SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY – Since the non-native golden mussel was first discovered in October 2024 in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, the potentially pipe-clogging mollusk has spread as far south as Riverside County.
Invasive pest management experts acknowledge eradication is likely impossible. They say the goal now should be to protect noninfested water bodies from mussel introductions. But it won’t be easy.
“Preventing spread to areas that receive delta water via the California Aqueduct is a large challenge,” said Tanya Veldhuizen, program lead for the State Water Project Aquatic Nuisance Species Program. “Currently available technology to prevent the transfer of mussels is very limited and applicable to only very small volumes of water.”…