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Columbia Shuswap Invasive Species Society
Invasive mussels
Adult mussels aren’t much bigger than your thumb nail
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Columbia Shuswap Invasive Species Society
Invasive mussels
A boat hull encrusted with invasive mussels
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Columbia Shuswap Invasive Species Society
Invasive mussels
A diagram of the two, different species of mussels.
Shuswap Watershed Council
The Shuswap is at risk of being invaded by aquatic invasive mussels. It sounds like a science fiction flick, doesn’t it? It’s not – it’s a very real threat, and we all need to do our part to prevent it.
Zebra and quagga mussels would create enormous problems for the Shuswap as they cling to, colonize, and completely encrust all hard surfaces under the water to include boats, pilings, water supply and irrigation systems, docks, you name it. Additionally, they litter beaches with their small razor-sharp shells, produce foul odours, and pollute water quality, putting the lake ecosystem and drinking water at risk. In fact, the cost to property owners, taxpayers and ratepayers for dealing with these impacts in BC is estimated to be $43 million per year.
Zebra and quagga mussels were unintentionally brought to North America in the 1970s on ships coming from Europe, where mussels originate. Since that time, they have been found in many lakes and rivers in eastern and central North America, and as far west as California.
The good news is the mussels are not known to be present in Shuswap Lake, or anywhere in BC. Let’s keep it that way!
One of the most common ways that zebra and quagga mussels move from one waterbody to another is on various watercraft and fishing gear, which can become contaminated with mussels if they’ve been used in a lake or river where the mussels are present.
Adult mussels can attach themselves directly, while juvenile mussels can float freely in trapped water. There are many places they habitate, including bilges, ballasts, bait buckets, anchors, boat hulls, trailers, props, engine coolant systems – and that’s just for boats. They can also “hide” on kayaks, canoes, paddleboards, waders, or water toys. They’re not easy to spot – adult mussels are the size of your thumbnail, and juveniles are smaller than a grain of sand. Therefore, it’s critically important that everyone eliminates the chance that adult or juvenile mussels are being moved from one body of water to another.
What You Can Do
Anyone bringing any kind of watercraft into British Columbia is required to stop at watercraft inspection stations where staff inspect and decontaminate your watercraft, free of charge. Stopping is mandatory, and failing to stop could cost a hefty fine.
Within BC, you must clean, drain and dry watercrafts and gear before moving to another lake or river. This helps prevent the transmission of various invasive species, such as Eurasian water milfoil and whirling disease.
There’s more. If the mussels become established in the Shuswap – and it would only take one contaminated watercraft to enable that – they are virtually impossible to get rid of. If they’re introduced to the Shuswap, they’d be here to stay. Worse yet, they reproduce at alarmingly high rates. A few mussels in a lake could become millions in a year. Prevention is key. Don’t move a mussel! Clean, drain and dry your watercraft and gear, and make a point to stop at watercraft inspection stations.
Sources:
Don’t Move A Mussel. What Mussels?; Province of BC, Zebra and Quagga Mussel Facts.
www.fraserbasin.bc.ca/Shuswap_Water.html
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