Freshwater Mussels

In February 2010 the Wyoming State Legislature mandated an effort to prevent the introduction of new mussel species into the state. Lawmakers allocated $1.5 million to the Game and Fish Department to implement a preventative program. Ranch area lakes have been participating in the prevention program. Do we need to worry about the introduction of these non-native species to the ranch lakes?

There are several native mussel species in Wyoming that have important ecological, cultural, and evolutionary values. They provide a food source for bears, raccoons, skunks, and shorebirds. Also, since they survive by filtering nutrients from the water around them, they accumulate pollutants and other chemicals from the water. This makes them a good indicator of water quality and changes to the ecosystem. Unfortunately, this also makes them susceptible to poisoning from pollutants.

So why is Wyoming Game and Fish concerned about freshwater mussels in the state's lakes? Quagga and Zebra mussels are not known to occur in Wyoming, but are present in neighboring states including Colorado, Utah and Nebraska. These mussels can ruin fisheries, clog boat motors, foul watercraft hulls and equipment, and clog municipal and power plant water delivery systems. The mussels have no natural enemies and once introduced into a lake or reservoir, the invaders usually spread quickly.

Game and Fish biologists say the best way to prevent the spread of mussel species between bodies of water is for boaters to drain all boat spaces that hold water, clean any and all equipment, and then allow it to dry before launching. Since the ranch does not have larger boats on the lakes, we have a much smaller likelihood of introduction. However, any introduction of water from lakes and waterways with mussels to the ranch lakes poses a potential for introducing them. Make sure that your waders, belly boats, and other fishing gear has been cleaned thoroughly and dried for at least 24 hours before using it in a different body of water.

If you also enjoy boating or fishing at regional lakes, we encourage you to do what you can to help Wyoming remain free of these nuisance species.

If you are like me when I started gathering this information, you probably have one important question on your mind that still needs to be answered. The answer is, “No. They don’t taste good. Stick to their saltwater cousins.”

Sources:

Much of this information was drawn from: "Inspection Program Part of State Legislature-Mandated Effort. Wyoming state parks part of fight against mussels” posted on trib.com by Jeff Gearino on April 8, 2010. I encourage you to read his entire article.

You can read more about Freshwater Mussels and see many more pictures of them on the Wyoming Game and Fish Department website.

- John Parker