The discovery of golden mussels at Sacramento’s deepwater port late last month, though worrying, was not unexpected by researchers tracking the invasive species’ spread through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. But the ongoing challenge for authorities, and for the state’s aquatic recreationalists, is keeping the destructive bivalve contained to the Delta’s waterways.
Since authorities first discovered the species in the region in late 2024, they’ve sought to make sure the mussels don’t spread to lakes and rivers that aren’t tied into the Delta, including famed recreation destinations like Lake Tahoe and Lake Berryessa.
“At this point, golden mussels have only spread to waters hydrologically connected to the Delta, and that’s good news,” Krysten Kellum, a spokesperson for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife Bay Delta Region, told The Sacramento Bee in an interview Friday…