STOP THIS THREAT TO OUR BEAUTIFUL COLORADO RIVER
Posted by Sandra Buckendorf on Wed, Jul 21, 2010
Zebra/Quagga Mussels have been sighted in the Colorado River, near All Seasons Storage, Needles, CA. Help us stop them before they become a big problem.
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Where did these Zebra mussels come from? This freshwater bivalve originated in Russia (it was reported in the Caspian Sea in 1769) and spread through much of northern Europe by the 20th century. The mussels were first spotted in the United States in 1988, allegedly having made their way here in the ballast water of one or more transoceanic ships. When such water was mistakenly dumped into Lake St. Clair (between lakes Erie and Huron), apparently, zebra mussels were released into the environment.Since then the mussels have spread throughout the Great Lakes, much of the Mississippi River system and even to freshwater ponds and rock quarries.
In this article I was reading it was brought up that the zebra mussel consume the sludge and act like filters, creating crystal clear water but, (and there is always a but), the bad news they are a pest. A female can lay more than 100,000 eggs in a year; having few natural predators, the mussels accumulate quickly, reach densities in the tens of thousands per square meter. With their small size (two inches tops) and tenacious grip they can easily foul equipment on boats, at water treatment facilities, etc. These little mussels not only harm mechanical equipment they are a threat to Clams and crustacean.
Park Ranger Collen Allen told a story holding a block of concrete encrusted with mussels from Lake Mead. She approached a young woman. The woman saw the mussels, and with a look of horror told Ranger Allen to get those things away from her. disgust is a typical reaction to this visual aid, something seemed different about this person's response. After putting the mussel encrusted block away, Ranger Allen approached the woman again and inquired about her experience with zebra mussels. The woman replied, "I am all too familiar with them," and held up the palms of her hands, revealing solid lines of scars. She was five years old and playing on a beach in her home state of Indiana where she was trying to fill her pail with more water to put the finishing touches on her sand castle. She tripped and fell on hundreds of dead zebra mussel shells. She put her hands out to break her fall, resulting in deeply gouged cuts on the palms of her hands. We really don't want this kind of story being told about our beaches at Lake Mohave, Lake Havasu or along the beautiful Colorado River near Needles, CA.
Follow these simple steps:
- Remove any visible mud, plants, fish or other animals before
transporting equipment
- Eliminate all water from your boat and equipment before transporting anywhere
- Clean and dry everything that came in contact with water(including boats, trailers, equipment, clothing, dogs, etc.)
- Never release plants, fish or other animals into a body of water unless they came from that same body of water.
www.ProtectYourWaters.net
In Western States you may also report Zebra/Quagga Mussel Sightings to Bonneville Power Administration's Crime Witness Hotline 1-800-437-2744
Image Credits: By Marc Murrell, Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, David Britton, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Steve Krynock,Map is based on data compliled by the U.S. Geological Survay available at www.NationalAtlas.gov, Boat U.S. Clean Water Trust and ION Media DC.
Information gatered from U.S. Fish & wildlife Service, Bonneville Power Administration, 100th Meridian Initiative, article from The Straight Dope, article witten by Andrea Smith, Park Ranger.
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