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Zebra mussels (Image Credit: ID 45347522 © Hannah Babiak | Dreamstime.com)
By Liam Verster
Invasive Mussel Detection

Work ongoing to secure funding for an invasive mussel detection project

Feb 10, 2026 | 6:02 AM

The Okanagan Basin Water Board is continuing its work in support of an early-detection system for invasive mussels.

The water protection advocacy group will be applying to the Canada Water Agency’s EcoAction Stream 2: Freshwater Sustainability and Innovation program, in a bid to garner financial support for its eDNA detection tool.

The tool would be used to rapidly identify invasive zebra and quagga mussels during watercraft inspections and lake monitoring. 

The detection system was being developed by University of British Columbia Okanagan, but the OBWB required $200,000 in financial contributions to match its investment and ensure it could be fully implemented.

Vernon City Council was asked to support the OBWB in its application for funding from the EcoAction program, and council voted in favour of having Mayor Victor Cumming write a letter of support to accompany the application.

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