Zebra and Quagga Mussels: A Grave Threat to Our Region's Ecology and Economy

The recent meeting of PNWER's Invasive Species Working Group at our 2012 Economic Leadership Forum was a great success. Regional leaders came together to discuss how best to protect the Pacific Northwest from the severe ecological and economic effects of a potential infestation of Zebra and Quagga mussels, and devised new Action Items to further pursue this goal.

The working group told the Forum that the mussels came to North America from Eastern Europe in the 1980s. They quickly infested the Great Lakes and much of eastern Canada and the U.S., even though their spread was initially expected to be slow. In 2007 they were discovered in Lake Mead. It now contains more than 1.5 trillion adult mussels, and 450-500 trillion juveniles.

Zebra and Quagga mussel distribution across North America.

Zebra and Quagga mussels pose a great danger to the ecosystems and economies of the regions they infest. There are no effective ways to control them, and they essentially take over any ecosystem they gain access to. They clog pipes and disrupt infrastructure. Since they were introduced to the Great Lakes, there has been a 90% reduction in fish populations. The estimated cost to hydroelectric power in that region over six years has been $3-4 billion.

A Zebra mussel-infested pipe. A dime is placed in the center to compare sizes.

The best plan, the working group emphasized, is prevention. Idaho has a system of inspection stations at major entrances to the state, and a passport system to distinguish between low- and high-risk boaters. These stations have intercepted 93 mussel-fouled boats in the past four years, the majority of which have come from Lake Mead. 

The working group's efforts also were of great help to Canadians recently when a Quagga mussel-fouled boat was discovered on a British Columbia lake this summer. It was through the networks developed and cultivated through PNWER that the B.C. Invasive Species Council was able to have the boat cleaned, and test the water for contamination.  British Columbia is partnering across Canada to spread the word about the popular "Clean, Drain, Dry" campaign, which teaches boaters how to clean their boats, and is an essential tool for preventing the spread of Zebra and Quagga mussels.

Phil Rockefeller, of the Northwest Power Conservation Council (NWPCC), addresses participants during the invasive species session, highlighting the need to take a regional approach and emphasizing the potential economic impact of a mussel infestation.

Finally, the working group decided on four new Action Items. First, the group requests approval of a letter to be sent to U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar concerning Lake Mead. Second, the group requests approval to draft a letter to Steve Wright of the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) asking BPA to initiate an analysis of the potential impacts of Zebra and Quagga mussels to the Pacific Northwest. Third, the working group asks that PNWER serve as the forum and vehicle for developing effective reciprocity agreements for inspection and decontamination among member jurisdictions. Fourth, the group encourages PNWER state leads to discuss with state utility commissioners the likelihood of including invasive species mitigation into utility rates.