Invasive Mussel News

Hello Water Managers,

This is a friendly reminder that Division of Boating and Waterways' Quagga and Zebra Mussel Infestation Prevention grant period close tomorrow, April 18, 2025 at 5 p.m. If you submitted your grants early, we encourage you to review your submission for completeness.

Thank you!

California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), Department of Water Resources, and California State Parks issued a joint press release on April 16, 2025 titled "California Takes Action to Halt Golden Mussel Invasions” announcing the development of a comprehensive Golden Mussel Response Framework developed by the Golden Mussel Task Force.

In addition, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is offering $1 million in grant funding to boating facility operators to enhance efforts against invasive mussels, particularly the threat of golden mussels. This funding supports projects that help prevent the introduction and spread of invasive mussels in lakes, reservoirs and waterways, ensuring the long-term health of state waters. The grant solicitation and application link can be found on CDFW’s website.

This message is being forwarded on behalf of CA State Parks Division of Boating and Waterways:

2025 QZ Grant Webinar Now Posted

The following materials are now available on the DBW webpage from the 3/13/2025 webinar:

• Webinar Recording
• Questions & Answers Document

You can access these resources here: https://dbw.parks.ca.gov/QZGrant

This message is being forwarded on behalf of California State Parks, Division of Boating and Waterways:

Save-The-Date Grant Announcement

California State Parks Division of Boating and Waterways (DBW)

QZ Grant Program has the following announcement:

The application period for the 2025 cycle will open on March 10, 2025 and will close on April 18, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. Up to $2M is expected to be awarded, pending available funding. If a reservoir is currently covered by a two-year 2024 QZ Grant, that reservoir will not be considered for a QZ Grant until the 2026 solicitation.

A presentation will be conducted via MS Teams on March 13, 2025; information will be posted on our webpage at: QZGrant@parks.ca.gov. The 2025 QZ grants are expected to begin in August, and will span two years.

Minimum Eligibility Requirements:

Grant applicant must own/manage any aspect of the water in a reservoir; The reservoir must be open to the public for recreation; and Grant applicant must demonstrate that the reservoir is uninfested with dreissenid mussels

To demonstrate that the reservoir is uninfested, applicants must provide mussel monitoring data collected since March 2024. Monitoring data can be from surface surveys, artificial substrates, and plankton tows.

Tier 2 Implementation Grant:

To be eligible for an implementation grant, applicants must provide a letter from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) at the time of application that states CDFW has reviewed and accepted a prevention plan for the reservoir (per Fish and Game Code Section 2302 and California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Section 672.1(b)).

Tier 1 Planning and Assessment Grant:

Applicants that do not already have a CDFW-accepted prevention plan can apply for a planning and assessment grant in order to develop a CDFW-accepted prevention plan for the reservoir.

For questions regarding quagga/zebra mussel monitoring, or for prevention planning, including how to obtain a letter from CDFW, contact CDFW at Invasives@wildlife.ca.gov or Telephone: (866) 440-9530.

Additional information will be sent prior to opening of the grant application window. This notice will also be posted on the DBW website.

The deadline to submit a proposal for CDFW’s Boating Access Grant Program has been extended to Wednesday, November 15, 2023, at 4:00 p.m. PST.

For more information, please see the 2024 Boating Access Proposal Solicitation Notice (PDF). All proposals must be submitted via CDFW WebGrants portal.

The recording of the October 4, 2023, Boating Access Public Workshop (Video) is now available, along with a copy of the presentation slides (PDF). Additionally, A Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) (PDF) is available.

Please contact BoatingAccess@wildlife.ca.gov with any questions.