Reading Time: 3 minutes The massive effort to keep quagga and zebra mussels out of Alberta’s waterways once again paid dividends. “This year, inspectors surveyed 31,000 boats and found 11 carrying invasive mussels,” said Janine Higgins, an official with the Community Engagement Branch of Alberta Environment and Parks. In 2017, 35,000 boats were inspected and 19 were found to […] Read more
Some close calls, but invasive mussels kept at bay this year
Eleven boats were found to be carrying the fast-breeding and highly destructive aquatic invaders
Battling invasive mussels comes with a high cost
New report outlines control methods — but it will take a massive, and expensive, effort every year
Reading Time: 5 minutes *[UPDATED, May 15, 2018] Winter may be the best weapon if zebra and quagga mussels invade Alberta’s waterways, says a new report. The two species, members of the dreissenid family of mussels, have spread across North America since being found in the Great Lakes more than three decades ago. And while they haven’t invaded Alberta waters […] Read more
Efforts to keep out invasive mussels working — for now
A dozen contaminated boats have been found so far this year and officials warn zebra and quagga mussels are cunning hitchhikers
Reading Time: 3 minutes Zebra and quagga mussels are not in Alberta yet, but the threat continues to grow. “This is becoming a huge issue in our world — the more we travel and carry things around — whether we know it or not,” said Janine Higgins, community engagement lead with Alberta Environment and Parks. The two invasive species, […] Read more
The threat of invasive mussels draws ever closer to Alberta
Water officials on high alert after positive samples for larval mussels were found in two nearby Montana reservoirs last year
Reading Time: 4 minutes Lakes closed to watercraft; shores fouled with sharp shells and a rotting mollusk smell; millions of tax dollars going to clean up irrigation and hydro-electric infrastructure — that’s the future if quagga or zebra mussels find their way into the province. For decades, Alberta has been protected by a buffer of mussel-free provinces and states […] Read more
Authorities up efforts in the battle to keep out invasive mussels
More inspections, tougher enforcement, and lots of education key to keeping Alberta waterways clear of quagga and zebra mussels
Reading Time: 3 minutes The provincial government and irrigation districts are ramping up their efforts to keep invasive quagga and zebra mussels out of Alberta. Along with more watercraft inspections, the province is also stepping up enforcement — and boaters who fail to stop at an inspection station face a fine of up to $100,000 or 12 months in […] Read more
Keeping province free of invasive mussels
Zebra and quagga mussels could quickly devastate Alberta’s irrigation infrastructure
Reading Time: 2 minutes Zebra and quagga mussels are small freshwater, clam-like species that pose a significant threat to Alberta’s waterways and irrigation systems. “The concern with zebra and quagga mussels is that they multiply very quickly and can attach and accumulate on any submerged surface in the water, and could clog up water-related infrastructure such as irrigation pipelines […] Read more
The battle against invasive mussels is unending
Zebra and quagga mussels would cause $75 million in damage annually if they got in Alberta waterways
Reading Time: < 1 minute Efforts to keep invasive mussels out of Alberta have been successful so far, but the threat is unending. “Inspectors at the Coutts inspection station near the Montana boarder have already intercepted one mussel-fouled boat since opening for the season in March, and it is expected that this will be only one of many such incidents […] Read more
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