Zebra Mussels

First found in the Mississippi River in the early 1990's these fingernail sized, black and white striped zebra mussels have spread  through the Great Lakes and their connecting tributaries.   Although native to some Asian waters, they are thought to have made their way to the U.S. by hitchhiking on international shipping vessels.     

Zebra mussels are an invasive species that can affect everyone wether they are a sportsman or not.  These nuisance shellfish are capable of clogging power plant and public water source inlets as well as destroying native mussels and can even reek havoc on our marine ecosystems.

Zebra Mussels

Anyone who enjoys water sports can and should do their part to prevent the spread of zebra mussels.  Zebra mussels can clog the water intake on boat and personal watercraft motors causing them to overheat and rendering them useless.

Some of the things that can be done to stop their spread include:

• Be sure to drain all water from your boat or personal watercraft as prior to leaving the parking lot.
• Do not use bait that has had contact with infested water in any other body of water.
• Wash your boat or personal watercraft at a carwash with hot water to ensure there are no mussels attached.
• Wash any other items that made contact with the water such as skis, tubes, ropes, anchors, etc.
• After washing, allow your boat or personal watercraft to dry in full sunlight for five days or longer before launching it into any uncontaminated body of water.
• Get rid of your leftover bait on the shore a good distance from the water (it is illegal to dump unused bait into the water as this can introduce more invasive species).

As sportsmen it is important that we all work to prevent the spread of these unwanted pests in order to ensure the continued ability to enjoy the activities we love.

- Any day in the outdoors is a good day