Zebra mussels are an aquatic invasive species (AIS) – meaning they are not native to our lake’s ecosystem – and they are able to multiply very rapidly. Unfortunately, some boat owners are seeing and feeling the damage caused by zebra mussels first hand. ; The microscopic veligers spread between bodies of water by live wells, bait buckets, bilge water, dive gear, waterfowl, and anything else that moves from one body of water to another.

The introduction and rapid spread of two Eurasian mussel species, Dreissena polymorpha (zebra mussel) and Dreissena rostriformis bugensis (quagga mussel), in waters of North America has caused great concern among industrial and recreational water users. Prevention, therefore, is the best way to keep a water body clean of zebra mussels. They are established in Minnesota and were first found in the Duluth/Superior Harbor in 1989. The unionid mussel population decreased due to a lack of food. Usually the shell is a light colour (tan or beige) with darker zig-zag stripes. Mussels have long existed in the Great Lakes, and the dreissenid zebra mussels and native unionid mussels are both filter feeders. Although the potash treatment did succeed in killing zebra mussel populations in Winnipeg Beach, Gimli, Arnes and Balsam Bay harbours, both adult mussels and veligers have since been detected throughout the lake’s south basin, as well as in the Red River, and the harbours have been re-invaded. They have spread throughout the reservoir along rocky shorelines and natural debris (logs, tree stumps) within the reservoir and also attached themselves to infrastructure below water including boardwalk piers, safety buoys and walls adjacent to Kelso Dam.

The zebra mussels were able to outcompete the unionid mussels, allowing the zebra mussel population to increase dramatically over six years. Their boat hulls are being damaged and their motors are overheating because they do not know how to minimize the impacts zebra mussels can cause. Last Seen Originally from the streams of Southern Russia Suspected Hideouts From the Great Lakes and Lake Saint Clair to the The zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) is a freshwater invasive species that has spread throughout waterways in Europe and North America.Economic effects include billions of dollars of damage to the power-generation industry and to recreation and tourism. Dispose of unused bait in the trash. Both species were discovered in the Great Lakes in the late 1980’s, when they were discharged in ballast water of ocean-going ships.

Please take the following steps to prevent the tr ansport of zebra mussels and other aquatic invasive species to new waters: Inspect and remove aquatic plants, animals, and mud from your boat, trailer, and equipment. Natural populations of 5,000 to 30,000 individual mussels per square meter are not uncommon. They have spread throughout the reservoir along rocky shorelines and natural debris (logs, tree stumps) within the reservoir and also attached themselves to infrastructure below water including boardwalk piers, safety buoys and walls adjacent to Kelso Dam. Do you know what to do? A single zebra mussel can filter up to one litre of water a day. Zebra Mussels Identifying Characteristics Zebra Mussels have stripped patterns on their shells, size varys from big as a fingernail to 2 inches. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources will consider permitting pilot projects to kill zebra mussels in public waters. Zebra mussels reach sexual maturity after 1 or 2 years, and one female can release up to one million eggs in a spawning season. They were first discovered in the area in the late 1980s, and it has been an ongoing battle to get rid of and control them ever since. Protect your boat and engine from zebra mussels Is your boat protected against zebra mussels? The Strategy to Advance Management of Invasive Zebra and Quagga Mussels is intended to drive investments, policy, and research around invasive mussels across the Great Lakes region and beyond.

These pilot projects will be the only projects in the state to be permitted.

Drain all water from your motor, livewell, bilge, transom, etc.

Gary Fahnenstiel, a senior research scientist at Michigan Tech Research Institute, said there were major issues with zebra mussels in his state, notably a water emergency in Monroe, Mich.

Zebra mussels can reproduce rapidly and can cause serious economic, recreational and environmental damage. Zebra mussels, a nonnative species, competed with the unionid mussels for food. Zebra mussels typically live 2-5 years in temperate climates, with water temperatures ranging from 32 - 90 °F. One mussel can produce up to one million eggs during a single spawning season. Plankton is the foundation of many food chains, including those of native fish and wildlife.