organisms on Earth with over 1,000 recognized species. Here in the eastern part of the U.S., we have more species of freshwater mussels than anywhere in the world. Unfortunately, freshwater mussels are one of the most rapidly declining animal groups in North America. Out of the 300 species and subspecies found on the continent, 70 (23%) have been federally listed as "Threatened" or "Endangered" under the Endangered Species Act. And, in the last century, over 30 species have become permanently extinct. So, why are populations declining so fast?

Freshwater mussels are filter feeders and process large volumes of the water they live in to obtain food. This means of survival also makes them highly susceptible to industrial and agricultural water pollution.  Because they are constantly filtering water, the contaminants and pathogens that are present are absorbed into the mussel’s tissues. As such, mussels are good indicators of water quality and can greatly contribute to improving water quality by filtering algae, bacteria and organic matter from the water column.

Not only do freshwater mussels rely on water quality, they are dependent on fish and other aquatic organisms for reproductive success. In order for a freshwater mussel to complete the reproduction process, it must “infect” a host fish with its larvae. The method depends on the specie of mussel. Some species lure fish using highly modified and evolved appendages that mimic prey. When a fish goes into investigate the lures, the female mussel releases fertilized eggs that attach to the fish, becoming temporarily parasitic. Once the host fish is infected, it can transfer the mussel larvae upstream and into new areas of the river.
Both habitat loss from dam construction and the introduction of pesticides into the water supply has contributed to the decline of freshwater mussels. With approximately 300 mussel species in the U.S. alone, a critical component of restoring and revitalizing mussel populations is truly understanding their biology, which begins with the ability to properly differentiate each species and properly identify and catalog them. Princeton Hydro’s Senior Scientist Evan Kwityn, CLP and Aquatic Ecologist Jesse Smith recently completed the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Fresh Water Mussel Identification Training at the National Conservation Training Center in West Virginia.

Through hands-on laboratory training, Evan and Jesse developed their freshwater mussel identification skills and their knowledge of freshwater mussel species biology. Course participants were tasked with mastering approximately 100 of the most common freshwater mussel species in the United States. They also learned about proper freshwater mussel collection labeling, the internal and external anatomy and meristics of a freshwater mussel, and distributional maps as an aid to freshwater mussel identification.
 



 
In a recently published press release, Tierra Curry, a senior scientist with the Center for Biological Diversity was quoted as saying, “The health of freshwater mussels directly reflects river health, so protecting the places where these mussels live will help all of us who rely on clean water. This is especially important now, when we see growing threats to clean water from climate change, agriculture and other sources.”
Princeton Hydro is committed to protecting water quality, restoring habitats, and managing natural resources. Read about some of our recent projects and contact us to discuss how we can help you.
To learn more about freshwater mussels, check out this video from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service:
[embed]https://youtu.be/OWjlwfx67eY?si=YLCmgt2Ry0GiQ6BQ[/embed]

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An ambitious project is underway to eradicate the invasive Silty Pond Mussel (formerly known as the Chinese pond mussel, Sinanodonta woodiana) from the Wickecheoke Creek Preserve in New Jersey. This critical initiative seeks to protect local ecosystems, safeguard native aquatic species, and prevent the spread of these aggressive invaders into the broader Delaware River ecosystem.


[caption id="attachment_16006" align="alignright" width="394"] Provided by NJ Conservation Foundation[/caption]
The Silty Pond Mussel was first discovered in the United States in 2010 at a former fish farm in Hunterdon County, now part of NJ Conservation Foundation’s Wickecheoke Creek Preserve. It is believed the mussels arrived as glochidia (a microscopic larval stage of some freshwater mussels) attached to the gills of bighead carp, another invasive species imported from China by the farm's previous owners. Initially overlooked and undocumented in North America, the mussels quickly established a foothold in the Preserve's ponds, threatening local ecosystems.
These invasive mussels, which can grow to the size of a small football, form high-density colonies that pose a severe threat to native organisms. This aggressive species outcompetes native mussels for nutrients and habitat, altering water chemistry in the process and drastically depleting the local ecosystem of resources essential to native plants and animals. Additionally, once the Silty Pond Mussel glochidia attach to the gills of native fish, a biological reaction occurs that ultimately kills the host fish thus preventing native mussels from completing their own life cycle on these fish hosts. This dual impact — monopolizing food and habitat resources as adults while denying native mussels access to necessary host fish — makes the Silty Pond Mussel especially harmful to local ecosystems.
Following the initial discovery, DNA testing conducted by the NJ Invasive Species Strike Team, New Jersey Endangered & Nongame Species Program, and the North Carolina State Museum of Natural Sciences confirmed the presence of this invasive species, marking the first documentation of the Silty Pond Mussel in North America. Early eradication efforts began shortly thereafter.
Since 2019, a coalition of partners has expanded these efforts and remained committed to the complete eradication of the Silty Pond Mussel species. Led by NJDEP Fish & Wildlife and including organizations such as tthe U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, NJ Conservation Foundation, Rutgers University, NJ Water Supply Authority, U.S. Department of the Interior's Office of Restoration and Damage Assessment (ORDA) and Princeton Hydro, the project has focused on surveying waterways using SCUBA, snorkel and physical analysis; utilizing environmental DNA (eDNA) testing to detect the presence of mussels in a waterbody; and applying targeted treatments. Community engagement and education are also central to these efforts, emphasizing the importance of collaboration in tackling this ecological threat.
Geoffrey M. Goll, P.E., President of Princeton Hydro, emphasized the collaborative nature of the efforts: "This initiative exemplifies the power of partnership and innovation in tackling environmental challenges. Together, we are making significant strides in preserving our state's rich biodiversity."




Protecting Biodiversity and Partnering for Eradication
The Wickecheoke Creek Preserve, home to nearly 400 native plant species and a wide variety of wildlife, includes 14 miles of streams and flows directly into the D&R Canal, which supplies clean drinking water to one million New Jersey residents. New Jersey is also home to 12 native freshwater mussel species, nine of which are classified as Endangered, Threatened, or of Special Concern, further underscoring the the urgency of preventing this aggressive invasive species from spreading. Left unchecked, the Silty Pond Mussel could disrupt one of the most biodiverse freshwater regions in the country and cause significant ecological harm. Swift action to address this invasive species is essential to protecting the Wickecheoke Creek Preserve, safeguarding native species, and preserving the health of the Delaware River watershed.
Each project partner plays an essential roles in the eradication process. Rutgers University is performing the environmental DNA (eDNA) monitoring and analyzing the results. Princeton Hydro is applying targeted treatments to the ponds where the mussels were initially detected, and, if eDNA or physical sampling reveals signs of the mussels in other water bodies, the team will extend these treatments accordingly. Using a highly specialized approach, Princeton Hydro’s licensed applicators have partnered with SePRO to apply Natrix, an EPA-registered pesticide developed specifically for managing invasive mollusk populations. The 2024 phase of the project has incorporated significant advancements in treatment design. The team’s strategy is both preventative and responsive. The project has garnered financial support from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Delaware River Greenway Partnership through the Lower Delaware Wild and Scenic Program.


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In addition to treatment, Princeton Hydro is focused on rigorous documentation and educational outreach. “It’s important for us to record every aspect of this project, not only from a scientific perspective but also for public education,” said the Princeton Hydro Director of Marketing & Communications Dana Patterson Grear. “We want to ensure this species is contained here and prevented from spreading throughout New Jersey or, worse, across the United States.” As part of these efforts, Princeton Hydro aims to share detailed information on the Silty Pond Mussel’s characteristics and identification markers. “By educating communities and environmental stakeholders on what to look for, we hope to empower rapid responses in other areas, should the species appear elsewhere,” said Patterson Grear.




Dive Deeper: Watch the Video on Eradication Efforts
As part of the project's commitment to transparency and education, New Jersey DEP Fish & Wildlife created a detailed video to showcase the silty pond mussel eradication and identification efforts. This video delves deeper into the techniques and collaborative approaches being used to address the invasive species. We encourage you to watch the video to gain a comprehensive understanding of the challenges faced and the innovative strategies employed in this groundbreaking effort.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qplXLi5tOPY[/embed]


To learn more about invasive species, obtain practical tips for identifying and managing invasives, and take actions to help protect our local ecosystems, click here to check out our recent blog.
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