Contact:
Valerie Borel, UC Davis Extension, (323) 260-3851
Alexia Retallack, Office of Communications and Education, (916) 322-8944

The Department of Fish and Game (DFG) announces four Quagga/Zebra mussel early detection workshops to take place in Southern California. The workshops will train local groups, lake and marina managers, and boating and fishing club members how to set up early detection stations for the invasive mussels in freshwaters.

"Working with local agencies and organizations to organize mussel monitoring programs is essential to combating the spread of Quagga and Zebra mussels," said DFG Director Donald Koch. "By increasing the number of waters monitored and gathering information from these waterways local water authorities will be better able to create infestation prevention and response approaches."

The workshops are part of a pilot program operated under a DFG contract with the California Sea Grant Extension Program, part of the University of California Extension. Attendees will learn how to place substrates and monitor waters to detect the presence of the invasive mussels. The four Southern California workshops will be used to evaluate the effectiveness of this type of monitoring program. Once the most effective method is established, program managers will explore further contracting opportunities to expand to other areas in California.

Quagga/Zebra mussels exist in waters throughout Southern California and in San Justo Reservoir in San Benito County; early detection is critical for minimizing further spread and impact. Early detection may increase eradication and control options, and by training individuals to help monitor, DFG hopes to offer local government and water authorities an additional resource for protecting their waters.

"Once developed, this program will expand the state's abilities to monitor its waters and track the mussels' movement should any occur," said Koch. "The participants will also be trained in talking to the public about the mussels. The more discussion about Quagga and Zebra mussels, the more aware the public will be of the serious threat these creatures pose."

After training is complete, attendees will participate in a hands on monitoring program to practice their new skills. Participants will gather data that will be provided to DFG to become part of a statewide monitoring database to help track Quagga/Zebra mussel presence in California.

All classes will be held from 7- 9:30 p.m. The workshops are free, but advanced registration is required as space is limited. Classes will be held:

* May 1, Ventura, U.C. Cooperative Extension
* May 6, El Cajon, Ronald Reagan Community Center
* May 8, Escondido, San Diego County Farm Bureau
* May 12, Riverside, U.C. Cooperative Extension, Highlander Hall

Interested individuals should register at http://ucanr.org/quaggaworkshop or call (323) 260-3851 by April 28.

Quagga mussels were first detected in the Colorado River system in January 2007 and were later found in San Diego and Riverside counties by state and local water agencies. Zebra mussels were discovered in San Justo Reservoir in San Benito County last January.

Both species of mussel are non-native aquatic mollusks that wreak havoc with the environment by disrupting the natural food chain and releasing toxins that affect other aquatic species. Although they range in size from microscopic to the size of a fingernail, they are prolific and attach themselves to hard and soft surfaces.

Boats are the primary transporters of Quagga and Zebra mussels. Zebra mussels inhabit water depths from four to 180 feet, while Quagga can reach depths more than 400 feet. Both mollusks can attach to and damage boat trailers, cooling systems, boat hulls and steering equipment. Mussels attached to watercraft or trailers can be transported and spread to other water bodies. Water in boat engines, bilges, live wells and buckets can carry mussel larvae (called veligers) to other water bodies as well.

As part of the public education effort, DFG has facilitated nearly a dozen Quagga/Zebra inspection and decontamination trainings for more than 300 individuals in San Diego, Redding, Fresno, Stockton, Monterey, Los Alamitos, Onatrio, Lake County, Sacramento and Yountville. Additional training sessions are expected in other regions later this year.

DFG, along with the Department of Boating and Waterways, the Department of Water Resources and California State Parks, has distributed more than 1.75 million information cards and 1.2 million letters to registered boaters and other water users around the state about the Quagga and Zebra mussel threat.

A public toll-free number hotline has been established for boaters and anyone involved with activities on lakes and rivers seeking information on the invasive and destructive Quagga mussels at 1-866-440-9530. The toll-free number is available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For more information on the Quagga/Zebra mussel response, please visit the DFG Web site at www.dfg.ca.gov/invasives/quaggamussel.