Texas Parks and Wildlife is asking waterfowl hunters to clean their boats and gear before moving from one lake to another, warning that decoys, waders and trailers can carry invasive species to new waters.
In a release Thursday, the department said zebra mussels are now found in 40 Texas lakes across eight river basins, plus stretches of river downstream of infested lakes. The first zebra mussel infestation in Texas was found in Lake Texoma in 2009, according to the department's invasive mussel page.
"Though they can't be seen with the naked eye, microscopic zebra mussel larvae can also be transported unknowingly in residual water in the boat or even in water in decoys," said Monica McGarrity, TPWD's senior scientist for aquatic invasive species. Once mussels are established in a lake, the department says, little or nothing can be done to remove them.
What hunters are asked to do
The agency's advice, which it says comes from recent studies, includes:
- Use a wet/dry vacuum to pull plant pieces out of the boat, trailer and gear before hosing anything down, since a hose can push fragments into small spaces.
- Remove plants, mud and organisms from waders and decoys by hand, then rinse them, using a stiff brush on boot treads.
- Drain water from decoys, and consider drilling drain holes in older, cracked decoys that hold water.
Plants can also hide around a tow vehicle's lights and license plate and between the boat and its bunks, the release says.
