Wednesday September 25, 2024
Oregon Capital Chronicle —
Officials with the Idaho State Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday that they have detected new quagga mussels in the Snake River near Twin Falls.
Tuesday’s announcement arrived almost exactly one year after state officials announced they had detected the invasive species in the Snake River for the first time in September 2023. In response to first mussel detection, state officials used a copper based chemical called Natrix in the Snake River in an effort to kill them off, the Sun previously reported.
Until this most recent detection of quagga mussels, state water sampling was negative for quagga mussels in 2024, the Sun also reported.
“While we are incredibly disappointed to see any confirmations, we know that pest eradication is rarely one and done,” Idaho State Department of Agriculture Director Chanel Tewalt said in a written statement Tuesday. “We have made significant progress, and now we must focus on the next phase of eradication. (The Idaho State Department of Agriculture) and the many partners who have helped in countless ways will continue to push for full eradication.”