They may be small, but they’re a significant hazard.
“Zebra and quagga mussels represent a serious threat to BC’s aquatic ecosystems and substantial economic impacts to sectors such as hydropower, agricultural irrigation, municipal water supplies, tourism and recreational boating.” So says Martina Beck, Unit Head of Freshwater Applied Science and Programs with the BC Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship.
That’s why, driving in and out of the Basin, you may have noticed watercraft-inspection stations on the side of the highway. Their goal is simple: to keep these hugely harmful invasive zebra and quagga mussels out of our waterways. And, so far, the Invasive Mussel Defence Program has managed to do just that.
The good news is that there is currently no evidence of either species in BC waterways (whereas they’re now in 33 American states and in four Canadian provinces: Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick and Quebec).
“Unfortunately, though, we can’t let our guard down, as many waterways in this region offer suitable conditions for these mussels to survive,” says Beck.
And the impacts are shocking. These creatures could clog water intakes, reduce the availability of nutrients essential for aquatic life, and cause beaches and docks to become encrusted with shells. Financially, the estimated annual cost of mitigation is upwards of $129 million provincially, including a minimum of $17 million targeting hydro infrastructure.
To help keep them out, the Invasive Mussel Defence Program —delivered by the provincial government for more than a decade and supported by the Trust, Columbia Power, BC Hydro, FortisBC and others—has been diligently inspecting watercraft (as well as any sporting and recreational equipment that comes into contact with water) at inspection stations across the province—including the Basin. It has also been doing monitoring at lakes and educating boaters on the vital importance of practicing “clean, drain, dry” on watercraft and equipment after every use.
In 2023, the program completed 20,900 inspections, discovering 14 mussel-fouled watercrafts. Fortunately, the monitoring of all samples from 83 priority waterbodies across the province tested negative for zebra or quagga mussels.
The ability of such a small organism (no bigger than a fingernail) to greatly impact flora, fauna and industry up and down Basin waterways is alarming. However, Basin residents can prevent invasives from hitching a ride on boats or other watercraft by following the “clean, drain, dry” guidelines when moving between water bodies.
Learn more at gov.bc.ca/invasivemussels.
Columbia Basin Trust