Zebra Mussels

[crappiedoc]

Just some opinions and insight from an observer. Zebra Mussels, from my previous post on this subject I's like to build on this subject, I never intended to single any one person out, but to give an honest thought on their control. Many of us have and still do fish 2 lakes in one day, and yes this is 1 scenario of possibility for their spread. Now I'd like to point out some more, and please chime in on this one, because I'm sure I've missed some.
Those big ol' boats that water skiers use are one way, many of them have ballast tanks to keep the boat on plane for pulling skiers, knee boards, tubes, and bikes. These are easily aquariums for harboring our little friends. And how many of them check for those veligers or even care. They can haul more indirectly than any livewells, bilges, or trailers.
Next, as many of you know, there's our new immigrants, many are non-English speaking much less able to read English. They can be just as guilty of the things we all take for granted in doing to stop the spread. This is one that I've seen personally at Milford.Doh
As Shane pointed out, the pelicans, which I never would have continued to suspect after watching the video KDWP put out in regards to waterfowl. Makes a guy wonder, doesn't it.
Most of us accept that it's going to get worse and it doesn't have too. How bad do YOU want to stop their spread, what are YOU willing to accept? The "cure" is ugly!!!

[Fish Taxi]

That is a valid point that it is not just fishermen who are using the lakes and possibly transporting the veligers. I guess if a ski boat had a ballast tank filled with milford water from Friday and then went to another lake on Saturday and then dumped his tank on the way out, that would do it...

Still, I have to believe that the primary cause has got to be anglers just like us. Fisherman X has a couple fish in his livewell at lake 1 and gets a phone call from Fisherman Y who tells him that "the bite is on" at lake 2.... So he pulls out of lake 1 and heads over to lake 2, and flips on the automatic livewell at the second lake. As the lake 2 water pumps in, it flushes out all the lake 1 water and zebra mussel veligers get spread to the new lake.

To me, either one of those scenarios seems a lot more likely than a pelican taking a mouthfull of water from one lake to another. Birds are dumb, but they are smart enough to know that water is heavy and makes flying harder... Would be my guess anyway... And waterfowl? I doubt it... I've shot quite a few ducks and geese that fell on land and I've yet to find one that was wet or even damp. Generally they are oily enough to make water bead up. Just my personal observation.:o

In the end all we can really do is make sure that we are not personally responsible for spreading zebra mussels. Clean, drain, and dry. Pretty clear and simple formula, I think. If we all observe that plan and make sure that other people are doing it as well, then we should be good to go.Thumbs Up Just my personal opinion anyway...

[FairWeather]

Those concerned earlier about Melvern Lake, turns out, had a legitimate concern. I got a little insider info that zebra mussels have been confirmed in both Council Grove (not a surprise considering they are in the City Lake) and Melvern Lake this week. This, gentlemen, is why you should clean drain dry even when you "know" there aren't any zebra mussels in the lake you are fishing. Such a preventable shame, oh and they were located in the Marina Cove, imagine that.

[Craig Johnson]

Those concerned earlier about Melvern Lake, turns out, had a legitimate concern. I got a little insider info that zebra mussels have been confirmed in both Council Grove (not a surprise considering they are in the City Lake) and Melvern Lake this week. This, gentlemen, is why you should clean drain dry even when you "know" there aren't any zebra mussels in the lake you are fishing. Such a preventable shame, oh and they were located in the Marina Cove, imagine that.

Fairweather nailed it. Clean Drain and Dry. Every Lake, Every Time.




TWO MORE KANSAS RESERVOIRS INFESTED WITH ZEBRA MUSSELS
Boaters reminded of threat and prevention steps before holiday weekend
EMPORIA – On Wednesday, June 29, 2011, officials with the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced that zebra mussels have been found in Council Grove Reservoir in Morris County and Melvern Reservoir in Osage County. Adding the twelfth and thirteenth Kansas reservoirs to the infested list disappoints KDWPT aquatic nuisance species biologist Jason Goeckler because he knows the spread can be prevented.

“We expected Council Grove Reservoir because zebra mussels naturally move downstream, and they were found in Council Grove City Lake last July,” Goeckler explained. “The Melvern infestation is a different story because it could have been prevented. I still think we can prevent further spread of aquatic nuisance species if lake users will follow a few basic precautions.”

All un-infested Kansas waters are under continual zebra mussel surveillance by KDWPT staff. A lake user found a rock with a single adult zebra mussel attached at Council Grove, and the infestations were confirmed when staff found larval zebra mussels, called veligers, and adult zebra mussels at both lakes. Veligers are too small to see with the naked eye and suspend for several weeks in the water before sinking to the bottom and attaching to a hard surface. While they are suspended, zebra mussel larvae can be easily transported in flowing water or water moved in boats, bait buckets and through other recreational activities.

Zebra mussels are native to the Black and Caspian seas in Europe. They are believed to have been transported to the Great Lakes in the ballasts of transoceanic ships. Since first being discovered in 1988, zebra mussels have spread quickly to other waters in the Midwest. Control is expensive and there is no way to eradicate them once they become established.

While an adult zebra mussel is only about the size of a dime, the species poses a dire threat to our native fish and aquatic animals. One adult female can produce up to 1 million eggs per year, and zebra mussel colonies quickly become quite dense, attaching to any hard surface, including native mussels, crayfish, turtles, boats, docks, as well as water intake structures. They even attach to other zebra mussels, creating layered colonies up to 6 inches thick. Densities of more than 1 million zebra mussels per square meter have been documented in Lake Erie. In addition to the threat they pose to our environment, native species and water recreation, zebra mussels will cost water suppliers, power plants and other water-related businesses $1 billion each year -- costs we all help pay.

Adult zebra mussels are filter feeders, and an infestation can dramatically disrupt a lake’s food chain by removing plankton native fish rely on. KDWPT biologists have documented decreases in body condition and abundance in several game fish species after zebra mussel infestations. Zebra mussel feeding habits may also increase the potential for blue-green algae blooms, which can be toxic to humans and animals. Dense colonies of zebra mussels make wading and swimming along shorelines dangerous because of their sharp shells. When zebra mussels die, the odor and shell fragments that wash up make any shoreline activities unpleasant.

With this latest discovery, KDWPT will increase local outreach efforts through signage and information materials in an attempt to educate lake users about the dangers of spreading zebra mussels. All lake users are asked to help stop the spread of zebra mussels to another water body. Goeckler reminds all anglers and boaters to remember three simple rules: CLEAN, DRAIN, and DRY. Inspect your vessel for any zebra mussels before you leave the boat ramp area. (Zebra mussels are on the prohibited species list, which means they can’t be possessed alive. Having a live zebra mussel attached to your boat is a violation.). Drain all water from the boat’s livewell, baitwell and sump area (Drain any bait buckets, as well – never pour live bait into the lake, dispose of it on land.) Dry the boat and trailer for at least five days before putting them in another lake, or wash the boat and trailer with 140-degree water.

“It’s important that lake users take the threat of aquatic nuisance species seriously,” Goeckler added. “If their spread is allowed to continue, our water-based recreation opportunities may be changed forever.”

Zebra mussels are just one of several invasive species that threaten our waters. Prevent their spread by following the CLEAN, DRAIN, and DRY procedures and never move water or fish from one body of water to another. For more information about aquatic nuisance species, go to www.kdpwt.state.ks.us and click on the “STOP AQUATIC HITCHHIKERS” window on the lower left of the page.

[wheels70]

That is a valid point that it is not just fishermen who are using the lakes and possibly transporting the veligers. I guess if a ski boat had a ballast tank filled with milford water from Friday and then went to another lake on Saturday and then dumped his tank on the way out, that would do it...

Still, I have to believe that the primary cause has got to be anglers just like us. Fisherman X has a couple fish in his livewell at lake 1 and gets a phone call from Fisherman Y who tells him that "the bite is on" at lake 2.... So he pulls out of lake 1 and heads over to lake 2, and flips on the automatic livewell at the second lake. As the lake 2 water pumps in, it flushes out all the lake 1 water and zebra mussel veligers get spread to the new lake.

To me, either one of those scenarios seems a lot more likely than a pelican taking a mouthfull of water from one lake to another. Birds are dumb, but they are smart enough to know that water is heavy and makes flying harder... Would be my guess anyway... And waterfowl? I doubt it... I've shot quite a few ducks and geese that fell on land and I've yet to find one that was wet or even damp. Generally they are oily enough to make water bead up. Just my personal observation.:o

In the end all we can really do is make sure that we are not personally responsible for spreading zebra mussels. Clean, drain, and dry. Pretty clear and simple formula, I think. If we all observe that plan and make sure that other people are doing it as well, then we should be good to go.Thumbs Up Just my personal opinion anyway...

I agree 100%! This is exactly what I was trying to get across in a previous post even before these were discovered. It can be something as simple as the water on the bunks that can transport them. Even cleaning the boat and trailer there is still areas within the trailer that will have water in it, the tops of the bunks will still be wet with lake water, the water in the engine, even something as simple as a wet sponge, towels, tubes, ect.
I think it is imperative that we as boaters stay away from any other body of water for at LEAST 5 days no matter how well we think we have cleaned the boat. Cleaning the boat is not enough. It must dry completely so as to kill anything left on the boat or trailer or anything else that will be going into the water.

This makes me sick. It is really disheartening for those that are religious about making sure their boat is dry before going to another body of water.
Any bets on how long before they discover them in Pomona or Coffey County?
I will bet by next year they will find them in one or both.


I am going to go cry in my beer now.....

Keith