Updates Entry
May 27, 2009
Zebra Mussels found on Big Muddy
In the past several months, Missouri Dept. of Conservation biologists and Missouri River Relief volunteers have 
confirmed three sightings of zebra mussels on the lower Missouri River within the state of Missouri. The sightings were at Kansas City, Chamois and Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area.
The invasive mussels clog water intakes, foul boat motors and compete with native mussels and fishes. Click here to read more details on how to keep from moving mussels from infected to non-infected streams. Or click below to read more and find more links.
photo by Quinta Scott from his informative blog. Click here to visit.
Previously, the exotic mussels had been sighted in Sioux City, IA, but had not been confirmed further downstream. It had been speculated, and hoped, that they found the more turbid waters of the lower river less hospitable. These sightings, however, show that at least some populations are finding suitable habitat.
One of the primary ways that zebra mussels are transmitted is through moving infected boats from one stream to another. Invisible to the eye, the larval stage of the mussel can remain viable in bilge or motor water, or attached to the hull or trailer of a boat. Please read some of these linked documents for a guide on making sure your boat is clean before moving to a new body of water.
Check out the links on the right for more information on this growing ecological and economic threat, and what you can do to help stop the spread.
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