May 24—AUSTIN — As Memorial Day and summer approach, Texans from across the state are heading to the water for fun and recreation. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is urging boaters and paddlers who enjoy the waterways to do their part to protect the Texas lakes we love from aquatic invasive species.
“Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial kickoff to boating season in Texas, and while we want everyone to have a great time, we also want them to avoid giving free rides to invasive species and help them travel to new lakes,” said Brian Van Zee, regional director of Inland Fisheries of TPWD. “The best way to prevent the spread of many harmful aquatic invasive species is to clean, drain and dry your watercraft and equipment every time.”
Zebra mussels and giant salvinia continue to spread into new areas in Texas. While they remain among the top threats to Texas lakes, other highly invasive species can also be spread or introduced by boaters, including water hyacinth, crested and yellow floating heart mussels and quagga mussels.
Zebra mussels, a non-native shellfish that attaches to hard surfaces, pose a significant threat to our lakes. These invasive mussels damage boats and water supply and control infrastructure, alter lake ecosystems and cause harm to native species. They also litter the shoreline with dangerous, sharp shells that impact lake recreation.
Zebra mussels are now found in 37 Texas lakes in seven watersheds, as well as in rivers downstream of contaminated lakes. TPWD and partners monitor numerous at-risk lakes across the state to detect zebras and closely related quagga mussels early, but once they are introduced and established in a lake, nothing can be done to control or eliminate them to row.
“Zebra mussels and quagga mussels can be attached to boats or even carried by anchors or on plants that cling to boats,” said Monica McGarrity, TPWD senior scientist for aquatic invasive species. “Microscopic zebra mussel larvae can also be carried in the residual water in the boat. Taking just a few minutes to clean, drain and dry boats can make a huge difference in our efforts to prevent further spread of this very harmful species and prevent damage to Texas lakes.”
Giant Salvinia, a highly invasive, free-floating water fern that can double its coverage area in a week, is one of the biggest threats to our lakes. This invasive plant can produce thick mats that make fishing, boating, swimming and other water recreation nearly impossible.
Giant salvinia is currently present on 27 lakes in East Texas and numerous rivers, creeks and swamps between Houston and Beaumont. Although TPWD’s efforts have ensured that giant Salvinia do not currently restrict access to fishing or boating in Texas public waters, they can still hitchhike from one lake to another on a boat, trailer or other equipment.
“There’s no doubt that Texans love their lakes, but we also need Texans to take action to help protect them,” said John Findeisen, TPWD Aquatic Habitat Improvement Team Leader. “It only takes a small fragment of an invasive plant to create a problem in a new lake, and preventing introductions of invasive species into the water avoids costly, lengthy efforts to manage these species once they become established in a have established more. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure – it only takes a small portion of our time as responsible boaters to clean, drain and dry our boats and equipment to prevent new introductions of aquatic invasive species.
TPWD urges boaters to follow these three simple but crucial steps to clean, drain and dry boats and equipment before traveling from lake to lake. Remove plants, mud and debris; drain all water from boat and equipment; once home, open the compartments and let everything dry completely for at least a week, if possible.
If a boat or other equipment is stored in the water at a lake with invasive mussels, it is likely contaminated and poses an extremely high risk for transporting these invasive species to a new lake. Before moving the boat, call TPWD at 512-389-4848 for advice.
In addition to the damage that invasive species can cause to aquatic ecosystems, water infrastructure and the recreational experience on lakes, the transport of these organisms can result in legal problems for boaters. Carrying banned aquatic invasive species in Texas is illegal and punishable by a fine of up to $500 per violation. It is also the law that boaters must drain all water from their boat and from onboard containers, including bait buckets, before leaving or approaching a body of freshwater. They must also remove all invasive plants from the boat and trailer before leaving a lake.
For more information on how to properly clean, drain and dry boats and equipment, visit TPWD’s YouTube channel for a short instructional video. For more information about zebra mussels and other invasive species in Texas, visit tpwd.texas.gov/StopInvasives.
TPWD and partners monitor for invasive species in Texas lakes, but anyone who spots them on boats, trailers or equipment being moved can help prevent new introductions by reporting the sighting to TPWD at 512-389-4848. Anyone who finds invasive species such as zebra mussels in lakes where they have not been found before can help identify new introductions by emailing photos and location information to Aquainvasives@tpwd.texas.gov.
