Located near Marion, Virginia, the Aquatic Wildlife Conservation Center (AWCC) was established in 1998 by the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR). This facility exists to actively restore Virginia’s freshwater mussels. These mussels are an essential component of our rivers and streams that improve water quality by acting as filters. The AWCC has also worked with other aquatic wildlife, including the state-threatened Spiny River snail and the Eastern Hellbender.