Thursday December 7, 2023
Couer d’Alene/Post Falls Press —
Quagga mussels, an invasive species capable of causing harm to waterways, fish populations and fisheries, were found in the Snake River near Twin Falls by the Idaho Department of Agriculture in September 2023. Immediately afterward, Idaho Fish and Game assisted the Department of Agriculture in its evaluation of potential treatments to eliminate the mussels, and Idaho Fish and Game quantified the fish populations found in the 6-mile stretch of river where the mussels were found, and where the treatment would occur.
Chelated copper was identified as the best product that when applied to river systems will kill quagga mussels but also would potentially kill fish, aquatic insects, amphibians and aquatic plants as an unwanted side effect.
With no time wasted, the rapid response from quagga mussel detection to implemented eradication treatment was unprecedented and demonstrated the value of partnerships between state and federal agencies, local governments and private industries when attempting to eradicate this unwanted pest.