Mussels

From Atlanta Water Shortage Wiki

The fat threeridge mussel is an endangered species of mussel that lives in only three rivers in the world — all in South Georgia and North Florida.

The last time the fat threeridge's population was estimated, in 2003, biologists said about 19,000 lived in 25 sites in the Apalachicola River.

To keep the mussels alive, the river needs to maintain a certain water flow. In order to meet that flow, extra water often needs to be released from Lake Lanier, further depleting the amount of water left in the lake. This had led to many people saying the government cares more about mussels than people.