(Spirit Lake)– A zebra mussel has been found in the Iowa Great Lakes.
Mike Hawkins, an Iowa Department of Natural Resources fisheries biologist for the Spirit Lake district, tells KUOO news it was found by DNR crews last Wednesday on a sampling plate on Upper Gar Lake.
So far, Hawkins says just the one has been found. He says crews have since been sampling other areas around the Iowa Great Lakes for zebra mussels and their offspring, known as “veligers”. So far, he says nothing else has been turned up.
At this point, Hawkins says it’s too early to say if there’s an actual infestation of zebra mussels in the Iowa Great Lakes. He says it’s possible the mussel came from a veliger released into the water at a nearby boat ramp and that it may not result in an infestation.
Hawkins is asking lakeshore homeowners to check their hoists and docks for signs of zebra mussels when removing them this fall. The mussels are small, D-shaped clams with stripes that attach to hard surfaces.
If there is an infestation, Hawkins says drinking water utilities and the State Fish Hatchery would likely be the most impact since zebra mussels may attach and grow on the inside of intake pipes, possibly clogging them over time. He adds there are ways to manage the impacts and that many lakes area entities that draw water from the lakes have already been preparing for the possibility of it happening.
Hawkins says a zebra mussel infestation on Clear Lake so far has had little or no impact on tourism in that area.
