Invasive Golden Mussel Response, Research, and Control
Faced with an urgent threat from Golden Mussel (Limnoperna fortunei) infestation, the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) needed to act swiftly to protect State Water Project (SWP) infrastructure and connected water systems. Dudek and partners mounted an innovative, rapid, and science-based response, including prevention protocols and targeted control strategies to safeguard critical water infrastructure and aquatic ecosystems.
Project Facts
- California Department of Water Resources
- California State Water Project infrastructure
- Testing Dreissenid mussel control methods on golden mussels
- Identifying vulnerabilities of infrastructure to mussel infestation and prioritizing mitigation actions
- Watercraft inspection and decontamination program inspected 1000+ boats during peak season
The Challenge
The State Water Project sustains over 25 million Californians and vital agriculture, while producing 6 billion kilowatt-hours of energy annually. Golden mussel infestation jeopardizes this essential system by clogging infrastructure and harming water quality, energy output, and fisheries.
With limited information on the species’ life history and management in North American and Californian environments, the project team urgently needed to develop strategies that protect operations while meeting complex regulatory requirements.
The Solution
To help DWR combat golden mussel infestation in State Water Project infrastructure and water systems, the team advanced research on safe control methods, including UV, thermal, and chemical treatments, while assessing infrastructure vulnerabilities and streamlining permitting.
Successful pilot treatments have been conducted at select facilities. In parallel, trained inspectors and decontamination technicians were deployed at Lake Oroville and key boat launches to prevent spread, ensuring rapid, adaptive, and technically sound protection of California’s critical water systems.
The Impact
The project is helping safeguard California’s water infrastructure and ecosystems from long-term damage caused by invasive Golden Mussels. By combining proactive inspections, innovative eradication research, and strategic infrastructure rehabilitation, the team is reducing ecological risk, protecting water quality, and setting a precedent for rapid, science-based invasive species response that benefits both the environment and surrounding communities.
What We Did
- Biological Resources Permitting, Sampling, and Assessment
- Toxicology evaluation
- Laboratory services (efficacy studies), data analytics, sampling
- Pest Control Recommendations
- NPDES permitting/water quality monitoring
- Treatment Application Pilot Studies
- Engineering for Facilities Vulnerability Assessment
- Watercraft Inspection and Decontamination
- Control and Prevention Plans
- Management and Treatment Planning
- Public Communications and Notifications
Next Project
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View ProjectDudek is helping water agencies across the state proactively manage infrastructure risk from golden mussel.