- Author: Leigh Taylor Johnson
Boaters, anglers and government staff who play or work in lakes, bays, rivers, creeks and watersheds are on the front lines in battling invasions of harmful aquatic species.
Like the infamous quagga and zebra mussels, many different species can out-compete (or eat) native species, creating havoc in our aquatic ecosystems. In large numbers, they can clog waterways, water pipes, and engine cooling systems. Dense mats of pondweeds can throw deeper waters into shade, causing oxygen levels to drop and fish to die. The risk of spreading invasive zebra mussels is so serious, that beautiful San Justo Reservoir in central California is closed to recreational use because it is infested with them.
What can you do to combat these invasions? If you work or play in lakes, creeks, rivers, or watersheds, you can be part of the action!
If you notice a suspected invasive species, it’s important to report it to agencies so they can take rapid action. In future blogs, we’ll talk about species to watch out for, how to report them, and how to inspect and decontaminate boats and field gear. These tips are taken from workshops that Cooperative Extension Advisors Leigh Johnson, Sabrina Drill and Darren Haver conducted for 181 public works, watersheds, and parks agency staff in southern California. They are based on scientific research and agency protocols.
- Author: Leigh Taylor Johnson
Latitude affects boat hull cleaning schedules. It is more important than season of the year.
We asked 23 Californian and 4 Mexican in-water hull cleaners how often they cleaned boat hulls with copper antifouling paint. We expected that seasons would have a big influence. Instead, geography was the most important factor.
The most common hull cleaning frequencies year-round were: 1 time per three-month season in the San Francisco Bay area and Central Coast; 3 times per season in the South Coast and San Diego area; and 4 times per season in Mexico (Baja California peninsula).
Hull cleaning before departing and returning is important for preventing transport of aquatic invasive species along our coastline.
For more economic survey results on hull cleaning and boat repair services along the California and Baja California coasts, see our report, "Crossing Boundaries: Managing Invasive Species and Water Quality Risks for Coastal Boat Hulls in California and Baja California." It’s available for download from the publications page of our Coastal Resources website.
- Author: Leigh Taylor Johnson
The new Quagga and Zebra Mussel Eradication and Control Tactics Technical Report is now available from http://ucanr.edu/sites/coast/Quagga_Mussel_Invasion/ and from California Sea Grant (see below).
This practical and well-researched 36-page report explains how to use an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach and specific tactics for eradicating and/or controlling invasive dreissenid (quagga and zebra) mussels in lakes and reservoirs. It covers how to develop and get started on a management strategy, manual & mechanical removal, oxygen deprivation, chemical application, emerging technologies, and an overview of permitting and regulatory processes. The report includes photos and diagrams, successful examples of eradication and control efforts that have used each of the tactics, and extensive weblinks to resources for more information. It is based in part on presentations by experts at a joint workshop presented by California Sea Grant Extension and University of California Cooperative Extension in San Diego on February 1-2, 2012. The authors are Carolynn Culver, Heather Lahr, Leigh Johnson and Jodi Cassell.
Speakers’ abstracts, other information from the workshop presentations and field trips, and individual information sheets on the topics noted above are available from:
http://ca-sgep.ucsd.edu/quaggazebra_mussel_control
- Author: Leigh Taylor Johnson
- Contributor: Carolynn S Culver
Times have changed for fouling control and boaters are wondering where to turn! IPM for Boats can help boaters solve problems of water quality and invasive species. It’s a framework for tailoring fouling control to the individual boat. IPM (Integrated Pest Management) takes into account how often the boat is used, whether it operates locally or long distance, environmental conditions (and regulations that apply) in the harbor and the slip where the boat is kept, whether particularly troublesome fouling species are present, changing conditions, and so forth.
IPM has been used successfully for years to control pests in agriculture and buildings. The goal is to reduce toxic chemicals to the minimum that is necessary in combination with other tactics. The overall strategy combines a variety of tactics (timing the tactics themselves, controlling pest sources, mechanical, chemical, etc.) with record-keeping. Good records help the boat owner follow which tactics worked, when they worked, etc. and decide what to keep and what to change. With this “adaptive” approach, the fouling control strategy should improve over time and also keep up with changing conditions.
Our new report, “IPM for Boats: Integrated Pest Management for Hull Fouling Control in Southern California Coastal Marinas,” explains the IPM approach and the supporting research that we conducted in San Diego Bay and Santa Barbara Harbor of southern California. A photo-guide to 7 particularly pesky “Hull Fouling Species of Concern” is included, too. Although the report focuses on boats kept in saltwater in this region, the IPM approach can be adapted to other regions and even to freshwater.
It’s available from our Coastal Resources Program website at http://ucanr.org/sites/coast Click on the Publications Page in the top navigation.
- Author: Leigh Taylor Johnson
Invasive mussel (quagga and zebra) eradication and control tactics are available on a new website for managers of lakes with invasive mussel infestations or who are preparing to respond if an infestation occurs. The website includes information from expert speakers who explained eradication and control tactics, integrated pest management and permitting considerations at a workshop held in San Diego in February 2012. It also has pictures from field trips to lightly and heavily infested lakes where various tactics were demonstrated. A series of information sheets on these topics will be posted by September 30, 2012.
The website is located at http://ca-sgep.ucsd.edu/quaggazebra_mussel_control
The workshop was organized and presented by Carolynn Culver and Heather Lahr of California Sea Grant Extension and by Leigh Johnson and Jodi Cassell of University of California Cooperative Extension.
