EVALUATION OF THE MUSSEL FISHERY IN WHEELER RESERVOIR, TENNESSEE RIVER

We evaluated the freshwater mussel fishery on Wheeler Reservoir, a 27, 155-hectare mainstream impoundment of the Tennessee River in Alabama. During July 1991 through June 1992, we used a roving creel survey to c onduct 285 interviews over 57 weekdays and 12 weekend days. Total harv est during the 12-month survey period was estimated to be 570 metric t ons, and included 15 mussel species. The most frequently harvested spe cies were the washboard Megalonaias nervosa, Ohio pigtoe Pleurobema co rdatum, and butterfly Ellipsaria lineolata. Harvest peaked in June at 290,414 mussels. Among collection techniques, total estimated effort w as highest for divers (71,160 musseler-hours). The total estimated val ue of the 12-month mussel harvest (in terms of money paid to harvester s) from Wheeler Reservoir was US$2,119,921.