Highly Invasive Zebra Mussel Found in Candlewood Lake
For the third time in the past year, a Zebra Mussel was found on Candlewood Lake, and the Candlewood Lake Authority has just sent out an update to us via their social media accounts to be on the lookout for more of these invasive mollusks.
According to the Candlewood Lake Authority's Facebook post, a Zebra Mussel was found on Saturday, January 9, 2021, on a boat lift that was taken out of the Lattins Cove area of the lake. After the discovery, there was a thorough search of the area, and no more Zebra Mussels were found.
The Candlewood Lake Authority said in the post that they will be conducting a thorough inspection of the shoreline of the lake, especially in the areas that the Mussels have already been found, over the coming weeks. Joining the Authority's efforts to fight off invasive species from Candlewood Lake will be members of local municipalities, FirstLight Power Resources, and the State of Connecticut.
According to the USGS, Zebra Mussels are fingernail-sized mollusks, and they are native to Eurasia (Southern Russia/Ukraine). They arrived in the early 80's in the Great Lakes via European boats. They've spread now to multiple US states, and pose a substantial threat to native species, and us. Zebra Mussels kill native Mussels, attach to surfaces with very sharp shells, which can cut into human flesh if stepped on, block water intake pipes, power plants, and steal food from local fish, disrupting the local ecosystem.
If you see anything resembling a Zebra Mussel, e-mail a photo of the Mussel, the location where you found it, and your contact info to science@candlewoodlakeauthority.org.
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