RANCHING Wildlife
The Three Simple Rules to Prevent Zebra Mussel Infestation: Clean, Drain and Dry
T
EXAS BOATERS ARE REMINDED NOT TO invite any unwan ted guests
such as zebra mussels along for the ride this summer. Zebra mussels, who get their
name from their distinctive striped shell markings, are a small, destruc- tive, invasive species that can spread across Texas by hitching a ride on boats and trailers. A single zebra mussel can produce up to 1 million microscopic larvae that can infest waterways and cause tremendous environmental and economic dam- age — hurting aquatic life, damag- ing boats, hindering water recre- ation and even threatening water supplies. In Texas, it is unlawful to pos-
sess or transport zebra mussels, dead or alive. TPWD regulations also require boaters statewide to drain all water from their boats and on-board receptacles before leaving or approaching a body of fresh water in order to prevent their transfer. This regulation applies to all types and sizes of boats
whether powered or not: personal watercraft, sailboats, kayaks/canoes, or any other vessel used on public wa- ters. Movement from one access point to another on the same lake during the same day does not require draining, and there is an exception for governmental activities and emergencies. “Three simple steps can help stop the spread of zebra
mussels,” says Brian Van Zee, inland fi sheries regional director for TPWD. “Clean, drain and dry your boat when leaving any body of water. If a boat is stored for a long period of time in a slip in a marina, and then taken off the water to be transported to another lake, it will need to be carefully inspected. If zebra mussels are found, it should be placed in dry dock long enough to ensure all zebra mussels are dead and then fully cleaned. We recommend that the vessel be cleaned by someone who is familiar with all the components of the boat, as all livewells, bilges, motors and any other receptacles or water-intake systems coming into
tscra.org
Zebra mussels found in Lake Texoma. Picture by Larry D. Hodge, © Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
contact with public waters must be cleaned.” Anglers participating in a fi shing tournament con-
fi ned to one water body may transport live fi sh in water from that single water body to an identifi ed off- site weigh-in location, but all water must be drained and properly disposed of before leaving that location. Anglers are required to possess documentation pro- vided by tournament organizers that identify them as participants in the tournament. TPWD and a coalition of partners have been work-
ing to slow the spread of zebra mussels by reminding boaters to Clean, Drain and Dry their vessels before traveling from one lake to another. The partners in this effort include: North Texas Municipal Water District, Tarrant Regional Water District, City of Dallas Water Utilities Department, Trinity River Authority, San Ja- cinto River Authority, Sabine River Authority, Brazos River Authority, Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority, Lower Colorado River Authority, Upper Trinity Regional Water District, City of Houston, City of Grapevine, Wa- ter Oriented Recreation District of Comal County and the Lady Bird Johnson Wildfl ower Center. More information can be found online at www.
texasinvasives.org/zebramussels.
June 2015 The Cattleman 51
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