The southeastern USA is a global epicenter for freshwater mussel diversity and supports 90% of North American species. It also has a long history of human settlement and very little public land in conservation status. Ongoing land use and historic river alteration combined with increasing human population, water withdrawals, and climate change are threats. Many mussel species are showing long term declines leading to imperiled status. Information on extant populations is critical for developing recovery strategies in a funding limited environment, but there are few examples documenting long-term changes and the underlying causes. We are holding a special session at the Southeastern Chapter of the Society of Freshwater Science meeting in March 2024 to identify essential elements of long-term plans for mussel populations of concern. This session will bring together experts from research, agency, and non-profit backgrounds to provide examples of successful conservation efforts and discuss research and monitoring needs. The results of these discussions, as well as our field surveys from the lower Flint River Basin (Georgia, USA) in 2023 and 2024, will be used to summarize and contextualize the critical needs for ongoing research and conservation of freshwater mussels in the southeastern USA.