The Economic Benefits of Freshwater Mussels

the value of a mussel

With the help of experts at UTK and the TWRA, we were able to determine the value of a mussel based on how much is costs to treat water. By understanding how much of the Tennessee Watershed is filtered by our mussels and how much it would cost to filter the water with human means, we can appreciate how much money is truly saved with the help of our bivalve friends. The calculations made by UTK experts made are based on the following:

  • Cost of treating water per gallon: $0.10

  • Average amount of water a mussel treats every day: 8 gallons

  • The lifespan of some mussel species: 100 years

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