Mussel Die Off_Lake Cumberland?

[ON3 3Y3D WILLI3]

Really good thread:

http://www.fishin.com/forums2/showthread.php?t=70854

[KMC]

I have to admit, this is a distinctly southern US phenomenon and I do not have much personal experience studying this. I do know that it is something that happens regularly in the summer months down south. This makes sense as it is tied to hot water temps and low oxygen levels (and these two factors go hand in hand, as cold water can hold higher levels of oxygen). If this is in fact an annual event that has always occured, then it suggests that the mussels have learned to live with this regular stress on their community, and it does not necessarily suggest a long term degradation of the waterbody. However, if this die off is found to be a regular but relatively recent phenomenon, then perhaps we should be more concerned about the ultimate causes.