Early Detection Monitoring for Quagga and Zebra Mussels in the Columbia River Basin

Zebra and quagga mussels (dreissenid mussels) are native to Eurasia and have invaded large portions of North America where they have had significant economic and ecological consequences.  Recently, dreissenid mussels have invaded water bodies in the western U.S. but have not yet been observed in the Columbia River Basin (CRB).  If dreissenid mussels are introduced to the CRB they are projected to cause significant damage to important energy production and water delivery infrastructure and could affect efforts to recover endangered and threatened fish populations. Therefore, enhanced monitoring and early detection of dreissenid mussels are now high priorities for the CRB.  The USGS and Washington State University are working collaboratively to help coordinate and prioritize regional early detection efforts, provide a framework for prioritizing placement of boat cleaning stations, and to assess the efficacy of imaging technology that targets dreissenid larvae. We present results describing the use of risk of dreissenid mussel introduction and establishment metrics to help direct current early detection monitoring in the Pacific Northwest. We also present results that describe the efficacy of imaging technology to detect dreissenid mussel larvae in samples taken from the Columbia River given the region’s particular water quality and plankton composition.