Mussel Madness

Okay, so I've never had a great relationship with mussels. My first experience with them, at Charley's Crab in Washington, DC, led to a first experience with food poisoning. They didn't taste good going down and they sure didn't taste any better coming up. Now mussels are messing with me again...demanding precious water from my Lake Lanier.

Supposedly these unattractive little creatures are "endangered" and the U.S Army Corps of Engineers feels a sense of obligation to save them - sending them millions of gallons of H2O daily while us lake lovers are helplessly watching our playground disappear. We'd have to get something like 2 inches of rain per day to keep up with what is being given away - and that just isn't happening! Lake Lanier is not only suffering the effects of a drought of historic proportions, but also, I fear, the result of poor management of its resources by the Corps which accidentally let 22 billions gallons escape last year. Lake Lanier marinas are struggling tremendously - trying to keep their tenants happy and their tenants' boats on water. Sailboats and houseboats are having to play "musical slips" to stay safe(my own has been moved twice in the past 2 weeks) and it's becoming more and more dangerous to even move around on the lake due to water hazards. Businesses and property values are taking a huge hit.


The two species of mussels that are sucking up our water to avoid extinction are the Purple Bankclimber and the Fat Threeridge. I actually do feel a bit sorry for mussels; in doing research I found that we've given them some pretty insulting-sounding names such as Round Pigtoe, Monkey Face, Sheepnose, Wartyback, Pimpleback, and Fat Mucket. But the sympathy stops there. While I wouldn't wish extinction for any living creature, as I watch Lake Lanier seemingly evaporate I am left wondering - in a battle between man and mussel, isn't it somewhat ludicrous to let the mussel be victorious?

I've had quite enough of my mussel musings - I think I'll just pray for rain!