Golden mussel update: Still no standardized program

Despite the rumors, "Golden Muscles" was not my nickname in high school. But these days, every time I hear that phrase, I twitch a little. That's because the golden mussels threat to wreak havoc on our water conveyance systems continues. The little devils breed at a rate that makes rabbits look lazy – just one can produce an astonishing 350,000 to 500,000 eggs. As such, they've already wreaked a different sort of havoc – stifling freshwater boating habits in Northern California. Quick recap: Golden mussels are an invasive shellfish species that were found in the Sacramento Delta last fall. They were likely brought over in the ballast water of a ship traveling from Asia. Because of their aforementioned breeding prowess, and the fact they are simply hardier than their invasive species cousins, zebra and quagga mussels, massive colonies of the nickel-to-quarter size mollusks can quickly clog irrigation pumps and pipes, posing a very real threat to vital state water needs. Also, they feed on microorganisms, which presents the danger of collapsing the food chain of any body of water they get established in. They're already in the Delta, so management of them there will likely be the new normal. But so far, they don't seem to have spread to Northern California's lakes. The number one way they're spread? Watercraft. So it must be assumed the last visit of any untagged boat was the Delta. Erring on the side of caution is critical, and since most of our lakes are managed separately by different water, park or local government agencies, initial mitigation efforts – which were rolled out last winter and spring – have differed pretty broadly: Some lakes require a 30-day quarantine or expensive hot-water decontamination. Others just want the boat cleaned, drained and dry. Pardee and Camanche are closed altogether to any outside watercraft until at least the end of 2025. Without a standardized approach to inspections, the ability this summer for Northern California boaters and anglers to freely move from lake to lake was constricted in a way it had never been before. Obviously, an inconvenienced boater isn't quite on the scale of a very real threat to, say, an entire agricultural industry. Still, keeping mussels out while still allowing boaters in don't have to be mutually exclusive goals. And there are parties who have spent the summer working toward just such a resolution. But nine months in, how far along are they? And how far is there to go? James Stone, president of the Northern California Guides Association, says his organization has been in "multiple meetings" with agencies including the Departments of Boating and Waterways, State Parks and Fish and Wildlife, discussing "a general holistic, macrolevel view of what (a) golden mussel program looks like. It's going to have something to do with a tagging system," which will really only work if the disparate agencies "overseeing (our) waterways accept that tagging program." According to Kent Brown, a longtime area professional bass fisherman, California Outdoor Hall of Fame inductee and host of "Ultimate Bass Radio" on SacTown Sports 1140 KHTK, the biggest challenge is there is no overarching state-level agency to guide the implementation of a coordinated plan. "We have to figure out who has control of that. It is very confusing. We're nine months into it … and the first four months we stood around with our hands in our pockets looking at each other going 'Well, what do we do?' " Now? "They're trying to put together a standardized program. But so far, it's not done yet." What about an inspection system at the source, the Delta itself? "There are too many ramps." Brown says, putting that number at about 3,000. The staff and equipment required would just be too great. Stone says there is a timeline. "They are working on the foundation blocks" of how to get a standardized inspection system "out and rolling by 2026" but, he cautions, "I don't expect a fast process on this." The key is figuring out "how we engage in the topic to make it easier for the average boater to go to different bodies of water responsibly and easily" and then settle on protocols all or at least most of the water agencies can agree on. Obviously, all parties involved need to get this right, so the glacial pace toward a solution is justified. And both men seem to be cautiously optimistic some sort of cooperative approach between lakes will eventually be created. Until then, all the best the rest of us can do is email or call the various water agencies and keep this on their radar. Send a message to your local state representative. Remind them there are viable solutions that will both keep the mussels at bay, and allow freedom of movement again for watercraft owners, but only if everyone works together. Be nice. People like Stone and Brown, and the groups they work with are doing their part. But it can't hurt if the rest of us put a little muscle of our own behind the effort, too.