Pond Liners Used Against Lake Waco Zebra Mussels

Pond liners are being used to try to stop zebra mussels from spreading at a Central Texas lake that supplies water to Waco.

The Waco Tribune-Herald reports city crews and divers on Tuesday unrolled sheets of pond liner and covered the lake floor at the Ridgewood Country Club boat ramp.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department on Oct. 1 announced the infestation at the boat ramp.

Department monitoring of Lake Waco found no evidence that invasive mussels, which can clog water intake systems, beyond the boat ramp area.

Zebra mussels were confirmed in Texas in 2009 at Lake Texoma and have spread to several other lakes.

According to TexasInvasives.org, zebra mussels have been found in lakes Texoma, Ray Roberts, Lewisville, Bridgeport, Lavon, Waco and Belton. They have also been found on isolated occasions in Lake Ray Hubbard, Lake Grapevine, Lake Fork, Lake Takwoni, the Red River below Lake Texoma, the Elm Fork of the Trinity River, and Sister Grove Creek.

Boaters on all Texas lakes and rivers are required to drain and clean their watercraft to help stop the spread of zebra mussels.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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