CTFishTalk.com: Zoar zebra mussels - an eye opening trip - Connecticut Lake Reports ( CT Lake Reports ) - A Community Built for Connecticut Fisherman.

BigEd · Joined: 22 Feb 2012 Posts: 103 Location: Monroe

While this isn't really a fishing report I thought this would be the best place to get the word out and possibly make everyone aware that we seem to have a serious problem in the making. If you think zebra mussels are not going to become a problem in Connecticut, PLEASE read this post. We have all been aware that certain waters in the state have been reported as having some zebra mussels in them. Honestly, and foolishly, I never took it as a major threat. I thought reports may be associated to small isolated populations that would probably remain contained to specific areas. I also assumed most of us would not really see any visible effect from this invasive species. I WAS VERY WRONG. I was able to take a ride on the lake during the annual fall draw down and was absolutely devastated at the recently established population of zebra mussels I saw in Lake Zoar. I took hundreds of pictures (sorry cell phone quality) and wanted to share some of what we saw with you guys. I can say that most of the mussels were found in the southern part of the lake. They were found on everything from boat hulls and motors, dock floats and bottoms, limbs, logs and branches in the water, along retaining walls and concrete structures as well as being scattered around rocky areas of the lake shore that would usually remain submerged throughout the season. You didn't have to look to hard to find them.

KEEP IN MIND THIS PROBLEM, WHILE KNOWN AND DOCUMENTED, WAS NEARLY NON-EXISTENT ONLY A YEAR AGO! Most of what I captured happened over a short period of time this season. I was astonished how quickly this has taken place.

Look at the pics and I urge you all to PLEASE take the zebra mussel threat seriously and follow suggested procedures for cleaning your boats, motors, equipment and even clothing prior to embarking on other bodies of water.

This boat was pulled out of Eichler's Cove in Newtown. It would appear that it hadn't been used frequently but the mussel growth on this boat was alarming. I was told the customer had complained about prop cavitation - probably caused by what was growing on the hull. Raw water intakes are blocked and mussels were even found growing inside the prop.

Barrels from docks show mussels established, even on the slick plastic surfaces.

Normally submerged wood providing area for mussels to cling to.

Growth surrounding rocks found during a shoreline walk. Water level was about 4 feet below average here.

They were even growing on the markers in front of the Stevenson Dam. If they are here I would think they are on their way to Lake Housatonic.

PECo · Joined: 06 Oct 2009 Posts: 5203 Location: Avon, CT

Lake Champlain has had zebra mussels for 20 years. When I was there in September, every weed I pulled up was covered with tiny zebra mussels. While the economic cost to man-made structures is high, a strong argument can be made that fishing, at least, has improved at Lake Champlain during that time. I'm not saying it will stay that way, because zebra mussels crowd out native mussel species and I believe that a lack of biodiversity is detrimental to the health of ecosystems. However, the fishing in the Housatonic River impoundments might actually improve over the next couple of decades. The water clarity will definitely improve.
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Wanna Fish · Joined: 30 Jan 2012 Posts: 662 Location: Earth I Think

I've been fishing the Housy impoundments for years. Lake Housatonic has an established population of Zebra Muscles. Maybe not to the extent of those fascinating pictures you posted but you can spot them below and above the dam.

It's been suggested that the problem has extended down the Housy from Mass. East twin Lake I believe was the first discovered population. Three years ago while fishing Twin Lakes at night you would be able to see the veins in weeds submerged 20+ feet below the surface with a flashlight. I fished a night event there this year and was amazed at how the water clarity diminished.

Some claim after the muscles clean their food source they diminish. But in a river system they have a constant replenishing of water with a food source that is plentiful.

I do bleach my live wells and hull after every use. Simple process and "very inexpensive." But unless all anglers and boaters (Pleasure and Fisherman) do the same (which 'm sure very few do" the Zebra Muscle issue is not going to be resolved any time soon.
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Wanna Fish · Joined: 30 Jan 2012 Posts: 662 Location: Earth I Think

I also believe that if we do not eventually make a great stride towards this issue, Big Brother (Power Companies) will develop a chemical to resolve this issue which will most likely have a dramatic affect on Connecticut fishing. Just look what happens when weed kill is placed in the water. The quality of fishing gets shot to all hell for months.
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BigEd · Joined: 22 Feb 2012 Posts: 103 Location: Monroe

I think after this trip and what was documented and reported by the Lake Zoar Authority and professors at Western CT University we will see more studies being performed and perhaps more involvement by DEEP and First Light. We have been taking water samples on the lake for years but that was mainly for health and water quality reasons to paint a better picture of the condition of the lake. Only the past 2 years saw testing for zebra mussel veligers in certain areas of the lake. Something certainly changed to facilitate this years mussel population to grow so rapidly. Water conditions, ph and mineral content, temperatures and flow rate could all play a hand as well as increased mussel populations within water bodies feeding into the Housatonic. It will be interesting to see what studies are performed and what, if any, explanation can be given. I know there has been talk about treating the water that leaves Laurel Lake in MA with small amounts of carbon dioxide in efforts to kill any veligers that may be finding there way into the Housy. Either way, they are here and seemingly established quite well. I am very curious to see what happens on Lake Housatonic next year, particularly in the southern regions where water flow is reduced some compared to the area below Stevenson Dam. I am guessing we will see more activity surrounding the zebra mussel problem both by the state and independent parties.

As far as I know there are no know chemical treatments that would target only zebra mussels without negatively effecting native clam and mussel species as well. We could certainly hope for one though.

rvolkers · Joined: 23 Oct 2011 Posts: 359

my opinion! ANY and i mean ANY Invasive species are never - ever a good thing!

BigEd · Joined: 22 Feb 2012 Posts: 103 Location: Monroe

Increased water clarity can also cause some other problems. Clearer water = more sunlight penetration = more and deeper weed and algae growth, etc, etc. No positive effect goes without a negative one. The ecosystem can and will change when large numbers of zebra mussels are present.

Though I have read that smallmouth and yellow perch fishing in certain lakes has improved, Lake Michigan and Huron's salmon fisheries are in trouble. Many other waters are seeing a negative effect on striped bass and other open water species as well.
Good article here:
http://www.mlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2012/08/zebra_mussels_are_transforming.html

rvolkers · Joined: 23 Oct 2011 Posts: 359

ZEBRA MUSSELS CHANGING GREAT LAKES ECOSYSTEM

In a just-published series of scientific papers, university researchers and scientists from the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory in Ann Arbor, Mich., have documented basic changes in the food chain in zebra mussel-infested waters of Lake Huron's Saginaw Bay that threaten water quality and healthy fisheries across the Great Lakes ecosystem. The lab is run by the Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

In general, the research shows an alarming shift in how energy and nutrients are routed through the food chain. Results show that Saginaw Bay's energy base is no longer dominated by phytoplankton because these microscopic, free-floating plant cells are choice food for zebra mussels, which are able to selectively filter the cells out of the water.

The spread and growth of zebra mussels have decimated this important free-floating part of the food chain, raising concerns that all of the bay's fish stocks may suffer.

Zebra mussels are also encouraging growth of harmful blue-green algae by rejecting them as food, thus giving them a competitive advantage over less abundant algae that are eaten by the mussels. The mussels may also release nutrients that encourage algae growth, especially blue-green algae.

This in addition to a sudden change from a free-floating to a bottom-dominated food base may force scientists and decision- makers to reassess current models used to guide the management of water quality, fisheries and toxic contaminants throughout the Great Lakes region.

babycubcatcher · Joined: 19 Mar 2008 Posts: 55

[quote="rvolkers"]

not looking for an argument here just - my opinion! ANY and i mean ANY Invasive species are never - ever a good thing! - ask some folks if you can put some zebra mussels in their body of water to clear it up! i don't think you woul like the response![/quote]

I know its been said before, but most of the fish we target are invasive speices of fish.

Also from wiki:

Benefits[edit]
Non-native species can have benefits. Asian oysters, for example, better filter water pollutants than native[clarification needed] oysters. They also grow faster and withstand disease better than natives. Biologists are currently considering releasing this mollusk in the Chesapeake Bay to help restore oyster stocks and remove pollution. A recent study by the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health found the Asian oyster could significantly benefit the bay's deteriorating water quality.[43]

just food for thought

BigEd · Joined: 22 Feb 2012 Posts: 103 Location: Monroe

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service's definition of "invasive species":
An invasive species is an exotic species whose introduction into an ecosystem in which the species is not native causes or is likely to cause environmental or economic harm or harm to human health. A species is not usually recognized as invasive until it causes some sort of harm or cost to the ecology, economy, or to human health.

According to that definition I would NOT agree that most of the fish we target are invasive species. Many are however, non-native.

Comparing zebra mussels to asian oysters in not accurate. Asian oysters are a completely different species and their long term impact to the ecosystem seems to be somewhat unanswered. I couldn't find any official documentation (US, state, official agency, etc.) listing the asian oyster as invasive...not to say that couldn't happen. The suggested implementation was done largely to replenish depleted native oyster populations, and really to bring rapidly declining commercial harvesting back to previous levels. Regardless of their classification when you check a little further you will see the asian oyster idea got canned.

Verdict: Foreign Oysters Will Not Be Allowed in the Chesapeake Bay!

"The Chesapeake Bay Foundation and The Nature Conservancy applaud the decision by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the states of Maryland and Virginia to follow the science and reject the introduction of a foreign oyster into the Chesapeake Bay."

Here's what wiki didn't tell you. There are tons of articles on the decision.
http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/northamerica/areas/chesapeakebay/asian-oyster-a-risk-we-cant-afford.xml

babycubcatcher your wiki quote starts by stating "non-native species" and mentions nothing about invasive species. I think there is a big difference between the two.

PECo · Joined: 06 Oct 2009 Posts: 5203 Location: Avon, CT

rvolkers · Joined: 23 Oct 2011 Posts: 359

[quote="PECo"][quote="BigEd"]The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service's definition of "invasive species":
An invasive species is an exotic species whose introduction into an ecosystem in which the species is not native causes or is likely to cause environmental or economic harm or harm to human health. A species is not usually recognized as invasive until it causes some sort of harm or cost to the ecology, economy, or to human health.

According to that definition I would NOT agree that most of the fish we target are invasive species. Many are however, non-native.

Comparing zebra mussels to asian oysters in not accurate. Asian oysters are a completely different species and their long term impact to the ecosystem seems to be somewhat unanswered. I couldn't find any official documentation (US, state, official agency, etc.) listing the asian oyster as invasive...not to say that couldn't happen. The suggested implementation was done largely to replenish depleted native oyster populations, and really to bring rapidly declining commercial harvesting back to previous levels. Regardless of their classification when you check a little further you will see the asian oyster idea got canned.

Verdict: Foreign Oysters Will Not Be Allowed in the Chesapeake Bay!

"The Chesapeake Bay Foundation and The Nature Conservancy applaud the decision by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the states of Maryland and Virginia to follow the science and reject the introduction of a foreign oyster into the Chesapeake Bay."

Here's what wiki didn't tell you. There are tons of articles on the decision.
http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/northamerica/areas/chesapeakebay/asian-oyster-a-risk-we-cant-afford.xml

babycubcatcher your wiki quote starts by stating "non-native species" and mentions nothing about invasive species. I think there is a big difference between the two.[/quote]
BigEd - Since the definition of "invasive species" you posted states that they are "not native", I think it's reasonable to conclude that they are "non-native". Wink

It appears that you consider an "invasive species" to be an [i][b]undesirable[/b][/i] "non-native" species. The Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990 uses the term "aquatic nuisance species", which is defined as:
[quote]A nonindigenous species that threatens the diversity or abundance of native species or the ecological stability of infested waters, or commercial, agricultural, aquacultural or recreational activities dependent upon such waters.[/quote]
Semantics aside, as babycubcatcher said, it's very subjective whether we consider a non-native species to be a nuisance. We generally don't consider stocked fish (e.g., largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, trout, salmon, etc.) to be harmful and declare them to be "invasive species", even though they most certainly compete with native species. When was the last time you caught a green sunfish? It's a native species in Connecticut, but caught much less often than non-native bluegills. Does the presence of bluegills in waters formerly populated with only green sunfish concern anyone? Not really. In fact, little kids really love them. Okay, I admit that I like them, too. Laughing

And when does a "non-native species" become a "native species", anyway? Did you know that there are two distinctly different populations of blacknose dace in Connecticut? Researchers at Wesleyan University recently determined that one population appeared after the last ice age and a second, different population later colonized the Housatonic River basin. Is the second population "non-native"? You can either 1) accept and adapt to change, 2) actually take action and do something about it, or 3) rail at the moon. Since I have no idea about 2), I choose 1). Unfortunately, some choose 3). Speaking of. . . .

rvolkers - You are one seriously angry dude. I think you have me confused with President Obama. Rolling Eyes

[/quote]

i am not a angry "DUDE"

PECo · Joined: 06 Oct 2009 Posts: 5203 Location: Avon, CT

Funny, I'm not "out of my mind", although I have my doubts about you. BUT THAT"S JUST MY OPINION. Rolling Eyes

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rvolkers · Joined: 23 Oct 2011 Posts: 359

ZEBRA MUSSELS ARE NOT A GOOD THING! - if they check your boat at a ramp! for an evasive (what ever) IT HAS TO BE BAD NEWS!

in MAINE invasive species include - walleyes - black crappies - pike and some others! - when reading the anglers guide it is noted TO KILL THEM ON CONTACT - but all states are different!

rvolkers · Joined: 23 Oct 2011 Posts: 359

"clearing the air" we all have our opinions - i guess i go by this links as to what i consider to be a REAL problem here in CT.

sorry that i ruffled some folks feathers!

http://www.ct.gov/deep/cwp/view.asp?a=2696&q=322690&depNav_GID=1630
http://www.ct.gov/deep/cwp/view.asp?a=2702&q=474710&deepNav_GID=1620