After Ashland dam removal, freshwater mussel species reintroduced to South Anna River

The Ashland Mill Dam, which blocked fish migration in the South Anna River for 200 years, was removed in 2024. Over 750 alewife floater mussels were reintroduced to the river after the dam's removal, as the species had become functionally extinct due to disrupted fish migration. Biologists and volunteers now monitor the mussels' recovery and fish species like herring that carry mussel larvae upstream.