Quagga Mussels in california

[Scruffy_Fly]

Prior to this year there were not any sightings of quagga mussels west of the 100th Meridian - east part of Kansas. The quagga mussels reproduce at a fast pace and endup causing significant cost impacts to power plants and water resource infractructures by clogging pipes, pumps, intake and out flows. The major transport vectors are boats /trailers and then trans basin water transfers.

Then earlier this year they were discovered on the Colorado River in California and Arizona (Lake Meed I think).

Today I learned:

"Now, quagga mussels have been confirmed in three lakes in the county (San Diego)– Lower Otay near Chula Vista, San Vicente Reservoir near Lakeside and Escondido's Lake Dixon.
Quaggas also have been found in Lake Skinner and Lake Mathews, Riverside County reservoirs operated by the Metropolitan Water District, and in the aqueduct that delivers water to Southern California from the Colorado River. " - From the San Diego Union Tribune
[url "http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20070829-9999-1m29mussel.html"]http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20070829-9999-1m29mussel.html[/url]

I think it is an Al Quada terrorist plot to degrade our infrastructures.
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[tubeN2]

That does sound suspicious especially since they stopped letting people into Lake Matthews for a while now.[shocked]
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[macfly55]

..I briefly saw a news report on this over the weekend.. if I remember right they were suspending boat launches until the problem could be gotten under control.. I would think that a Lake like Dixon would be okay to the extent that it does not allow tubing, toonin, or launching of any type of boat... all boats are rentals right there on the lake...

...I have never been to the Lower Otay or San Vincente but I do know that Vincente has boat launching on it so I suspect that has been suspended there until the problem been taken care of..

...hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Al Q huh...is it a sneak to do another infiltration???? I wonder......

MacFly [cool]
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[Scruffy_Fly]

It appears that they are thinking that it may be coming from other reservoirs that feed water to these reservoirs.
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[macfly55]

...that would make sense since one water does flow into another.. either way.. looks like a big problem/job for the home team to deal with...

...and here comes one of my newbie I dont know questions... with these mussels do we as anglers have to be as careful with our equipment such as waders and wading boots as we are suppose to be when dealing with the snail problem ??

MacFly [cool]
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[Scruffy_Fly]

The quagga mussels are presumed to have gotten to the USA from Ocean going vessels in their bilges and balast tanks. They were first recognized here in the US in the Great Lakes. They have been spreading out from there. The most likely way is in the bilges, and cooling systems of boats as well as boat trailers. The larva of quagga mussels are almost microscopic. The larva float in the water for dispersion. Then as they start to grow and form their shells they sink to the bottom.

So the answer is : [#0000ff]YES[/#0000ff]

You can get them on your equipment by it being in the water.

Equipment that comes in contact with the bottom are more likely to have them. Such as you boots, fins, pontoon, belly boat.
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[macfly55]

...I had thought so but it never hurts to bring that point up when the chance presents itself...

MacFly [cool]
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