If you are planning to celebrate Independence Day on the water, make sure you’re doing your part to protect the lakes you love – Clean, Drain and Dry your boat, trailer and gear before traveling to another lake to keep our Texas lakes free from zebra mussels. 

Pay careful attention to your anchor and rope, as zebra mussels are small and could be hiding on any of these places. Their larvae are microscopic and can hide in any pockets of water trapped on your boat, so it’s important to drain everything, including bait buckets. If zebra mussels are attached to your boat or you have stored your boat on a lake with zebra mussels, you are at high risk of spreading them. Call our 24/7 hotline at (512) 389-4848 for guidance. For more information on how to properly "Clean, Drain and Dry" your boat and to watch a video on the topic, visit tpwd.texas.gov/zebramussels. It's up to you to keep our Texas lakes independent from zebra mussels! 

There are three main stages to the zebra mussel life cycle: larva, settler, and adult. Once zebra mussel eggs are fertilized they become free-floating larvae that live in the water for up to a month. These microscopic larvae can be transported in water in bilges, ballast water, live wells, and even bait buckets. 

As zebra mussels mature to adults they become settlers at about 1/100th of an inch long and start to attach to hard surfaces like boats, docks, rocks, plants, pipes and other debris. Within their first year, at around 1/3rd of an inch long, zebra mussels begin reproducing in large numbers and they can quickly out-compete native species. 

All stages of zebra mussels are capable of invading new lakes using humans as transportation. Always practice CLEAN, DRAIN and DRY before moving your boat to another lake.