TULSA – Small water releases from Sardis Lake have been initiated to help protect two endangered species of mussels in the Kiamichi River below Sardis Dam. Representatives of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Oklahoma Water Resources Board, the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers cooperated in the joint decision that will protect the threatened mussel beds while maintaining important water supply and recreational uses within the lake itself.

Small water releases from Sardis Lake have been initiated to help protect two endangered species of mussels in the Kiamichi River below Sardis Dam. Representatives of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Oklahoma Water Resources Board, the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers cooperated in the joint decision that will protect the threatened mussel beds while maintaining important water supply and recreational uses within the lake itself.

Due to continuing drought conditions, the mussel beds will be exposed to drying and excessive heat if the water release is not made, which could prove fatal to the mussels. "Fortunately, we can protect the two endangered species by releasing what will amount to about one inch of water from the Sardis reservoir for the month of August," said Col. Michael Teague, commander of the Tulsa District of the Corps of Engineers. "The impact to the Sardis pool is minimal." Absent additional rainfall, the lake is forecast to drop just a little over one-half foot during the next month, the majority of that due to evaporation.

Flows, water quality, and the endangered mussels will be monitored, and a decision to continue or modify the water releases will be made jointly by the affected agencies. Water resource and wildlife agencies are maintaining close communications during the extreme drought conditions to effectively manage water conservation storage at Oklahoma lakes.

The two types of endangered mussels being protected by the decision are the Ouachita rock pocketbook and the scaleshell mussels. Sardis Lake is located in Pushmataha County, Okla., on Jackfork Creek, a tributary of the Kiamichi River. It provides flood control, water supply, recreation, and fish and wildlife benefits. More information on Tulsa District lakes is available at www.swt.usace.army.mil.