Solitary Zebra Mussel Found on Boat Hoist Removed From Candlewood Lake

On Sunday January 9th, a single Zebra Mussel was found attached to a boat hoist that was removed from the Lattins Cove area of Candlewood Lake. Since the discovery, the hoist, docks, and shoreline in the area have been searched thoroughly and there were no indications of additional mussels. This is the third instance of zebra mussels being found in Candlewood Lake in 2020.

    Zebra mussels can be extremely disruptive to the ecosystems in which they invade. Their population can grow rapidly, and quickly cover hard surfaces like docks, ladders, boats props and hulls, and hoists. Their sharp shells also present a potential safety hazard to swimmers without proper footwear. They can also quickly take habitat from native mussels and out compete organisms that are important to Candlewood Lake’s food chain. In an effort to determine the extent of the current population in the Lake, the Candlewood Lake Authority will be searching the shoreline of critical areas, including areas where mussels have been found, to search for any additional signs that might have been missed. We are also going to be working with local municipalities, FirstLight, and the state to help secure Candlewood Lake from potential invaders, including zebra mussels, as much as possible.

We know many of you have been searching, and we appreciate the zebra mussel reports that we’ve received. If you see anything that might be a zebra mussel (reference the pictures included here for examples), please email a picture, location, and contact information to science@candlewoodlakeauthority.org. If you’d like to contribute information about locations that you’ve searched for mussels, even if you didn’t find any, please visit candlewoodlakeauthority.org/zebramussels.

(Accompanying photos provided by CandleWood Lake Authority)

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Submitted by Brewster, NY

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