Does the anecdotal evidence support the notion that zebra mussels will crash a fishery. I'm just not seeing it. Where zebras have taken hold the fisheries from a bass/sunfish perspective are flourishing. Eerie, St. Clair, Mille Lacs lake, Lake Michigan. This seems like more fake news from environmental alarmists. What lakes have zebra's taken hold and the fisheries crashed?? I'm not talking about Salmon fisheries but sunfishes.
I spoke with a professor at UTA about zebra mussels invading my pond since zebra mussel DNA has now been spotted at nearby large public Lake Fork and Lake Tawakoni. I have a direct water pipe feed from Lake Tawakoni into my pond...so I was concerned. The professor stated that he would seriously doubt zebra mussels could survive in my 4 acre pond....sorry it's been about 3 years since I spoke with him so can't remember exactly the reasons he gave why it was unlikely.
https://www.uta.edu/news/releases/2016/10/Robert%20MacMahon.php
We deal with this in many res/lakes in KS. It all depends on the fertility of the watershed and how it will affect the impoundment.
Zebra mussel spores are free-floating, meaning they do not require a host to transport them, such as the gills of a fish as many similar species do. If there is water inflow from a body of water with positive confirmation of Zebra mussels, any amount of water-even a wet rag, can/will transport spores. They can be transported in the cooling system of an outboard or I/O, the few ounces of water remaining in the bottom of a boat can move them.
Based on the movement we've seen in KS, I would have to strongly disagree with the statement that Zebra Mussels cannot survive in your pond, especially with a connected water source.
My opinion is it's a matter of time before you see them, but if you have normal fertility water they likely will hurt nothing.
Six pound redear in AZ is probably due to the invasive mussels.
in my area, zebra muscles are like y2k.....everyone was hyping it up, it was the talk of the town, then they came, and nothing happened. You see them here and there on the river but not the huge colonies that you see in pictures online - they've had a more dynamic impact on the great lakes than anything else
If anything zebras increase water clarity which allows more sunlight to reach deeper areas of a lake and thus increase weed growth. This is why panfish have actually benefited from zebras.
Personally I think it's just another attempt for government regulatory agencies to take control of our waterways.
My understanding is that zebra mussels will filter out the base of the food chain.
The mussels won't live in a mud bottom pond anyway.
I can tell you they cost us millions and drive up electric rates. Also they have clogged municipal water pipes. Thats all not taking into account fishery impacts.
The mussels won't live in a mud bottom pond anyway.
John if that's true...that's really good news.
The biology professor after he asked me about my pond was very reassuring to me that they will not live in my pond.
I hope you are both right!
It's no joke.. This is last March (2018) during WAE egg-take at Cedar Bluff.
Just about every single small mouth bass we catch on Lake Erie will have a gut full of these zebra mussels.
freshwater drum and yellow perch eat zebra muscles too