When golden mussels were found in an international shipping channel in Stockton nearly two years ago, marking the first detection of the invasive shellfish in North America, state officials knew it was going to be bad. Now those fears are being borne out. The roughly 1-inch-long, golden-brown mollusks, native to Asia, have spread from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, where they were initially spotted, through canals and aqueducts to the Bay Area and Southern California. … Across California, tens of millions of dollars are being spent to stop the mussels. But with no retreat in sight and increasing potential for disruptions to water delivery as well as flood control systems and hydroelectric operations, efforts to get a handle on the infestation are ramping up.

Other invasive species news:

• SJV Water (Bakersfield, Calif.): Kern agencies discuss golden mussel treatment, prevention even as state nixes boat inspections at key reservoir
• KMPH (Bakersfield, Calif.): Who’s leading fight against invasive golden mussels? Officials explain response efforts
• California Water Blog (UC Davis): The scourge of the Delta: dredge it up!
• Sierra Nevada Conservancy: News release: State, regional partners work to keep invasive golden mussels out of Sierra-Cascade region