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Tag Archives Zebra mussel

The province checked more than 30,000 boats at inspection stations this year. Owners are encouraged to clean, drain, and dry their vessels, but it’s not a guarantee they will be mussel free.
News

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

By
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
News

Battling invasive mussels comes with a high cost

New report outlines control methods — but it will take a massive, and expensive, effort every year

By
*[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
This model shows how quickly mussels grow. Lake Mead, located southeast of Las Vegas, is the largest reservoir in the U.S.
News

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

By
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
Both inspections and monitoring are being stepped up this year in the ongoing war to keep invasive mussels — which may be just 60 kilometres from the border — out of Alberta’s waterways.
News

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

By
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
People transporting canoes, kayaks, and paddleboards must also stop at inspection stations, such as this one at Jumping Pound west of Calgary.  
News

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

By
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
Quagga mussels were first found in Lake Mead in 2007 and the population is now in the trillions. The lake, located east of Las Vegas, is the largest reservoir in the United States.
Crops, News

Keeping province free of invasive mussels

Zebra and quagga mussels could quickly devastate Alberta’s irrigation infrastructure

By
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
These samples, collected at Lake Mead in Nevada, show the growth of quagga mussels 
on a pipe after two, four, and six months.
Crops, News

The battle against invasive mussels is unending

Zebra and quagga mussels would cause $75 million in damage annually if they got in Alberta waterways

By
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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