Zebra Mussels

[Crusader]

Bad news here folks.....Zebra Mussels. I'm afraid they've already infiltrated Lake Lavon as I saw some shells last night on the beach....and they were Zebra mussel shells. How many lakes in Texas do you think have this problem?

Here's a blurb from the Mckinney online newspaper I subscribe to.


McKinney initiates stage 1 water conservation measures April 19

McKinney city officials announced that Stage 1 water conservation measures will go into effect April 19. Under Stage 1, the city will increase education efforts to reduce water use and urge residents to detect and repair water leaks around the house. This does not alter the watering ordinance already in place. Residents still may water landscaping up to two times weekly on their trash day and again three days later if needed, and not during the hours of 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The implementation of Stage 1 comes at the request of the North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD), the city’s water supplier. NTMWD initiated the Stage 1 plan because invasive zebra mussels were discovered in Lake Texoma, so that lake is temporarily not used as raw water supply by NTMWD. While zebra mussels are not harmful to humans, they attach to water facilities and pipes causing millions of dollars in maintenance costs.

The infestation of zebra mussels in Lake Texoma has resulted in a loss of 22.5 percent of the NTMWD total raw water supply. At this point, NTMWD does not have a firm date for the resumption of pumping from Lake Texoma; however, NTMWD will continue to collaborate with the federal and state agencies to resume pumping later this year.

 

[blazeracer]

I know if we don't get more rain Lavon and Ray Hubbard will be dirt lakes by then end of summer. That was a nice little blast that ran through this morning, but it was a drop in the bucket.

What the hell is a Zebra Mussel anyway? Besides that water plant on Centerville road, how places pump out of Ray Hubbard and Lavon? Those two lakes are like siamese twins, what happens to one effects the other.

Googling, there is another pump station in Forney by the Ray Hubbard dam that provides water to all of East Dallas.

QUOTE: From the Trinity River East Fork project that comprises Lavon and Ray Hubbard, "NTMWD provides treated drinking water for more than 1.5 million citizens in Collin, Dallas, Denton, Hunt, Kaufman and Rockwall Counties." and "The NTMWD service area is expected to serve at least 700,000 more residents by 2020, which would cause a water shortage if the current supply is not increased."

 

[Crusader]

They look like a regular mussel or clam except they are small and group together in the pipes between lakes and at the dams. Eventually they group so much that they clog up the pipes. Cleaning them off takes a lot of time and has to be done on a regular basis. If you notice at different boat ramps, they have warning placards advising people not to launch their boats into the lake if it's been in another lake sighing the previous few days unless the motor has been flushed. The mussels will stay alive in the water inside your engine for five days or longer and that is one way they are getting into none infested lakes.

 

[blazeracer]

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/newsmedia/releases/?req=20090817a

 

[FL350]

I took a boat out to California last year and when you go through the inspection station I didn't think they were going to let me bring it in because of this problem. After talking with them for forever and them crawling all over the boat and underneath it they said ok. Can't wait to do it again this year!!!!

 

[Last Mohecian]

I just about guarantee you all our lakes will have them soon if they don't all ready.  The way people fish in the southern US I guarantee you they are being transported.  There is a similar issue in trout streams with rock snot (Didymo) being transported on felt sole wading boots.

 

[Last Mohecian]

I know if we don't get more rain Lavon and Ray Hubbard will be dirt lakes by then end of summer. That was a nice little blast that ran through this morning, but it was a drop in the bucket.

What the hell is a Zebra Mussel anyway? Besides that water plant on Centerville road, how places pump out of Ray Hubbard and Lavon? Those two lakes are like siamese twins, what happens to one effects the other.

Googling, there is another pump station in Forney by the Ray Hubbard dam that provides water to all of East Dallas.

QUOTE: From the Trinity River East Fork project that comprises Lavon and Ray Hubbard, "NTMWD provides treated drinking water for more than 1.5 million citizens in Collin, Dallas, Denton, Hunt, Kaufman and Rockwall Counties." and "The NTMWD service area is expected to serve at least 700,000 more residents by 2020, which would cause a water shortage if the current supply is not increased."

That is a sewage treatment plant on Centerville.  It does not pump out of Ray Hubbard.  It returns clean water to Ray Hubbard.  Good friend of mine worked there for years.  He gave me a tour once.  It was pretty cool.

Lavon and Hubbard are managed in completely different ways.  Hubbard is a constant level lake managed by NTMWD.  Lavon is a corp lake.  In the past Lavon was not a constant level lake.  Basically what that means is they would damn near drain Lavon to keep Hubbard at a minimum level.  Jimmy commented last summer that he thought Lavon was now a constant level lake.  The only thing those two lakes have in common is the creek that connects them.

 

[Crusader]

I think the best thing we can do to do our part in preventing the spread of this pest is to flush our motors if you're going to take the boat from one lake to the next. Now that I know that Lavon has a known Zebra mussel problem, I'll be sure to flush my motor before we take her to Broken Bow this year.....as well as taking it to any other local lake like Ray Hubbard etc.

Great stuff to know.

 

[blazeracer]

I think the best thing we can do to do our part in preventing the spread of this pest is to flush our motors if you're going to take the boat from one lake to the next. Now that I know that Lavon has a known Zebra mussel problem, I'll be sure to flush my motor before we take her to Broken Bow this year.....as well as taking it to any other local lake like Ray Hubbard etc.

Great stuff to know.

Yeah, I'll flush mine before going to Broken Bow also. You would think if they are in Lavon they'll be in Hubbard also.

Current lake levels around DFW.

http://www.town-mall.net/community/texas_lakes.html

 

[blazeracer]

Hubbard is a constant level lake managed by NTMWD.  Lavon is a corp lake.  In the past Lavon was not a constant level lake.  Basically what that means is they would damn near drain Lavon to keep Hubbard at a minimum level.  Jimmy commented last summer that he thought Lavon was now a constant level lake.  The only thing those two lakes have in common is the creek that connects them.

The East Fork reuse project run by NTMWD is also shared by both lakes. That's where water gets let out of Ray Hubbard to that swamp down in Forney and the marsh grasses supposedly filter the water removing sediments and nitrogen. Then the clean water is piped back into the top end of Lavon. I've driven down 80 a ton delivering fridges and always wondered why that area is always flooded. Now I know why.

http://www.ntmwd.com/re-use_info.html

 

[Crusader]

Interesting article about the water reuse.

 

[Captin Hazlewood]

Looking at Lavon it does not look like much is getting reused.... that or you folks on city sewer need to flush your toliets more... alot more...LOL

 

[Last Mohecian]

So how are you going to flush the motor and pump to be sure it is clear of muscles?

 

[Last Mohecian]

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/newsmedia/releases/?req=20090817a

That article is almost 2 years old.  I wonder how far they have spread since then.

 

[Last Mohecian]

Interesting article about the water reuse.

Yes it is.  That information says it was scheduled for completion in 2008.  I wonder if the pipeline is done.  Are they pumping that water back into Lavon yet?

 

[Crusader]

So how are you going to flush the motor and pump to be sure it is clear of muscles?

I have a hose fitting to run mine with.

 

[Crusader]

Yes it is.  That information says it was scheduled for completion in 2008.  I wonder if the pipeline is done.  Are they pumping that water back into Lavon yet?

I dunno. Might be worth looking into. There's a sign at Tickey creek boat ramp that talks about the Zebra mussel. I'll read it more carefully next time and see if there's a website or phone number for more information

 

[blazeracer]

Interesting article about the water reuse.

Yes it is.  That information says it was scheduled for completion in 2008.  I wonder if the pipeline is done.  Are they pumping that water back into Lavon yet?

That's why I suspect that the water levels of Lavon and Hubbard are pretty close in relation to each other now. Lavon's down 5 and Hubbard is down 4. Most all other lakes in the DFW are only down one foot or not at all with a couple other exceptions.

 

[HellinnFrnt]

I pull the block drains and go to the car wash after every trip out ... boat usually sits 4-5 days dry and they don't live dry ... do they ? ?

 

[Crusader]

I pull the block drains and go to the car wash after every trip out ... boat usually sits 4-5 days dry and they don't live dry ... do they ? ?

No they don't.