R. Adam Ray, Steven W. Hamilton, and Joseph Schiller, PO Box 4718 Austin Peay State University, Department of Biology, Clarksville, TN

Abstract. Freshwater mussel populations have declined significantly in Tennessee's waterways. The Sulphur Fork Creek (SFC) watershed is a typical Tennessee watershed, creating the potential for constructing a model applicable to other mussel studies in the state. This is the inaugural freshwater mussel survey of SFC watershed. The Tennessee Department of Fish and Wildlife has recently completed a fish survey of SFC watershed. In November of 1997, mussels were collected by clam net along transects from both the head and foot of four riffles located in the northern portion of the watershed. Temperature, dissolved oxygen (D.O.), pH, stream velocity, and turbidity, measurements were taken approximately 20 meters upstream of the first riffle. The Asiatic clam (Corbicula fluminea) was the most predominant species. Remnant shells of Sphaeriid (i.e. fingernail) and the Unionid clams were also observed. Freshwater mussels appear to prefer riffle headwaters to riffle tailwaters. The chi square goodness of fit test indicates that observed and expected frequencies were significantly different (p<0.001) in all four riffles. High siltation rates in the SFC watershed are a likely factor depressing abundance and diversity of freshwater mussels by reducing recruitment of young mussels.