Monday, November 24, 2008

Zebra Mussel Found in Susquehanna River

This story just reported the confirmed presence of zebra mussel in the Susquehanna River above Conowingo Hydroelectric Dam in Maryland. It is the first time the zebra mussel Driessena polymorpha has been found in the lower Susquehanna River.

The zebra mussel poses widespread ecological and economic threats. Originally from the Balkans, Poland, and the former Soviet Union, by the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the construction of extensive canal systems enabled the spread of zebra mussels to major river drainages of Europe.

In the United States, the first account of an established population came in 1988 from Lake St. Clair, located between Lake Huron and Lake Erie. By 1990, it was found in all the Great Lakes. View the spread of this species in the US

Let's give thanks for 20+ years of zebra mussel free rivers in Virginia.

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