An infestation of non-native golden mussels could cause ecological harm and compromise water infrastructure in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.
The recent discovery of a new type of invasive mussel in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta is raising concerns that the non-native species could cause major ecological harm and inflict costly complications for the infrastructure California relies on to deliver water across the state. State workers discovered golden mussels attached to equipment and buoys in the Port of Stockton last month while carrying out routine water quality tests.
Where the mussels take root, Rypel said, there are different methods of removing them: mechanically scraping them off, treating them with chemicals, or treating them with a certain dead bacteria that kill them — a controversial method because of concerns about potential ecological effects. If the mussels thrive in the Delta, they could dramatically alter the ecosystem, Rypel said. Their larvae swim and spread out in the water, colonizing solid surfaces and attaching themselves with fibers.
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