|
|
|
Kraft, C., JULY 26, 1991. Zebra Mussel Update #09, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute A Newsletter produced by the Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute Zebra Mussel Update #09Editor's Note From the start of the 1991 Wisconsin Sea Grant Zebra Mussel Watch in mid- June until July 19, zebra mussel larvae (veligers) were detected only in a water sample collected from the Muskegon, Mich., water filtration plant on July 8. No veligers were found in 77 samples from water intakes on Lakes Michigan and Superior. No zebra mussel veligers were found in 61 harbor samples from those two lakes and Lake Winnebago, and no zebra mussels were detected on any of the 46 substrate samplers examined. ID: 19910726-1. First Veligers Found in Lake Michigan Water Intakes Zebra mussel veligers were found in Lake Michigan water intakes for the first time in late June and early July -- proof that the mollusk is actively reproducing in the lake. Veligers were first found on June 27 in a water intake sample collected in southern Lake Michigan at the Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO) Bailly Generating Station in Gary, Ind., according to Ellen Marsden, assistant scientist with the Illinois Natural History Survey. The sample contained a relatively low density of 22.7 veligers per gallon (6 per L). Even lower densities (about four per gallon, less than one per liter) were found on the same day in samples from LTV Steel and another NIPSCO plant at Hammond, Ind. These veliger densities are much lower than densities currently found in Lakes Erie and Ontario. Samples taken from some of the same locations on July 11 showed similar concentrations of veligers, although the Bailly Station was not resampled due to a plant shutdown. Veligers at even lower densities (0.3 per gallon/0.09 per L) were found by Jory Jonas, assistant coordinator for the Wisconsin Zebra Mussel Watch, in plankton water samples taken July 8 by Muskegon, Mich., water filtration plant personnel. In another sample taken July 14, Jonas found veligers at densities of 0.2 per gallon (0.05 per L) in samples from the same locagion. On July 9, personnel at the B.C. Cobb power plant on Muskegon Lake found an estimated 420 recently settle zebra mussels per square foot (5,382 per square meter) on concrete blocks they had placed in the water to detect zebra mussels. Settled zebra mussels were also found July 16 on substrate samplers placed in Muskegon Lake by Michigan Sea Grant Extension Agent Charles Pistis. The fiberglass plates that Pistis had placed in the water to detect zebra mussels were found to contain 27 mussels ranging in size from 0.098 to 0.157 inches (2.5-4 mm). ID: 19910726-2. Wisconsin Sightings MILWAUKEE -- Seven zebra mussels were found July 3 attached to a fishing rod found in 11 feet (3.3 m) of water at the McKinley Marina. Boat owner Stanley Barton retrieved the rod and mussels while trying to snag a lost umbrella. The mussels, the first mussels found in Milwaukee, ranged in size from 0.3 to 0.7 inches (0.8-1.7 cm). Barton credited Sea Grant's zebra mussel identification card for providing essential information to correctly identify the mussels and used the enclosed phone number to report his find. MILWAUKEE -- A zebra mussel less than 1/20th of an inch (12 mm) long was found July 19 attached to the bottom of a boat docked in the Milwaukee River near the Water Street Bridge by diver Jerry Guyer, who was looking for zebra mussels in the river. Ironically, Guyer found the mussel attached to his own boat upon completing his search of the river. Guyer noted that he has never taken his boat further than Port Washington to the north and Racine to the south, so it has never left these Wisconsin waters of Lake Michigan since he repainted its hull in April 1990. ID: 19910726-3. Sightings Elsewhere HARDIN, Ill. -- Four separate sightings of individual zebra mussels in late June in the lower Illinois River confirmed the entry of zebra mussels into the Mississippi River drainage system. Three adult mussels were found attached to native clams by commercial clammers at locations ranging from 200 to 250 miles (320-400 km) downstream from Chicago. A fourth mussel was found by a youngster angling in the same area, which is within 50 miles (80 km) of the Mississippi River just upstream of St. Louis, Mo. The mussels sightings were confirmed by personnel at the Forbes Biological Station operated by the Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS). All of the zebra mussels were 3/4 to one inch (1.9-2.5 cm) long. The three mussels found by clammers were attached to native three-ridge mussels (Amblema plicata), a species whose pure white shells are worth $1 to $2 per pound as raw starting material in the Japanese cultured pearl industry. The invader poses a serious threat to the native mussels, according to INHS personnel. DULUTH, Minn. -- A single adult zebra mussel was found on June 17 attached to a native clam by an angler fishing in the St. Louis River six miles upriver from Lake Superior, according to Minnesota Sea Grant field agent Jeff Gunderson. The mussel was approximately 0.9 inches (2.3 cm) long. This marks the furthest inland sighting to date in the Lake Superior basin. ID: 19910726-4. New Zebra Mussel Video Zebra Mussels, an Unstoppable Enemy? is the title of a new, 11-minute video produced by the Illinois Department of Conservation and geared specifically for Illinois audiences. The video contains a brief history of zebra mussels, how they got here and what can be done to prevent or slow their spread into other water systems. For copies, contact John Buehner at the Illinois Department of Conservation, phone (217) 782-7454. ID: 19910726-5. WEPCO Initiates First Wisconsin Control Measures Wisconsin Electric Power Company has initiated the first measures in Wisconsin power plants to prevent infestations of zebra mussels. "In-house" service water systems at all WEPCO power plants are currently being treated or are ready for treatment, according to senior environmental scientist Dave Michaud, who reported the following measures at WEPCO's five Wisconsin facilities: * Oak Creek and Pleasant Prairie plants -- chlorination has begun; * Valley and Port Washington plants -- thermal treatment will be used when mussels are observed in the plant; * Point Beach - chlorination, used for several years to control other types of biofouling, will be used to prevent mussel infestations there. In related news, Wisconsin Public Service Company (WPS) has submitted a permit request to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources for treating the service water system at its Kewaunee power plant and expects to begin operation soon, according to WPS Central Lab Supervisor Randy Oswald. He said a similar request will soon be made for the WPS Pulliam plant in Green Bay. ID: 19910726-6. An Erie Visitation During a recent visit to eastern Lake Erie, Wisconsin Zebra Mussel Watch Coordinator and ZMU author Clifford Kraft had the opportunity to spend two days leading a workshop for fishery biologists from federal, provincial and state agencies surrounding the lake. His report: "I was impressed during our discussions of fishery issues that zebra mussels were seldom mentioned as a current problem for prominent walleye, smelt, yellow perch and salmonine fisheries in this mussel-infested lake. When pressed for details, the biologists expressed long-range concerns about potential zebra mussel impacts, but said that little evidence of such impacts had been observed to date. "Although Lake Erie walleye, smelt and yellow perch populations fell upon hard times in the late 1980s, few at the workshop attributed these problems to the invasion of zebra mussels. Bad weather, overfishing, and the overstocking of salmon and trout were discussed as more likely immediate causes. "Evidently, it will take some time to sort out zebra mussel effects on fisheries from other sources of population variability.". ID: 19910726-7. Outside Feedline Okayed GREEN BAY -- The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources in mid-July approved two alternative plans for a anti-mollusk chemical feed line for the City of Green Bay's Lake Michigan water intake near Kewaunee, according to Green Bay Water Utility General Manager Bill Nabak. One design is for a feed line to be installed inside the water intake; the alternative is for a feed line outside the water intake pipeline. Nabak noted that estimated costs for the outside line are $50,000 greater than the inside design. ID: 19910726-8. Inland River Monitoring Funded CARTERVILLE, Ill. -- The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) recently received funds for implementing an inland rivers monitoring program, according to Chuck Surprenant of the USFWS Fisheries Assistance Office here. Surprenant is interested in making contact with other individuals monitoring for zebra mussels in inland river systems, in part to avoid duplicating existing efforts. He is particularly interested in covering the Upper Mississippi, Missouri, Illinois and Ohio rivers. If you are looking for zebra mussels in these river systems, please contact Surprenant at: USFWS Fisheries Assistance Office
P.O. Box J
Carterville, IL 62918
Telephone (618) 997-6869.
ID: 19910726-9. Just Wait and You'll See... RED WING, Minn. -- Power plants and municipalities that take a wait-and-see attitude risk getting hit with a zebra mussel population explosion and a big clean-up bill. That was the warning delivered by Louise Barton, a biologist at the Perry Nuclear Power Plant on zebra mussel-infested Lake Erie, to an audience of industrial and municipal water users at a recent workshop at the Prairie Island Nuclear Power Plant on the Mississippi River. Early detection of zebra mussel larvae and adults is crucial to successfully controlling an infestation, Barton said. While zebra mussels have not yet reached the Mississippi, Minnesota Sea Grant Extension Agent Jeff Gunderson warned the audience that it was "only a matter of time." The workshop was organized by Minnesota Sea Grant and hosted by Northern States Power. ID: 19910726-10. Upcoming Conferences * The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) has announced that it will host a Zebra Mussel Control Technology Conference Oct. 22-23 at Itasca, Ill., near Chicago. Conference objectives include reviewing the status of mussel infestation, providing a forum for technology transfer and establishing priorities for additional research and development. Conference registration fees are $125 for speakers and EPRI members and $325 for members of organizations not eligible for EPRI membership. For registration information, contact Barbara Evatt, P.O. Box 10412, Palo Alto, CA 94303-9743. * A call for papers has been issued for the Second International Zebra Mussel Conference sponsored by the Ontario Ministeries of Natural Resources & Environment and Ontario Hydro for Feb. 19-21 in Toronto, Ont. Session topics will include zebra mussel biology, mitigation strategies, ecosystem and monitoring techniques, and chemical control options. Authors are invited to submit a one-page abstract by Sept. 30 to:
Zebra Mussel Coordinating Office
P.O. Box 5000
Maple, Ont., L6A 1S9
Conference registration before Dec. 15 will be $321 Canadian. Exhibitors are invited to set up a booth at a vendors exhibit for a fee of $535 Canadian. For more information, call (416) 832-7266 or (416) 592-9140. (EDITOR'S NOTE: The Canadian conference is distinct from the similarly titled "Second International Zebra Mussel Research Conference" sponsored by the Great Lakes Sea Grant Network scheduled Nov. 19-22 in Rochester, N.Y. For more information on that conference, see ZMU#8, or call New York Sea Grant, phone (716) 395-2638.). ID: 19910726-11. Nationwide Database Planned GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service's National Fisheries Research Center (NFRC) in Gainesville plans to incorporate information on zebra mussel distribution and ecology into their existing Geographic Information System (GIS) database on nonindigenous aquatic species. Much of the data will be obtained from federal and state agencies involved in zebra mussel programs, but the NFRC is also requesting that other individuals and agencies involved with zebra mussel research provide relevant information. Regular reports on the status of zebra mussels will be provided to cooperators, and specialized maps and geographic analyses will be available periodically. For more information, contact Charles Boydstun at (904) 378-8181. ID: 19910726-12. Mussel Control Patent Update Our story on a patent for a zebra mussel control device reported in ZMU#8 ("Patent Clouds Control Picture") brought these replies from patent holder Paul Rufolo, president of Midwest Marine Contractors, Mt. Prospoct, Ill., and attorney Howard Rockman: "...Mr. Rufolo did not patent and bring to the public his chemical dispersion system for intake pipes for the purpose of engaging in 'expensive legal battles' with industries and utilities with mussel-clogged pipes. To the contrary, by seeking patent protection for his system, Mr. Rufolo's intention was to make his system available to all marine design engineers, construction companies, diving organizations and pipeline owners who could benefit from his invention, and at the same time allow Midwest Marine Contractors and Mr. Rufolo to obtain the benefit of his invention and its engineering... "We can assure you and the industry that Mr. Rufolo conceived of his invention well before December 9, 1989, and had constructed a prototype of his invention before then... "Mr. Rufolo has developed and engineered a system that will help owners of water intake pipes solve what could be a catastrophic clogging problem. Since the development of the system has been completed by Mr. Rufolo, pipeline owners can expect to spend less in engineering fees, since their engineers won't have to spend time and money looking for and testing systems that may or may not work.". ID: 19910726-13. Such Precocious Youngsters! BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Sexually mature zebra mussels as small as 0.2 inches (4.5 mm) long were reported by U.S. Fish & Wildlife researcher Susan J. Nichols at the recent annual meeting here of the International Association for Great Lakes Research (IAGLR). Although Nichols observed maximum growth rates last year of 0.008 inches (0.21 mm) per day, she said that growth rates this year may be even higher. This suggests that, under ideal conditions, zebra mussels may be able to produce many generations within a single season. Nichols has also observed small proportions (10%-20%) of the mussel population carrying ripe gametes in January and February, indicating that reproduction could begin as soon as conditions become right. Reproduction near Monroe, Mich., began this year around May 12; settlement of post-veligers was first observed in that area six weeks later. ID: 19910726-14. Keywords: Chemical_control, Ecological_interactions |