Zebra Mussels in Chesapeake

SG

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Feb 11, 2017
1,670
J/Boat J/160 Annapolis
A friend who has a boat on Spa Creek (in Annapolis, off of the Severn River) showed me a picture of someone's fender that was submerged in water over the summer. It was COVERED in Zebra Mussels.

This year, the Chesapeake had a very large amount of fresh water coming down from the Susquehanna (and other watersheds). The Susquehanna, which extends into NY and PA States has had reports of Zebra Mussels before.

This year there are increased notes of Zebra Mussels in the upper Bay and it's tributaries.

Aside from visible on the hull, props, and other appendages on a boat, you may get these in your raw water system where they can grow and cause huge problems.

My boat is in Back Creek (next to Spa Creek). This was the first report I heard of these below the Bay Bridge.

Hopefully, the saliently will increase for a variety of reasons toward "normal" levels and the problem will abate. I'd rather have nettles to worry about in the late Summer, rather than crabs, oysters, and (now) Zebra mussels.
 

MitchM

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Jan 20, 2005
1,011
Nauticat 321 pilothouse 32 Erie PA
we have them in the great lakes big time. they foul propellers and p shafts. they particularly like cutless bearings where they create much shorter than usual maintenance intervals. people claim penetrol on the metal parts helps. but the's no avoiding a good oldfashioned wire brush cleaning each haulout to get rid of them. (and you cannot even eat them...)
 
Jan 11, 2014
11,323
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
When Zebra mussels first invaded Lake Ontario there was a lot of screaming about the sky falling. It didn't. They are a nuisance but are relatively easily managed.

Zebras are filter feeders, they want moving water. If there is no moving water, they die. Early on folks were worried about them populating engine cooling lines. They didn't, no moving water and the hot water killed the larvae. They do however gather in the entrance to seacocks, but that just takes a screw driver to release them.

Zebra mussels are not like barnacles, their hold on what ever they grab on to is pretty weak. Not weak enough to fall off when sailing however a stiff brush takes them right off.

The biggest problem is water intakes, since the intakes provide the flowing water they need. Utilities have learned to deal with them.

They do like rocky hard surfaces, so if your favorite swimming spot is rock covered, wear water shoes.

On the bright side, as filter feeders they clean the water and make it clearer.
 
Jul 1, 2010
962
Catalina 350 Lake Huron
We've also had them in NY's Fingerlakes for years. These days they are just a nuisance. The population crashed a few years after they came. They are everywhere, just not at the levels that we initially feared would create carnage. They have resulted in the water clearing some, which creates it's own issues. Lately, toxic blue green algae and other invasives like hydrilla, have taken front and center.
 

FDL S2

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Jun 29, 2014
469
S2 7.3 Fond du Lac
We've also had them in NY's Fingerlakes for years. These days they are just a nuisance. The population crashed a few years after they came. They are everywhere, just not at the levels that we initially feared would create carnage. They have resulted in the water clearing some, which creates it's own issues. Lately, toxic blue green algae and other invasives like hydrilla, have taken front and center.
Lake Winnebago in Wisconsin has had zebra mussels for a long time and your description is exactly what we have experienced including the blue green algae and hydrilla.