Lake Officials Take Action Against Zebra Mussel

The recent discovery of the invasive zebra mussel in Lakes Zoar and Lillinonah has prompted action to protect local waters.

“This is on the front of our minds,” said Candlewood Lake Authority Executive Director Larry Marsicano.

A series of exploratory dives is scheduled for coming weeks, although dates have not yet been set, to look for signs of zebra mussels.

The effort is part of an early detection approach on Candlewood, where the invasive has not yet been detected, he said.

“We combed the shoreline during a [past] drawdown,” said Mr Marsicano. “We did not see them at the time, but we want to be sure folks do the diving.” He also mentioned other precautions in the planning by lake owner FirstLight Power and the Department of Environmental Protection, which are “working on plans to survey water bodies that could serve as habitat” for the species.

According to a recent release, environmentalists patrolling the shoreline found thumbnail-sized freshwater mollusk traces last October in Lakes Lillinonah and Zoar.

If they get established, the mussels can reproduce prolifically and be impossible to eradicate. The zebra mussel can impair swimming and other lake recreation with their sharp shells, foul boat engines and hulls, and clog water intakes. They can clog small pipes and impact hydroelectric power generation. Zebra mussels are filter feeders and have the ability to disrupt the ecological balance of a lake by removing food sources for smaller organisms.

The Candlewood Lake Authority Zebra Mussel Task Force recommends: clean, drain, and dry.

Clean all visible plant, fish, and animals as well as mud or other debris before leaving the boat launch.

Drain all water from every space and item that may hold water including bilges, ballast tanks, live wells, engine cooling systems, etc, away from any waterway.

Dry all equipment (including life vests, ropes, paddles etc) for at least one week in hot/dry weather and four weeks in cool/wet weather before entering new waters.

Contact Mr Marsicano at claexecdir@earthlink.net with questions.