North Dakota
Zebra Mussels In North Dakota Lakes: Will It Really Be That Bad?
Zebra mussels are going to ruin all of our lakes right?
Okay, I know I’m going to take some heat on this, but here goes. We’ve been hearing about zebra mussels for a long time now. How they will destroy ecosystems, ruin beaches, clog up water intakes, compete with native species, etc.
You’ve seen the commercials and billboards from North Dakota Game and Fish, “Clean, Drain and Inspect.” Zebra mussels are a problem, but is it really all doom and gloom? More on that in a moment.
Zebra mussels are now in several North Dakota lakes and rivers, and you can bet more will be added in the future.
They include the Red River, Lake LaMoure, Lake Ashtabula, Lake Elsie, the James River, and the Sheyenne River all in eastern North Dakota.
So far western North Dakota has been spared, but you can bet zebra mussels are coming. Here’s a map and more on ANS-infested waters in North Dakota.
Humans are considered the primary transporter of zebra mussels, but there are other spreaders. According to Researchgate, waterfowl can transfer zebra mussels at the larvae stage.
What are we going to do about millions of migrating waterfowl each year? Not to mention other shorebirds, reptiles, and even mammals.
I’m very familiar with zebra mussels. I have a cabin on Enemy Swim Lake in northeast South Dakota. We’ve had zebra mussels present in the lake now going on for 3 years.
(A very small zebra mussel that was found on our beach this past weekend.)
Enemy Swim is located about 5 miles south of Pickerel Lake in South Dakota. Pickerel Lake has had zebra mussels for a few years longer than my lake.
Despite joint efforts from Fish and Game, cabin owner volunteers, and interns from Fish and Game with inspection points at the boat ramp, zebra mussels still found their way into my lake. I know we all did our part to prevent it, but I sometimes think that eventually, nature will take its course.
Will zebra mussels really ruin a lake?
There’s a lot of big claims and theories out there. No doubt it will affect your beach life. You will have to wear water shoes because zebra muscles can be sharp and could cut your feet. I know I swim with my water shoes normally anyway, as I don’t like creepy crawlies touching my feet in the water.
Will zebra mussels cause your lake property values to crash?
To be honest, no sign of that anywhere. Much of Minnesota’s lakes are infested with zebra mussels. People are still spending millions of dollars for cabins on Minnetonka, Pelican, or Detroit Lakes area lakes.
Even Pickerel Lake, next to my lake has people snatching up some very expensive million-dollar cabins. You can’t even find a cabin for sale on my lake. According to swnewsmedia, there’s no link between a drop in property values and zebra muscles.
Zebra mussels will actually clear up the water they infest.
This might improve the fishing, depending on the lake. Species like Smallmouth Bass, Perch, Walleyes, and even panfish are known to gorge on zebra mussels. You might catch bigger fish because of this.
With cleaner water means you will have more sunlight and more vegetation in the lake. Again, this is thought to improve the size of the fish. Fish will have more places to hide and grow bigger. It may cause anglers to adapt to new strategies to catch fish. In some cases, it could make fishing more difficult.
As far as whether zebra mussels will destroy the ecosystem of lakes?
I’m going to come right out and say it. I think this is highly exaggerated. I’m not a biologist and don’t claim to be one.
Zebra mussels have been in the Great Lakes since the 1980’s. The Walleyes and Smallmouth Bass have never been bigger. People are still catching fish and lakes are still alive.
Zebra mussels have been in Minnesota lakes now for decades and the cabin owners I know say nothing has changed except a little extra cleaning on the docks when they pull them out each year.
Lakes like Lake of the Woods, Mille Lacs, and all of the lakes around Detroit Lakes are still alive and well.
Let’s face it: Even the highly prized Walleye is an invasive species to lakes in our area.
In conclusion:
When zebra mussels reach your favorite lake it will certainly change the ecosystem. Your “lake life” will likely have to adapt to some necessary changes.
However, will zebra mussels turn your lake into a barren wastewater? I don’t think so. Adapt or die. That’s life in a nutshell.
Do I want zebra mussels in our lakes? No, of course not. However, I’m being realistic. Sometimes you have to look for the good with the bad.
North Dakota’s Top 11 Lakes According To Our Fans
Plant Some Of These In Your Garden to Keep Mosquitoes Away
Gallery Credit: Michelle Heart
FARGO — A local family is fearing for the future and well-being of their child, and others, after service hours were cut for a behavioral health program in the metro.
They rely on the program to keep their children safe and in school.
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Faye Seidler, a suicide prevention advocate, testifies March 24, 2025, during a legislative committee hearing. Seidler is recruiting volunteers for a new LGBTQ+ Safety Taskforce. (Photo by Mary Steurer/North Dakota Monitor)
Fargo (NorthDakotaMonitor) – Editor’s note: If you or someone you know may be experiencing a mental health crisis, contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by dialing or texting “988.”
A North Dakota activist is recruiting volunteers across the state to improve the lives of LGBTQ+ youth.
The new project, called the LGBTQ+ Safety Taskforce, was created by Fargo-area suicide prevention advocate Faye Seidler.
Her goal is to recruit at least one volunteer for each of North Dakota’s 47 legislative districts. Anyone can apply to join the effort. The project is designed to make it as easy as possible for North Dakotans to contribute, Seidler said.
“A lot of what I’m doing is empowering people to have the tools to kind of make that change in their community, and then support them where I can,” she said. “I think that there are people who kind of want to just get involved, but they don’t know how.”
The idea is for volunteers to build up resources for queer youth in their area and form connections with local leaders, she said.
It’s not a formal organization, and there aren’t specific requirements for what kind of work volunteers must do. Seidler said that’s to allow people the flexibility to help out on their own terms.
Volunteers should do whatever makes most sense for their communities, she said.
That could mean sitting down with a local school board member to talk about ways to help LGBTQ+ youth, starting a support group or organizing a suicide prevention training at a church.
Many decision-makers in North Dakota don’t understand that LGBTQ+ youth in their communities are struggling and need support, Seidler said.
According to Seidler’s analysis of 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey data, lesbian, gay and bisexual high-school students in North Dakota were more than three times as likely to have attempted suicide than their straight, cisgender peers. Transgender highschoolers were almost five times as likely to have attempted suicide compared with straight, cisgender students.
“It’s my general belief that a lot of the folks in our state just don’t have good stories about the experiences that queer youth have here,” she said.
To learn more about the task force or to sign up to be a volunteer, visit Seidler’s website. The website also includes data, fact sheets and other resources.
The task force will launch Monday. To commemorate its debut, Seidler will host a 16-hour livestream on the website Twitch starting at 8 a.m. Saturday and concluding at midnight.
Seidler will use that time to answer any questions from viewers, but has nothing else planned for the stream. That’s on purpose, she said.
“I want people to understand the weight of how long time can feel like when you’re waiting for help and there’s no help around,” Seidler said.
The task force isn’t supported by external funding. Seidler said it’s important to her that the project be self-sustaining.
“We have seen across this year how much funding can be disrupted through grant efforts, whether it be federal or local,” she said.
The Trump administration has made sweeping cuts to programs that support queer youth — including by shutting down a suicide prevention hotline late last year. The federal government has also sought to curb data collection on LGBTQ+ Americans.
North Dakota lawmakers have also passed a number of state laws restricting LGBTQ+ rights. Under a 2025 law, schools cannot have all-gender restrooms, which some opponents said are important accommodations for transgender students. State law already forbade schools from letting transgender students use the bathroom that aligns with their gender.
A law passed during the 2023 session also bars transgender adolescents from receiving puberty blockers and hormone therapy to treat gender dysphoria.
The North Dakota Legislature has rejected previous proposals to protect people who identify as LGBTQ+ from different forms of discrimination.
Cody Schuler, advocacy director for the North Dakota ACLU, said given the national and state climate toward LGBTQ+ youth, efforts like the LGBTQ+ Safety Taskforce are needed “now more than ever.”
“Anything that advocates can do to build up resources and spaces for growing advocacy is not only admirable, but necessary,” he said.
North Dakota Monitor reporter Mary Steurer can be reached at msteurer@northdakotamonitor.com.
COOPERSTOWN, N.D. — The Griggs County Sheriff’s Office is investigating an incident in which someone aimed a laser pointer at an airplane as it was flying over a field northwest of Binford on Friday evening, Jan. 30.
Department officials posted an advisory on its Facebook page, reminding residents that doing so is a federal crime and can potentially blind the pilot. The offense is punishable by FAA fines of up to $32,000, up to five years in federal prison or both.
“Thankfully, no harm came to those operating the plane or the plane itself,” the post read. “The culprit was not found, but if anyone has info regarding this matter please notify us.”
Authorities posted a photo of what a laser pointer looks like from the pilot’s vantage point, accompanied by an explanation of why lasers are so dangerous to aircraft: “Lasers expand at distance and can engulf the cockpit in a ’flashbulb effect’ similar to a camera flash. This can temporarily blind pilots, if not permanently damage their eyes.”
Anyone with information on the incident can contact the Griggs County sheriff at
sheriff@griggscountynd.gov
or 701-797-2202.
Our newsroom occasionally reports stories under a byline of “staff.” Often, the “staff” byline is used when rewriting basic news briefs that originate from official sources, such as a city press release about a road closure, and which require little or no reporting. At times, this byline is used when a news story includes numerous authors or when the story is formed by aggregating previously reported news from various sources. If outside sources are used, it is noted within the story.
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Indiana1 day ago13-year-old rider dies following incident at northwest Indiana BMX park
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Massachusetts2 days agoTV star fisherman, crew all presumed dead after boat sinks off Massachusetts coast
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Tennessee3 days agoUPDATE: Ohio woman charged in shooting death of West TN deputy
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Austin, TX4 days ago
TEA is on board with almost all of Austin ISD’s turnaround plans
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