Boater’s ‘keen eye’ kept costly, invasive hitchhiker out of Georgia lake, officials say
A man was excited to take his newly purchased boat out on Georgia’s Lake Lanier when he noticed something odd.
There were tiny, mysterious mussels attached to the motor of his new boat, according to a news release from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.
He didn’t know at the time, but the creatures were zebra mussels — a razor sharp invasive species — and could have cost the state millions of dollars in damage.
The man contacted the DNR about the mussels and the agency said it was grateful for the boater’s “keen eye” that helped save the lake’s ecosystem from serious harm.
“Zebra mussels pose a significant ecological and economic risk to our state so we encourage boaters to follow this lead and thoroughly inspect your boat, trailer, and gear for any unwanted ‘hitchhikers’ before use in any Georgia waters, and always contact your local WRD office should you have questions,” Aquatic Nuisance Species Program Manager Jim Page said in the release.
The invasive species can cost millions of dollars in damage to boats and water intake pipes, according to the Georgia DNR. They can also “filter out algae that native species need for food and they attach to — and incapacitate — native mussels,” according to the United States Geological Survey.
Many times, the “hitchhikers” end up sneakily catching a ride on people’s boats and dispersing into bodies of water, the DNR said.
They are believed to have arrived in the Great Lakes in the 1980s and were discharged into the Great Lakes region, according to the USGS. They have since spread into Texas, Colorado, Utah, Nevada and California.
“Currently, there is not a known established population of zebra mussels in Georgia state waters, and we are hopeful that with the public’s help that we can keep that streak going,” Page said.
The man who noticed the mussels recently purchased his boat, which had been decontaminated, the release said. Despite decontamination, the invasive species managed to stay attached, which the DNR said should serve as a helpful lesson to other boaters to check their boats before launching.
“We are grateful for the keen eye of this particular boat owner, and we extend thanks to him for being observant,” the DNR said.
For more information on zebra mussels and how to spot them, visit Georgia’s aquatic nuisance species resource page.
Lake Lanier is about 50 miles northeast of Atlanta.
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