The quagga, commonly called the zebra mussel, is an invasive freshwater mussel that is native to the Ukraine. It lays up to one million eggs at a time. At a rate of three percent survival, one mussel could quickly spawn 30,000. And when those lay eggs, well, it didn”t take long for Chairman Jeff Smith”s calculator to give him an “error” message.
The mussel ranges in size from the size of a fingernail up to two inches, and bears alternating light and dark stripes. In its larval state, the mussel is microscopic in size and virtually undetectable. Ruttan said the surface of watercraft should feel smooth. “If it feels sandy, then you probably have the mussel,” she said.
The Lake County Board of Supervisors decided to test 10 of Clear Lake”s “hot spots” to detect the mussel early. According to Ruttan, a net with 63 micron size mesh that gets dragged behind a boat is needed for the testing, which she ordered online immediately following the meeting. As soon as she gets it, she”ll test the hot spots.
