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My initial impressions of my new Ibiza Rhapsody
I want to love the Ibiza and in may ways I do but there are some serious issues that need working out before it is a serious contender. If these issues aren't resolved soon it is going back to amazon before my 30 day return period is up. If they get resolved then Im going to be one happy camper because this will be the best DAP of all time.
Verdict so far:
Serious issue # 1 - After watching a few videos I get error messages that require me to shut off the player and turn it back on. It then works again. These are the videos that come on the device. I haven't even tried my own yet. I was however glad to see that videos (unlike podcasts) auto-resume from where you left off - although Im not sure if this survives a power off.
Serious issue # 2 - Videos have no timeline! Thats inexcusable. How do you know where you are in a video, or how long it is? FF or RW is a joke when you dont have any kind of time reference. Im not just talking about AOL videos but even the ones on the hard drive.
Serious issue # 3 - Buttons often dont respond to being pressed. I will try to trouble shoot more and be more specific in a later post. Even play/pause sometimes doesnt work (even if I press once and wait a while) - other times it works great. This doesnt seem to be an issue of just waiting for the progress circle to stop spinning and complete the action. Related to this, when an action is waiting to be completed the Ibiza should not allow people to continue to scroll around like it didnt register the action. All input should stop until the action is completed.
Annoyance # 1 - Adding channels from the Ibiza doesnt work. It says it is adding them but it doesnt.
Annoyance # 2 - Under Rhapsody the My Tracks entry should sort by Artist/Album/Track. The way it is now it shows all tracks from all artists in one long messy list. Going to My Artist is also a problem because it doesnt let you list your library tracks from this artist. Because of this if I knew I had a favorite song by a an artist Id have a hard time finding it if I didnt first know the exact name of the song and scroll through a huge list of songs from every artist.
Annoyance # 3 - No way to delete artists, albums or tracks from Rhapsody Library without using a computer. This should be allowed from the Ibiza.
Annoyance # 4 - No way to add tracks to Rhapsody playlists. You can add tracks to playlists from My Music but not from Rhapsody.
Annoyance # 5 - No auto-resume on podcasts. Podcasts are nearly useless without auto-resume. Even if it was just on ones that were downloaded to the hard drive it would be much better than it is now and Im sure much easier to implement than on the streaming ones.
Annoyance # 6 - No way to tell if the podcast you are looking at is an audio or video podcast (this is in the huge podcast index). I should also be able to tell what I have listened to.
Annoyance # 7 - Bluetooth skips badly on my fully charged Motorola S9 headset. The sound quality is also very poor. When using this S9 headset with my Motorola Q phone it didnt skip and sounded much better. The controls on the headset were also not very responsive with the Ibiza.
Annoyance # 8 - While it turns out that I find the player nice looking in person and well built overall, the barcode sticker on the back looks bad - the white silk screening on the rubber also doesnt look great and isnt likely to hold up to wear. Also, when I received the player from amazon it was sealed with a starburst sticker on the outside but there was a broken void sticker on the box. The plastic screen cover on the Ibiza also looked like it had been taken off and put back on by someone eating potato chips.
Annoyance # 9 - Could the cost of 60GB hard drives been that much more than the 30s? Both are outdated by todays standards but 30 is really small.
Annoyance # 10 - Sound from hard drive and even the screen (backlight?) is audible at times - through the headphones.
Some mostly positive comments:
The sound quality is really great - Im using Shure 530s. Im not an audiophile but I think it sounds as good or better than my Creative Zen M. I dont care about the EQ because I prefer to leave it flat anyways - I do understand this is important to others however and should be added. The skins are fun and well done. Having Rhapsody available on a DAP is too cool for words - truly a killer app. Other than the refinements and bug fixes that I mentioned above Rhapsody is implemented very well. Podcasting will be great when they add auto-resume - until then it is not worth using. Big points for the glass screen. Quality of the screen looks good but brightness should be adjustable and Id like the option to keep the backlight on when it is plugged in.
In summary:
If the developers are as dedicated as they seem to be about getting the kinks worked out of this player it could be the best DAP I could imagine - other than drive size. I know it sounds like I dont like it but I really do. I see its potential but as of now it is not living up to it.
Im going to wait a week or two to post reviews on CNET, Amazon, etc. so that the developers have a chance to respond and correct me on anything I may have gotten wrong. As of right now I'd give it a 3/5 stars. 3.5 if amazon would let me.
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Kevin Hart Is Dumb Funny: Living The Life With Jermaine Dupri, Nelly, Nick Cannon, Bobby Brown & Kevin In Miami!
Living The Life With JD
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Steve Jobs
According to a report by Business Insider, the co-founder and CEO of the iPhone maker told associates he wanted to create an Apple car.
Jobs also reportedly told the Times, during a meeting prior to his death, that he wanted to 'take on Detroit.
According to the Daily Mail, longtime Apple board member Mickey Drexler, who is also the CEO of J. Crew, confirmed the report, saying 'Steve's dream before he died was to design an iCar.
Drexler believes the never-realized Apple car could have made a serious impact in the American car market.
Meanwhile, Apple's largest rival Google has already famously put weight behind a self-driving car, the paper said.
The Google driverless car, as it's most often known, has been the subject of countless videos and news articles detailing the likelihood (or unlikelihood) of its success or even feasibility, it added.


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In his Sept. 18 column for the Catholic Herald, newspaper of the Diocese of Madison, Wis., Bishop Robert C. Morlino writes that he has received a "multitude of requests" to set the record straight about a recent homily he gave on Catholic politicians. The Sept. 7 homily was prompted by remarks by Sen. Joe Biden, the Democratic vice-presidential candidate, on "Meet the Press." But the bishop said reports on his homily by members of the media who were not at the Mass — using terms like "irate" and "blast" — served to "stir up resentment and conflict within the church because, I suppose, that sells copy."
At the heart of much of the reaction to his homily was a confusion about "what it means that the church is apostolic," Bishop Morlino said. "My point was about Catholic instruction and mission," he said. "It was not primarily about politicians or even pro-life." The diocese's Web site also features a link to an audio file of the bishop's full homily.


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Rule #1 - Be Patient - Rule #2 - Don't ask when, if you don't contribute - Rule #3 - You have coding skills - LinuxMCE's small brother is available: http://www.agocontrol.com
HI Pros,I am a bit confused about the details of relationship between MD and core. I know MD use PXE boot to get an image off Core and run indepently.Is this just an application of LTSP? or it's different? what would be the difference? The LTSP also boots a thin-client pc off server with an image and try to log-in to server with user's own account. All the apps work are computed on the core.Your feedback is appreciated.thankspeng


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Hedge Fund: Tesla Is Next Apple or Google
Arizona hedge fund firm Longboard Asset Management predicts a huge short squeeze in Tesla that will drive the stock to $100 within the next 18 months. MarketWatch's Rex Crum reports. (Photo: Getty Images)
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
I ... the comes to investing people are always looking up for say the next hour or the next cool something I might start off small yet to be a few years down the road ... well this one fits well in Arizona in particular the things that the company could be Tesla ... I'm Rex Crum for MarketWatch ... and longboard Asset Management in Scottsdale things that the electric car maker Tesla could be the next company really keep your eye on ... and pay off in a while ... of the argue that Tesla could be worth a hundred dollars a share in eighteen months ... as much as two hundred dollars a share in the next five years ... tussling is kind of controversy oh for a few reasons one of which ... is that ... a great one of the stock has actually held by shorts these are people were betting against the stock can expect going down ... approximately forty four percent of stencils publicly held shares are owned by people who are looking for to go down ... so far Tesla's than actually performing well of late ... separate data stock took a hit of about one point seven percent before closing at fifty three ninety nine a share ...


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Hey everybody! So I'm interested in cosplaying although not to sure how to go about it. I'm abody nticipating to cosplay at AX 2013 as Yukio Okumara (for the first day at least)
Any tips from anybody who actively cosplayed or have before?
Would really appreciate it!
Procrastination is the only true enemy
Cosplaying as a Japanese Manga or Westen Comic character?
I think that westerners are better at cosplaying comic character, asian are better anime cosplayer.
For example, The Avengers movie would be rather stupid if they were Asian... know what I mean?
No racism intended...
If "Nobody" is indestructible...Then I'm "Nobody"....!!!
Find a character that suits YOU, not who you want to pretend to be.
If you find someone who is like YOU, then you will pull it off much easier.
Next thing is, anime is often colored in naturally impossible combinations. So do not try to mimic it down to the C, the key to an awesome cosplay costume is the skill to make the impossible, possible. If you have a hard time getting that concept, go to your local tailor and ask one who has 2D to 3D experience, they will help you in this regard.
Best thing to do right now, is pay that tailor to make you a custom costume of your character. Ask them if you can see the process. Watch what they do, learn from it. They are the experts. When it is done, pay for it, and promise them you will spread the word, and actually do it, please.
When you get home, inspect the costume very closely and see what they did close up. Learn from this.
As for the role play, just have fun, and most importantly, be yourself. If you found a character that suits you, being yourself WILL be like being that character, and not fake at all.
~From a LARPer.
Evil and Good are subjective.Chaotic Neutral FTW!
Well my advice is don't listen to anybody's criticism or judgment of what characters you can or can't cosplay... if you like a character, cosplay that character, even if it's the opposite sex.
The way I hold you and the night just seems to fly
if you're new at it and have a budget id say try simple ones first and then maybe work your way up to more detailed characters and always consider improvising! itll do you good, like paper mashays and stuff like that doesnt matter if its the opposite gender even! and i like to save up on wigs, for example, if i buy a purple wig, id cosplay characters with purple hairs that i like :3 only you have to take good care of the wigs! which im not that good at i think :p have fun with cosplaying xx
GayAsianBoy wrote:
Well my advice is don't listen to anybody's criticism or judgment of what characters you can or can't cosplay... if you like a character, cosplay that character, even if it's the opposite sex.
You shouldn't leave your camera on at a convention GAB, people might find things, like your pictures.
Anyway, seriously, starting small and easy is better for the new starts confidence levels.
Evil and Good are subjective.Chaotic Neutral FTW!
I would recommend not doing just half plotted...like in the picture above me. Take some time, look up anime characters, find a character who you look like and do not. Then make a list of characters who you can 'pull off' and ones that you can't ''pull off' and making it look good, in facial and bodily appeal alone and nothing else. Then after making the list, give those characters in the 'I can pull this off, maybe'' and give them a 'try' meaning: start getting the clothing/ hairstyle/ extc. After getting and looking like the character, clothing in all. Get some consulting from a friend/ girlfriend/ or someone. If they tell you something like "Really? you really think you can pull it off?" or "Yeah, I don't think you can pull it off" then do not go as that character. But, if you get "Wow, you look pretty good" or "Good enough" then you are fine. But, remember to have a character picture of the character you a Cosplaying as during the 'asking others' phase, some might have no idea about who the character is :x
The past is the past, don't let it cloud who you are now.
Cosplay as whomever you want to, really. (Unless its like the picture posted above..no one wants to see that at a convention lol)
At conventions in particular, it doesnt really matter if you are a perfect 100% recreation of a character or fat/skinny, if someone like the character you are cosplaying...you will get Glomped. Getting glomped is a Convention tradition!
Cosplay as a character you like, doesn't matter what they look like, if you like them, that's all that matters.
I suggest starting out with something easy, a lot of people make the mistake of looking at a picture and going 'it cant be THAT hard' then get extremely overwhelmed when they get started and realize it's a lot harder than it looks. And hell, if you aren't that great at sewing, maybe start out with clothes that look like what you need, and alter them to make them just like the character, that way you're not completely starting from scratch ... if you want to really get into cosplaying, work your way into it, don't try to just jump head first off the cliff.
Also, give yourself PLENTY of time to get your costume done, if you think 'it should take me 2 weeks to do, so I can wait til 2 weeks before the con to start it' ... start a month before the con (or do like I do, and start on it whenever you have time, and if you have it done 6 months early, oh well, then you don't have to worry about it and you were able to take your time).
Make sure you have plenty of reference pictures, from every angle, full body, close up, large images, and pay attention to even the smallest details, and proportions, cuz believe it or not, those 2 things can make a HUGE difference between what your reference picture looks like, and how your costume ends up looking like.
I think those are probably the best things I could tell you if you're just starting off XD If I think of anything else, I'll let you know, haha. Hope this helps!
My suggestions:
- Get started WAY in advance. Like, 3 or 4 months at least. Actually, get started NOW.
- Research the whole costume. Make a list of essential parts that you MUST have, and a list of things that would be nice to have, but if you can't find them in time, you can do without. Focus on things that you NEED first.
- Plan to layer your costume. Meaning, that if it gets hot, you can take off your jacket, and you've got something suitable underneath. Also, plan how you're going to carry stuff around. You will probably want some container like a bag or suitcase that you can carry around your camera or things you've bought. You can use your regular backpack, but it looks cooler to have something that looks like it's part of the cosplay.
- If you need to make something really complex, try doing an internet search and see if someone has made a tutorial for it.
- It's OK to hit up thrift stores or other places to buy cheap stuff that's the same, or similar to what you want, and just change it a bit (it's less work and possibly cheaper than sewing or making it from scratch).
- Unless you have a great complexion or need to look like you've been through the wringer, wear at least a little makeup. It doesn't need to be a full face mask; just a little concealer might be enough. It might be intimidating for you if you're not familiar with wearing makeup, but for all you know, someone might take a picture of you and post it on the internet for all the world to see for all eternity. Do you want your pimples to be memorialized?
- Make sure you've worn the complete costume for a couple of hours on some day before the con, so you know how to put it on, and that all the parts are done right, and don't rip or break after 10 minutes.
- Make a list of everything to bring on the day of the con: costume parts and pieces, makeup, and repair supplies (glue, sewing kit, safety pins, etc.). There will probably be a repair station at the con, but even so, it's a very good idea to know basic handsewing skills, and bring your own supplies.
- If you're bringing anything that remotely looks like a weapon or blade, find out what the con's policies and procedures are for weapon and weapon replicas. It's a good idea to read all the con's rules and policies before you start on the cosplay, so you know what's prohibited.
message me if you need something
Depends on what you wanna do. If you're just doing it for fun and have no specific standards, than well just do whatever. It really doesn't matter as long as you have fun with it.
If you're really trying to look like a character, plan in advance and find your budget. If you just wanna buy made costumes, than it's not so bad. But if you want to make your own costume, you're going to need talents in making clothes, costumes, wigs and such. I'm sure you can find some guides around the web, and with some practice make some nice costumes.
I don't really cosplay much, so I couldn't give you any better advice, but the best I could ever tell you is the have fun and don't bother with other peoples thoughts. It's not worth cosplaying if you don't have fun with it, and you don't have to be exact with your costume just to cosplay. It's just a hobby, made for enjoyment.
Good luck with cosplaying, hope your costumes turn out great~
Have fun! It doesn't matter if you look like the character, but picking a character you feel something for (love, hate, whatever) seems to help a lot of people.
Don't listen to people who think you shouldn't do cosplay because [whatever reason]. If you want to do it, do it and have fun!
Google Image Search is your friend for finding lots of reference shots of whatever you are cosplaying as. You may have to turn on/off the mature filter to get some images (I found a really, really nice reference shot for a sword that way, which was mature because of the semi-naked lady behind it).
Experiment! Cosplaying is a fun way to learn about materials (Friendly Plastic, resin casting, Smooth-On Smooth Cast plastic, wire mesh, etc).
Don't be afraid to ask others for help (you're ahead of the game there, I just thought I'd mention it). Lots of cosplayers do it because they love it as a hobby, and will talk your ear off if you ask them for advice, even if they're rank amateurs.. wait..
There's nothing else I can add. A lot of these posts in this thread are wonderful and explain in great detail this simple message: do what you want to do and have fun!
Sailor Candy Moderator
Summer forum cleaning! To keep the forums neat and tidy we only keep 6 months worth of threads since its June 14, 2013 [6/14/13] we will keep only keep posts open from January 14, 2013 [1/14/13]. Please feel free to recreate any thread closed, as long as someone else didn't open another similar one before you.
Tuxedo Mask!!!


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Wow, this cannot be an ad for the Sears that was our mother's and grandmother's favorite department store. Back in the day, a catalog spread of even the blandest white brassieres was considered ultra racy. Looks like we've come a long way, baby, since then -- as the lovely Kardashian sisters are really ramping up the sexy for Sears in order to promote their recently released Kardashian Kollection clothing line, which includes this sizzling collection of lingerie.
Kourtney, Kim, and Khloe Kardashian look, well, YEOW!
Kim wrote about this top secret photo shoot with her sisters on her blog way back in May, so it's exciting to finally get to see the results. Of course, when I heard about the shoot, I was sort of hoping for a retro Sears catalog spin; however, this has Kardashian style written all over it, which is the point. And if one thing's for sure, these ladies know how to put their brand on everything they do.
I think this shot is definitely my favorite. Smokin'!
And lest we forget about the Kardashian's signature leopard print, which shows up a lot in the Kollection, here's a trio of fabulous animal print hotness. Meoww!
You can check out the full Kardashian Kollection online at Sears now.
What do you think of this photo shoot with the Kardashians?


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Beading Instructions: Double St. Petersburg Chain Tutorial
A couple of years ago, I started seeing this wonderful variation on St. Petersburg chain popping up in magazines and in finished beadwork on Etsy. I was never particularly fond of St. Petersburg chain, but double St. Petersburg chain makes a beautiful strap for a beaded necklace or a gorgeous beaded bracelet all by itself. If you are already familiar with St. Petersburg chain, working this variation of the popular beading stitch is easy and fun!
|To get started, work a length of regular St. Petersburgh chain. When I work double St. Petersburg chain, I usually begin in the center of my thread and wrap the other side of the thread around a plastic thread bobbin. Then when I'm ready to start the second side, I unwrap the thread from the bobbin and I'm ready to go! No worries about adding new thread!
|Pick up your base beads and add them as you did on the first side of the chain. But instead of adding another accent bead, stitch through the accent bead from the first side.
|Pass back down through the base beads you just added as you normally do in St. Petersburg chain.
Pick up an accent bead and stitch up through the other base beads you added in the first step.
Continue to stitch in this manner, passing through the accent beads on the inside of the first side of your double St. Petersburg chain and adding accent beads to the outside edge.
|The finished piece of double St. Petersburg chain can be used as a bracelet, necklace or necklace strap for a larger pendant. Use your imagination when choosing beads for the inside and outside of the chain. You can also easily embellish it even further by adding drop beads or short fringe on the outside beads.
Have you ever tried double St. Petersburg chain? Share your thoughts and tips here on the blog, or better yet, take a picture of your double St. Petersburg chain creation and post it in the Reader Photo Gallery!
Bead Happy,


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Preschool Teacher
The Learning Experience is the fastest-growing childcare operator and franchisor in the United States. Having experienced unprecedented growth, TLE has over 300 centers open or under development in 22 states, plus an enrollment of more than 25,000 children from 6 weeks to 6 years of age. We're going on 10 straight years of double-digit revenue growth! TLE is the most technologically-driven company in the industry with our cutting-edge mobile apps, use of mobile devices, and superior security features. We believe in providing a well-rounded education to children of all ages that extends beyond ABCs and 123s. We have written a philanthropy curriculum that teaches the children: "It doesn't matter how big or small you are, it is the size of your heart that matters." Children, staff, and families participate in regular philanthropic events throughout the year. If you are seeking a career and not just a job, TLE is the company for you.
We are searching for enthusiastic, hard-working candidates to share in our success. At TLE, you will enjoy working with diverse people who have exceptional talent and team spirit, all coming together for the common goal of ensuring that The Learning Experience remains number one! TLE has given many employees a platform to display their talent and further their careers. If you are interested in working in an entrepreneurial atmosphere where employees are encouraged to share their ideas and maximize their potential, apply today and become a member of the TLE family!
Responsibilities of this position will include but are not necessarily limited to the following:
Preferred Qualifications:
In addition to competitive compensation, we offer:
The Learning Experience's policy is to provide equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, gender identity or expression, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, veteran status, membership in the uniformed services, genetic information, or any other basis protected by applicable law.
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Freshwater mussels: western pearlshell (Margaritifera falcata)
(Bivalvia: Unionoida: Unionidae)
Profile and maps prepared by Sarina Jepsen, Caitlin LaBar and Jennifer Zarnoch, The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation
Download a PDF of this profile
The western pearlshell (Margaritifera falcata) has been documented widely in western North America; it is the most common species in the Pacific Northwest. The range of Margaritifera falcata extends from Alaska and British Columbia south to California and east to Nevada, Wyoming, Utah and Montana. This species inhabits cold creeks and rivers with clean water and sea-run salmon or native trout. Documented host fishes for M. falcata include: cutthroat trout, rainbow/steelhead trout, Chinook salmon, and brown trout, and a number of other fish are considered potential hosts. The average life span of M. falcata is approximately 60-70 years, although some individuals are thought to have lived more than 100 years. Because this species is sedentary, sensitive to environmental changes, and long-lived, it can be an excellent biological indicator of water quality. Freshwater mussels that live in dense beds, including M. falcata, provide an important water purification service; they can filter suspended solids, nutrients and contaminants from the water column and collectively improve water quality by reducing turbidity and controlling nutrient levels. Some Native American tribes historically harvested this animal and used it for food, tools and adornment.
M. falcata has been extirpated from northern Nevada, from most areas in northern Utah, and numerous examples exist documenting the decline of this species in particular streams and rivers throughout its range. In addition, there are reports of populations of M. falcata that apparently have not reproduced for decades; populations of such a long lived species may appear stable, when in fact they are not reproducing. However, M. falcata is still abundant in many areas, and we lack the information on historical abundance that would be necessary to document the level of decline that has probably occurred over the past century. There is a need to document the current distribution and abundance of this species, so that if M. falcata populations decline in the future, those declines can be documented and protection for vulnerable populations can be provided.
Figure 1. Photograph of Margaritifera falcata shell exterior (above left) and interior (above right) © Ethan Jay Nedeau, reproduced from the field guide Freshwater Mussels of the Pacific Northwest (Nedeau et al. 2009).
Margaritifera falcata has a black, elongate, and moderately thick shell (Henderson 1929) with a straight or slightly concave ventral margin (Clarke 1981). The shell reaches up to 125 mm in length, 55 mm in height, and 35 mm in width (Clarke 1981). The shell has closely spaced concentric lines on an otherwise smooth exterior surface (Clarke 1981). In juveniles, the periostracum is brown, whereas it is black and eroded at the umboes in adults (Clarke 1981). The lateral teeth are incomplete (Burch 1973) and not well developed; the pseudocardinal teeth are erect and serrated (Clarke 1981); there are two pseudocardinal teeth in the left valve and one in the right valve (Henderson 1929, Clarke 1981). The nacre color is generally dull purple, but can also be salmon-colored or pink (Clarke 1981, Henderson 1929, Nedeau et al. 2009). The beak sculpture consists of a few coarse ridges parallel to the lines of growth (Clarke 1981).
Taxonomic status
Margaritifera falcata (Gould, 1850). Margaritifera in the Pacific drainage were considered Margaritifera margaritifera until 1970, when Heard and Guckert reevaluated the Unionacea and separated M. falcata in the Pacific drainage from M. margaritifera in the Atlantic drainage (Heard & Guckert 1970). The taxonomic status of this species is currently uncontested (Turgeon et al. 1998).
Type locality: "Puget Sound, Oregon" [sic now Washington]; holotype USNM 5893, according to Johnson (1964) (reported in Frest & Johannes 1995).
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Bivalvia
Family: Margaritiferidae
Genus: Margaritifera
Species: Margaritifera falcata
Freshwater mussels, including M. falcata, are filter feeders that consume plankton suspended in the water. As they feed, they filter large quantities of particulate matter and excrete those particles as 'pseudofaeces', which can be an important, nutrient rich food source for benthic macroinvertebrates (reviewed in Vaughn et al. 2008). M. falcata beds have been shown to increase the biomass of other benthic macroinvertebrates in the late summer (Howard & Cuffey 2006). Margaritifera falcata can occur in very high densities. Murphy reports a single bed in the Truckee River of California that contained 10,000 M. falcata individuals (Murphy 1942). Margaritifera falcata are very long-lived – with some individuals estimated to be 100 years in age (Hastie and Toy 2008).
Margaritifera falcata inhabit perennial rivers, streams and creeks at depths of 1.5 to 5 feet, and they tend to congregate in areas with boulders and gravel substrate, with some sand, silt and clay (summarized in Roscoe & Redelings 1964). This species prefers clear, cold water (Frest & Johannes 1995), and has been found at multiple elevations, including waterways above 5,000 feet (A. Smith, pers. comm. 2010). Margaritifera falcata occur in waterways with low velocities, low shear stress and stable substrates (Howard & Cuffey 2003, Vannote & Minshall 1982, Stone et al. 2004, Davis 2008). Margaritifera falcata is frequently found in eddies or pools (Howard & Cuffey 2003) and areas with stones or boulders that likely shelter mussel beds from scour during flood events (Vannote & Minshall 1982). This species appears to be intolerant of sedimentation; in the Salmon River of Idaho, M. falcata that were covered with sand and gravel were unable to uncover themselves and ultimately perished (Vannote & Minshall 1982).
Reproduction and Host Fish Associations
Hermaphrodism has been reported in M. falcata (Heard 1970). A recent genetic study by Chong et al. (2009) to isolate microsatellite loci and characterize populations of M. falcata from Washington and Montana showed significant heterozygote deficiencies at most loci, which is consistent with a hermaphroditic life history. Populations of M. falcata containing separate sexes are frequently reported (e.g. Spring Rivers 2007), although the extent of hermaphrodism in M. falcata is not well understood. In the closely related M. margaritifera, Bauer (1987) reports that mussels change from females to hermaphrodites when they are moved to new areas with few mussels upstream; this strategy would ensure successful reproduction even when males are scarce. If M. falcata exhibits a similar life history, one would expect to see a greater proportion of hermaphrodites in smaller populations.
Freshwater mussels, including M. falcata, require a host fish to reproduce and disperse. Because freshwater mussels are not able to move far on their own, their association with fish allows them to colonize new areas, or repopulate areas from which mussels have been extirpated. Fertilization occurs when female mussels inhale sperm through their incurrent siphon during the appropriate reproductive period. Eggs incubate and hatch into larvae, or glochidia, which are released into the water, either individually or in packets (called conglutinates). Glochidia will attach to fish and encyst in host fish tissues from 2-36 hours after they attach. Glochidia attach to host fish for a period of weeks to months. Once metamorphosed, juvenile mussels drop from their host fishes to the substrate. (McMahon and Bogan 2001).
The majority of documented and potential host fish for M. falcata are native salmonids (see Tables 1 and 2). The period during which adult M. falcata are gravid is not well understood, although in some reaches of the Pit River in California, gravid M. falcata have been found in April, June and July (Spring Rivers 2007). M. falcata conglutinates are released over a period of about 50 seconds as single masses that break up readily in the current (Murphy 1942). Glochidia release by M. falcata has been observed from mid-June to early July in the Truckee River of California (Murphy 1942), from mid-May to mid-June in the Siletz River of Oregon (Karna & Milleman 1978), and from mid-March to early May in the Willamette River of Oregon (Meyers & Milleman 1977). The precise timing of glochidia release may depend on the temperature of the water. M. falcata glochidia are hookless (Murphy 1942) and are approximately 71.5µm in length and 77.5µm in height (Araujo & Ramos 1998; reported in Barnhart 2008). Once they attach to a suitable host fish, M. falcata glochidia grow substantially – from 60 to 420µm – before dropping off of their host fish (Murphy 1942). Once glochidia have developed into juvenile mussels, they drop to the bottom of the stream or river and are thought to attach to the substrate by byssus threats (Murphy 1942).
Table 1. Documented fish hosts for M. falcata are listed below. In order to determine that a fish is a host for M. falcata, glochidial infestation of the fish must have been observed in the wild and metamorphosis of the glochidia must have been observed.
|Fish species
|Is fish species native to western U.S?
|Glochidia infestation observed (natural or artificial)
|Glochidia metamorphosis observed
|brown trout, Salmo trutta
|Murphy 1942
|Chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha
|Karna & Milleman 1978
|cutthroat trout, reported as Salmo clarki; now Oncorhynchus clarki
|Karna & Milleman 1978
|rainbow trout/steelhead trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss
|Murphy 1942, Karna & Milleman 1978
Table 2. Potential fish hosts for Margaritifera falcata. The fish species listed below may be suitable hosts for M. falcata, but either glochidia infestation has only been observed under artificial conditions, or glochidial metamorphosis has not been observed. Further studies should be conducted to determine whether or not the fish in this table serve as hosts for M. falcata under natural conditions.
|Fish species
|Is fish species native to western U.S?
|Glochidia infestation observed (natural or artificial)
|Glochidia metamorphosis observed
|brook trout, Salvelinus fontinalis
|Murphy 1942
|bull trout, Salvelinus confluentus
|M. Steg, unpublished observation
|kokanee salmon, Oncorhynchus nerka kennerlyi
|Meyers and Milleman 1977
|lahontan redside, Richardsonius egregious
|Murphy 1942
|Prickly sculpin, Cottus asper
|Karna & Milleman 1978
|speckled dace, Rhinichthys osculus robustus
|Murphy 1942
|tahoe sucker, Catostomus tahoensis
|Murphy 1942
|threespine stickleback, Gasterosteus aculeatus
|Karna & Milleman 1978
Margaritifera falcata is broadly distributed in western North America; its historic range extends from Alaska and British Columbia south to California and east to Nevada, Wyoming, Utah and Montana. It is apparently most abundant in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and British Columbia. The maps in Figures 2 and 3 illustrate watersheds (8 digit HUCs) that contain records of M. falcata prior to 1985 (red) and records of M. falcata observed or collected after 1985 (blue). Watersheds that contain records with no date associated are displayed with diagonal hash-marks. One may conclude that M. falcata has been extirpated from watersheds with only historical records (red), but that assumption may be inaccurate if surveys have not been conducted in that watershed since 1985. To address this issue, we created a map of 'search effort' (Figure 3). Black dots represent locations where an individual searched for or collected any species of freshwater mussel. Of the thousands of mussel records and 'search effort' records that we received, we generally only had the capacity to map records that had geographic coordinates associated with them, which was a fraction of the total number of records. We also manuscripted 'search effort' points in southern California and Arizona from geographic descriptions, since we considered those watersheds to be of high conservation priority for some species of freshwater mussels. The representation of search effort in Figure 3 represents an underestimate of the true search effort that has occurred since 1985.
Caution should be exercised in interpreting the maps below. It is problematic to conclude that a species is absent from an area that may have been searched only once. In addition, the 8-digit HUC watershed scale of the maps in figures 2 and 3 is too coarse to show declines that may have occurred in individual streams or rivers. For example, there is evidence that M. falcata have been extirpated from the Umatilla River in Oregon (Brim Box et al. 2006), but the watershed is still colored blue because M. falcata has been observed or collected in other rivers or streams in that same watershed since 1985.
The maps below were created from thousands of records from the published literature, museum collections, unpublished reports, and state, tribal, nonprofit, retired and amateur biologists. Please contact email@example.com for more information about the records used to create these maps.
Figure 2. Map of watersheds containing historical (pre-1985, red) records of Margaritifera falcata and more recent (post-1985, blue) records of M. falcata.
Figure 3. Map of watersheds containing historical (pre-1985, red) records of Margaritifera falcata and more recent (post-1985, blue) records of M. falcata. Black dots indicate locations that have been surveyed for freshwater mussels since 1985.
Like other freshwater mussels in North America, threats to M. falcata include: impoundments and loss of host fish, channel modification from channelization, dredging and mining, restoration activities, contamination, sedimentation, nutrient enrichment, water withdrawal and diversion, thermal pollution, livestock grazing in riparian areas, and the introduction of non-native fish and invertebrate species. Many of these impacts, especially a reduction in stream flow and thermal pollution in arid areas, are being exacerbated by climate change. M. falcata may be threatened by low genetic diversity as a result of recent population reductions, although it is difficult to detect the molecular signature of a genetic bottleneck for species with hermaphroditic life histories.
Impoundments and loss of host fish
Numerous freshwater mussel species in eastern North America have gone extinct as a direct result of dams (Vaughn and Taylor 1999, Watters 1996, Williams et al. 1992), which can change a water body's fish fauna, substrate composition, benthic community, water chemistry, dissolved oxygen levels and temperature (Bogan 1993). The elimination of a host fish species is likely the most harmful effect that dams have on freshwater mussels; Williams et al. (1992) report instances of 30-60 percent of a region's mussel fauna being extirpated as a result of dam construction. The most fragile part of a mussel's life cycle is its obligatory association with a host fish; in some cases, damming has extirpated a mussel species' obligate host fish and that, in conjunction with increased siltation and pollution, has led to a rapid decline in many species of freshwater mussels (Bogan 1993). Since the beginning of the 20th century, 5% of native North American fish fauna have gone extinct, and an additional 364 fish species are considered endangered, threatened, or of special concern (Williams et al. 1989). Salmonids in the Pacific Northwest – many of which are used as hosts by M. falcata – have been severely impacted by dams, water withdrawals and other factors; many distinct population segments of Chinook, chum, coho, sockeye and steelhead are listed as Threatened or Endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (US Fish and Wildlife Service 2010). In addition, the flow regime of a river is frequently altered by dams; researchers in northern California suggest that the unnatural pulses in stream discharge from dams (pulsed flows) have the ability to interfere with the reproductive success of freshwater mussels by reducing contact between glochidia and host fish and preventing settlement of juveniles after excystment, if pulsed flows occur during key periods of M. falcata's reproductive cycle (Spring Rivers 2007). In stream culverts also likely pose a significant obstacle to the dispersal of M. falcata, since they frequently inhibit fish passage (Vaughan 2002).
Channel modification
Dredging and channelization
River channels are regularly dredged and modified for navigation, flood control, and drainage, which has led to the local extirpation of freshwater mussel populations in the southeastern U.S. (Bogan 1993). Sedentary mussels are directly displaced by dredging operations, and frequently killed in dredge spoils (Neves et al. 1997). Dredging and channelization increases erosion and sedimentation and destabilizes the substrate, which decreases habitat suitability for freshwater mussels (Neves et al. 1997). Dredging and channelization leads to headcutting, which also causes erosion and sedimentation (Hartfield 1993).
Instream mining of gravel and suction dredge mining for gold and other metals are common practices in the western U.S. Instream gravel mining removes substrate and leads to siltation downstream (Bogan 1993), which can directly and indirectly harm freshwater mussels. In a study investigating the impact of suction dredge mining on freshwater mussels in the Similkameen River in Washington state, Krueger et al. (2007) found that M. falcata died when covered with tailings from a suction dredge. Similarly, Vannotte & Minshall (1982) reported that large M. falcata were unable to uncover themselves and perished when they were covered with sediment.
Restoration Activities
Activities such as culvert removal, dam removal, and stream reconfiguration to restore aquatic habitat for salmonids have become very common, especially in the Pacific Northwest. Frequently, these activities are undertaken without considering the distribution or conservation needs of freshwater mussels occurring in those streams. These operations can involve temporary stream dewatering, movement of personnel and equipment in streams, and flushing of sediments – all of which could have a negative impact on the survival of mussel populations.
Flourishing populations of freshwater mussels are generally associated with high levels of dissolved oxygen and other conditions that are typical of unpolluted water bodies. Contaminants can destroy populations of freshwater mussels directly (by exerting toxic effects) and indirectly (by harming host fishes and/or food sources). (Havlik and Marking 1987). Many contaminants occur regularly in aquatic environments; for example, a study in the Columbia River documented that freshwater mussels belonging to another genus (Anodonta sp.) had a concentration of DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) from 14.9 ppb in spring to 2 ppb in fall and a concentration of PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) of 35-160 µg/kg wet weight (Claeys et al. 1975). Pollution from papermills, chemical factories, steel mills, and tanneries has been implicated in the extirpation of freshwater mussel populations in the eastern U.S. in the first half of the 20th Century (Bogan 1993). A review by Havlik and Marking (1987) reported that the following aquatic contaminants are lethal to freshwater mussels at various concentrations: cadmium, copper sulfate, ammonia, potassium, chromium, arsenic trioxide, copper, and zinc. Cadmium was the most toxic at only 2 ppm (parts per million) and copper sulfate was found to be toxic at levels of 2-18.7 ppm. Long term exposure to copper sulfate was lethal to mussels at concentrations as low as 25 ppb (parts per billion). Ammonia, which is a common pollutant from agricultural fertilizers and municipal sewage, was found to be toxic to mussels at only 5 ppm. (Havlik and Marking 1987). In an Illinois river, no mussels were found in an area with ammonia concentrations that exceeded 6 ppm, and mussels began to appear downstream where ammonia concentrations were progressively lower (Starrett 1971).
Freshwater mussels can be valuable indicators of pollutants, since they are sedentary, occupy a low position on the food chain, frequently bioaccumulate heavy metals, pesticides, and other contaminants, and, especially in the case of M. falcata, are long-lived. Toxins in the shell are indicative of past exposure, whereas toxins in the soft tissues indicate more recent exposure. Because freshwater mussels frequently bioaccumulate contaminants, substances can be detected in their tissues that are too low in concentration to be detected in the surrounding water body.
Sedimentation and nutrient enrichment
Because freshwater mussels are filter feeders, they generally cannot handle high levels of siltation that come from agricultural runoff, silvicultural operations and headcutting (Bogan 1993). M. falcata, in particular, appear to require fast-flowing, clean water for survival. The EPA considers fifty percent of U.S. rivers and streams that were assessed to be impaired, primarily due to sedimentation, nutrient enrichment, contamination with pathogens and habitat alterations (U.S. EPA 2010).
Water withdrawal and diversion
Numerous streams in North America have been modified by water flow diversion and groundwater use (Dudley and Larson 1976). A review of the effects of artificially reduced stream flow on invertebrates and instream habitat revealed that these activities lead to increased sedimentation, decreased velocity, wetted width and depth, and can alter water temperature and chemistry (Dewson et al. 2007). These impacts generally reduce habitat diversity and alter invertebrate community composition (Dewson et al. 2007). Climate change is projected to exacerbate the impact of low stream flow on freshwater mussels. For example, stream flows have decreased at a rate of approximately 2% per decade for the past century in the Rocky Mountain region of the western U.S. as a result of climate change (Rood et al. 2005).
In the Umatilla River of Oregon, where native Chinook and coho salmon have been extirpated and steelhead are much less abundant than they once were as a result of extensive water withdrawals (Phillips et al. 2000), M. falcata no longer exists (Brim Box et al. 2006).
Thermal pollution
Increased water temperatures as a result of decreased streamflow, loss of riparian vegetation, and global climate change are likely to stress, and perhaps eradicate, M. falcata, which appears to require cold water for survival. In a study in Fall River Lake in northern California, Spring Rivers (2007) found that high water temperatures (27.3°C or 81.1°F) and low water levels (<1 meter) may have caused the abortion of egg masses and premature onset of a non-gravid period that they observed in another genus of freshwater mussel (Anodonta), and note that thermal stress has caused abortion in other freshwater mussel species (Aldridge and McIvor 2003).
Livestock grazing in riparian areas
Livestock grazing in and near streams degrades the high water quality that freshwater mussels require for survival. Freshwater mussels generally require high levels of dissolved oxygen (Voshell 2002), yet the presence of livestock has been shown to increase eutrophication in water bodies (Mathews et al. 1994), which in turn can reduce levels of dissolved oxygen in water. Livestock tend to remain near streams because water, shade and forage abound (Strand & Merritt 1999), which exacerbates the impact of cattle on aquatic communities. Cattle grazing in riparian areas frequently leads to headcutting, which can increase sedimentation in the water body – a condition that freshwater mussels generally cannot handle (Bogan 1993). Grazing and trampling of riparian vegetation also increases water temperatures; high water temperatures may impede the ability of freshwater mussels to survive.
Introduction of non-native species
The nonnative Asian clam (Corbicula fluminea) is widespread in water bodies in western North America and may compete with native mussels (Clarke 1988), directly consume mussel glochidia and impact nutrient cycling (Leff et al. 1990, Strayer 1999, Vaughn and Spooner 2006).
The zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) and quagga mussel (Dreissena rostriformis bugensis) aggressively compete with native mussels, although they are less widespread in western North America than the asian clam. West of the Continental Divide, zebra and/or quagga mussels currently occur in waterbodies in Nevada, Arizona, California, Colorado and Utah. Zebra and quagga mussels can attach directly to the shells of native freshwater mussels and impede their ability to feed (Mackie 1991, Schloesser et al. 1996, Strayer 1999, Strayer and Malcolm 2007). They have free-swimming larvae that do not require a host fish to reproduce, and thus have a high reproductive advantage over native freshwater mussels.
Many species of non-native fish have been introduced into western North America, primarily for sport fishing, which has led to the reduction or elimination of native fish species (Moyle et al. 1986, Rinne and Turner 1991, Andersen and Deacon 1996). In the Great Basin alone, fifty non-native fish species have been intentionally introduced (Sada & Vinyard 2002). The displacement of native salmonids by other species of fish poses a threat to M. falcata, since they have evolved using native salmonids as hosts.
Xerces Red List Status: Vulnerable
NatureServe Global Status (2008): G4G5 – Apparently Secure
NatureServe National Status: United States-N4, Canada (2006)-N4N5
NatureServe State Status: Alaska (SNR), California (SNR), Idaho (SNR), Montana (S2S4), Nevada (SNR), Oregon (S4), Utah (SH), Washington (S4), Wyoming (SNR)
NatureServe Provincial Status – Canada: S5 (BC)
IUCN Red List: N/A
USA – Endangered Species Act: N/A
Canada – Canadian Species At Risk Act: N/A
American Fisheries Society Status (Williams et al. 1993): Undetermined
Margaritifera falcata is a vulnerable species, but probably does not face an immediate risk of extinction. Numerous examples exist of M. falcata's decline or extirpation from streams and rivers across its range, especially in the more arid areas of Utah and Nevada, although it is still widespread and abundant in other locations. In general, there is a lack of historic abundance data for freshwater mussels in western North America. Without historic abundance data, it is difficult to assess decline across this species' range. Numerous reports also exist of an apparent lack of reproduction in M. falcata populations, which could lead to population extirpation when the older individuals die. Populations of long lived species, such as M. falcata, may appear stable, when in fact they risk extinction due to lack of reproduction. NatureServe has assigned M. falcata a rounded global status of G4 – Apparently Secure. NatureServe also notes that M. falcata is declining in terms of area occupied and number of sites and individuals, and that populations showing repeated reproduction, evidenced by multiple age classes, are now rare. (NatureServe Explorer 2008).
Below is a summary of status information for M. falcata in each U.S. state and Canadian province where it occurs.
United States
Little information is available on the status of M. falcata in Alaska. This species has been documented from numerous locations in southeastern Alaska (Smith et al. 2005), and Carol Gelvin-Reymiller recently photographed a M. falcata shell collected from the Deshka River, which is significantly north and west of its previously known distribution (pers. comm. C. Gelvin-Reymiller, February 2009).
In a distributional study, Taylor (1981) speculated that M. falcata had probably been eradicated from the much of its original range in California. Howard found M. falcata at 4 of 5 historical localities and at 15 of 115 total localities in the Plumas, Tahoe and Eldorado forests and the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit in northern California (Western Mollusk Sciences 2008). One historical site on Truckee River contained approximately 20,000 M. falcata in a 0.8 km stretch (Murphy 1942); when Howard revisited this site in 2007, only ~120 M. falcata were counted, most of which appeared to be ~30 years or older (Western Mollusk Sciences 2008). Howard's study suggests that M. falcata has dramatically declined from the Truckee River and has not been reproducing in that area for three decades. A study in the Navarro and South Fork Eel Rivers found that recruitment of M. falcata in the Navarro River was lower than in the South Fork Eel River, perhaps due to greater loss of host fish, timbering and agricultural intensification in the Navarro River (Howard & Cuffey 2006). In another study, researchers found little evidence of reproduction by M. falcata in the Pit River drainage of northeastern California (Spring Rivers 2007), suggesting that this species may be especially vulnerable to altered flow regimes. In a large scale distributional study, Hovingh (2004) did not find M. falcata at any of the 155 sites surveyed in eastern California, Utah and Nevada.
Margaritifera falcata has apparently been eliminated from the Middle Snake River, where it historically occurred in abundance in Native American middens (Frest & Bowler 1993, U.S. EPA 2002). Historically, the western pearlshell was found in the Snake, Coeur d'Alene, Lost, and Salmon River drainages. It is thought to still be extant in the: Clearwater, Selway, Lochsa, Lost, Coeur d'Alene, Little Salmon, Salmon, Pahsimeroi, and Blackfoot rivers. (Frest & Johannes 1997, Frest 1999; summarized in Stagliano et al. 2007).
Margaritifera falcata has likely been extirpated from historical localities in the Bitterroot and Clark Fork Rivers (Stagliano et al. 2007), and populations in the Blackfoot and Big Hole Rivers are also reportedly declining, perhaps due to decreased stream flow, warming and degradation (Montana Field Guide 2008). In an unpublished thesis, Munday reports that the population of M. falcata in Clam Creek lacks small sized mussels, suggesting that this population is not reproducing (Munday no date).
In a large scale distributional study, Hovingh (2004) did not find M. falcata at any of the 155 sites surveyed in eastern California, Utah and Nevada and concluded that the species had been extirpated from Nevada. Historical records of M. falcata from Nevada exist from the Truckee, Humboldt, and Owyhee Rivers (P. Hovingh, pers. comm., Aug. 2009).
Margaritifera falcata is still relatively common and widespread in western Oregon, although there is evidence that this species has declined from a number of locations, including the: Owyhee River, Umatilla River, Middle Fork John Day River, Siuslaw River watershed, Siletz River, middle fork of the Snake River and the main stem of the Columbia River.
In a study in the Owyhee River Basin that compared the species composition of freshwater mussels in archeological Native American middens to the current mussel species composition in the same areas, Tait found that M. falcata has disappeared from some of the streams where it historically occurred, perhaps due to sedimentation or loss of native salmonid host fish species such as Chinook salmon and redband trout (C. Tait, pers. comm., 2009).
In a 2002-2003 study, Brim Box of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation found that M. falcata has recently been extirpated from the Umatilla River; interviews with tribal elders confirmed that M. falcata historically occurred in the Umatilla River. Some native salmonid fish hosts, such as Chinook salmon, have also been extirpated from this system. In the Middle Fork John Day River, Brim Box found that fewer M. falcata occurred in areas of the river that had been channelized and/or mined than in areas of the river that had not been modified (Brim Box et al. 2003, Brim Box et al. 2006).
In the Siuslaw River watershed, Kinney has been studying M. falcata for 13 years. In Lake Creek, he estimated that one bed (called 'the Indiola colony') of M. falcata had approximately 10-12,000 individuals in 1996. In 2008, he estimated only 2-3 thousand individuals in this same colony. Kinney has observed an excessive degree of shell erosion and high acidity in these waters, and he speculates that the acidification from abandoned lead sinkers may be causing the elevated M. falcata mortality. (R. Kinney, pers. comm., 2009).
In the Siletz River on the Oregon Coast, Karna & Milleman (1978) reported a colony of approximately 100,000 M. falcata near River mile 21, with densities exceeding 400 mussels per meter squared. To the best of the authors' knowledge, no one has revisited that location to assess current M. falcata density or abundance, but an Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Memorandum from Bob Buckman dated August 15, 2001 states: "At both meetings anglers questioned us on what happened to the freshwater mussels in the Siletz. These folks reported abundant mussels or clams decades ago, but very few, if any currently. We did not have a good explanation and were reminded that we need to keep track of all native species." River mile 21 on the Siletz River should be revisited to assess the current density and abundance of M. falcata.
An ecological assessment of the Middle Snake River (forming the border between Oregon and Idaho) states: "The large freshwater clam Margaritifera falcata, once a food staple for Native Americans along the river, is now virtually eliminated from the Middle Snake" (U.S. EPA 2002). Frest (1999) notes that much of the Middle Snake River is becoming eutropified from agricultural runoff, urbanization and trout farms.
Margaritifera falcata was formerly known from 11 localities in the northern third of Utah state (summarized in Oliver & Bosworth 1999). After surveys of the known historical localities for this species in Utah, Clarke (1993) concluded that it had been extirpated from the state, perhaps due to anthropogenic over-utilization of water resources. After surveying 155 sites in Utah, Nevada and eastern California, Hovingh (2004) suggested that M. falcata had been extirpated from Utah. The loss of cutthroat trout native to Hot Springs Lake and Utah Lake may have caused the extirpation of M. falcata from the Jordan River drainage (Hovingh 2004). However, in September of 2010, Cynthia Tait reported finding live M. falcata in Beaver Creek, a tributary of the Weber River, where they were formerly thought to have been extirpated (C. Tait, pers. comm. Sept. 2010; note that this new record is not reflected in the maps in Figures 2 and 3).
In Washington, substantial die offs of M. falcata have been observed in Bear Creek (Hastie & Toy 2008). In Nason Creek (Chelan County), Washington, no M. falcata were found that were younger than 45 years old, suggesting that the species has not been reproducing in that creek for decades. In one location in the Little Spokane River, M. falcata were observed in 1968, 1972, and 1992, but none in 2000. High numbers of dead M. falcata shells and few live individuals were observed in 2003 in Stearns Creek, in 2003 in the Snohomish River and in 1996 in Muck Creek. In a survey of one area of the SanPoil River in 1991, Frest reported only empty M. falcata shells and pollution from an old lumber mill nearby. (WDFW database of freshwater mussel records, 2009). Roscoe and Redelings (1964) note that a few thousand M. falcata were observed per 140 meters squared in the Kettle River (Stevens Co.) of Washington; Hovingh (2004) suggested that the current numbers of M. falcata in Washington represent depleted populations. As reported in the Oregon section above, M. falcata was formerly dominant in the Columbia River (summarized in Helmstetler & Cowles 2008), although recent surveys of 118 km of the mid-Columbia River did not reveal any M. falcata. High levels of arsenic and organochlorine pesticides were found in the tissues of other mussel species collected from the mid-Columbia during that survey. (Helmstetler & Cowles 2008).
Margaritifera falcata may have declined in the Bear River of Wyoming – one hundred specimens were observed in one location in the Bear River in 1956; when that same site was revisited in 1998, only 5 live specimens and 8 empty shells were observed (Hovingh 2004). However, M. falcata has been observed in numerous locations in its historic range of western Wyoming since 1985, including creeks and rivers in Teton, Lincoln, Sublette and Uinta counties (G. Edwards, pers. comm. April 2009, P. Hovingh, pers. comm. Aug 2009).
British Columbia
Margaritifera falcata is apparently secure in British Columbia. Healthy populations reportedly occur in northern British Columbia and on southern Vancouver Island (Metcalfe-Smith & Cudmore-Vokey 2004, NatureServe Explorer 2008). Lee (2000) reported that M. falcata was rare in the Pacific drainage of northern British Columbia.
Conservation needs
Populations of M. falcata and their salmonid host fishes should be monitored and protected. Threats to water quality and quantity, mentioned above, should be addressed to minimize impacts to all native freshwater mussels, including M. falcata. Basic research needs, discussed below, should be addressed.
Research needs
Much more information is needed to understand the current distribution of M. falcata. Sites that historically contained M. falcata should be revisited to determine if the species is still extant at those sites, and a high priority should be given to sites with historical abundance data, such as the Siletz River (at River Mile 21) in Oregon. This species appears to be highly vulnerable in arid areas; historical sites in these areas should be prioritized for revisitation, such as those in Nevada, eastern Oregon, eastern Washington, and eastern California. Populations of M. falcata should be censused to provide abundance data and enable biologists to monitor population statuses over time. The age structure of existing M. falcata populations should be examined to determine whether or not populations are reproducing. Biologists should investigate more thoroughly which fish species serve as glochidial hosts for M. falcata.
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Claeys, R.R., R.S. Caldwell, N.H. Cutshall, and R. Holton. 1975. Chlorinated pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls in marine species, Oregon/Washington coast 1972. Pestic. Monit. J. 9:2-10.
Clarke, A.H. 1981. The Freshwater Molluscs of Canada. National Museum of Natural Sciences, National Museums of Canada, Ottawa. 446 pp.
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Clarke, A.H. 1993. Final Report: Status survey of fifteen species and subspecies of aquatic and terrestrial mollusks from Utah, Colorado and Montana. Prepared for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service by Ecosearch, Inc. Portland, Texas.
Davis, E. 2008. Freshwater mussel abundance, distribution, and habitat preference in two northern California rivers within Karuk ancestral territory. Unpublished thesis. Departments of Biology and Environmental Studies, Whitman College, Walla Walla, Washington. 38 pages.
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Frest, T.J. and P.A. Bowler. 1993. A preliminary checklist of the aquatic and terrestrial mollusks of the Middle Snake River sub-basin. In: Proceedings of the Desert Fishes Council, volume XXIV, 1992 Annual Symposium, Mesa, AZ. Hendrickson, DA, ed. Bishop, CA: Desert Fish Council, pp. 53-58.
Frest, T.J. and E.J. Johannes. 1995. Interior Columbia Basin mollusk species of special concern. Final report to the Interior Columbia Basin Ecosystem Management Project, Walla Walla, WA. Contract #43-0E00-4-9112. 274 pp. plus appendices.
Frest, T.J., and E.J. Johannes. 1997. Land snail survey of the lower Salmon River drainage, Idaho. Idaho Bureau of Land Management Technical Bulletin 97-18. 142 p. + appendices.
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Hartfield, P. 1993. Headcuts and their effects on freshwater mussels. Pp. 131-141 in K.S. Cummings, A.C. Buchanan, and L.M. Koch (eds.). Conservation and Management of Freshwater Mussels. Proceedings of a UMRCC Symposium, 12-14 October 1992, St. Louis, Missouri. Upper Mississippi River Conservation Committee, Rock Island, Illinois. 189 pp.
Hastie, L.C., and K.A. Toy. 2008. Changes in density, age structure and age-specific mortality in two western pearlshell (Margaritifera falcata) populations in Washington (1995-2006). Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 18:671-678.
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Howard, J.K. and K.M. Cuffey. 2006. Factors controlling the age structure of Margaritifera falcata in 2 northern California streams. Journal of the North American Benthological Society 25(3): 677-690.
Karna, D.W., and R.E. Millemann. 1978. Glochidiosis of salmonid fishes. III. Comparative susceptibility to natural infection with Margaritifera margaritifera (L.) (Pelecypoda: Margaritanidae) and associated histopathology. The Journal of Parasitology 64:528-537.
Krueger, K., P. Chapman, M. Hallock and T. Quinn. 2007. Some effects of suction dredge placer mining on the short-term survival of freshwater mussels in Washington. Northwest Science 81(4):323-332.
Lee, J.S. 2000. The distribution and ecology of the freshwater mollusks of northern British Columbia. Unpublished Master's thesis. Department of Biology, The University of Northern British Columbia. 238 pp.
Leff, L.G., J.L. Burch, and J.V. McArthur. 1990. Spatial distribution, seston removal, and potential competitive interactions of the bivalves Corbicula fluminea and Elliptio complanata, in a coastal plain stream. Freshwater Biology 24: 409-416.
Luzier, C. and S. Miller. 2009. Freshwater Mussel Relocation Guidelines. A product of the Pacific Northwest Native Freshwater Mussel Workgroup. Available online: http://www.xerces.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/mussel-relocation-position-statement.pdf (Accessed 22 October 2010).
Mackie, G.L. 1991. Biology of the exotic zebra mussel, Dreissena polymorpha, in relation to native bivalves and its potential impact in Lake St. Claiar. Hydrobiologia 219: 251-268.
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McMahon, R.F. and A.E. Bogan. 2001. Mollusca: Bivalvia. In Thorp, J.H. and A.P. Covich (Eds.) Ecology and Classification of North American Freshwater Invertebrates. 2nd Edition. Pp. 331-429. Academic Press.
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Nedeau, E.J., A.K. Smith, J. Stone and S. Jepsen. 2009. Freshwater Mussels of the Pacific Northwest Second Edition. The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. 51 pp.
Neves, R.J., A.E. Bogan, J.D. Williams, S.A. Ahlstedt, and P.W. Hartfield. 1997. Status of Aquatic Mollusks in the Southeastern United States: A Downward Spiral of Diversity. Chapter 3 In: Aquatic Fauna in Peril: The Southeastern Perspective. Eds: G.W. Benz and D.E. Collins. Special Publication I, Southeast Aquatic Research Institute, Lenz Design and Communications, Decatur, GA. 554 pages.
Oliver, G.W., and W.R. Bosworth. 1999. Rare, Imperiled and Recently Extinct or Extirpated Mollusks of Utah: A Literature Review. Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Publication 99–29. Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Salt Lake City, Utah. 236 pp.
Phillips, J.L., J. Ory, and A. Talbot. 2000. Anadromous salmonid recovery in the Umatilla River Basin, Oregon: A case study. Journal of the American Water Resources Association 36(6):1287-1308.
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Strayer, D.L. and H.M. Malcom. 2007. Effects of zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) on native bivalves: the beginning of the end or the end of the beginning? Journal of the North American Benthological Society 26(1): 111-122.
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Vaughan, D.M. March 21, 2002. Potential Impact of Road-Stream Crossings (Culverts) on the Upstream Passage of Aquatic Macroinvertebrates. US Forest Service Report. The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.
Vaughn, C.C. and D.E. Spooner. 2006. Scale-dependent associations between native freshwater mussels and invasive Corbicula. Hydrobiologia 568:331-339.
Vaughn, C.C. and C.M. Taylor. 1999. Impoundments and the Decline of Freshwater Mussels: a Case Study of an Extinction Gradient. Conservation Biology 13(4): 912-920.
Vaughn, C.C., S.J. Nichols, and D.E. Spooner. 2008. Community and foodweb ecology of freshwater mussels. Journal of the North American Benthological Society 27(2): 409-423.
Voshell, J.R. 2002. A Guide to Common Freshwater Invertebrates of North America. The McDonald & Woodward Publishing Company, Blacksburg, Virginia. 442pp.
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). 2009. Database of freshwater mussel records. Managed by Molly Hallock.
Watters, G.T. 1996. Small dams as barriers to freshwater mussels (Bivalvia, Unionoida) and their hosts. Biological Conservation 75:79-85.
Western Mollusk Sciences. 2008. Strategic inventory of freshwater mussels in the northern Sierra Nevada province. Report to the USDA Forest Service. Pacific Southwest Region. 65 pp.
Williams, J.E., J.E. Johnson, D.A. Hendrickson, S. Contreras-Balderas, J.D. Williams, M. Navarro-Mendoza, D.E. McAllister, and J.E. Deacon. 1989. Fishes of North America Endangered, Threatened, or of Special Concern: 1989. Fisheries, 14(6):2-20.
Williams, J.D., S.L.H. Fuller, and R. Grace. 1992. Effects of Impoundments on Freshwater Mussels (Mollusca: Bivalvia: Unionidae) in the Main Channel of the Black Warrior and Tombigbee Rivers in Western Alabama. Bulletin of the Alabama Museum of Natural History 13:1-10.
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Personal Communication
Gordon Edwards, Wyoming Game and Fish Department, April 2009
Carol Gelvin-Reymiller, University of Alaska, February 2009
Peter Hovingh, retired, August 2009
Ray Kinney, Siuslaw River Mussel Study, 2009
Al Smith, retired, December, 2010
Cynthia Tait, U.S. Forest Service, 2009 and September 2010
Pacific Northwest Native Freshwater Mussel Workgroup, accessed February, 2010
NatureServe Explorer, accessed February, 2010
E-Fauna BC, accessed February, 2010
Guide to Freshwater Mussels of the Pacific Northwest, Second Edition, accessed April, 2010
Freshwater Mussel Relocation Guidelines, accessed April, 2010
Numerous agencies and organizations generously contributed their records to this project. We would especially like to thank the Pacific Northwest Native Freshwater Workgroup, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation Mussel Project, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Native Aquatics Program, and the U.S. Forest Service. We would like to thank the following individuals for sharing large amounts of information for this project: Jayne Brim Box (Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation), Molly Hallock (WDFW), Peter Hovingh (retired), Jeanette Howard (Western Mollusk Sciences), Ed Johannes (Deixis Consultants), Shelly Miller (ODFW), Karen Mock (Utah State University), Al Smith (retired), and Wendy Walsh (retired).
This project would not have been possible without the generous contribution of records or other information from the following individuals: Aaron David, Al Smith, Alan Cvancara, Andra Love, Art Bass, Bob Brenner, Bob Wisseman, Brett Blundon, Brian Lang, Bruce Lang, Carol Evans, Carol Gelvin-Reymiller, Carol Hughes, Christine O'Brien, Chuti Fiedler, Cynthia Tait, Dale Swedberg, Darcy McNamara, David Cowles, David Kennedy, David Plawman, David Wolf, Donna Allard, Donna Nez, Dorene MacCoy, Doug Post, Ed Johannes, Emily Davis, Fred Schueler, Gary Lester, Gordon Edwards, Jason Dunham, Jayne Brim-Box, Jeanette Howard, Jeff Gottfried, Jeff Sorenson, Jennifer Parsons, Jennifer Vanderhoof, Joanne Richter, Joe Furnish, Joe Slusark, Jon Ives, Karen Mock, Kathy Thornburgh, Keith Benson, Kevin Aitkin, Kevin Cummings, Larry Dalton, Larry Scofield, Lea Gelling, Lee Cain, Linda Ward, Lisa Torunski, Lorrie Haley, Maria Ellis, Mark LaRiviere, Mark Mouser, Mary Hanson, Michelle McSwain, Michelle Steg-Geltner, Mike Mulvey, Mindy Allen, Molly Hallock, Nancy Duncan, Paul Pickett, Peter Bahls, Peter Hovingh, Ray Heller, Ray Kinney, Ray Perkins, Ray Temple, Rolland Schmitten, Roy Iwai, Ryan Houston, Ryan Merle, Shanda McGraw, Shelly Miller, Stephen Conroy, Steve Lysne, Steve Sampfli, Steve Smith, Terry Myers, Tom Burke, Tom Watters, Trevor Swanson, Wendy Walsh and Yvonne Colfax.
Funding for the status assessment of western freshwater mussels was provided by the following foundations and individuals:
New-Land Foundation
Maki Foundation
Whole Systems Foundation
PGE Salmon Habitat Fund
Xerces Society members


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|Escalon, Calif.
|High School:
|Escalon HS
2013 Sand Season
Played in all eight matches during the program's inaugural sand season with partner Kayla Beal…played the first six matches of the season at No. 2, before playing at No. 1 during the final two matches of the year…Beal and Aprile posted a team-best 5-3 record during the season…the tandem provided the match-clinching victory at No. 2 to help deliver a 3-2 victory over Cal on April 13…Beal and Aprile went 5-1 at No. 2, and 0-2 at No. 1 in the lineup.
2012 Season
One of five Hornets to appear in all 30 matches…that included five starts while playing in 113 of a possible 119 sets…played at both setter and defensive specialist (right back)…averaged 2.27 assists and 1.41 digs per set…posted double figures in assists on nine occasions, including a career-high 43 assists in a road win at Montana State…had at least seven digs on 10 occasions, including a career-high tying 16 at home against Northern Colorado…also had 13 digs at home against Portland State…spent a good portion of the season as one of the team's two setters before being converted to a defensive specialist the final nine matches of the year…accounted for a career-high 4.5 points at Montana State (two kills, one ace, one solo block and one block assist).
2011 Season
Appeared in 23 matches as one of three setters on the team's roster, including four starts and 47 sets played…finished the season with averages of 2.91 assists and 1.64 digs per set…had six matches with double digits in assists, including a season-best 16 against Cal State Northridge…had a career-high three kills (in three attempts) vs. Nevada…also posted a season-best 16 digs against Murray State.
2010 Season
Appeared in 32 matches (28 starts) as one of two Hornet setters in the team's modified 5-1 offense…averaged 5.18 assists and 1.66 digs per set…the assists were the best mark on the team and the ninth best mark in the Big Sky Conference…had six double-doubles (assists and digs), which was tied for the 13th best mark in the Big Sky…had 17 aces with eight of those coming during the team's final seven matches…had 20 matches with 20-plus assists, including a career-best 30 against both Portland State and Idaho State.
High School
A 2010 graduate of Escalon High School in Escalon, Calif…played three sports for the Cougars, including four years of both volleyball and tennis, and two seasons of basketball…in volleyball, she was a three-time all-Trans Valley League selection (first team as a junior and senior, honorable mention as a sophomore)…team captain during her final two seasons…as a senior, she was also a second team all-district selection after finishing with averages of 1.1 kills, 4.2 digs, 8.5 assists and 0.5 aces per set while hitting .400 (107-19-22)…the assists were the fourth best mark in the Sac-Joaquin Section…over her final three seasons with the team, Escalon combined for a 68-21 overall record and a 34-11 conference mark…also a three-time all-league selection in tennis where she helped lead the 2009 squad to a league and section championship…a four-year scholar-athlete award winner after maintaining a 3.0 gpa or better.
A communication studies major…parents are Mike and Ellen…member of the Impact Volleyball Club for eight years…brother, Nick, plays football at UC Davis.


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The Memphis Grizzlies traded Marreese Speights, Wayne Ellington, Josh Selby and a future first-round draft pick Tuesday to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Jon Leuer.
The trade is the first big move by the Grizzlies' new ownership and clears about $6 million in salary in getting Memphis under the luxury tax threshold this season. The Grizzlies rank fourth in the Western Conference and are 6-4 over their last 10 games after the NBA's best start this season.
The deal gives the lottery-bound Cavs another first-round pick to improve a team entering Tuesday night's home game against Boston with a 10-32 record — second-worst in the Eastern Conference. Speights also will help replace center Anderson Varejao, who will miss the remainder of the season after developing a blood clot in his right lung.
Varejao remains hospitalized at The Cleveland Clinic.
The ownership group led by Robert Pera took over the Grizzlies on Nov. 5, and they had been scheduled to pay about $4 million in luxury tax this season with a payroll more than $74 million. This should help Memphis keep its starters Rudy Gay, Zach Randolph, Marc Gasol, Mike Conley and Tony Allen together the rest of this season for another postseason run.


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WEST ORANGE, NJ - The Jan. 22 council meeting provided updates on the Prism Redevelopment Project and votes on several resolutions.
Glenn Scotland and Jennifer Credidio of McManimon and Scotland, attorneys for the township in the Prism Redevlopment Project, advised the council that:
1. The Barton Press foreclosure filed against Prism by Wells Fargo Bank has been dismissed. Prism assumed the purchase note and the mortgage was discharged. Credidio said a search of the Judiciary Data Base provided the docket number of the case which was filed on Jan. 8, but did not yet have a copy.
2. Escrow and taxes are current on the property.
3. Prism advised the town attorneys that in the process of securing financing for the project, Bank of America and PNC Bank, among others, have expressed interest.
4. The current condition of the property needs maintenance and that will be pursued by the township.
5. The original request for audited financial statements has not been completely met, and the town council still requires them, whether they be audited or unaudited. Prism has promised the attorneys that they are forthcoming, hopefully within the next week.
A lengthy discussion ensued regarding the need for a Certificate of Appropriateness from the West Orange Historic Preservation Commission. Commission member Gerald Gurland told the council they have not heard from Prism, though the town attorneys advised Prism has been in contact with the State Historic Preservation Office in Trenton, which also upholds Federal registry standards.
Prism is considering whether or not to utilize an Historic Tax Credit Application, which requires rental status for five years. They may decide to forgo the tax credit in order to be able to rent and sell units. Concerns were raised as to whether Prism would try to flip the property, and the attorneys advised that they could not do so without the Certificate of Completion and approval of the town council.
An update on the referendum appeal (after dismissal, residents filed an appeal to require a referendum vote on $6.2 million in bonds for the redevelopment project) noted that the township had filed a response to the Appellate Court on Jan. 7 and were awaiting a response. Prism's escrow account, and not taxpayer dollars, are being used to offset legal costs. The attorneys said that the lawsuit/appeal would only affect financing of the project.
The council also wants a monthly update on the progress.
Councilman Joe Krakoviak said that the town should push Prism to hold them to their agreement. He said he was "in the minority" in comparison with the rest of the council regarding his interpretation of the facts with Prism, and said that facts must be looked at over what Prism says. He felt that Prism was in default of the township's Demand Letter from October, 2012.
Sue McCartney, Jerry Guarino, Patty Spango, and Victor Cirilo expressed frustration over the delay in receiving all information and wanted to be kept updated on developments.
The Department of Environmental Protection has confirmed that there are two more remediation issues for Prism to address, but that until the use of heavy equipment to address it is allowable, it is still pending.
In other business, the council passed several resolutions. Please click on the "Agenda" link to view the agenda and pull up the specifics of each item.
The council passed the following resolutions on the Agenda without discussion:
A, B, D, E, and J.
The council passed the following resolution on the agenda with discussion, unanimously:
The council passed the following resolutions on the agenda with discussion, and 4-1, with Krakoviak the dissenting vote in each:
C. Authorizing Execution of the Garden State Municipal JIF Risk Management Consultant's Agreement for one year. Jack Sayers, Town Administrator, explained that they wished to retain Fairview Associates because they provided for all their insurance needs.
F. Resolution of the Shared Services agreement with the West Orange Board of Education to returf Lincoln Field; install lights in Soriano Stadium, and build a concession stand. (Monies coming out of capital outlays already paid for).
I. Retention of Edwin R. Matthews, Esq., to handle township tax appeals. (Current attorney no longer available). Matthews was the attorney for the township of South Orange and has 14 years experience.
K. Approval of a Service Contract with Integrated Aquatic Services in the amount of $12,800 to help redesign the Wading Pool at the Ginny Duenkel Pool. Bill Kehoe, Rec Director, explained that the total cost of 100-120K would also come from the capital outlay leftover monies. He said that pool membership was about 700 last year, and John Gross, CFO, said that improvements would pay for themselves with an increase of 40 members per year. cCartney said that it would draw more families with young children to the pool and be an asset to the townshp.
The council then went into executive session to discuss items G and H.


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Luongo and Cancuks blank punchless Avs
Vancouver, BC – Roberto Luongo earned his 61st career shutout with a 24-save performance, and the Vancouver Canucks resumed their mastery of the offensively-challenged Colorado Avalanche with a 3-0 win at Rogers Arena.
Jason Garrison and Maxim Lapierre each potted their first goal of the season, and Zack Kassian added a power-play marker.
The Canucks improved to 16-0-2 in the last 18 meetings with the Avalanche, who dropped to 0-4 on the road this season. They have scored one goal through the first three stops of their current four-game trek.
Semyon Varlamov stopped 20 shots in defeat.


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posted by Thom Holwerda on Fri 11th Apr 2008 21:46 UTC, submitted by Rahul
"The Fedora Project attracts a lot of interest from the Linux faithful. While there are perhaps more newbie-friendly, corporate-friendly, or special-interest-focused distributions, Fedora continues to wear the innovation hat. Fedora announced Fedora 9 Beta late last month, and Test Center reviewers replaced the current Fedora 8 install to see what the new version has to offer. Since Fedora 9 (Stirling) is still in beta, occasional bugs and some rough edges were inevitable. But there is a solid indication of the new things to come that makes the stable release, expected May 1, worth watching."


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Nokia claims to have sold 15.9 million smartphones, which seems like a decent figure - until you realise the company cheekily included its Asha feature phones into that figure. The Asha line consists of phones running S40, which blurs the line between feature phones and smartphones. A pretty crucial criterion for a smartphone are extensive APIs and installable applications. Series 40 does run Java ME applications, but so did many clearly feature phones from the past.
In all honesty though, I know too little about Series 40 or Java ME to declare it a smartphone or feature phone platform. In the end, it's also all pretty damn irrelevant, but what is clear is that Nokia is feeling the need to artificially pad its numbers by moving their Asha phones from the feature phone category to smartphones.
This quarter also marks the first one in which Windows Phone devices - the Lumia range - outsold the Symbian line, 4.4 million versus 2.2. We have no breakdown between Windows Phone 7 and 8, so it might be that the ridiculously cheap Lumia 800s and such, which they were almost giving away for free with cereal boxes, is padding those numbers.
It's still pretty insubstantial, though, for the Windows Phone platform, and considering HTC's dreadful financial results, it's unlikely the Taiwanese phone maker is bringing anything substantial to the table (no matter how much I love my HTC 8X). Right now, it's basically the desktop Linux of the smartphone world, and it still shows in application selection and quality. Windows Phone 8 was released months ago, and yet many popular applications still haven't been updated to properly support it. It just isn't on developers' radars.
So yeah, I'm calling it: we're going to get a Surface phone this year. Samsung doesn't take Windows Phone 8 seriously, HTC is a deer caught in the headlights, and Nokia's 4.4 million devices aren't going to turn things around either. People simply aren't buying Windows Phone 8 devices right now, no matter how many millions of dollars of marketing HTC and Nokia are throwing around. It's probably time Microsoft took matters into its own hands.