Recently a few Bear Lake residents on the southwest end of the lake discovered what the biologist identified as zebra mussels. Pictures were sent to Jason Broekstra, the biologist from PLM Lakes & Land Management. He stated “Yes, those are Zebra Mussels and, unfortunately, there is nothing to control them once present. They have the potential to affect your lake in many different ways such as clarity, plant growth, algal shifts, fisheries and possibly your snail populations. It is important that your management program is implemented sooner than later. Although our ability to directly control Zebra Mussels does not currently exist, we need to track changes within the ecosystem and implement management tools when appropriate.”
Rich Vervisch, the Bear Lake Association president, has communicated with several state authorities regarding the effects of zebra mussels. One of them, Mark Breederland, from the Michigan Sea Grant Extension, Northwest Michigan, Grand Traverse MSU Extension indicates the effect of zebra mussels are:
– “Increased water clarity (compare with your past years secchi readings)
– Mussels on the boat hulls, docks & floats – the mussels will die if the docks and floats are pulled up on land during the winter.
– Water intakes can be protected by converting them to sand-filter intakes. Some property owners allow inexpensive intakes (e.g., PVC pipe) to become clogged, and replace them when necessary. Water pumps and a home’s internal piping can be protected by installing a filter between the lake and the pump.
– Food web (chain) changes as the mussels graze on algae/phytoplankton, diatoms, etc. Energy tends to shift more toward benthic areas from the water column. Fish communities may adapt to the increased clarity / food location availability. I would recommend the USGS web site on zebra mussels as an excellent resource.” (See the Resources tab for link.)
However, there is some hope. A few days later Jason sent a note to the Association board: “I just received this update regarding Zebra Mussel control. I was aware of Zequanox being developed but I did not know it was approved. As soon as I have more details regarding the availability for use in Michigan I will let you know.” The attached pdf file has more information about Zequanox from the Michigan Lake and Stream Assn October Newsletter.
For more information about zebra mussels, please review the websites I have posted under the Resources tab. The board is taking this very seriously and will stay on top of any new developments and treatments. We are planning to meet with Jason very soon to discuss our options and treatment plans. Please visit this website for regular updates.