OBWB sounding alarm over growing risk of golden mussels

The regional water advocate group has issued a warning of an increasing risk from an invasive species.

The Okanagan Basin Water Board (OBWB) said in a release that invasive golden mussels have been aggressively and rapidly spreading in California, adding “recent research suggests the mussels can survive transit through brackish (slightly salty) water, creating new potential introduction pathways through coastal ports.”

The advocacy group also noted that golden mussels are more difficult to remove from watercraft than zebra and quagga mussels, and can be more costly to control once established.

“One California utility recently spent approximately $3-million USD in just 30 days responding to an infestation,” the OBWB stated in its release.