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The Conasauga River

©George IveyOn the steep, forested slopes of the Blue Ridge Mountains in northwest Georgia, the clean, cool waters of the Conasauga River descend rapidly through the mountains toward Tennessee. Crossing the state line, the river pauses in deep pools, dropping now and then through a number of small rapids.

The Conasauga River supports 24 rare and imperiled aquatic species, including 12 that are federally listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Its clear waters are home to a colorful array of rare fishes, including the holiday darter (Etheostoma brevirostrum), the blue shiner (Cyprinella caerulea) and the endangered Conasauga logperch (Percina jenkinsi). Flowing farther through Tennessee and back into Georgia, the river harbors other rare fishes, including the frecklebelly madtom (Noturus munitus) and the amber darter (Percina antesella). Some of the rarest river inhabitants live quietly at the bottom of the river; a half dozen species of freshwater mussels. These animals, including the endangered southern pigetoe (Pleurobema georgianum) and traingular kidneshell (Ptychobranchus greenii), filter the river's waters for nourishment. There is even fresh evidence that three species of mussels believed to be extinct may actually be surviving in the Conasauga.