Invasive Mussels
Outlines the ongoing Quagga/Zebra mussel programs throughout San Luis Obispo County.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Living adult mussels adhere themselves to boat hulls, engines, and propellers and are transported from infested waters to non-infested waters;
- Microscopic larval may survive in boat bilges, water tanks, bait tanks, fish tanks, the hull, and the trailer;
- Aquatic plants, where adult mussels and larva live, attach themselves to boats, anchors, ropes, and trailers. The attached aquatic plants are carried to other non-infested lakes and water ways;
- Infested fish hatcheries can transport adult mussels and larva in tanker trucks when stocking a lake with fish.
Quagga/Zebra mussels are non-native freshwater mussels from Eastern Europe that clog waterways, undermine healthy lake ecosystems, ruin boat engine cooling systems, and financially burden water resource agencies.
Quagga/Zebra mussels are prolific breeders that can overrun a lake causing hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of damage annually. One female mussel can spawn 1,000,000 offspring annually. Quagga/Zebra mussels’ rapid reproduction can negatively disrupt an aquatic ecosystem in a very short amount of time. Once these mussels are introduced into a waterway, there is no way to fully eradicate the species.
Quagga/Zebra mussels colonize pipes, docks, locks, ship hulls, water intake pipes, other mollusks and cause extensive damage to water treatment facilities.
Quagga/Zebra mussels disrupt the food chain by consuming nutrients used by other species. Due to massive populations, Quagga/Zebra mussels can consume so much plant life that water begins to clear up. Parks personnel in the Great Lakes region report that water once visible to depths of 6 to 12 inches have been clearing up to astonishing depths of 10 to 12 feet. Clearer water negatively affects aquatic ecosystems. Many small aquatic animals no longer have sufficient nutrients.
Quagga/Zebra mussels are filter feeders that absorb heavy metals, trace elements, toxins, and chemical contaminants in their tissues. These absorbents can be passed up the food chain when these mussels are eaten by water fowl and other organisms. There have been massive die-offs of water fowl in the Great Lakes region due to Quagga and Zebra Mussels.
For any and all inquiries please call the County Mussel Prevention Hotline at (805) 788-6006.
Local Area Lake Mussel Prevention Programs
Regional Invasive Mussel Monitoring Reports
Public Education Materials
Maps
- California Distribution Map
- United States Distribution Map
- Zebra Mussels Dynamic U.S. Map (Updated Daily)
Documents and Information
- Quagga Mussels Summary
San Luis Obispo County Public Works (27 March 2008)
- Quagga Mussel Overview & Management Actions at Cachuma Lake County Park
Santa Barbara County Parks (January 2008)
- Quagga Mussel Running History
Department of Fish & Game (21 November 2007)
- Quagga/Zebra Mussel Infestation Prevention and Response Planning Guide
National Parks Service [U.S. Department of the Interior] (May 2007)
- Western Quagga Mussels
U.S. Fish & Wildlife (27 March 2007)
- Zebra Mussels and Fire Control Equipment
New York Sea Grant (2002)
- Control of Zebra Mussels in Residential Water Systems
New York Sea Grant (August 1996)
- The Zebra Mussel: Answers to Commonly Asked Questions
New York Sea Grant (February 1996)
- A Review of the Biology and Ecology of the Quagga Mussel
E. L. MILLS ET AL. (1996)
- Identification of Juvenile Dreissena Polymorpha and Mytilopsis Leucophaeata
New York Sea Grant & Cornell Cooperative Extension (February 1992)
- The Zebra Mussel: An Unwelcome North American Invader
New York Sea Grant (November 1991)
Reference
Lopez Lake and Santa Margarita Mussel Inspection Program |
Lake Nacimiento Mussel Inspection Program |
Lake Nacimiento Resident Vessel Program |