Due to the small size of Iowa's interior rivers, clam beds could be wiped out by harvesters. House File 2506 would allow commercial harvest of mussels for five years and then a study would be done to assess the situation. I believe the study results could be predicted now. There would be no beds in the areas of harvest. Existing mussel beds in Iowa's interior streams are well defined and are in limited areas where during low water periods in the summertime they are vulnerable to exploitation.
Mussels are filter feeders which means they help clean the water they live in.
Their young are important food for fish. They are a native species, have been in our waters forever and deserve protection. Write your legislators and tell them you oppose this bill. Larry Myhre is editor of The Journal.