To most Albertans, the only threat posed by mussels is a risk of indigestion.
That could soon change, warns the executive director of the Alberta Invasive Plants Council, as zebra and quagga mussels continue their spread across North America.
Barry Gibbs was in Red Deer on Thursday for the council’s 2012 conference and annual general meeting.
He said aquatic invasive species accounted for much of this year’s discussion.
“We know it’s coming,” said Gibbs, listing flowering rush and Himilayan balsam as examples of plants that threaten the province’s water systems.
The greater danger involves the tiny freshwater mussels that made the jump from Europe to North America 25 years ago — likely in the ballast water of ocean-going ships. They’ve since spread west from the Great Lakes to other lakes and rivers, with infestations reported in California in 2010.
Trailered boats are believed to be their most common means of movement.
Gibbs said zebra and quagga mussels congregate on hard surfaces and clog equipment like water intakes.
The State of Idaho, he said, has estimated that the cost of cleaning irrigation and recreational equipment would be about $91 million a year if the organisms become established there.
“They’ve instituted mandatory boat inspections on all boats coming into that state.”
Montana is also taking steps to slow the mussels’ advance, said Gibbs. He pointed out that Bob Wiltshire, executive director of the Invasive Species Action Network in Livingston, Mont., told the council that it’s been calculated that every dollar spent on prevention could save $17 to $34 in control and cleaning costs.
Gibbs believes there’s a message here for Albertans, although it’s tough to sell prevention when the problem is not yet visible. But, he insisted, it’s only a matter of time.
“The threat, as I see it right now, is Southern Alberta because we have a huge irrigation infrastructure and a lot of (communities) between Lethbridge and Medicine Hat that rely on water.”
The mussels would also continue to spread north, said Gibbs, with power stations, irrigation systems and water intakes all susceptible.
“Once they get established, there’s really no way to get rid of them.”
Waterton Lakes National Park has started doing boat inspections, he said, and hopefully this practice will expand. Mussels can survive out of the water for up to 30 days, he said.
Thoroughly cleaning boats can also help prevent the spread of aquatic invasive plants like Eurasian watermilfoil and hydrilla, said Gibbs.
“If you can get people to clean and drain and dry their boats, then you’ll stop not only mussels but plants. So it’s more of a focus on pathways of spread as opposed to individual species.”
The Alberta Invasive Plants Council is in the process of changing its name to the Alberta Invasive Species Council to better reflect the nature of the threat facing the province, said Gibbs.
Nearly 100 council members were at the Red Deer conference.
hrichards@www.reddeeradvocate.com