Introduction:

P

pkjryan

Member
Joined
Jan 31, 2007
RO Number
25066
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95
Good morning all. I just wanted to take a quick moment of your time to introduce myself. My name is Paul Ryan and I am an employee with the Department of Boating and Waterways. For those of you unfamiliar with us, this link will give you an idea of what we do. http://www.dbw.ca.gov/
I happen to work in aquatic weeds and have been reading posts on your sites for a few years now. I find that many of the posts are insightful and well put together. It is obvious that you all care about the Delta. I feel that this would be a great forum to be a part of and after proposing this to higher ups, they agree. As we all all well aware of, the Delta is very susceptible to invasive species. We specialize in Water Hyacinth and Egeria Densa. We have some limited involvement in the newest invader, the Quagga Mussel. You are the eyes and ears of the Delta and any contributions or thoughts you may have, we would love to address to the best of our ability. I will check this site daily and will do my best to answer any concerns or questions that you may have on these aquatic species. Thank you for your time.
 
Thanks for the introduction and offer. How serious is the mussel problem?
 
Only three sites in California have been found to have quagga mussel and the populations appear to be very small. This suggests that this infestation can be controlled and potentially eradicated. The sites are the Whitsett Intake, at the south end of Lake Havasu; Gene Wash, approximately 1.5 miles west of Whitsett Intake; and Grass Bay, south of the Havasu Landing Resort.

No quagga mussels have been found in California downstream of Whitsett Intake in the lower Colorado River (surveyed to the Yuma Area). No quagga mussels have been found downstream of Lake Havasu.

Diamond Valley Lake and Lake Skinner in Riverside County, Lower Quail Canal above Pyramid Lake on the west branch of the California Aqueduct in Los Angeles Co., and Lake Powell in Utah were dive surveyed with no mussels found.

I believe that surveys will begin shortly in Northern California, if they have not begun already.
 
Thanks for joining us here! We always welcome members who have special insights and can contribute to our discussions in a knowledgeable way!

I would love to be better informed about the Egeria Densa problem, especially in Franks Tract. That area seems to get worse every year. What is the latest on eradication there?

I haven't heard much about the oriental crab infestation lately. [I forget it's true name.] About five years ago bait fisherman were catching more crabs then strippers when fishing with bait! What has been happening with that?

Can you post a color picture of a quagga mussel? I wouldn't know one if it jumped into my boat!
 
http://www.dfg.ca.gov/quaggamussel/ Use this link to see pictures and gather info. I believe we have the same link on our website. DFG, I believe, is where you could find more information on the Chinese Mitten Crab as well. Frank's Tract, this year, is going to be the focus of a major effort to control Egeria Densa. We have just recently been given permission to do this and we hope you are hoping to see some major changes to the Egeria population in the next few years.
 
http://www.dbw.ca.gov/PDF/Quagga_Q&A1-31-07.pdf More info...a good indicator that a Quagga mussel is present are the types of substrates it will attach to. I do not believe the Zebra Mussell attaches to rocks, pilings, etc.
 
Thanks for the info! That's good news about Franks Tract. Let's all pray for success!
 
"Egeria Densa"

I never new the proper name for that weed. I just looked it up on the Internet, and yep, that it the weed I hate so much.

I have been boating on the Delta for 40 years, since I was about 11. For the last 20 years I have owned and operated cruisers/houseboats on the Delta, spending a lot of weekends anchoring out at various spots. Over the 40 years that I have known the Delta much of it has remained essentially the same, but this weed is a notable exception!

Twenty years ago this weed was not worth mentioning and could easily escape notice. 15 years ago it was hard not to notice but wasn't a problem. 10 years ago it was starting to get annoying. 5 years ago it was clearly winning the battle. Today it has severely impacted the use of the Delta.

Twenty years ago there were LOTs of small protected spots were a single boat or even groups of boats could anchor, out of the way of the ski boats and protected from incessant wakes. Little strips of land isolated by tule berms, an eddy off a turn in a slough, "Five Fingers", etc. There were favorite anchorages, such as Three River Reach and Mildred Island that provided easy access and good anchorage.

Today you would foul your prop before you made it into Five Fingers. At Mildred Island the weeds have taken over the shore, making it impossible to drop anchor on the shore itself and forcing boats to anchor so far out that they get little benifit of the lee shore.

We have lost so many of the desirable anchor spots that the cruisers are forced to anchor in more open areas, competing for waterways that are also desired by the skiers and wakeboarders. I have both, a houseboat and wakeboard boat. I can assure you that it is best to keep the two is separate areas!

I would really like to see a major eradication/control of this weed take place. If you need a place to focus, my recommendation is to focus on areas favored by the houseboats/cruisers. Let the skiboats have the deeper, open sloughs, give Five Fingers back to the cruisers. It will make everyone happier.

Rod McInnis
 
Good morning Paul.I have a question for you. I can't recall precisely, but it could have been eight or 10 years ago, that I attended a meeting at the Port of Stockton hosted by DBW to outline a projected egeria densa research project. I heard nothing more about it until 3 or 4 years ag when I read that a pilot E.D. eradication program would be sited at Discovery Bay. Since than zero information. So, what was attempted? I berth my boat at Ladd's Stockton Marina and E>D. is a major problem for me. In the warm months it is so dense in the fairway that when I am enterung my slip and reverse the boat to correct cours the prop fouls on the E.D. and the boat goes out of control. Ithas been a wild experience a couple of times. Is there any hope? I would like to welcome you to this board both for your expertise and for the enjoyment it may bring. --- Warren
 
Rod...I greatly value your input as a longtime Delta resident and you are a great example of the types of people we would like to hear from. "Eradication" of Egeria Densa, I hate to say, is not a viable option right now. Our program is focusing on control because of various reasons such as budget, permitting, and etc. Usually by the time anyone decides to do anything about a new invader it is already too late. In Egeria Densa's case, as you have seen, the weed has spread quite rapidly. Warren asked about the program we now have in place. We have small plots in various parts of the Delta in which we have been treating over the last few years. We have seen some success and we are now going to focus on Franks Tract to see if this will work on a large scale. The success out there will determine the viability of whether or not Egeria Densa can be effectively "managed." This site's input will be greatly appreciated as you see and hear things that we do not. Hope that I have answered your questions effectively.
 
Rod...I greatly value your input as a longtime Delta resident and you are a great example of the types of people we would like to hear from. "Eradication" of Egeria Densa, I hate to say, is not a viable option right now. Our program is focusing on control because of various reasons such as budget, permitting, and etc. Usually by the time anyone decides to do anything about a new invader it is already too late. In Egeria Densa's case, as you have seen, the weed has spread quite rapidly. Warren asked about the program we now have in place. We have small plots in various parts of the Delta in which we have been treating over the last few years. We have seen some success and we are now going to focus on Franks Tract to see if this will work on a large scale. The success out there will determine the viability of whether or not Egeria Densa can be effectively "managed." This site's input will be greatly appreciated as you see and hear things that we do not. Hope that I have answered your questions effectively.
 
DEPARTMENT OF BOATING AND WATERWAYS
2000 EVERGREEN STREET, SUITE 100
SACRAMENTO, CA 95815-3888
Tele: (916) 263-4326
Fax: (916) 263-0648
www.dbw.ca.gov
March 2007

Dear California Boat Owner --

In January, Quagga mussels were discovered in Lake Mead, Lake Mohave, and the California side of Lake Havasu in the Colorado River system. It is likely they were transported on the hull of a recreational boat. Immediate action is necessary to control the spread of the Quagga mussels into our state.

Once established, Quagga mussels can have significant negative impacts on the economy, environment, and recreation, with virtually no chance of eradication from a waterway. State and federal agencies are mounting a unified response to this problem, but need assistance from the public, especially the boating community.

What are Quagga mussels? It is an invasive aquatic species that starts microscopic but grows to about an inch in diameter. It has black, cream or white bands, and often features dark rings on its shell almost like stripes. They reproduce quickly and in large numbers. Quagga mussels can survive out of the water for up to one week and can be transported in bilges, ballast water, live wells, and equipment that hold water.

Quagga mussels rapidly colonize on soft and hard surfaces, such as hulls, engines and steering components of boats, plants and sediment. In addition, Quagga mussels attach to submerged surfaces such as piers, pilings, water intakes, and fish screens. In doing so, they can clog water intake structures hampering the flow of water. They frequently settle in massive colonies blocking water intake and threatening municipal water supply, agricultural irrigation and power plant operations.

Quagga mussels disrupt the food chain by consuming phytoplankton that other species need to survive. Their consumption of the foundation of the aquatic food chain decreases zooplankton and causes a shift in native species and a disruption of the ecological balance of entire bodies of water.

An infestation of the closely-related Zebra mussel in the Great Lakes area has had a negative economic impact on industries, businesses, and communities of more than $5 billion between 1993 and 1999. California could spend hundreds of millions of dollars protecting the state water system from a Quagga mussel infestation.

Quagga mussels also affect boaters directly because they:

• Ruin your engine by blocking the cooling system – causing overheating.
• Increase drag on the bottom of your boat, reducing speed and wasting fuel.
• Jam steering equipment on boats.
• Require scraping and repainting of boat bottoms.
• Colonize all underwater substrates such as boat ramps, docks, lines and other underwater surfaces requiring constant cleaning.
• Reduce fish populations.
• Lead to the closure of waterways.

What can you do? Boats are the primary transporters of this invasive aquatic species. All boaters and anyone connected to fresh water aquatic environments should take the following steps to inhibit the spread of the Quagga mussel:

• Inspect all exposed surfaces – Quagga mussels will feel like sandpaper to the touch.
• Thoroughly wash the hull of each watercraft once it is out of the water, removing all plants and animal material.
• Drain any water through the vessel’s hull plug, and ensure the area is dry.
• Ensure the vessel’s lower outboard unit is drained and dry.
• Clean and dry any live-well aboard the vessel.
• Empty and dry any buckets.
• Any vessel traveling from Lake Mead or the Colorado River should remain dry and out of the water for five days.
• Dispose of all bait in the trash.

It is important for boaters to follow these steps and cooperate with vessel inspections that are conducted at the Department of Food and Agriculture’s checkpoint stations.

A public toll-free number, 1-866-440-9530, has been established for boaters and anyone involved with activities on lakes and rivers seeking information on the invasive and destructive Quagga mussels. The toll free number will be available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. You may also visit the Department of Fish and Game’s website, www.dfg.ca.gov/quaggamussel/ for more information. Thank you for your assistance in battling this threat to California waterways.

Sincerely,

Raynor Tsuneyoshi, Director

Photographs of Quagga mussels
 
Paul,

Welcome to our forum. I've had the pleasure of talking with Raynor (Shark) many times, it will be nice to have a representative of DBW here on a frequent basis. If I can do anything to help, please let me know.
 
I thought I'd reactivate this thread so folks all know who Paul is and what he does for us deltaphiles!
 
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