Zebra Mussels found on Boat in Meredith

[mcdude]

CLICK HERE (http://www.thewmurchannel.com/news/4584952/detail.html) for WMUR Article.

More on ZEBRA MUSSELS (http://www.des.state.nh.us/factsheets/bb/bb-17.htm)

http://images.ibsys.com/2005/0608/4586219_120X90.jpg

http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Fishing/Fishing_images/stop_aquatic_hitch.gif

CLICK HERE (http://www.theunionleader.com/articles_showa.html?article=55994) for Union Leader Article

[snowbird]

Good news that a boat with Zebras was intercepted. BAD news that said boat is here!

I was living in Michigan when they arrived in Saginaw Bay. The ecological and economic damage caused by these small imports cannot be exaggerated by my comments. The State of New Hampshire should employ extreme measures, whatever is necessary, to prevent, IF POSSIBLE, the importation of Zebra mussels into our Big Lake, which faces serious losses should they get established here.

[ApS]

I haven't checked my local ramp this year, but I hope there are warning signs posted all around this lake. Zebras like warmer lakes, but there is another -- equally bad -- exotic mussel that likes waters down to 46°. Didn't one state (New York?) require ramp-boaters to spray their boats and trailers before launch?

The problem isn't so much that zebra mussels will attach themselves to any firm surface and will clog water intakes, they clog boat engines.

This Michigan site suggests that boaters from infected lakes run their engines twice a week for 10 to 15 minutes at top speed! http://fool.exler.ru/sm/tit.gif

http://www.miseagrant.umich.edu/pubs/on/msg-94-713.html



.

[Grant]

Our local dive haunt down here in PA (actually a huge, deep quarry) introduced Zebra mussels a few years ago to help the visibility. I'd heard that they were prolific, but had no idea HOW prolific. For example, in the two+ years since they were introduced, they took over an entire rock wall in the quarry -- perhaps 60 feet surface to bottom and running 80-100 yards. Covered it. Very interesting to float along and watch them duck their "tongues" in and out. They DO help with the visibility in that confined environment, which is intended solely for divers (they have sunken boats and trucks, and aircraft, etc., and have stocked with various bass, trout, etc.). But they would surely screw up Winni really fast -- and probably will.

http://njscuba.net/biology/fw_shellfish.html#Zebra