Quagga/Zebra Mussel Control (W902)

Quagga and zebra mussels can securely attach to virtually any hard substrate; coupled with rapid reproductive capability and tolerance for a range of environmental conditions, they have become widely disseminated in freshwater environments. As filter-feeding organisms, the mussels’ preference for surfaces submerged in flowing water at moderate depths makes water intake structures particularly susceptible to colonization and clogging. Mussels can significantly reduce water flow and pumping capability due to pipe constriction, clogged screens, heat exchangers, and in-plant piping systems. Taste-and-odor problems associated with dead mussels have also been reported.

Zebra and quagga mussels were first found in Lake St. Clair (between Lake Huron and Lake Erie) in the mid-1980’s. Zebra mussels were first to become problematic with quagga mussels lying quietly in the background waiting for proper environmental conditions to spread. Zebra mussels require hard substrate and tend to colonize the lake bottom to about 25 meters in depth. Quagga mussels do not require hard substrate and can thrive in colder, less nutrient-rich waters and at greater depths, as much as 100 meters or more.

Zebra mussels spread quickly to rivers and lakes within the Midwest and Canada. While quagga mussels have been slower to spread to lakes adjacent to the Great Lakes, the quagga mussel’s ability to reproduce in water as cold as 34^oF likely helped facilitate its spread westward to Lake Mead, Lake Tahoe and the Colorado River via boats trailered from the Great Lakes to these winter boating destinations.

Researchers have identified and developed a range of control methods that are environmentally acceptable and cost-effective. Methods currently in use include chemical, physical and mechanical approaches. A new biological approach may soon be available as well.

The following distinguished speakers will bring their expertise to this webcast:

Philip Moy, Fisheries and Invasive Species Specialist at the University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute

Ric De Leon, Microbiology Unit Manager and Program Manager for the Quagga Mussel Control Program at the Metropolitan Water District in Southern California

John Presogna, Lab and Water Quality Manager, Erie Water Works, Pennsylvania

Paul Vojtek, CEO, Erie Water Works, Pennsylvania

Sign up for this webcast today to hear subject matter experts talk about how to identify mussel colonization as well as the effective strategies to combat migration.