Press Release Texas Parks and Wildlife
AUSTIN – In the state’s ongoing
effort to combat the spread of invasive
zebra mussels, the Texas Parks and
Wildlife Commission approved for public comment new proposed rules requiring
that all boats operating on public water in 17 Northeast Texas counties be
drained after use.
Zebra Mussels in Texas Lakes |
Zebra mussels became established in
Texas in Lake Texoma in 2009. Last year, they were found in Lake Ray
Roberts and the Elm Fork of the Trinity River. More recently, zebra mussels
have spread to Lake Bridgeport on the West Fork of the Trinity River and into
Lake Lewisville. They can expand their range even farther by hitching a
ride on trailered boats that have been immersed in waters where they have
established populations.
The rapidly reproducing mussels,
originally from Eurasia, can have serious economic and recreational impact to
Texas reservoirs. They can clog public-water intake pipes, harm boats and
motors left in infested waters by covering boat hulls, clog water-cooling
systems, annoy boat-dock owners by completely covering anything left under
water, and make water recreation hazardous because of their sharp edges.
From an environmental perspective,
zebra mussels are filter feeders, which means they compete with baitfish such
as shad for available forage. Any impact on baitfish in turn can affect
their predators — game fish such as bass, striped bass and catfish. Zebra
mussels are also very harmful to native mussel populations because they will
colonize on their shells and essentially suffocate them.
The commission’s action in their
Aug. 21 meeting is the result of additional rule-making authority granted to
the TPW commission through House Bill 1241, passed last spring by the 83rd
Legislature.
Under the proposed regulations,
persons leaving or approaching public water in the affected counties will be
required to drain all water from their vessel before leaving the lake. This
would apply to all types and sizes of boats, whether powered or not, personal
watercraft, sailboats, or any other vessel used to travel on public waters.
The proposed rule will apply on all
public waters in Collin, Cooke, Dallas, Denton, Fannin, Grayson, Hood, Jack,
Kaufman, Montague, Palo Pinto, Parker, Rockwall, Stephens, Tarrant, Wise, and
Young counties.
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