Quagga Mussels in Parker

[obnoxious001]

For those who have not seen the little trouble makers, I shot a couple of photos of the bottom of a boat that floated up in front of my place. The one photo has about 50 of them in it, so there may be as many as 1000 on the bottom of this small boat. Not my first time seeing the things, a few years back I pulled a piece of steel re-bar from the river bottom in front of my friend's house, and there were a number of the tiny little monsters on it as well.

These are why there are inspections.

 

[rivrrts429]

If you pay for registration they give you an ugly sticker that keeps them off your boat...



[emoji2]

 

[CampbellCarl]

If you pay for registration they give you an ugly sticker that keeps them off your boat...

View attachment 454250

[emoji2]

Mussels can read ?

 

[purrfecttremor]

Wow where did they originate? I didn't relize how big they got!

 

[rivrrts429]

Mussels can read ?

The DMV thinks they can lol

 

[shan]

It's going to be tough to get rid of them.

 

[grumpy88]

It's going to be tough to get rid of them.

The dmv ?

 

[Wakebrdr94]

Only good thing is they make the water nice and clear, they obviously stay out of the channel . Nothing but filth in there that even they won't eat

 

[crzy2bealive]

Got my 2016 mussel stickers.

 

[shan]

The dmv ?

No the mussels, they're real. I agree the Nazi's are a pain in the ass.

 

[Icky]

So what happens now? Does someone come remove the boat that's infected?

 

[obnoxious001]

Mussels can read ?

They don't need to read, the sticker is so ugly they won't get close to it.

 

[obnoxious001]

Wow where did they originate? I didn't relize how big they got!

They are not large, maybe the largest is 3/8" or so, but look how many there are, that's where the problem lies. That first photo with 50 of them is only a few inches on the boat.

 

[obnoxious001]

So what happens now? Does someone come remove the boat that's infected?

Flamethrower works well!

Apparently they die if they are out of the water a few days, testing that out with the boat on dry land right now. If they are strong enough to carry the boat back into the water they may escape when I am not looking!

 

[zhandfull]

Flamethrower works well!

Apparently they die if they are out of the water a few days, testing that out with the boat on dry land right now. If they are strong enough to carry the boat back into the water they may escape when I am not looking!

How long was that boat in the water?

 

[obnoxious001]

How long was that boat in the water?

Can't say,, it broke free from wherever it was tied, appears that it stays in the water all the time.

 

[RogerThat99]

Wow where did they originate? I didn't relize how big they got!

They originated in the Ukraine. They were first found in the Great Lakes in the late 80's...it is thought that a freighter emptied its bilge and had the mussels in the bilge.

 

[BUDMAN]

This may be a stupid question or a stupid person asking a question, but what is the problem with them?

 

[boatnam2]

This may be a stupid question or a stupid person asking a question, but what is the problem with them?

I think it has something to do with them plugging up all the suction screens at the dam, which puts a damper on pumping water or making electricity.

 

[HOOTER SLED-]

This may be a stupid question or a stupid person asking a question, but what is the problem with them?

They multiply at a fast rate and can cause problems in waterways etc...

 

[RogerThat99]

This may be a stupid question or a stupid person asking a question, but what is the problem with them?

I think it has something to do with them plugging up all the suction screens at the dam, which puts a damper on pumping water or making electricity.

They also filter out the plankton which is the base of the food chain for the entire ecosystem. This is what makes the water so clear. The clear water lets more light through which causes more plant life to grow on the bottom (they get more sunlight). This also affects the ecosystem. Plus they plug up water inlets, dams, and pump stations. I'm no expert, so this is kind of the simple answer.

 

[BUDMAN]

I think it has something to do with them plugging up all the suction screens at the dam, which puts a damper on pumping water or making electricity.

They multiply at a fast rate and can cause problems in waterways etc...

They also filter out the plankton which is the base of the food chain for the entire ecosystem. This is what makes the water so clear. The clear water lets more light through which causes more plant life to grow on the bottom (they get more sunlight). This also affects the ecosystem. Plus they plug up water inlets, dams, and pump stations. I'm no expert, so this is kind of the simple answer.

Thank you. Now I know. 👍

 

[Demoman]

Good thing the dam is there to keep them from getting up into Havasu!!

 

[Icky]

Good thing the dam is there to keep them from getting up into Havasu!!

Where do you think they came from ?

 

[Stainless]

They need to call them oysters and serve at the bars on the river.

 

[236eagledave]

They have no natural enemies here. I believe a diver may have died in an accident while trying to eradicate them at a Colorado river aqueduct pumping station also.

 

[2Driver]

I scrape the bottom of my docks twice a year now. Last summer they were twice as big and thick. I bet I scraped 30lbs off. A fishing rod on the bottom is almost undetable after just 3 months.

Rarely does a habitat benefit from such an invasive species.

They were intrduced in the 80 and by the early 2000 they were mainstream and now the government shows up to protect us. Fucking unbelievable.

 

[Bigbore500r]

If you pay for registration they give you an ugly sticker that keeps them off your boat...

View attachment 454250

[emoji2]

Oh..so it works like a gun ban then!

 

[69 1/2]

We had them in the Mississippi for a few years. They were on outdrives and anything left in the water for a few days. After about ten years they are mostly gone, it's rare to find them now.

 

[reb939]

We had them in the Mississippi for a few years. They were on outdrives and anything left in the water for a few days. After about ten years they are mostly gone, it's rare to find them now.

now that's interesting. Did anyone do anything to eradicate them or did they just naturally die off?

 

[twocents]

If you keep your boat in the water anywhere along the lower Colorado River for an extended period of time (like in a marina, residential dock, etc.), your boat will almost assuredly have mussels attached. If you decide to relocate to another body of water (especially going out-of-state) those mussels will need to be removed. FYI -- Lake Havasu State Park, Windsor installed a State operated decontamination facility about six months ago and if you contact Arizona Game and Fish and make an appointment they will decon your boat at no cost.

 

[rivermobster]

We had them in the Mississippi for a few years. They were on outdrives and anything left in the water for a few days. After about ten years they are mostly gone, it's rare to find them now.

I would also like to know how this happened. Thanks.

 

[2Driver]

I would also like to know how this happened. Thanks.

He failed to mention it was about the same time everything else died.

 

[rivermobster]

He failed to mention it was about the same time everything else died.

lol...no shit! I've never heard of these things going away. I'm Very curious to know the Whole story.

 

[purrfecttremor]

I think we all would like to know! What happened to them?

 

[obnoxious001]

The internet is a wonderful thing:

 

[shueman]

now that's interesting. Did anyone do anything to eradicate them or did they just naturally die off?

Asian Carp ate 'em ...

 

[Advantage 1]

The internet is a wonderful thing:

Interesting.

Must be the East Coasters coming out for West Coast poker runs and the Quaggas hitched a ride.

 

[allblowdup]

At our last boat poker ralley in Northern Alberta the fish and wildlife had brochures out about these little bastards as they don't even winter kill.

 

[obnoxious001]

If you pay for registration they give you an ugly sticker that keeps them off your boat...

View attachment 454250

[emoji2]

Dang, I just got AZ registration and it doesn't come with that nice sticker, guess you CA people have all the luck and I will just be out there scraping mussels off every time I use my boat.

Once the rain quits I need to inspect my little science experiment and see if they all died or are still hanging on that little peddle boat.

 

[HALLETT BOY]

If you keep your boat in the water anywhere along the lower Colorado River for an extended period of time (like in a marina, residential dock, etc.), your boat will almost assuredly have mussels attached. If you decide to relocate to another body of water (especially going out-of-state) those mussels will need to be removed. FYI -- Lake Havasu State Park, Windsor installed a State operated decontamination facility about six months ago and if you contact Arizona Game and Fish and make an appointment they will decon your boat at no cost.

That's because Fish and Game are our friends !

 

[gmnhra]

I leave a pontoon in a slip on havasu year round...
five years ago...it would be full of the little bastards after three months...
the last two years I have pulled it out twice per year...nothing...not one...

go figure

 

[2Driver]

 

[DILLIGAF]

They do have a posion that would kill them off with no negative effect on anything else but the red tape involved is crazy. Being a water source for millions of people this will never be done.

I would also like to know why they died off.

My therory on the spreading is that they were transported around the USA by bass fishermen and their tournaments all over. This is after the got started in the great lakes.

This is the reason I have a boat lift....because of these fuckers and other stuff that attaches to the boat.