Can zebra mussels be eradicated from Texas lakes? KSAT explains

Zebra mussels and the way they unfold

SAN ANTONIO – In 2017, zebra mussels had been first present in Canyon Lake by the Texas Parks and Wildlife. Fisheries biologists say as soon as zebra mussels are in a physique of water, they unfold quickly, and boats are accountable.

The mussels connect themselves to boats and hold on to these not adequately cleaned, drained, and dried. As soon as that boater enters a brand new physique of water, the zebra mussels enter the water and start reproducing.

In line with the Texas Parks and Wildlife, 28 texas lakes are thought of infested with zebra mussels.

“Once they develop, they clog up pipes. They get throughout boats. They simply mainly destroy infrastructure,” stated John Tibbs with the Texas Parks and Wildlife.

That may be a big downside for locations like Canyon Lake, the place the lake is the group’s water supply.

The mussels clogged a water consumption pipe belonging to Canyon Lake Water Service Firm in 2019. The infestation choked water pipes, dropping manufacturing by over 50%.

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“The actual fact is that they’ll smother issues and something that’s within the water.” – Mukhtar Farooqi, TPWD

Smothering Approach

Sarcastically, smothering is precisely the technique that removed zebra mussels in Lake Waco. Biologists say they didn’t have a lot of an opportunity to succeed after they first began the challenge, however they went forward with it anyway. The mussels had been present in Lake Waco in 2014. They fell off a barge that Tibbs stated was put within the water regardless of exhibiting apparent indicators of getting zebra mussels hooked up.

Biologists in Waco knew the specter of zebra mussels, which is why weeks earlier than they had been found in Lake Waco, Parks and Wildlife truly educated metropolis workers on easy methods to spot them. They had been discovered by a lone pair of eyes who noticed the mussels within the water, and that’s how this complete experiment began.

“We outlined an space, and the choice was made to place tarps everywhere in the backside of the lake right here to smother out the ocean mussels. They require oxygen to stay. They require meals to be taken from the water. And so in the event that they had been smashed to the underside of the lake, they’re not going to have the ability to do any of that,” Tibbs stated.

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The mussels had been discovered proper on the shoreline. An space of the lake concerning the dimension of a soccer area was coated in tarps held down by sandbags. The method was the thought of a Waco metropolis worker.

“We gave it sort of out of a ten% probability of success, however it was the town’s cash. So we assist. And he was proper. It labored,” says Tibbs.

Six months after laying the tarps, scientists pulled them up and located one zebra mussel. Years later, they’ve but to seek out any extra. How do they describe the success?

“Fortunate could be one phrase I’d use” – Michael Baird, fisheries biologist, TPWD

Right here’s why. The mussels at Lake Waco had been caught early. There have been solely about 75 of them on the time, all adults, and so they hadn’t reproduced but.

“It was caught simply within the nick of time for that method to work,” says Mukhtar.

Most frequently, by the point the mussels are found, there are far too many to manage. That’s the case at each Canyon and Medina lakes. Chemical elimination of the mussels would negatively have an effect on the surroundings, doubtlessly killing off different wildlife. To not point out, “it’s going to be massively costly, a lake of this dimension, to place chemical compounds in there. And so not solely is it environmentally damaging, it’ll be very costly,” Mukhtar stated.

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At Canyon and Medina lakes, it’s about studying to stay with them. Mom Nature helps out considerably on Medina Lake, the place the water is low.

Present ranges are down by 57 toes. In areas the place the water dries up, the mussels will die.

“The lake stage going up and down like that definitely may support in slowing the inhabitants, and perhaps they received’t attain a variable stage. They could not attain the simply massively excessive infestation ranges that we see on lakes like Travis and Canyon,” stated Monica McGarrity, senior scientist for aquatic invasive species for the Texas Parks and Wildlife.

Modifications needed to be made at Canyon Lake to take care of the infestation. Canyon Lake Water Service Firm enlarged its infrastructure, making it large enough for divers to examine and take away any mussels they discover.

Clear, Drain, Dry

Larry Jackson with the Canyon Lake Water Service Firm stated, “Now, we even have a brush that goes down into the casing and can clear out all the particles or any sort of zebra mussels and push them out again into the lake.” The water firm additionally switched to copper for a few of its tools, however the greatest resolution is to “clear, drain and dry” your boats.

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“Examine your boat over, notably if it’s in a slip and it’s been in there a very long time. You actually need to scrub it,” says Tibbs.

Monica McGarrity echos that correct cleansing is essential.

“Drain all of the water from each compartment a decrease the motor. Get all of the water out of that. After which if you get residence, open all the things up and let all the things dry out, ideally for every week.”

“That’s for lakes typically. When that it’s a zebra mussel-infested lake like this one, that makes it even way more necessary to guarantee that there’s no water on board,” Mukhtar stated.

That method, these critters can’t keep on board both.

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