Like clockwork, as soon as sunny days and warm weather arrive, it’s time for boating and water recreation on Texas lakes to hit full swing. It’s also when invasive zebra mussels start to spawn, making it more important than ever that boaters practice “Clean, Drain and Dry" every time they leave a lake. Each zebra mussel can produce a million free-floating larvae a year. You can’t see these microscopic mussels, but undrained boats can carry them. Even worse, boats stored on a lake with zebra mussels can have attached mussels hidden in crevices. Taking a boat with attached mussels to another lake—especially when they’re spawning—can infest an entire new lake.  

Focus group surveys have found that most Texas boaters will do their part to protect their lakes if they understand the threat and what to do to keep from spreading zebra mussels and other invasive species. In May, we’re launching a boater awareness campaign calling on boaters to “Protect the Lakes You Love” by practicing “Clean, Drain and Dry” every time they leave a water body. The multi-media campaign includes gas station signage, billboards, and location-based mobile app and Pandora radio ads to reach boaters and other water lovers near infested lakes. The ads link to www.tpwd.texas.gov/zebramussels for more information about zebra mussels and a video showing how to correctly perform these steps. Help preserve Texas lakes for present and future generations by sharing this message with your customers!

Marina owners and staff are the most reliable and effective lake gatekeepers to halt movement of zebra mussels attached to boats.  Biology suggests that the most likely source of new infestations of zebra mussels is the movement of boats stored on the water and carrying attached, adult mussels. Surveys show that an average of 15 boats per marina leave infested lakes each year. Marinas on infested lakes can play a major role in ensuring mussel-fouled boats do not leave for other lakes without proper decontamination. Marinas can also serve as gatekeepers for zebra mussel-free lakes by knowing if boats are coming from infested lakes and inspecting them for zebra mussels or other invasive species. TPWD is always on hand to provide whatever guidance you or your customers may need to help stop the spread of invasive mussels.