Golden mussels (Limnoperna fortunei) are no longer a distant or theoretical threat. Since their detection in 2024, these highly invasive mussels have moved through California’s interconnected water systems that support millions of residents and vast agricultural regions. For water agencies, the implications extend beyond invasive species management. Golden mussels introduce a new layer of infrastructure
Science‑based approaches help water managers assess infrastructure risk and act quickly Encinitas, CA – April 21, 2026 – Dudek, a U.S.-based environmental, planning, and engineering consulting firm, is supporting California’s response to the spread of golden mussels through specialized research and multidisciplinary expertise that is helping water managers assess infrastructure risk and act quickly across complex water systems
The Friant Water Authority (FWA) has approved a contract to work with Dudek on a comprehensive golden mussel response plan to address the growing infestation in the Friant‑Kern Canal, an effort highlighted in The Porterville Recorder. Golden mussels reproduce rapidly and attach to canal walls, pipelines, pumps, and screens. Unmanaged, they can impair or obstruct recaptured water systems. Addressing the Threat from Vulnerability Assessment through Engineering Design
The discovery of golden mussels in California has introduced a new and urgent challenge for water managers across the state. First detected in 2024 and now confirmed in multiple locations within the California Department of Water Resources’ State Water Project, the invasive freshwater species poses risks to the infrastructure that delivers water to farms, cities, and communities. Dudek Biologist and bivalve
[…] prepared the EIR guiding the design and construction of new advanced water purification, pumping, and conveyance facilities, as well as upgrading existing facilities. Practice Director Shawn Shamlou, AICP, who managed the project, said, “The City’s Pure Water Program was a trailblazing project for water recycling in the United States and beyond. Dudek’s CEQA, NEPA, […]
Water, community resilience, and environmental projects have the potential to significantly improve our communities and the environment. But even with governmental and community support, securing grant funding can be a major obstacle to completing these important projects. Why Projects May Require Help to Secure Funding Navigating the complex landscape of grant funding can
In 2014, in the middle of one of the worst droughts in recorded history, the California legislature passed the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) to safeguard the long-term sustainability of the state’s groundwater supply. Under SGMA, local groundwater sustainability agencies (GSAs) are tasked with developing groundwater sustainability plans (GSPs), which identify the sustainable management criteria
In California, the past 20 years have been the driest in over 1,000 years, but a deluge of storms in January and February 2023 brought more than 24.5 trillion gallons of water to the state. “In the past several years, we’ve said, ‘We welcome every drop we can get,’” Dudek hydrogeologist Jill Weinberger said. But
Perhaps inspiring Murphy’s later pronouncement, mathematician Augustus De Morgan said, “Whatever can happen, will happen if we make trials enough.” At some point, your flood infrastructure will be tested by a storm event equal to or larger than the event it was designed to withstand. The chance in any given year that a storm occurs
The average wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in the U.S. is 40 to 50 years old and many of these aging facilities need upgrades. Federal funding programs are an option to complete a planned wastewater treatment plant upgrade. However, access to those funds comes with a caveat. To ensure climate resiliency and protect against flooding, the
