A particularly worrisome mussel species has entered North America for the first time through the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta — sparking what many are calling an immediate threat to California’s most significant watersheds.Golden mussels, invasive freshwater bivalves that have devastated ecosystems and critical water infrastructure in other parts of the world, were recently discovered near the Port of Stockton. Limnoperna fortunei appear to have also found their way many miles downstream into O’Neill Forebay of the San Luis Reservoir, where officials in Merced County have been rapidly conducting genetic testing.“The species poses a significant immediate threat to the ecological health of the Delta and all waters of the state, water conveyance systems, infrastructure and water quality,” according to a public alert by the California Department of Water Resources and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. “This discovery is the first known occurrence of golden mussels in North America.”These mussels probably infiltrated California by a ship traveling from an international port and are likely to spread throughout the Delta and through the water infrastructure associated with the Delta, officials said in a statement. “Without containment, golden mussels are likely to spread to other freshwater bodies in California, and to other ports and inland waters of North America, and abroad.”Keep Reading
