quagga/zebra mussel

[skiswm]

Not sure how many of you have kept up with this, but from what I have read/heard it could be pretty serious. Being as many out there have ballast tanks they don't always drain on the way out of the lake I would imagine our boats will be watched more closely. I know in and around Lake Tahoe the Dept of Fish and Game and the Dept of Agriculture are being very proactive to protect area waterways. On the bright side I guess it's a real good raeson to give the boat an extra long wash down :grin:. Here's some more info on it, http://www.dfg.ca.gov/invasives/quaggamussel/. I have already seen boats being inspected and read that the state of CA has trained 2 dogs to sniff out the mussels on boats/trailers at various lakes around the state. Some launch ramps are charging upwards of $7 for an inspection before you even pay the launch fees.

[TravisFling]

RE: quagga/zebra mussel

I think they're great. They make the lake much clearer and cleaner... bring them on!

[Nates78Ski]

RE: quagga/zebra mussel

yeah, keep thinking that until they overrun your lake & you can't step anywhere w/o putting a healthy gash in the bottom of your foot. My buddy's lake has tons of em & they're absolute ****. Luckily, I've yet to find one in ours.

Nate

[DanielC]

RE: quagga/zebra mussel

Travis, do not ever take your boat off Choctaw Lake.

[TravisFling]

RE: quagga/zebra mussel

I was only kidding... we don't have them on Choctaw, but they do have a bunch up a Lake Erie and the water is much cleaner there... I hear what you're saying though... I wish there was some natural water cleaner/filter like them that wasn't invasive like that. Just wish my lake was a little cleaner/clearer... I know how much I love the water when we get down to Dale Hollow.

[DanielC]

RE: quagga/zebra mussel

My understanding is that these critters can live in any water your boat can hold. Bilge, ballast tanks, engine cooling system, trailer bunks that stay wet, ETC.
These things clog anything that has flowing water by it. city water intakes, hydroelectric dam intakes, any thing like that.

[TravisFling]

RE: quagga/zebra mussel

I'm starting to like them less and less. I guess I'd always just heard about them from my bass fishin buddies that go up to lake erie. They wouldn't have ballast, or get out of the boat, or anything, so I guess their opinion is not quite valid...

Nate - that's a really neat story on your boat, by the way.. I'd love to see some more pictures of the beauty if you have 'em? TravisFling@hotmail

[jeffsv211]

RE: quagga/zebra mussel

It's very ugly situation -- yes, the water is clearer. Our lake started getting them about 3-4 yrs ago and this year is the worst ever. You cannot get in the water without water shoes... last week I pulled a 3" square piece of plastic off the bottom and it was covered on both sides with zebra mussels. They attach to everything but mostly the pier post, boat lift legs and stones. I did hear that you can coat things with copper paint (like the anti-fouling coatings on boat bottoms) and that seems to really work but it's not a cheap solution and won't work for everything. My boat never sits in the water for long periods, I crank that lift way up unless we are heading out again. Won't guarantee I don't get them, but about the only solution I have at this time. I have heard that they only last about 7 yrs, don't know how factual that is.. basically they kill themselves off when they devour their own food supply?

[BKinSoCal]

RE: quagga/zebra mussel

They infested the Colorado River Valley about 2-3 years ago, but this year is the first time I have really noticed them. I leave my boat in the water for anywhere from 2-6 days at a time and when I pull it out, they have attached themselves to the swimstep brackets. It feels very slimy.

I did a little research and I found that spraying them with a 50/50 chlorine/water mixture kills them. As I spray it, I can see them trying to squirm away...they are in their infancy at this point. They get into all of the nooks and crannies, but I make sure I get them all and wipe them down. If I don't, they will turn into a hard crust that will be VERY DIFFICULT to remove.

I hope jeffsv211 is right with the 7-year rumor...although I imagine they will continue to get worse before they get better.

But I do see that the water is clearer this summer than ever before...I'd rather it be a little murkier!!!

[jeffsv211]

just an update since June... this summer started out being the worst for these pesky critters (Zebra mussels) --- however, as the summer went on, the water became so crystal clear. You coud see the bottom most everywhere that was 10-15 ft deep or less.. Even when the weeds started to come back, the clarity of the water was unbelievable. In the 20 yrs I've been at this lake, it is the nicest I have ever seen.. I also noticed that the rocks, peer poles, boat lift legs, etc are all pretty clean of mussels this season... Bottom line: I think they are dying off finally.. don't know how long it will last, but I'm ok with it for now! I'm guessing they have eaten all their food supply which basically filtered the lake impurities out of the water... Well, can't wait for the cycle to start all over again -- enjoy the crystal clear water and zebra free for now!