A version of the following article appeared in the May 6, 2026, edition of The Charlotte Ledger, an e-newsletter with local business-y news and insights for Charlotte, N.C.
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Lower water levels threaten an endangered mussel species in N.C. and S.C.
by Lindsey Banks
Along the banks of just six North and South Carolina streams lies a freshwater mussel known as the Carolina heelsplitter. The rare species, with its yellow-and-greenish brown, trapezoid-shaped shell, was discovered in 1852 but had not been seen for decades before 1987, according to the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission.
The heelsplitter’s livelihood depends on water levels — and by extension, rainfall — but the Charlotte region has been grappling with a deepening drought, and lowering water levels are threatening the fragile habitats this species relies on.
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