Whiskeytown National Recreation Area rangers are cautioning anglers and boaters to clean their equipment and crafts (small and large) before taking them to Whiskeytown Lake and other Shasta County waters. They and California Department of Fish and Wildlife officials are trying to stop golden mussels from invading North State waters after the animals first arrived for the first time in Northern California last October. The tiny fresh and brackish water mollusk could spell big trouble for California reservoirs, clogging pipes, they said; and could potentially devastate Whiskeytown Lake’s other freshwater bodies’ ecosystems. The state recently began to require inspections of boats at Folsom Lake and Lake Clementine in the Sacramento area to stop the invasive species from spreading.

Other golden mussels news:

• The Modesto Bee (Calif.): Boaters in Stanislaus and beyond can take these steps against invasive mussels
• Lodi News (Calif.): Camanche, Pardee boat launch closures extended through 2025
• KRON (San Francisco): East Bay utility district extends boat launch closures to stop invasive mussels