Wednesday November 15, 2023
Boundary Creek Times —
Concerns are growing in the Kootenays and Columbia Basin following the recent appearance of an onerous invasive species in a tributary of the Columbia River.
Idaho State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) confirmed the presence of quagga mussels in the Snake River on Sept. 18, 2023.
“Multiple samples of quagga mussel at larval life stages have been found in the Twin Falls area by ISDA’s early detection monitoring program,” noted the ISDA in a release.
The ISDA implemented a comprehensive and rapid response to the threat. They closed a 16 mile stretch of the Snake River between Twin Falls Dam and Niagara Falls Dam, and from Oct. 3 to Oct. 13, introduced a copper-based treatment called Natrix to eradicate quagga mussels in the mid-Snake River area.