Two South Dakota waterways are under observation after the discovery of invasive mussel species this fall. The Angostura Reservoir in southwest South Dakota was confirmed to have quagga mussels in September, and a single adult zebra mussel was found in Lewis and Clark Lake in November. Allison Zach is the Nebraska Invasive Species Program coordinator for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She says both zebra and quagga mussels in South Dakota are a concern for Nebraska…
Zach says quagga mussels pose a larger threat because they do not need hard surfaces to attach to in order to survive, and they are larger than the zebra mussel…
She says the two states would both benefit greatly from formal boat inspection programs…
Both species of mussels can reproduce rapidly, clogging pipes and water systems.
Lewis and Clark Lake is classified as a ‘suspect lake’ for zebra mussels after the discovery of one single adult mussel and will remain suspect for at least three years.
