Zebra
Mussels Found in Nepco Lake, Wisconsin
|
|
by: By Bob Koeshall “ The River Rat “
I just got off the phone with our local D.N.R. I heard about the find back in June, but I did not have enough information to get anything out to my readers. This afternoon there was a press release to the news media and the story was out. I’ll try here to tell you more about the Mussels and how and why they are Very Dangerous To Our Waters, and how WE as FISHERMAN can STOP the SPREAD of these Mussels.
The zebra mussel is a tiny (1/8-inch to 2-inch) bottom-dwelling clam native to Europe. The mussel takes its name from its striped shell. Zebra mussels were introduced into the Great Lakes system in the mid 80’s and first turned up in Lake St. Clair. In 1985 or 86. They have spread throughout the Great Lakes and are now found in Green Bay, “Milwaukee River Estuary, Port Washington Harbor, South Milwaukee Harbor, Sheboygan County, Sheboygan River Estuary and basin, Big Elkhart Lake, Kenosha Harbor, Racine Harbor, Kenosha County, Silver Lake, Lake Andrea, Fox River basin, In Lake Superior, Superior Harbor. StCroix River From the town of Hudson south to the Mississippi River. In Walworth county, Lake Geneva, Lauderdale Lake, Delevan Lake, Beulah Lake, Fox River Basin, The Lower Rock River. In Racine county, The Racine Quarry, Pike and Root River Basin, Waubeesee Lake. Waukesha County, Nagawicki Lake, Fox River Basin, Bark River down stream to Hwy. 67, Upper and Lower Nemanhbin Lake To Hwy 67, Little Muskego, Lac La Belle, Oconomowoc Lake and River to Hwy 67, Lower Rock River, Lower Nashotah Lake, Winnebago County, Lake Winnebago, Lake Winneconne, Wolf River basin, Lake Butte des Morts, Upper Fox River basin, Poygan Lake. Big and Little Cedar Lake, Milwaukee River basin in Washington County.
Zebra mussel populations are highest in Green Bay where densities are
approaching levels found in Lake Erie. Resource managers are particularly
concerned about the potential impacts to the food chain, native clams and
fisheries in Wisconsin’s waters.
In mid to late June 1997, unusually low dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations were found by federal and state agencies in a150 mile stretch of the Mississippi River during a period of warm water (25-27 deg. C) and below average river flow. Main channel DO concentrations below 4 mg/L were common in a reach extending from Pool 9 near Lynxville Wisconsin, to Pool 13 near Bellevue, Iowa. Dissolved oxygen concentrations increased in July in response to increased river flow, but values below 5 mg/L were still present at times. An investigation was made to determine if zebra mussels contributed to the low DO concentrations and influenced other water quality variables during the summer of 1997.
More of this article - Part 2 - What They Do -
1 2 3 4 5 6Previous Fishtales
