The Tennessee Valley Authority has partnered with wildlife agencies in Tennessee and Virginia to release native mussels into the Powell and Clinch Rivers.

These rare Appalachian rockshell mussels, which TVA says are on the brink of extinction, are important for water filtration. They are found only in the Powell and Clinch Rivers, located in east Tennessee.

TVA, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency and Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources worked together to gather remaining mussels to breed them at a conservation center.

Years later, the organizations released 100 of those mussels into their natural habitats.

TVA says the mussels help keep water clean and filter up to 15 gallons of water per day. Fish depend on this, and land creatures feed on the

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