SORRY LAKE MEAD

[pokerrick1]

The following article appeared in the Las Vegas Review Journal today - - - I have edited it for brevity only - - - trying not to alter context.

"Quaggas in Lake Mead being fruitful, say experts"

"The number is 3 trillion and counting.

That's how many quagga mussels have invaded Lake Mead's Boulder Basin since they were first discovered there two years ago.

- - - the population is occuring at an alarming rate at various depths down to 335 feet.

Based on the damage quaggas along with zebra mussels caused in the Great Lakes region, Lake Mead's mussels are beginning to impact the lake's ecosystem at a faster rate, while at the same time clogging water pipelines and encrusting boats and marine equipment. Already the costs for maintaining water intakes, marine structures and watercraft in the Lake Mead Recreational Area are more than $1 million yearly.

Their discovery in Boulder Basin on Jan. 6, 2007, was the first known occurrence of the species in the Western United States.

Since then population numbers jumped from 47.8 billion in 2007 to 2.9 trillion in Boulder Basin alone last year. What figures don't show is how many more mussel larvae are living in the lake's water that are soon to join the population.

Biologists think quaggas arrived at Lake Mead by hitch-hiking in bildge water or equipment of a boat from the Midwest. They have spread rapidly in the lake and downstream to lakes Mohave and Havasu and waterways in southern and central California.

Quagga mussels are native to Ukraine's Dneiper River drainage. Like the zebra mussel, they were transported to the Great Lakes in the ballast water of ships in the mid 1980s."

IMHO, these critters are going to be a MAJOR problem at Lake Mead for YEARS to come, and those with outboards better be very, very careful to flush their engines FULLY after EVERY usgage.

Rick

[markh1f]

There were many stories about the dangers and damage zebra mussels would do to Lake Ontario in the early 90's and it all turned out to be load of Cr@p. The water quality has never been better than it is now, it turns out the mussels take all the impurities out of the water. They are a nuisance for the power company and others pulling water from the lake but they have not been a problem for boaters.

Mark

[pokerrick1]

There were many stories about the dangers and damage zebra mussels would do to Lake Ontario in the early 90's and it all turned out to be load of Cr@p. The water quality has never been better than it is now, it turns out the mussels take all the impurities out of the water. They are a nuisance for the power company and others pulling water from the lake but they have not been a problem for boaters.

Mark

Your outboard pulls water from the lake - - - and believe me - - - if the mussels clog your intakes - - - that will be a problem for your $7K engine - - - and if you have to powerscrub your boat whenever you retrieve it at a pretty good expense that is certainly a problem - - - and I don't know where you are getting your info that the potential problems in Lake Ontario in the 90's all turned out to be a "load of Cr@p" There were loads of real problems in both Ontario and Erie. Please remember that this is 17 YEARS LATER and many millions were spent to aleviate the problems

Rick

[Captain Kimo]

Ahoy Pokerrick and all,
IMHO on advise I received from the operators of the power wash and inspectors at the set up at Callville Bay Marina is:
1. Boat at slips, moored, anchored for more than two weeks are subject to infestation. The critters tend to go with the current and cold water. The water craft and O/B has to be stationary for them to attach to your boat.
2. Launching a boat for a week on Lake Mead and recovery back on a trailer does not present the problem you described. At the Las Vegas summer temperatures currently averaging 105 degrees F and a week or more in an RV or Mast Up storage area, these critters cannot survive, unless in a pool of water in your ballast tank. I use two pellets of KCl (Potassium Chloride the water softener) dropped in the ballast tank air vent prior to opening the ballast valves for filling. KCl tends to be more environmentally friendly than bleach, especially when I am dumping ballast at the ramp on boat recovery.
3. Issue is taking the boat back immediately to say California and putting it in one of their reservoirs after being at a slip for two weeks on Lake Mead Boulder Basin. Then it is recommended to make an appointment for a hydro pressure wash down prior to going back to your home state. Even a truck wash in Las Vegas, assuming the minimum water temperature gets to 104 degrees F, would work. All car/truck washes in Las Vegas filter and reuse their water so none is returned to the lake. Such washes are Not necessary if the boat is remaining in Nevada.
4. Recommend lifting O/B out of the water when docked, moored, anchored or beached boat at night. As Rick says, the critters love to get in a nice "hidey hole" of you O/B, namely your water cooling system.

I guess prokerrick now has another reason for not sailing on Lake Mead, besides the distance to Callville Bay Marina ramp and his nightime poker games

[Egress]

I also have a 26X at lake mead that I keep in a slip at LVBH. Keep motor out of the water always and bottom was infested with mussels. Took about an hour to scrape off in mid-june with boat in water. Used a metal scraper and 6' paint extension pole and stuff comes off readily. I am an avid swimmer and with the outrageous heat in July ( many days at 110+ ) I jump off the back to cool off even though we have cabin air. The water clarity is very good now. I am a math teacher and our science teacher has confirmed that these critters eat lots of algae etc. so they do contribute to water clarity. I can confirm that this actually happens. By the way the charge to have a certified power wash with a certificate for the borders is $11.50 per foot. So runs about $300.00 for a 26.

BTW left the motor in the water for a week and after a day on lake noticed the motor not peeing as hard as usual. Was emitting a fine spray instead of hard stream. When got back to dock hooked up hose to reverse flush system and everything okay. Don't know if was mussel larvae or piece or just dirt or sand but problem solved and now working fine.

[royhud]

I don't want to poo poo the problem with mussels and I think that they have been a major financial drain on the utility companies, but I have not seen a problem with outboard motors. I lived in Nevada for many years and actually looked at an X to buy in Lake Mead, but I bought a boat in the midwest and moved to Ohio and have been sailing in Lake Erie for 4 years. I remember doing a wreck dive in about 2001 in Lake Erie close to Peelee Island with my Son, and I saw the bottom covered with zebra and quaggi mussels. The reason we could even do the dive was the fact that the lake has become pretty clear. We had almost 20 ft visibility which is excellent in Lake Erie. When I was growing up in Ohio, you couldn't see 2 feet. My point is that they do clear the water, and I have had absolutely no problem with my 50hp Honda, although I tilt it up when at the dock and not being used. I think the problem is not as bad as stated. I know that commercial and public utilities have problems with their large intakes, but for small motors, I have more problem when I take my 26X to Florida and have to remove the barnacles.

[dvideohd]

I don't know much about these critters...

Can people eat them? Just curious....

--jr

[pokerrick1]

jr -- -

People CAN eat ANYTHING they want

Rick less in Las Vegas

[dvideohd]

Ahem.....

I realize that in Louisiana that they have already probably figured this all out... Most likely it's a Pappadeaux ( www.pappadeaux.com ) menu item.. Probably can order it ala carte in France. We are behind the times here in Texas, when it does not involve firearms.

So I'm just slow... So does anyone have any direct experience with cooking them up? good? bad??

--jerry