﻿14 
  MUSSELS 
  OF 
  CENTRAL 
  AND 
  NORTHERN 
  MINNESOTA. 
  

  

  regions 
  show 
  different 
  degrees 
  of 
  discoloration 
  but 
  stain 
  is 
  present 
  in 
  

   some 
  degree 
  practically 
  everywhere. 
  How 
  to 
  check 
  it, 
  control 
  it, 
  

   and 
  eventually 
  eliminate 
  it 
  become 
  exceedingly 
  important 
  questions. 
  

   This 
  Red 
  River 
  offers 
  ideal 
  opportunities 
  for 
  solving 
  these 
  questions. 
  

  

  2. 
  Practical 
  and 
  efficient 
  fishways 
  should 
  be 
  provided 
  for 
  every 
  

   dam 
  across 
  a 
  river 
  of 
  the 
  size 
  and 
  importance 
  of 
  the 
  Red 
  River. 
  

   The 
  blocking 
  of 
  the 
  passage 
  of 
  the 
  fish 
  not 
  only 
  hurts 
  the 
  fishing 
  in 
  

   the 
  waters 
  above 
  the 
  dam 
  but 
  seriously 
  aftects 
  every 
  industry 
  that 
  

   is 
  at 
  all 
  dependent 
  upon 
  fish. 
  A 
  dam 
  or 
  a 
  natural 
  fall, 
  impassable 
  

   for 
  fish, 
  may 
  mean 
  the 
  entire 
  absence 
  of 
  mussels 
  in 
  the 
  river 
  above. 
  

  

  3. 
  Until 
  there 
  has 
  been 
  a 
  solution 
  of 
  the 
  cause 
  of 
  the 
  numerous 
  

   stains 
  on 
  the 
  Red 
  River 
  shells 
  and 
  suitable 
  means 
  have 
  been 
  provided 
  

   for 
  the 
  passage 
  of 
  the 
  fish 
  around 
  the 
  dams, 
  there 
  is 
  little 
  to 
  be 
  gained 
  

   either 
  by 
  propagating 
  the 
  mussels 
  already 
  in 
  evidence 
  or 
  by 
  intro- 
  

   ducing 
  new 
  species. 
  

  

  4. 
  Since 
  the 
  staining 
  is 
  the 
  only 
  character 
  in 
  which 
  these 
  shells 
  are 
  

   not 
  first 
  quality, 
  since 
  quite 
  a 
  percentage 
  of 
  the 
  shells 
  are 
  free 
  from 
  

   stains, 
  and 
  since 
  a 
  goodly 
  proportion 
  (unstained 
  part) 
  of 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  

   stained 
  shells 
  can 
  be 
  utilized 
  for 
  buttons, 
  it 
  follows 
  that 
  a 
  local 
  blank 
  

   factory, 
  using 
  the 
  shells 
  where 
  they 
  were 
  found 
  would 
  obtain 
  an 
  

   abundance 
  of 
  material. 
  The 
  loss 
  occasioned 
  by 
  the 
  stained 
  portions 
  

   of 
  the 
  shell 
  would 
  be 
  more 
  than 
  offset 
  by 
  the 
  saving 
  in 
  freight. 
  

  

  MUSSELS 
  OF 
  THE 
  CROW 
  WING 
  GROUP. 
  

  

  The 
  lakes 
  connected 
  w^ith 
  this 
  group 
  were 
  once 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  great 
  

   glacial 
  lake 
  Nicollet, 
  which 
  covered 
  1,500 
  square 
  miles 
  and 
  drained 
  

   southwest 
  through 
  the 
  Crow 
  Wing 
  River 
  into 
  the 
  Mississippi. 
  This 
  

   drainage, 
  therefore, 
  represents 
  the 
  original 
  headwaters 
  of 
  the 
  Missis- 
  

   sippi 
  River 
  and 
  was 
  populated 
  with 
  mussels 
  from 
  that 
  source. 
  The 
  

   center 
  of 
  the 
  Crow 
  Wing 
  drainage 
  is 
  in 
  Wadena 
  County, 
  from 
  whence 
  

   it 
  extends 
  north 
  through 
  the 
  Fishhook 
  River 
  into 
  Hubbard 
  County 
  

   and 
  nearly 
  up 
  to 
  the 
  present 
  headwaters 
  of 
  the 
  Mississippi; 
  west 
  

   through 
  Straight 
  and 
  Shell 
  Rivers 
  into 
  Becker 
  County; 
  west 
  also 
  

   through 
  Red 
  Eye, 
  Leaf, 
  and 
  Wing 
  Rivers 
  into 
  Ottertail 
  County, 
  and 
  

   south 
  through 
  Wing 
  and 
  Turtle 
  Rivers 
  into 
  Todd 
  County. 
  

  

  There 
  are 
  very 
  few 
  lakes 
  in 
  this 
  drainage 
  and 
  they 
  are 
  close 
  to 
  the 
  

   headwaters 
  of 
  the 
  various 
  tributary 
  rivers. 
  Both 
  the 
  lakes 
  and 
  the 
  

   rivers 
  are 
  shallow, 
  with 
  sand 
  or 
  gravel 
  bottoms; 
  the 
  mussels 
  thus 
  far 
  

   secured 
  have 
  been 
  obtained 
  with 
  forks 
  and 
  rakes; 
  there 
  was 
  no 
  oppor- 
  

   tunity 
  to 
  use 
  a 
  crowfoot 
  dredge. 
  The 
  following 
  table 
  gives 
  the 
  

   distribution 
  of 
  the 
  mussels 
  in 
  this 
  group 
  : 
  

  

  