11/15/18 – 5:13 A.M.

Biologists and civil engineers have started relocating mussels in the Blanchard River. The Courier reports the group from Stantec Engineering is collecting and moving the mussels out of the area where the river benching project is taking place. Workers are demolishing the dams one-by-one to gradually lower the river levels. Each time they take out a dam, the lower water level exposes more mussels.

Angela Sjollema is a wildlife biologist with Stantec. She says they are finding younger mussels, which is good for the health of the river. Sjollema says that means they are reproducing, and keeping the river clean.

On Wednesday the group removed around 200 mussels from the Cory Street dam location. That included around seven different species.

MORE: The Courier