Tiny golden mussels that ripped through a Port of Stockton float last year have now carpeted docks, boat hulls and irrigation siphons across the Delta, leaving waterfront residents and farmers scrambling. Local crews report thick colonies that scrape off like velcro and, in some cases, inches of encrustation inside irrigation siphons. Many in the Delta say state and federal help has been slow to arrive as the mussels keep multiplying.
What agencies found
State biologists say the golden mussel (Limnoperna fortunei) was first detected in the Port of Stockton in October 2024 and has since been confirmed at multiple sites across the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. UC Davis and the California…..