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An invasive fresh water mussel from the Black Sea poses a threat to Nevada Irrigation District waterways, just as summer is approaching, said NID Board President George Leipzig.
Recreational boats carrying zebra mussels could infect NID's upper mountain reservoirs that supply the bulk of the water agency's drinking and agricultural water supplies. Considered a global pest, the species can cause environmental damage by disrupting natural food chains and releasing toxins that affect other aquatic species, according to the California Department of Fish and Game.
"We have no way of protecting the (waters). People could inadvertently spread this mussel and not know what they are doing," Leipzig said.
The NID is worried about zebra mussles infesting waterways such as Rollins and Scotts Flat, as well as the more remote locations including Jackson Meadows and Bowman Reservoir.
Leipzig and Division 2 Director John Drew will discuss zebra mussels at an administrative practices committee meeting at 9 a.m. today in the NID board room at 1036 West Main St. in Grass Valley. A biologist from the state department of Fish and Game will discuss the issue and educate boaters on ways to keep their vessels clean and reduce the spread of the mussels at a 3 p.m. special public meeting May 13.
Native to the Caspian and Black seas, zebra mussels were most likely transported to the United States by ocean bound ships. They were first discovered in the United States in 1988 and have spread throughout the eastern states, causing ecological and economic loss in the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basin.
The U.S. Department of State estimates the mussel invasion costs taxpayers millions of dollars each year.
In January, a fisherman discovered zebra mussels in a reservoir in San Benito County, alarming the California Departments of Fish and Game and Water Resources. So far, the Central Valley reservoir is the only one in the state where the mollusks have been detected.
When mussels enter irrigation systems, they clog small diameter pipe, said Pete Weisser of the Department of Water Resources.
"It would be an expensive nuisance," Weisser said.
NID crews will begin posting signs at upper reservoirs as soon as snow melts, but the agency doesn't have the staff to monitor boats, Leipzig said.
"Really what we're after is to prevent infection," Leipzig said.
At Lake Tahoe, from May 16 to Labor Day, boaters should expect random watercraft inspections at public launch sites around the lake to prevent the spread of the mussels, according to the Tahoe Resource Conservation District.
"In California we have been stressing the importance of 'clean, drain and dry your boat' - it's good for your boat and critical to the environment," said Susan Ellis, Department of Fish and Game invasive species coordinator.
To contact Staff Writer Laura Brown, e-mail lbrown@theunion.com or call 477-4231.
n Inspect exposed surfaces of boats. Small mussels feel like sandpaper to the touch.
n Wash the hull of each watercraft thoroughly, preferably with high-pressure water.
n Remove all plants and animal material.
n Clean and dry all live-wells.
n Empty and dry any buckets.
n Drain and dry the lower outboard unit.
n Dispose of all bait in the trash.
n Drain all water and dry all areas.
n Wait five days and keep watercraft dry between launches into different waters.
Recreational boats carrying zebra mussels could infect NID's upper mountain reservoirs that supply the bulk of the water agency's drinking and agricultural water supplies. Considered a global pest, the species can cause environmental damage by disrupting natural food chains and releasing toxins that affect other aquatic species, according to the California Department of Fish and Game.
"We have no way of protecting the (waters). People could inadvertently spread this mussel and not know what they are doing," Leipzig said.
The NID is worried about zebra mussles infesting waterways such as Rollins and Scotts Flat, as well as the more remote locations including Jackson Meadows and Bowman Reservoir.
Leipzig and Division 2 Director John Drew will discuss zebra mussels at an administrative practices committee meeting at 9 a.m. today in the NID board room at 1036 West Main St. in Grass Valley. A biologist from the state department of Fish and Game will discuss the issue and educate boaters on ways to keep their vessels clean and reduce the spread of the mussels at a 3 p.m. special public meeting May 13.
Native to the Caspian and Black seas, zebra mussels were most likely transported to the United States by ocean bound ships. They were first discovered in the United States in 1988 and have spread throughout the eastern states, causing ecological and economic loss in the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basin.
The U.S. Department of State estimates the mussel invasion costs taxpayers millions of dollars each year.
In January, a fisherman discovered zebra mussels in a reservoir in San Benito County, alarming the California Departments of Fish and Game and Water Resources. So far, the Central Valley reservoir is the only one in the state where the mollusks have been detected.
When mussels enter irrigation systems, they clog small diameter pipe, said Pete Weisser of the Department of Water Resources.
"It would be an expensive nuisance," Weisser said.
NID crews will begin posting signs at upper reservoirs as soon as snow melts, but the agency doesn't have the staff to monitor boats, Leipzig said.
"Really what we're after is to prevent infection," Leipzig said.
At Lake Tahoe, from May 16 to Labor Day, boaters should expect random watercraft inspections at public launch sites around the lake to prevent the spread of the mussels, according to the Tahoe Resource Conservation District.
"In California we have been stressing the importance of 'clean, drain and dry your boat' - it's good for your boat and critical to the environment," said Susan Ellis, Department of Fish and Game invasive species coordinator.
To contact Staff Writer Laura Brown, e-mail lbrown@theunion.com or call 477-4231.
n Inspect exposed surfaces of boats. Small mussels feel like sandpaper to the touch.
n Wash the hull of each watercraft thoroughly, preferably with high-pressure water.
n Remove all plants and animal material.
n Clean and dry all live-wells.
n Empty and dry any buckets.
n Drain and dry the lower outboard unit.
n Dispose of all bait in the trash.
n Drain all water and dry all areas.
n Wait five days and keep watercraft dry between launches into different waters.
