EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) —A freshwater mussel found in parts of the Rio Grande is at the center of a new legal fight.
The Center for Biological Diversity has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, arguing the federal agency has failed to designate critical habitat for the endangered Texas Hornshell Mussel.
The Texas Hornshell is found in parts of the Rio Grande and its tributaries in Texas and New Mexico. Experts say the mussel helps keep waterways healthy by filtering algae, bacteria and other particles from the water.
Graham Rex, a staff attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity, said the species is in “dire shape,” with only five populations remaining in the United States…