Quagga and Zebra Mussel Alert

Once they become established, the mussels are extremely difficult, if not impossible, to eradicate: as many as 700,000 mussels per square meter have been reported. To learn how to help prevent a mussel infestation in Lake Almanor, join us on May 28 from 12PM to 4PM for a watercraft inspection and decontamination training workshop.

If you own a boat or manage lakeside resort, this training is for you. Jason Roberts from the California Department of Fish and Game will provide an overview of mussel biology before demonstrating proper inspection and decontamination techniques. Pre-registration for this free training is required. Please call Kelly at 284-1022 to reserve your place.

The inspection training will be followed by a free informational workshop at Chester Memorial Hall from 6PM to 8PM. Representatives from Fish and Game and PG&E will describe the history of mussels in the United States and discuss the threat to Lake Almanor and what we can do to prevent the mussels from establishing here. No registration is required for the evening workshop.

Quagga and zebra mussels are native to Eastern Europe and Russia. The two species are closely related. According to the Department of Fish & Game, they can:

• Reproduce quickly and in very large numbers: up to 1 million eggs per female per spawning season.
• Colonize on both hard and soft surfaces, including boat hulls, propellers, anchors, docks, and boat trailers.
• Coat submerged surfaces such as piers, pilings, rocks, and cables, up to 400 feet deep.
• Infiltrate and damage boat engines and steering components.
• Threaten water treatment plants, hydroelectric plants, and reservoirs.
• Wreak havoc on the environment by attaching to aquatic plants, sediment, and even native mussels.
• Disrupt the food chain by filtering the water column of phytoplankton and out-competing other species, including sport fish.
• Change water conditions, causing heavier aquatic plant growth, oxygen loss, and fish kills.
• Result in infested waters being closed to boating and fishing.

Zebra mussels were first found in North America in 1988 in the Great Lakes. In the summer of 2007, quagga mussels were found in the Colorado River Aqueduct, and they have recently been found in southern California reservoirs.

U.S. Congressional researchers have estimated that the zebra mussel infestation of the Great Lakes area cost industries, businesses, and communities more than $5 billion between 1993 and 1999. In California, the mussels threaten water delivery systems, hydroelectric facilities, agriculture, recreational boating and fishing, and the environment.

Zebra and quagga mussels can be transported from one water body to another by boats. Larvae are microscopic and are easily transported. Adult zebra and quagga mussels can survive out of the water for up to one week. To help prevent the spread of these highly invasive mussels, thoroughly clean, dry, and drain your boat after each use. Specific inspection and decontamination practices will be outlined during the workshop on May 28.

Read more about the Invasive Species program on the the California Department of Fish and Game site.

For more information or to register for the afternoon training, please contact Kelly Weintraub at 284-1022. This event is sponsored by the Almanor Basin Watershed Advisory Committee, the Sierra Institute, the Department of Fish and Game, and PG&E.