135 - The Secret to East Tennessee’s Lakes & Rivers | McClung Museum
East Tennessee’s lakes and rivers are a huge part of life here. We boat on them, fish them, swim in them, build homes near them, and spend summer weekends on the water. But there’s an entire world beneath the surface that most of us never think about.
In this episode of the Big Orange Business Podcast, Haley Jones visits the McClung Museum of Natural History at the University of Tennessee to meet freshwater mussel experts Jerry Dinkins and Kristen Womble and discover what these unusual creatures can tell us about the health of East Tennessee’s waterways.
The Tennessee River system has more species of freshwater mussels than any other river system in the world. Some mussels can live for more than 100 years, serve as important indicators of water quality, and have one of the strangest reproductive strategies you’ll ever hear about.
Haley also asks some very practical East Tennessee questions: Which local rivers are among the cleanest? Would these scientists swim in Knoxville-area waterways? What happened to aquatic life in the Nolichucky River after Hurricane Helene? And what can people do to help protect the rivers and lakes we enjoy?
Plus, we go inside the McClung Museum’s collection of roughly 300,000 specimens, including aquatic mollusks representing all 95 Tennessee counties, and learn how part of this remarkable collection got its start in a closet inside Neyland Stadium.
Whether you’re moving to Knoxville, considering a move to East Tennessee, looking for life closer to the lakes and rivers, or already call Tennessee home, this episode uncovers a fascinating part of the region hiding right beneath the water.
Big Orange Business introduces you to the people, places, businesses, and stories that help you understand what it’s really like to live in Knoxville and East Tennessee.
Learn more about the McClung Museum’s Malacology Collection:
https://mcclungmuseum.utk.edu/research/collections/malacology/
In this episode of the Big Orange Business Podcast, Haley Jones visits the McClung Museum of Natural History at the University of Tennessee to meet freshwater mussel experts Jerry Dinkins and Kristen Womble and discover what these unusual creatures can tell us about the health of East Tennessee’s waterways.
The Tennessee River system has more species of freshwater mussels than any other river system in the world. Some mussels can live for more than 100 years, serve as important indicators of water quality, and have one of the strangest reproductive strategies you’ll ever hear about.
Haley also asks some very practical East Tennessee questions: Which local rivers are among the cleanest? Would these scientists swim in Knoxville-area waterways? What happened to aquatic life in the Nolichucky River after Hurricane Helene? And what can people do to help protect the rivers and lakes we enjoy?
Plus, we go inside the McClung Museum’s collection of roughly 300,000 specimens, including aquatic mollusks representing all 95 Tennessee counties, and learn how part of this remarkable collection got its start in a closet inside Neyland Stadium.
Whether you’re moving to Knoxville, considering a move to East Tennessee, looking for life closer to the lakes and rivers, or already call Tennessee home, this episode uncovers a fascinating part of the region hiding right beneath the water.
Big Orange Business introduces you to the people, places, businesses, and stories that help you understand what it’s really like to live in Knoxville and East Tennessee.
Learn more about the McClung Museum’s Malacology Collection:
https://mcclungmuseum.utk.edu/research/collections/malacology/
