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- California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a budget last week that includes $6 million to fight the spread of golden mussels across the state’s waterways.
- The invasive species, first detected at the Port of Stockton in October 2024, has now spread more than 500 miles through California’s connected waterways in under two years.
- State wildlife officials confirmed the northernmost detection of the species at the Port of West Sacramento on June 25, 2026.
- Two California senators introduced federal legislation in May to fund eradication and control efforts, with companion legislation already active in the House.
- Experts warn that once golden mussels establish themselves in a large, protected body of water, there is no known tool to remove them.
Tuesday, July 7, 2026 — It can fit between two fingers. But the golden mussel is becoming one of the most serious threats California’s water system has ever faced.
First
, this tiny invasive shellfish has wasted no time spreading through the state. In less than two years, it has pushed more than 500 miles through California’s waterways, reaching as far south as San Diego and, as of late June 2026, as far north as the Port of West Sacramento…