Invasive Mussel News

On July 15, 2025, CDFW’s Invasive Species Program (ISP) laboratory staff detected a total of three suspected golden mussel (Limnoperna fortunei) veligers in plankton tow samples collected at Dock 25 in Lake Palmdale on June 26, 2025 and July 10, 2025. The veligers were confirmed by cross-polarized light microscopy (CPLM), polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and DNA sequencing for species confirmation.

Lake Palmdale, also known as Harold Reservoir, is a freshwater storage reservoir located near the City of Palmdale in the Antelope Valley in Los Angeles County, CA, and is owned and operated by the Palmdale Water District (PWD). The lake’s two water sources include the East Branch of the California Aqueduct (State Water Project) and Littlerock Reservoir. Water is stored in Lake Palmdale and eventually treated at PWD’s Leslie O. Carter Water Treatment Plant for distribution to the public, serving residents and businesses of the City of Palmdale and unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County.

Lake Palmdale receives water from the State Water Project’s East Branch and is the first detection of golden mussel on the East Branch. Multiple detections of golden mussel have been observed upstream of Lake Palmdale in the California Aqueduct.

For specific questions about Palmdale Water District’s response, please contact Scott Rogers, Assistant General Manager, at (661) 456-1020. For questions regarding CDFW’s response, please contact CDFW’s hotline at (866) 440-9530.

The following information is being forwarded on behalf of the Delta Interagency Invasive Species Coordination Team:

Save the date for the sixth biennial Delta Invasive Species Symposium! This year’s theme is Modeling and Managing Invasive Species for Tomorrow's Delta. The Symposium will take place at the California Natural Resources Agency building in Sacramento, California, on December 4, 2025.

Organized by the Delta Interagency Invasive Species Coordination (DIISC) Team, the Symposium is free to attend and open to anyone interested in the impacts of invasive species in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta region. The event will be held in person with a virtual attendance option. Additional details and registration information will be available this fall.

The DIISC Team invites abstracts for five-minute lightning talks highlighting work on invasion in the Delta region. Lightning talk presenters must attend the Symposium in person and should submit abstracts by August 29, 2025.

Visit the Delta Conservancy webpage to submit an abstract.

This message is being forwarded on behalf of the US Bureau of Reclamation:

The Bureau of Reclamation is pleased to announce the Call for Proposals for the Fiscal Year 2026 Mussels and Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Spend Plan. Please reach out to your BOR Regional Coordinator (see below) for the actual Spend Plan Proposal informational and guidance document.

This funding opportunity supports projects that address the prevention, containment, control, and management of aquatic nuisance species, with a primary focus on invasive mussels. Proposals targeting other AIS threats—such as crayfish and invasive aquatic vegetation—are also welcome.

Key Details

• Proposal Deadline: August 29, 2025
• Submission Format: Completed proposal with requested information
• Funding Range: No minimum or maximum threshold; proposals will be evaluated based on merit and alignment with program goals
• Multiple proposals may be submitted by an applicant
• Please work with your state coordinators to ensure projects align with state goals and coverage.

How to Submit

• Please submit your proposal to your Regional Coordinator.
• California-Great Basin Region: Melanie Lowe (mlowe@usbr.gov)
• Columbia Pacific Northwest Region: Cory Sandow (csandow@usbr.gov)
• Lower Colorado River Basin: Thomas Ashley (tcashley@usbr.gov)
• Missouri Basin /Arkansas-Rio Grande-Texas Gulf Region: Jason Gibbons (jgibbons@usbr.gov)
• Upper Colorado River Basin: Alex Walker (aewalker@usbr.gov)

Evaluation Process

All proposals will be reviewed by a bureau-wide evaluation committee. Funding decisions are expected to be announced by November or December 2025. A final determination of funding is contingent on appropriations.

We appreciate your continued partnership in protecting our water infrastructure and ecosystems from invasive species. Your contributions are vital to the success of this program.

Quick FAQs

• Q: Is there a Notice of Funding Opportunity link in GrandSolutions.gov?
  • A: No, this is an internal allocation of Bureau appropriations. Selected projects will be entered into GrantSolutions.gov after by our staff.
• Q: Can I submit a multiple year project?
  • A: Yes, but please ensure the proposal is clear. Is the proposal $100k for 3 years (year 1-$33k, year 2-$33k, etc) covering the life of the project? Or is the ask $100k for year one but the project is multiple years with funding needed each year? If it is the latter, subsequent year funding is NOT guaranteed. Your Regional Coordinator may set up your grant for up to 5 years to make it easier to modify an existing grant should additional year funds be approved. It is NOT a guarantee for funding.
• Q: I'm unsure if my project has a Reclamation nexus. Who should I talk to?
  • A: Reach out to your appropriate Regional Coordinator to assist in identifying the Reclamation project or nexus.