In this episode, we wade into a surprisingly dramatic story about… mussels. Yep, the endangered kind. We head to a river restoration site where reconstruction of a broken dam was put on pause—all because of one tiny, federally protected freshwater mussel species. But it turns out this isn’t just about mollusks. There was a full-blown political standoff happening between environmental agencies, local government, and residents who want the dam rebuilt ASAP. We share studies by biologists, to figure out why these little filter feeders are important and unique to the ecology of our local watershed. Along the way, we get our hands muddy, learn how mussels help keep rivers clean and why this specific species needs to be protected. This episode’s got science, policy, conflict—and of course, a little bit of our usual river chaos. Come along as we find out what it really takes to protect a species most people don’t even know exists.