Invasive Mussel News

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 9, 2026 and will close on April 17, 2026 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 2025 QZ Grant, that reservoir will not be considered for a QZ Grant until the 2027 solicitation.

A presentation will be conducted via MS Teams on March 13, 2026;

information will be posted on our webpage at: dbw.parks.ca.gov/QZGrant

The 2026 QZ grants are expected to begin in October, and will span two years.

Minimum Eligibility Requirements:

1. Grant applicant must own/manage any aspect of the water in a reservoir;
2. The reservoir must be open to the public for recreation; and
3. 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 2025. 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 is Friday, November 7, 2025, at 4:00 p.m. PST.

For more information, see the 2026-27 Boating Access Proposal Solicitation Notice (PDF) and CDFW's Boating Access page. All proposals must be submitted via the CDFW WebGrants portal.

Contact BoatingAccess@wildlife.ca.gov with any questions.

Golden Mussel Detections in California

Martinez Reservoir

September 8, 2025 – juvenile mussels were discovered on a settlement plate in Martinez Reservoir, Contra Costa County. The reservoir is the terminal reservoir of the Contra Costa Canal and receives water from the Delta. The mussels were genetically confirmed as golden mussel by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis and DNA sequencing.

Santa Ana Valley Pipeline

September 29, 2025 – golden mussel veligers were detected by cross-polarized light microscopy (CPLM) in plankton samples collected at two routine sampling locations on the Santa Ana Valley Pipeline located downstream of Silverwood Lake and the Devil Canyon Powerplant, San Bernardino County. The samples were collected on September 23rd and 29th. The veligers were genetically confirmed by PCR analysis and DNA sequencing.

DWR, in coordination with partner agencies, has implemented regular inspections and maintenance at State Water Project facilities to minimize the effects of golden mussels. The discovery of golden mussels poses no imminent impacts to water quality or DWR’s ability to deliver water to 27 million Californians. DWR continues to work diligently to implement protective measures to minimize the spread of this invasive species, prevent the fouling of equipment and maintain operational capacity. For specific questions about DWR’s response, please contact Maggie Macias, DWR Information Officer at (916) 902-7405. For questions regarding CDFW’s response, please contact CDFW’s hotline at (866) 440-9530.

Contra Loma Reservoir

October 7, 2025 – juvenile mussels were discovered on a settlement plate in Contra Loma Reservoir, Contra Costa County. The reservoir is part of the Central Valley Project and receives water from the Delta. The mussels were genetically confirmed as golden mussel by PCR analysis and DNA sequencing.