Freshwater mussels help clean up the water

According to Green Guide, the mussels "suck water in, filter out bits of algae, bacteria and other tiny particles, and then release it back to the river cleaner than before. One mussel alone can cleanse as much as a gallon of water per hour."

The U.S. has by far the most species of freshwater mussels in the world, but we're losing them quickly. Sixty-nine percent of the species here are extinct or at risk of being extinct.