Courtesy of the Shuswap Watershed Council
So much of what we love about the lakes in this area – the clean water, beaches, and enjoying leisure time on a boat or paddleboard or from a dock – is at risk because of the small, invasive zebra and quagga mussels.
Zebra and quagga mussels originate in Europe but are now found in several lakes and rivers in Eastern and Central North America and as far west as California. Fortunately, they don’t exist in the Shuswap or anywhere else in British Columbia.
Zebra and quagga mussels would have terrible impacts in the Shuswap because:
They cling to and colonize on everything under water including boats, dock pilings, pipes – anything! This creates extra maintenance work that can be very costly and difficult to perform. It must also be done on an ongoing basis. It’s estimated this maintenance would cost British Columbia property owners, tax-payers, and rate-payers more than $43 million per year.
They pollute water quality, putting the lake and drinking water at risk. When the mussels die, they give off a terrible stench and their razor-sharp shells wash up on beaches.
They stay forever. There’s no way to eliminate mussels permanently once they are established in a lake. Furthermore, they reproduce prolifically, which means their effects get worse as time goes on.
Columbia Shuswap Invasive Species Society
This unidentifiable object has been underwater in a lake infested with invasive mussels. As a result, mussels have colonized on the object and it is completely encrusted.
What can be done?
Prevention is the only option. Fortunately, it’s not difficult, but it does require diligence on our part. This is because zebra and quagga mussels move from one lake to another on boats and boating equipment. Therefore, boaters must take the following steps to avoid bringing mussels to a new lake:
Clean, drain and dry your boat or watercraft and trailer every time you move it out of a lake or river.
Stop at watercraft inspection stations. This is mandatory for boats and watercraft of all kinds, including kayaks, canoes, car-toppers, personal watercraft, paddle-boards, and sailboats. If you pass one while travelling with any type of watercraft, you must stop.
The BC Conservation Officer service does watercraft inspection in BC. If you have arrived at the Shuswap from outside of BC and did not have your boat or watercraft inspected, please phone the provincial RAPP line at 1-877-952-RAPP (7277) or *7277 from a cell phone before you launch.
Whether you’re a visitor or a resident of the Shuswap, thank you for doing your part to keep invasive zebra and quagga mussels out.
The Shuswap Watershed Council is a watershed-based organization that works on water quality and safe recreation in the Shuswap. For more information, please contact Erin Vieira at (250) 314-9660 or evieira@fraserbasin.bc.ca.
Lake Mead NRA Public Affairs