This species was historically placed in the genera Dysnomia and Plagiola (Johnson 1978). This species is currently place in the genus Epioblasma (Williams et al. 2008).

A list of synonyms for this species can be found on The MUSSEL project web site (Graf and Cummings 2011).

Epioblasma propinqua has been assessed as Extinct, as it was last collected in 1901 and has not been recorded since.

This species is globally extinct. It was found historically in the lower Clinch and Holston Rivers and in the Tennessee River downstream from Knoxville to Muscle Shoals, northwestern Alabama, and was known from the Cumberland River at Nashville, Tennessee, the Wabash River at New Harmony, Indiana, and from the Ohio River at Cincinnati, Ohio (Parmalee and Bogan 1998). In Alabama, it historically occurred throughout the Tennessee River in Alabama, but has not been reported since the river was impounded (Mirarchi 2004). In Tennessee, it was formerly collected in the lower Clinch River and lower Holston River from Knoxville to the Tennessee/Alabama border. It was also known historically from the Cumberland River at Nashville and probably occurred throughout the mainstem of the Cumberland River (Parmalee and Bogan 1998). In Kentucky, it formerly occurred in the Ohio River (Cicerello and Schuster 2003). In Illinois, it occurred in the Middle Wabash, Little Vermillion, Little Wabash, and Lower Wabash drainages (Cummings et al. 1988, 1991). In Ohio, it was reported from Cincinnati in the Ohio River (Johnson 1978). It was also known from the Wabash River at New Harmony, Indiana (Johnson 1978).

It historically occurred in the Tennessee River across northern Alabama and disappeared soon after impoundment of the Tennessee River, with the most recent material dating from 1901 (Williams et al. 2008). Morrison (1942) suggested the species may have begun its decline prehistorically, based on diminishing numbers in archaeological middens over time.

This species occurred in shoal habitat of large rivers (Parmalee and Bogan 1998).

This species presumably became extinct due to habitat loss and degradation (A. Bogan pers. comm. 2010).

Williams et al. (in press) lists this species as extinct according to the AFS assessment.