On Sat, 18 Jul 2009 22:35:23 -0700, "mgg" wrote:


"Wizard of Woodstock" wrote in message
news
On Sat, 18 Jul 2009 21:26:19 -0500, thunder
wrote:

On Sat, 18 Jul 2009 21:56:06 -0400, Captain Zombie of Woodstock wrote:

http://tinyurl.com/me4daq

It's an interesting article - on the one hand they improve water quality
and fishing and on the other hand, they are a pest.

There's got to be a middle ground.

And, closing launch ramps is only delaying the inevitable. Those mussels
can be transferred on something as simple as a fishing line. The ladies
right about kayaks. I was looking at another site, that had instructions
on cleaning to prevent the spread, and, from my perspective, seemed damn
near impossible to do adequately. Zebra mussels have already been found
coast to coast, and in another 20 years, I would expect them to be
pervasive.

I agree, but it seems to me, and I'm not an expert by any sense of the
word, that every article seems to emphasize the negative, but always
somewhere in the middle or bottom, the water clarity improves, the
fishing improves and there seems to be a benefit in having these
critters around. I can only relate my experience in these invested
waters and the diving was terrific - almost like diving in the
Carribean and the fishing was fantastic.

I've got to believe that there is some kind of preventative measure
they can take to lessen their impact on water intakes and such.

They are a nusiance to boats and water delivery systems. However, I think
control is the way to proceed, and not prevention from infestation. I think
infestation is inevitable.

Here in Santa Clara County (CA), they have an inspection operation in place.
Your boat must be inspected before launching in any lake in the county. All
they're really looking for is standing water of any type. They place a band
on your boat/trailer when you retrieve, and if that band is not broken the
next time you launch, you don't need to be inspected again.

It all sounds nice, and it's some nice revenue for the county I'm sure.
However, many of the boats in these lakes are of the wakeboard type that
have inboard ballast tanks. No matter how long you leave those pumps
running, there will always be some water left in those tanks... along with
mussel larvae. They can inspect all they want, but as soon as someone comes
from an infected lake, passes inspection, then fills and drains their
ballast tank, the lake will be infected.

They are only delaying the inevitable. Instead of inspecting boats, they
sould raise the launch fees, and use that $$$ to find a way to control the
buggers.

--Mike


....and do away with the TSA while they're at it.
--

John H