US Army Corps of Engineers
Hydrologic Engineering Center

Green River

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Green River, Kentucky - Groundbreaking changes to reservoir operations

As the first collaboration between the Corps and The Nature Conservancy that focused on reservoir management, activities on the Green River have been a catalyst for the entire Sustainable Rivers Program. Environmental management strategies were drafted in 1998 and implemented in 2002. Today, as a result of the changes, local communities are pleased with extended recreation seasons, economies related to the tourism industry are growing, and scientists are reporting increases in the number and diversity of downstream mussel communities.

Dr. Richie Kessler, formerly with The Nature Conservancy, shows a bottlebrush crayfish to Lisa Morales, Corps, and John Paul Woodley, Jr., then Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, during a visit to Green River.
Green River - Dr. Richie Kessler, formerly with The Nature Conservancy, shows a bottlebrush crayfish to Lisa Morales, Corps, and John Paul Woodley, Jr., then Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, during a visit to Green River (photo by Jane Ruhl, USACE).
Excavators break up Green River Lock and Dam No. 6 during demolition, which was completed in April 2017.
Corps removes a retired Lock and Dam - Excavators break up Green River Lock and Dam No. 6 during demolition, which was completed in April 2017 (USACE photo).
Green River Lake, Campbellsville, Kentucky. The Green River is one of the most biologically diverse rivers in the country. It is home to more than 150 fish species, more than 60 mussel species and many threatened or endangered species.
Green River Lake - Green River Lake, Campbellsville, Kentucky. The Green River is one of the most biologically diverse rivers in the country. It is home to more than 150 fish species, more than 60 mussel species and many threatened or endangered species (USACE photo).
Paddlers explore Green River below Green River Dam. The river is rich in biodiversity and provides excellent opportunities for people to enjoy nature as it flows past several downstream human communities, through Mammoth Cave National Park, and on to its confluence with the Ohio River.
Green River - Paddlers explore Green River below Green River Dam. The river is rich in biodiversity and provides excellent opportunities for people to enjoy nature as it flows past several downstream human communities, through Mammoth Cave National Park, and on to its confluence with the Ohio River (photo by John Hickey, USACE).
Mike Turner, Louisville District Chief of the Environmental Resources Section (retired), at the Center for Mollusk Conservation in Frankfurt, Kentucky. The Center’s mission is to restore and recover rare and imperiled freshwater mussels. Twenty-one of the more than 60 species of mussels that inhabit the Green River basin are imperiled.
Center for Mollusk Conservation - Mike Turner, Louisville District Chief of the Environmental Resources Section (retired), at the Center for Mollusk Conservation in Frankfurt, Kentucky. The Center’s mission is to restore and recover rare and imperiled freshwater mussels. Twenty-one of the more than 60 species of mussels that inhabit the Green River basin are imperiled (photo by John Hickey, USACE).
When released, infant mussels are very small, barely visible to humans. In nature, these infants (called glochidia) attach to host fish which nourish and transport the young organisms for a short time before the mussels drop and seek habitat in substrate. At the Center, glochidia are reared in specialized equipment that allows the young mussels to survive and grow during this early phase of life.
Propagating Young Mussels - When released, infant mussels are very small, barely visible to humans. In nature, these infants (called glochidia) attach to host fish which nourish and transport the young organisms for a short time before the mussels drop and seek habitat in substrate. At the Center, glochidia are reared in specialized equipment that allows the young mussels to survive and grow during this early phase of life (photo by John Hickey, USACE).
Monty McGregor, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, shows part of the filtration and nutrient removal system at the Center for Mollusk Conservation. The Center is involved with mussel sampling in the Green River.
Managing Conditions - Monty McGregor, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, shows part of the filtration and nutrient removal system at the Center for Mollusk Conservation. The Center is involved with mussel sampling in the Green River (photo by John Hickey, USACE).
Adult mussels are tagged and held to allow for spawning. Offspring are reared and stocked in local rivers to restore naturally occurring populations. The Center for Mollusk Conservation has worked with over 70 species of freshwater mussels.
Conserving Biodiversity - Adult mussels are tagged and held to allow for spawning. Offspring are reared and stocked in local rivers to restore naturally occurring populations. The Center for Mollusk Conservation has worked with over 70 species of freshwater mussels (photo by John Hickey, USACE).
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Story

The Corps and The Nature Conservancy began discussing water management operations of Green River Lake and Dam because of the river’s biodiversity. With more than 60 species of mussels, 152 species of fish, a host of endemic species and multiple cave systems that are connected to the river, Green River has one of the richest aquatic collections in the nation. Many of these species have been negatively affected by human influences in the basin, including 12 globally rare fish species and seven endangered, and 21 imperiled mussel species.   Read More

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