Lake Buchanan is among the latest Texas waterways to be infested with zebra mussels, according to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
The department designated the lake, which is west of Burnet and north of Inks Lake, as being infested after an October sampling showed evidence that the invasive mollusks were reproducing there.
Zebra mussel larvae were found in plankton samples that Lower Colorado River Authority scientists took from three sites around the lake, officials said. Last month, more samples were taken from two of three sites, and zebra mussels were found again.
Zebra mussels were also found earlier in December near a floodgate project at Buchanan Dam.
“At this time, the results indicate that the population in the lake appears to be small,” said Monica McGarrity, a Texas Parks and Wildlife senior scientist for aquatic invasive species management. “However, as we have seen in other Texas lakes, the population is likely to increase rapidly over the next few years.”
Lake Buchanan is one of 31 lakes in the state to be infested with zebra mussels. In Central Texas, Lake Austin, Lady Bird Lake, Lake Georgetown, Lake LBJ and Lake Marble Falls are all infested with zebra mussels, according to a parks department map.
Created by Buchanan Dam in 1938, Lake Buchanan was the first completed in the Highland Lakes chain, according to the LCRA. While no zebra mussels have been found in Inks Lake, officials say it's likely to become infested as it is downstream from Lake Buchanan. Zebra mussel environmental DNA was found in samples taken from Inks Lake in the fall, and officials say that could be an indicator of introduction of the mollusks.
Zebra mussels are about the size of a fingernail and will attach themselves to pipes, boats and other hard surfaces.
The tiny crustaceans were to blame for the foul-smelling water that poured from faucets across Austin in February 2019. A mass die-off of zebra mussels in a raw water intake pipe at the Ullrich Water Treatment Plant, the utility’s largest water treatment plant, tainted the city’s drinking water and triggered a citywide boil-water notice for days.
Since then, the Austin Water utility has spent millions on systems and chemicals to fight the scourge.
Boaters should be sure to clean, drain and dry boats and gear before going from lake to lake, officials said. Plants, mud and debris should be removed as well.
Help stop the spread
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department advises boaters to clean, drain and dry boats, trailers, livewells, bait buckets and other gear before traveling to another body of water. Draining water is required by law, and possession and transport of zebra mussels is illegal.