Four golden mussels were tucked tightly beneath the bolt of a screw, hiding behind metal plates and a small flap on the back of the boat. The stowaways latched onto the boat in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, securing themselves with byssal threads as thin as hair but strong enough for a journey more than 150 miles long, all the way to the Lake Tahoe Basin. Each was as small as a sunflower seed, but don’t be fooled: Golden mussels are like an aquatic invasive species on steroids, officials say, with power to destroy ecosystems, decimate local fish populations, overwhelm water infrastructure, litter beaches with shells and fuel algae growth. They could turn Tahoe’s blues into greens. 

Other Lake Tahoe news:

• San Francisco Chronicle: Opinion: This invasive species could turn Lake Tahoe’s clear water green
• Mountain Democrat (Placerville, Calif.): Water clarity at Lake Tahoe continues to hold steady