Whittier, T.R., A.T. Herlihy, and S.M. Peirson, 1995. Regional Susceptibility of Northeast Lakes to Zebra Mussel Invasion, USEPA National Health and Environmental Effects.

Reprinted from Fisheries (1995) 20b: 20-27

Regional Susceptibility of Northeast Lakes to Zebra Mussel Invasion

Abstract
The rapid spread of the exotic zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) concerns aquatic resource managers in the United States and Canada. Since 1990, it has been spreading from the Great Lakes into the Northeast. The zebra mussel cannot colonize equally in northeastern lakes in part because soft water causes ion exchange and reproductive problems when [Ca2+] reaches a lower limit of approximately 12 mg/L, and pH drops below 7.3. We used (1) an alkalinitv map to conservatively delineate areas expected to be at low risk for zebra mussel invasion and (2) water chemistry data from 344 lakes sampled in the 1991-1994 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP) to estimate numbers and surface area of lakes at risk in the Northeast (New England, New York, and New Jersey). These lakes were randomly selected from a target population of 11,080 lakes > 1 and < 10,000 ha using a probability design that allowed inference to all lakes in the region with known confidence. An estimated 25% (2,770 SE = 410) of lakes in the Northeast have [Ca2+] > 12 mg/L and could potentially support zebra mussel. An estimated 25% of lakes in high alkalinitv areas are at risk, while only 5% of lakes in low alkalinity areas have [Ca2T] > 12 mg/L. The alkalinity map adequately segregated low- and high-calcium lakes. State resource managers can use this information to better allocate control, monitoring, and education resources:

Entire Paper
Contact: Alan Herlihy, USEPA National Health and Environmental Effects, Research Lab/ORD Western Ecology Division, 200 SW 35th Street, Corvallis, OR 97333-4902
Key Words: Zebra_mussel, Basic_biology, Inland_lakes/rivers
Product Type: Research, Predicting_the_spread
User Type: Resource Management