Quagga/Zebra Mussel News

Deadline May 1, 2023

Theme: "Think Ahead; Stop the Spread"

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is pleased to announce the 10th annual California Invasive Species Youth Art and Video Contest. This year’s theme, “Think Ahead; Stop the Spread,” encourages students to research ways to prevent the spread and impacts of invasive species and promote actions to protect the environment.

The contest is offered by CDFW’s Invasive Species Program in conjunction with California Invasive Species Action Week, June 3-11.

The art contest has three age divisions for youth in grades 2-4, 5-8 and 9-12. All types of art are welcome and encouraged, including (but not limited to): drawings, paintings and comic strips. Entries must reflect the 2023 theme: “Think Ahead; Stop the Spread.” The top three winners in each division will have entries announced on CDFW’s social media. All entrants will receive a certificate of participation.

The new video portion, open to grades 5-12, allows students to submit a 60 second video on the theme. Winning videos will be posted on CDFW’s YouTube channel.

The deadline for contest entries is May 1. All entries must be submitted electronically. Submission instructions can be found on CDFW’s Invasive Species Program website.

The goal of California Invasive Species Action Week is to increase public awareness of invasive species issues and encourage public participation in the fight against California’s invasive species and their impacts on our state’s natural resources and biodiversity.

The following information is being forwarded on behalf of the California State Parks' Division of Boating and Waterways:

GRANT ANNOUNCEMENT

California State Parks Division of Boating and Waterways (DBW) will accept applications for the 2023 Quagga and Zebra Mussel Infestation Prevention Grant Program: April 10, 2023 - May 19, 2023, subject to available funds.

Minimum Eligibility Requirements:

1. Grant applicant must own/manage any aspect of the water in a reservoir where recreational activities are permitted.
2. The reservoir must be open to the public.
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 2022. Monitoring data can be from surface surveys, artificial substrates, and plankton tows.

Tier 1 Planning and Assessment Grant:

• For preparing or updating a Prevention Plan: Applicants that do not already have a CDFW-accepted prevention plan can apply for a planning and assessment grant in order to develop or update a CDFW-accepted prevention plan for the reservoir.

Tier 2 Implementation Grant:

• For implementing activities in a current Prevention Plan: 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)).

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

A Solicitation Notice including application and Workshop/Webinar information will be sent prior to opening of the grant application window. The Notice will also be posted on DBW's QZ Grant Program website.

On January 6, 2023, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (Metropolitan) detected a single quagga mussel veliger using cross-polarized microscopy in a large volume plankton net sample collected at Metropolitan’s Foothill Feeder Pressure Control Structure, which is downstream of Castaic Lake. The veliger was confirmed as a quagga mussel by PCR and DNA sequencing.

Adult quagga mussels were previously detected by the California Department of Water Resources in Castaic Lake in August 2021.

For questions specific to Metropolitan’s facilities and response, please contact Paul Rochelle, Water Quality Section Manager, at (909) 392-5155.

For questions regarding CDFW’s response, please contact CDFW’s hotline at (866) 440-9530.