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On Dec 4, 2021, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, announced federal investments of $14.7 million over the next five years for conservation projects to prevent and manage aquatic invasive species in Banff, Jasper, Kootenay, Waterton Lakes and Yoho national parks.

The mountain national parks are particularly vulnerable to aquatic invasive species due to the high amount of water recreationists who visit each year. Aquatic invasive species alter aquatic ecosystems, cause irreversible damage, impact vulnerable species at risk, and spread downstream beyond park boundaries through the interconnected river systems. Of particular concern for the mountain national parks are invasive mussels, which deplete available nutrients and in turn affects the entire food web by altering water chemistry and quality, as well as the parasite that causes whirling disease, which leads to skeletal deformities for native species. This investment will help address major threats to aquatic ecosystems by funding programs to prevent and educate against the spread of aquatic invasive species.

Zebra mussels are a small, destructive invasive species that can spread across Texas by hitching a ride on boats and trailers. Zebra mussels can cause tremendous environmental and economic damage - hurting aquatic life, damaging your boat, hindering water recreation and even threatening your water supply. In the state's ongoing effort to combat the spread of invasive zebra mussels, new rules effective July 1, 2014 require that all boats operating on public fresh water anywhere in Texas be drained after use.

Invasive zebra and quagga mussels are an immediate threat to Western states. With no controls, they spread rapidly, foul boats and equipment, clog water intake, and increase costs to hydropower operations and municipal water utilities. Even dead mussels can be a nuisance, littering beaches with shells. Management of these invaders is expensive; in the Great Lakes, managing mussels costs about $500 million annually. Until 2007, the mussels were limited to waterways and lakes east of the Mississippi, but now they have spread westward. In 2016, quagga mussels were found in Lake Powell.

Unfortunately, there are no foolproof existing technologies or treatments to eradicate established mussel populations in large, open water systems in an environmentally sound manner. Early warning, however, helps us prepare before the mussels or other invasive species arrive.

View current information on the locations of curlyleaf pondweed, Eurasian watermilfoil, and zebra mussels in North Dakota waters.

Includes species listed as injurious wildlife under the Federal Lacey Act (18 USC 42), which makes it illegal to import injurious wildlife into the U.S. or transport between the listed jurisdictions in the shipment clause (the continental U.S., the District of Columbia, Hawaii, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and any possession of the U.S.) without a permit. An injurious wildlife listing would not prohibit intrastate transport or possession of that species within a State where those activities are not prohibited by the State. Preventing the introduction of new harmful species is the only way to fully avoid impacts of injurious species on local, regional, and national economies and infrastructure, and on the natural resources of the U.S.

Injurious wildlife are wild mammals, wild birds, amphibians, reptiles, fishes, crustaceans, mollusks and their offspring or eggs that are injurious to the interests of human beings, agriculture, horticulture, forestry, wildlife or wildlife resources of the U.S. Plants and organisms other than those stated above cannot be listed as injurious wildlife. For more information, see What Are Injurious Wildlife: A Summary of the Injurious Provisions of the Lacey Act and Summary of Species Currently Listed as Injurious Wildlife.

Invasive zebra and quagga mussels alter ecosystem dynamics and affect industrial, municipal, and recreational water users. The negative impacts of these dreissenid mussels drove scientists to search for effective control methods beginning in the early 1990s. Since then, researchers have uncovered various control methods, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. Both chemical and physical treatments have been developed and used by state and federal agencies in the control of zebra mussels.

Looking for answers to your mussel questions? Interested in funding opportunities and compliance requirements for research? Want more information about management and control of mussels? There are a variety of experts within the Invasive Mussel Collaborative ready to answer whatever questions you may have!

The Invasive Mussel Collaborative announced today that it has released a new strategy to reduce invasive mussels and their negative impacts. The Strategy to Advance Management of Invasive Zebra and Quagga Mussels is intended to drive investments, policy, and research around invasive mussels across the Great Lakes region and beyond. Since their initial discovery in 1989, zebra and quagga mussels have had dramatic impacts on the Great Lakes ecosystem and economy, including changes to the food web, degrading fish habitat, interfering with drinking water systems and damaging tourism and recreation economies. Today, these mussels continue to spread to new water bodies across the U.S. and Canada.

Montana’s economy could see more than $230 million in annual mitigation costs and lost revenue if invasive mussels become established in the state, according to a report released by the Montana Invasive Species Council (MISC). Commissioned by MISC and completed by the University of Montana Flathead Biological Station, the economic impact study provides “a snapshot of projected direct costs to affected stakeholders dependent on water resources,” said Bryce Christiaens, MISC chair. “It does not reflect the total economic impact to the state, which would be considerably higher.” View a one-page fact sheet [PDF, 484 KB] or the full report [PDF, 4.0 MB].

A geonarrative by USGS and Geoplatform.gov examining the spread of invasive mussels in the American West.

See also: Geonarratives for all USGS geonarrative / story map resources

Update: Invasive Zebra Mussels Found in Pets Stores in 21 States (Mar 8, 2021; U.S. Geological Survey Press Release). Agencies, industry in coordinated response to help stores and consumers find and destroy troublesome shellfish.

The Pet Advocacy Network (formerly PIJAC - Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council) wishes to inform you of an important invasive species threat that was recently discovered in the U.S. Zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha), which are regarded as one of the most troublesome invasive species in North America, have been discovered within a variety of moss ball products designed for aquarium use, including products being sold and used in aquariums in stores in multiple states, including Oregon, Washington and Florida.

Specifically identified in a report from the U.S. Geological Survey Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database, a release from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and a press release from Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, PIJAC urges you to take immediate action to inspect your fish tanks and take action as necessary. For more information on how to dispose of recently-purchased moss balls, see Zebra Mussel Disposal from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.