Minnesota has recently been plagued by a Zebra Mussel infestation in many of their lakes in the state. Now, over 200 bodies of water are home to the invasive species, with Washington County’s Forrest Lake being the most recent. Minnesotan officials are saying that they have already raised boat inspection hours, however, with the continual infestation, they will have to do so once again.
With the previous 1,500 annual boat inspection hours being the already heightened time, the DNR will raise the inspection hours to 3,100. It is incredibly important to keep watercraft clean so that these infestations do not occur. The best way to do this is to clean the boat or other craft after each use before storing it.
Why are Zebra Mussel Infestations Harmful?
Zebra Mussels, like many other species, are considered harmful and are classified as an invasive species. The reasoning for this is quite clear. First off, they disrupt the local food chain. Even though they are relatively small, when they enter an ecosystem, they filter feed, taking away food from the microscopic organisms who are a vital player in said ecosystem. As a result of these microorganisms not getting food, they die off, and the various species that feed from them no longer have food. This chain of events continues the whole way up the food chain, until there are very few or even no life left in the ecosystem, save for the introduction of this Zebra Mussel infestation.
Zebra Mussels’ Further Damage
Going beyond the biological damage that these mussels create, they also do considerable economic harm as well. When these Zebra Mussel infestations enter a body of water that has pumping capabilities, they are known to damage the machinery and make it considerably more difficult for the pumps to work. This means that power is produced less efficiently and that drinking water isn’t purified as well as it should.
How to Prevent the Spread
As was stated earlier, one way to stop the spread of this infestation is to clean all watercraft after each use. Other ways to prevent this include draining every part of the boat so there is no standing water, getting rid of any unused bait, and keeping the boat or other craft in dry dock. As this Zebra Mussel infestation spreads, it could damage not only the local ecosystems, but also the local economies in the affected areas. That’s why it is so important to try to eliminate this problem.
