BELL COUNTY, TX — Zebra mussels have infested two more Central Texas lakes. This brings the number of statewide zebra mussel positive lakes to 17 in five river basins.
The invasive species was discovered at Lake Lyndon B. Johnson in the Colorado River basin and Lake Pflugerville.
“It takes only one boat to carry zebra mussels to another body of water,” said Monica McGarrity, Senior Scientist for Aquatic Invasive Species Management at the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
The shellfish are not native to lakes in this part of the world. They can cling to boats and can be transferred if not cleaned properly before the vessel sails in another body of water.
“They can attach to any hard surface, whether it be an intake on a hydro electric facility or the pipelines that the water is going through,” said McGarrity.
The best way to prevent infecting a lake is simply clean, drain and dry the vessel.
“Once zebra mussels get into a lake, there is nothing that can be currently done to manage them,” said McGarrity.
Central Texas News Now went to Frank’s Marina on Belton Lake. They say cleaning your boat properly is apart of responsible ownership.
“You don’t want your boats to be getting damaged or to cause any more damage to other boats,” said Jennifer Nance, a boater at Frank’s Marina.
