CJBS - The first article provided by Eric stated "C. leana has created economic problems for industry by plugging water lines, blocking valves, and contaminating gravel." C. leana is not C. flumenia but a very similar species in the same genus. I'm not sure of the mechanism that the clam uses to grow in pipe or wet areas but I do know that the Duquesne Light Co in Shippingport PA annually removed them by the dump truck loads from their cooling towers.
My real or main fear for them in a pond is for them to become overly abundant and decimate the food chain due to overfiltering the water. It is also a possibility that the concentrated hight fertility from their manure deposits due to very high numbers could cause nuisance algae blooms. I would want to first try them in small easily drainable ponds before turning them lose into a larger pond. Also use of them as an exotic speices outside their current geographical range would cause undue problems in local water sheds. Nature has many ways of distributing its creatures.
Last edited by Bill Cody; 04/17/09 09:43 PM.
