Benson, A. J. 2009. Zebra mussel sightings distribution. Retrieved Dec. 2, 2009 from http://nas.er.usgs.gov/taxgroup/mollusks/zebramussel/zebramusseldistribution.asp.

Zebra mussels - those tiny, voracious, nasty little bivalves that have wreaked havoc in Midwestern waterways for decades - are spreading in western Massachusetts, reports the Berkshire Eagle. The mussels were spotted in Laurel Lake in July, where, according to a new report from the Mass. Department of Conservation, they have been for at least two years and are “firmly established.” Further, says the report, the mussels have been detected in the Housatonic River, and “10 water bodies in the region are at a high risk for infestation.”

As a sign of how hard it is to contain these things, the article says: “The report … indicated the mussels likely entered the river via two sources: Laurel Brook and the broken water pipe that runs from Laurel Lake to the Eagle Mill.” A single busted water pipe and the ecosystem is endangered.

Massachusetts is rightly alarmed about these things, which can grow so thickly and fast that they clog inlet pipes of wastewater treatment plants. The U.S. Geological Service even has a Google map, updated daily, about their spread.  Here’s the Mass. Action Plan, which emphasizes trying to contain their spread by making sure zebra mussels aren’t accidentally carried from lake to lake by recreational boaters.

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