This summer, watch out for Zebra Muscles on the St. Croix River, and all bodies of water that you enter with your boat and marine equipment!
What are they? Zebra Muscles are an invasive species. They are small, fingernail-sized animals that attach to solid surfaces in water. Adults are 1/4 to 1-1/2 inches long and have D-shaped shells, often with alternating yellow and brownish colored stripes. Female zebra mussels can produce 100,000 to 500,000 eggs per year. These young zebra mussels attach to any firm surface.
Impacts: Zebra Mussels can be a costly problem for lakeshore residents and recreationists; for example, they can:
- Attach to boat motors and boat hulls, reducing performance and efficiency,
- Attach to rocks, swim rafts and ladders where swimmers can cut their feet on the mussel shells, and
- Clog irrigation intakes and other pipes.
Zebra Mussels also can impact the environment of lakes and rivers where they live. They eat tiny food particles that they filter out of the water, which can reduce available food for larval fish and other animals, and cause aquatic vegetation to grow as a result of increased water clarity. Zebra mussels can also attach to and smother native mussels.
How to Prevent Their Spread: Mussels attach to boats, nets, docks, swim platforms, boat lifts, and can be moved on any of these objects. They also can attach to aquatic plants. Attached adult mussels can survive out of water and spread from one water body to another. Microscopic larvae can survive in water contained in bait buckets, bilges, ballast bags or any other water moved from an infested lake or river. In Minnesota, you must take the following steps to prevent the spread of Zebra Mussels:
- Clean weeds and debris from your boats, and remove any attached zebra mussels
- Drain your boat, livewells, and baitwells, and keep all drain plugs out while traveling
- Dispose of unwanted bait in the trash
- Dry docks, lifts, swim rafts and other equipment for at least 21 days before placing equipment into another water body
Learn more here!
