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Zebra Mussel Update
Since their discovery at a single Lake of the Ozarks site in summer 2006, zebra mussels have been spreading out.
The nuisance species has now been found at several sites in the Lake of the Ozarks’ Gravois Arm and a single site in the Grand Glaize Arm. Fortunately, dives at sites uplake have not revealed any zebra mussels so far. However, zebra mussels were recently observed below Bagnel Dam, meaning the invasive mollusk is now in the Osage River.
Zebra mussel distribution in Missouri is no longer limited to the Lake of the Ozarks and the Mississippi River. Within hours on a single day this September, zebra mussels were discovered in two more Missouri lakes. Two specimens were found near Lead Hill Marina on Bull Shoals Lake (Arkansas side), and 25 specimens were found on a submerged log near Ozark Beach on Lake Taneycomo. To make matters worse, zebra mussels were also found on Perry Lake near Lawrence, Kansas, in early October, hastening their arrival to the Kansas City region.
A congressional report estimated the cost of zebra mussels nationwide was over $5 billion from 1993 to 1999. Zebra mussel maintenance for the Great Lakes alone is estimated to cost taxpayers $5 billion from 2000 to 2010. Let’s not forget the ecological impact of the invasion, either. Zebra mussels alter plankton dynamics, displace native mussels, and blanket every surface they’re exposed to.
Confirmed sightings of zebra mussels at Lake of the Ozarks
All boaters can help to prevent the spread of zebra mussels by following the Missouri Department of Conservation’s recommendations as outlined below.
- Thoroughly inspect hulls, drive units, trim plates, transducers and other submerged portions of boats for adult zebra mussels after each use. Adults are fingernail sized with dark and light stripes. Small zebra mussels give hard surfaces a sandpapery feel.
- Be sure to inspect nooks and crannies around the motor housing, trim tabs and in the space behind the water intake screens on motors’ lower units.
- Also inspect trailers, ropes, minnow buckets and anything else that was in the water. Report any suspected zebra mussels to the nearest Conservation Department office.
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- Remove all suspected zebra mussels, along with vegetation or other material clinging to boats and trailers, and put them in a trash container.
- Rinse boat bilges, trailers, motor drive units and live wells before launching them in another location. Use water at least 140 degrees if live zebra mussels are found or if your craft has been in waters known to be infested with zebra mussels. Most commercial car washes meet this standard.
- After rinsing, allow boats and other equipment to dry in the sun for at least five days before relaunching.
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