Quagga mussels from Lake Mead, in Nevada. (Dave Britton, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)
State officials and contractors will begin using a copper-based chemical in the Snake River near Twin Falls on Tuesday in an effort to kill off invasive quagga mussels that were detected again last month.
For 10 days Idaho State Department of Agriculture officials and contractors will use the chemical called Natrix downriver of Hansen Bridge to Centennial Waterfront Park, the Idaho State Department of Agriculture announced in a press release Monday.
Quagga mussels are a nonnative invasive species that was first detected in water samples in the Snake River in Idaho in September 2023. State officials used the Natrix chemical last year, and said the chemical was effective at killing mussels.
Officials announced on Sept. 24 that they detected quagga mussels again, the Idaho Capital Sun previously reported .
Treatment is approved by EPA, but it will kill fish in the Snake River
State officials said quagga mussels reproduce rapidly and are capable of clogging pipes, which poses a risk for drinking water, agriculture, irrigation, hydroelectric energy generation, recreation and tourism.