Sunday, June 16, 2024
Lake Granbury almost had some unexpected — and unwanted — visitors after zebra mussels were found attached to a work barge at Rough Creek Park May 15.
“Thankfully, we caught the barge before it was launched into the lake,” Brazos River Authority Public Information Officer Judi Pierce told the Hood County News. “We believe the cleanup was successful.”
Zebra mussels may be the size of a dime, but they have caused alarming declines in fish populations, birds and native mussel species, according to the Brazos River Authority website.
Starting as microscopic larvae, zebra mussels grow to only 1.5 inches long and spread across Texas by hitching a ride on a boat, trailer or gear. They reproduce quickly and can block pipes that deliver water, essentially hindering recreational water opportunities because of the sharp shells which can multiply on beaches or docks, according to the BRA website. Zebra mussels also harm the fish population because they remove plankton from the food chain, according to the National Wildlife Federation.
According to Pierce, a BRA maintenance employee was onsite at Rough Creek Park when a large work barge arrived to be launched at the boat ramp. The employee noticed the zebra mussels attached to the barge and notified Project Manager Kyle Lewis.
Lewis inspected the barge, confirmed that zebra mussels were attached and contacted local Texas Parks and Wildlife game wardens. The wardens ordered that the barge be quarantined and for a cleanup to begin in the parking lot where the barge had been temporarily parked.
The City of Granbury then coordinated with Hood County Road Operations to provide a large street roller that could clean up the zebra mussels that had fallen from the barge by crushing them.
“It was a very successful joint project that saved the lake from being infected with these extremely prolific invasive species,” Pierce said.
Invasive zebra mussels have devastating economic, recreational and environmental impacts, according to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Since 2009, when the first Texas infestation was identified in Lake Texoma, the department and partners have worked to monitor lakes.
“If they get into the lake, the mussels will attach themselves to every single surface, from boats to docks to water pumps — even the rocks on the bottom of the lake — doing untold damage,” Pierce said. “It's very important that we do everything possible to make sure the lake is not infected.”
As of August 2022, 30 Texas lakes across five river basins are infested with zebra mussels, which means the water body has an established reproducing population. The infested lakes within the Brazos River basin include: Lake Georgetown, Lake Granger and Lake Stillhouse Hollow, according to the BRA.
As part of TPWD’s efforts to help keep zebra mussels out of Texas lakes, the department has released its “Clean, Drain, Dry” campaign to ensure the pesky aquatic invasive species stays off your boat or trailer.
CLEAN
Inspect your boat, trailer and gear and remove all plant material, mud and foreign objects. One method that will help with complete coverage is to take your boat to a car wash and use high-pressure nozzles to get to those hard-to-reach and hidden areas, according to TPWD. Boats that are stored on waters known to be infested with zebra mussels may need to be professionally cleaned.
DRAIN
Be sure to pull the plug and drain all water including all live wells, bilges, bait buckets, ballast and engine cooling water, in accordance with TPWD regulations.
DRY
Make sure you allow enough time for your boat to totally dry once it’s cleaned. It may take longer than you think for this to occur. TPWD recommends using a drying calculator to help make sure you are complying with the recommended drying time.
The drying calculator recommended by the TPWD can be found by going online to tpwd.texas.gov/fishboat/boat/protect_water/.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and its partners monitor for invasive mussels in Texas lakes, but anyone who finds them in lakes where they haven’t been found before or who spots them on boats, trailers or equipment are encouraged to help identify and prevent new introductions by immediately reporting the sighting to TPWD at 512-389-4848 or by emailing photos and location information to aquaticinvasives@tpwd.texas.gov.
