Opinion: Mussel threat to Lake Tahoe needs to be taken seriously
Publisher’s note: The following editorial is from the Aug. 13, 2011, Reno Gazette-Journal.
The threat posed to Lake Tahoe by an invasion by quagga mussels no longer is theoretical.
With the discovery of the invasive mussels on a boat bound for Tahoe last week at the Spooner Summit inspection station turned the worrisome theory to dangerous reality.
An infestation in Lake Tahoe would be disastrous. The mussels multiply rapidly once they get a foothold. They attach themselves to water intakes, docks and boats. They force out other species by monopolizing the food supply. They litter beaches with sharp, smelly shells. Once a colony has been established, it is nearly impossible to remove.
Already the mussels have moved from the Great Lakes, where they have played havoc with water supplies, to Lake Mead in Southern Nevada.