I found this on another site that I visit time to time... Thought it might help some ,to have a better understanding of what AIS are and their affects.
Reproduction Rate:
Zebra mussels reach sexual maturity when they are about one-half inch in length. A single female typically produces from 30,000 to 100,000 eggs per season, but can produce a million eggs in a single season. Reproduction can occurs when water temperatures are between 54 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
Due to their high reproductive rate and the limited number of natural predators, zebra mussels can significantly populate a body of water in two or three years. They can cluster together with hundreds of thousands per square meter.
Impact Problems:
The zebra mussel's reproductive and living habits have raised concerns that they may affect the American aquatic environment. By altering the food chain and water chemistry, as well as through sheer numbers of mussels, native aquatic species may be adversely impacted.
Zebra mussels are a major problem for basically any man made facilities either built in water or that transport water. They clog water intake pipes and disrupting water withdrawal operations. This causes problems with lakeshore municipalities and industries, power plants, farms and irrigation systems. High water flow rates inside pipes provide a constant source of food for the mussels. There, they cluster in mats on top of each other, lining the inside of pipes. The larger facilities of the Great Lakes are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars each year in efforts to eradicate the Zebra mussel.
Zebra mussels feed by filtering water and removing microscopic plants and animals. These organisms form the basis for the food chain in aquatic ecosystems. The productivity of systems containing zebra mussels is dramatically lowered as a result of the vast amount of water that is filtered by zebra mussels. As a result, the pounds of fish that these systems can support is dramatically lowered and can lead to reductions in angling success.
It is very common for swimmers, waders and scuba divers to get cuts from the shells of zebra mussels, they are Very sharp. As a precaution, one should wear tennis shoes when swimming or wading in these waters and definitely do not brush up against clusters of zebra mussels.
As mentioned, Zebra mussels are invasive, this pic is a Very Early Stage of their clustering.....being 6" thick off of one surface is not uncommon!
Problems and Solutions for Boaters:
Boat owners who frequent known zebra mussel waters (see above) should be especially cautious. The mussels attach themselves to, and grow within, water intakes of both inboard and outboard motors. Subsequent restriction of water flow can cause motors to overheat.
They also attach themselves to boat hulls, which affects boat handling, reduces fuel efficiency and slows boat speed. If a boat hull feels grainy or gritty, it might be covered with young zebra mussels, which are about .02 millimeters long.
As prevention, boats should not be left in the water for extended periods of time. With regular use, engine heat will keep mussels from colonizing inside most engine parts. Because microscopic zebra mussel larvae can be unknowingly transported in bilges, engine cooling systems, minnow buckets, live wells and anywhere water is trapped, the following pre- cautions should be taken to help slow their spread.
- Drain the bilge water, live wells and bait buckets.
- Inspect the boat and trailer immediately upon leaving the water.
- Scrape off any zebra mussels found. Do not return them to the water.
- If possible, dry the boat and trailer for at least a week before entering another waterway. If not, do the next step below.
- Wash boat parts and accessories that contact the water using hot water (at least 140 degrees F.), a 10 percent solution of household chlorine bleach and water, or a hot saltwater solution. Do not wash your boat at the boat ramp where these solutions could pollute the water. Always finish with a clean water rinse.
