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Originally Posted by The Spank
I don't know anything about southern AB waters but having grown up and lived in Ontario most of my life I know some about Zebra Mussels. They definitely took in Lakes Erie and to some extent Lake Ontario but Huron and Superior seemed to not suffer their fate due to the cold temperatures of those water bodies. A few inland warm water lakes were affected in the southern part of province but the more northerly inland lakes were not. Again temperature seemed to be the reason. Short growing seasons and longer colder temperatures are not conducive to their spreading easily. When they first appeared in the lower great lakes they spread fast but as they multiplied and did what they do best, filtering water by consuming phytoplankton they brought lakes Erie and Ontario back to the water clarity they once were before man's overwhelming disturbance and pollution caused a major change in those lakes. That change brought on by them has changed the entire eco-system back to its former self and though it was a tough adjustment for many sportsman at first it has brought back a return of a once great fishery and traditional migration areas for countless waterfowl that had all but abandoned centuries old migration staging areas. Also another invasive known as the Round Goby, a small fish was introduced through ballst water and its main food source is the Zebra Mussel. Between the Zebra Mussels own habits of filtering water increasing clarity through eating the phytoplankton and the Goby they have become much more "managed" so to speak and not nearly the huge problem they first were or so I have read on some Canada/US great lakes commission reports? Hopefully southern Albertas waters are more along the lines of northern Ontarios inland waters in terms of being unfriendly to the mussels.
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There is a lot of misinformation here. First of all, the introduction of a single invasive species is not welcome; the introduction of another native species that feeds on the aforementioned species is double jeopardy........and so on.
It is true that invasive mussels such as zebra and quagga mussels filter water, but they won't filter out blue/green algae. Red goby feed on mussels yes but it has also been found that they would rather feed on other stuff in the food chain, when introduced to our eco system. Our eco system is a matched set for what is native, introducing anything invasive will not have the same result as from where the invasive species first came. The walleye fishery in the Bay of Quinte has declined in S On as a result of zebra mussels. Walleye prefer murky water, not clear water. Bass have overtaken much of the water that walleye used to inhabit. Walleye is a highly valued fishery in AB. AB waters are too cold for bass. Zebra mussels are a lose situation in AB. There is no win. Above speaks to our fishery, not the impact to irrigation and power generation. It would cost millions of $ and shut downs to irrigation and water cooled power generation if mussels invaded those waters. Mussels can reproduce in water temps as low as 9 degrees.
Clean, drain and dry your boats!