Zebra mussels just a small nuisance on Ohio River

Though invasive zebra mussels colonized the Great Lakes at great economic and ecological costs to the region, the species has had relatively little impact on the Ohio River system. Mussels don’t clog the cooling water intake pipes on the Ohio and Kanawha rivers as much as they do elsewhere, according to an electric utility company.

One biologist suggests zebra mussels haven’t taken hold in the river because the muddy bottom is too soft for the species, which cling to hard surfaces. Predators like muskrats, ducks, and fish may also eat enough mussels to keep populations in check.

Image credit: USGS

One Comment

1. 

   Glen Harshbarger

   July 24, 2022 at 5:30 pm

   I had my grandkids at the upper tip of Buckley island today on the Ohio river close to Williamstown WV. We were swimming, I have a habit of picking rocks off of the bottom and just about every rock had zebra mussels on them.

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