The Arvin-Edison Water Storage District found invasive golden mussels in its system last December, quickly approved a $2.5 million budget and by the first week of April had already completed a 30-day treatment. … Time is of the essence as golden mussel breeding ramps up with the temperature. The mussels are tiny but cling to equipment and inside pipes, building on each other until pipes are clogged and equipment fails. … Meanwhile, at its April 23 meeting, the Kern County Water Agency approved spending $350,000 to hire a consultant to develop a mussel treatment plan. This comes more than a month after KCWA staff notified the board that they had already been battling an ongoing, significant infestation in a key piece of the county’s water infrastructure, the Cross Valley Canal. 

Other invasive species news:

• Enterprise-Record (Chico, Calif.): Lake Oroville remains clear of golden mussels
• Active NorCal (Redding, Calif.): Lake Oroville’s invasive mussel prevention program is working. Here’s what boaters need to know.
• Manteca Bulletin (Calif.): County may declare Golden mussel emergency in Delta