
Keep Lake Almanor Mussel Free
Currently there is NO evidence of Quagga, Zebra or Golden Mussels in Lake Almanor! Plumas county waterways, including Almanor, have no watercraft launching restrictions at this time, but rely on individual owners to be responsible for launching only clean, uncontaminated watercraft. If you have boated or paddled in waters known to be infected, please have your vessel decontaminated prior to launching in Lake Almanor. Please continue reading for more information.
Currently there is NO evidence of Quagga, Zebra or Golden Mussels in Lake Almanor! Plumas county waterways, including Almanor, have no watercraft launching restrictions at this time, but rely on individual owners to be responsible for launching only clean, uncontaminated watercraft. If you have boated or paddled in waters known to be infected, please have your vessel decontaminated prior to launching in Lake Almanor. Please continue reading for more information.
All out of area watercraft are encouraged to arrive Clean Drained and Dry prior to launch.
- Clean – All plant material, animals and mud from watercraft and equipment. (boots, waders, fishing gear)
- Drain – On land all items that can hold water. (buckets, hoses, fish boxes, bilge and ballast tanks)
- Dry – Watercraft, trailer and all additional equipment before launching.
What Makes These Mussels so Invasive.
- FREE SWIMMING LARVAE – Larval mussels swim in the water column for the first month of their life. Because they are free swimming and extremely small, they can be drawn into engines, ballast tanks, live wells and bilges, and be easily transported from one body of water to the next.
- BYSSAL THREADS – Zebra, quagga and golden mussels have byssal threads that allow them to attach to any stable substrate in the water including rocks, plants, fiberglass, plastic, cement, steel, and even onto other mussels creating a thick layer.
- RAPID REPRODUCTION RATE – They have a very rapid reproduction rate, spawning year-round, where 1 single female can produce up to one million eggs in a year.
- FILTER FEEDERS – Feeding off of plankton (the foundation of the aquatic food chain). It has been observed that a mussel can filter up to a liter in a day. Anything they have filtered through that they do not eat is rejected as a mucous. This mucous is known to decrease dissolved oxygen and increase pH.