Lake Mussels

[chadsanchez]

What do I need to do if I put my boat in a lake that has mussels in it?

[2thdoc01]

In the words of LMFAO....." you workooooooooouut!". Then when YOU have mussels, you get a tank top! Lol

[skippabcool]

Clean it with 140 degree water as soon as you take it out. Some will even run it on a fak-a-lake with clean water.

And don't take it to a clean lake.

[chadsanchez]

Haha deal ... I have a 2011 rzr

[chadsanchez]

Do I need to do anything with my engine?

[Ewok]

Flush it if you want but they usually die with water above 140*

Not many lakes in TX with muscles, where are you planning to take it?

They also die without water, some lakes require a 7-14 day quarantine period with a dry boat. That means dry bilge and ballast tanks to get those little suckers to die of thirst. If you look at the California Invasive species website it should tell you more than enough on what to do going in/out of water with known invasive species.

[chadsanchez]

Hey thanks a lot ... I'm actually going to the one lake that DOES have them ... Texoma!!! It won't HIRT my engine will it? It's a brand new boat and I don't wanna screw anything up!!!

[Ewok]

This is from the TX invasive species website @ http://texasinvasives.org/action/rep...php?alert_id=2


CLEAN
Inspect your boat, trailer and gear and remove any zebra mussels, vegetation or foreign objects that are found. If you find zebra mussels or if your boat has been kept on a lake known to have zebra mussels then it needs to be fully decontaminated. Wash your boat, trailer and any gear that has been in the water thoroughly, ideally at a commercial carwash or using a high pressure sprayer with hot (140 degrees F) soapy water. Water above 140 degrees F will kill the zebra mussels and the high pressure wash will help remove them from your boat. Also, if your boat has internal operating systems (engine cooling, air conditioning, head, etc.) that take up water from the lake then it may require the services of a marina or boat mechanic to ensure all zebra mussels are removed and to help prevent damage to your boat.

DRAIN
Drain all water from the boat, including the engine, bilge, livewells and bait buckets, before leaving the lake.

DRY
Open all compartments and livewells and allow the boat and trailer to sit completely dry for a week or more before entering another water body.

Under the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and Texas Penal Codes, possession or transporting of zebra mussels in Texas is a Class B misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $2,000, jail time up to 180 days, or both.

[Ewok]

I guess it is smart to drain all the water you can from the engine. Dingleberry on here keeps his boat on Lake Mead which has a large infestation of Quagga Mussels and I don't think he flushes his engine every time. Here is the recommendation from http://www.nps.gov/lake/naturescience/zebramussel.htm

Don't Move a Mussel!

Invasive mussels are here! Quagga mussels have been found in Lakes Mead and Mohave. Mud, plants and animals that may be lurking on your watercraft, trailer, or on your vehicle will cause the spread of invasive mussels. Invasive mussels cause millions of dollars of damage to boat and water systems by clogging pipes and engines. They also impact the native ecosystem and sport fisheries.

Clean Your Boat and Your Equipment!

Every time you leave the water:

Remove any visible mud, plants, fish or animals before transporting equipment;
Eliminate water from equipment before transporting;
Clean, drain, and dry anything that comes in contact with water (boats, trailers, vehicles, equipment, clothing, dogs, etc.).
Contact a Lake Mead or Lake Mohave marina to obtain a boat wash.

[Ewok]

Here are a few pics from the Lake Mead invasive species section of the park service website.

[dingleberry]

I guess it is smart to drain all the water you can from the engine. Dingleberry on here keeps his boat on Lake Mead which has a large infestation of Quagga Mussels and I don't think he flushes his engine every time.

Yeah, if I were to take our boat to a clean body of water, I would definitely drain and decontaminate first. But, I guess that I'm not too worried about the water sitting in the engine between outings since we only boat on Mead. I figure that, if any larvae are in there, probably there wouldn't be enough food and oxygen for them to really attach and grow inside. Plus, hopefully they would then be killed/removed by the heat and water flow when the boat is used.

I do keep the boat on a lift, so I'm not giving them a chance to attach to the underwater gear.

[chadsanchez]

I will only be boating there for 2 days ... It's not my primary lake but I won't plan on putting it in another lake for 2 weeks at least so it shouldn't be that big of a deal!

[Iwndr]

I think on our boats it would be the ballast systems that would transport the dirty little creatures, I don't know about your systems but there is always a bit of water left in mine .

[IDBoating]

Residual water in the ballast system and ESPECIALLY a raw water cooled engine would worry me the most. Do you have a sea strainer on your intake? If not, it would be a MAJOR drag to suck those guys into the engine. Blocked cooling passages would be a nightmare to clean out.

Frankly, I would not knowingly take an expensive boat with an expensive engine into a body of water infested with those creatures. Just not worth it. Purely my opinion, YMMV, etc.

[dingleberry]

Residual water in the ballast system and ESPECIALLY a raw water cooled engine would worry me the most. Do you have a sea strainer on your intake? If not, it would be a MAJOR drag to suck those guys into the engine. Blocked cooling passages would be a nightmare to clean out.

Frankly, I would not knowingly take an expensive boat with an expensive engine into a body of water infested with those creatures. Just not worth it. Purely my opinion, YMMV, etc.

Suck them into the engine? You mean adult mussels? It's not like they float around in the water. They are attached to something (rock, dock, etc.). If you manage to suck in adult mussels into your system, you are probably sucking a whole bunch of sand, gravel, muck, etc. after running aground. Just my opinion.

If you mean sucking in larvae and having them grow inside your engine system, like I said before, I just don't think they will live and grow enough in there to cause issues. Maybe I'm wrong about that, but I can't say that I've heard about boats having that particular issue around here, and we've had the mussels in Mead for several years now.