The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism has confirmed the presence of zebra mussels in Pomona Reservoir in Osage County.
The KDWPT reports a small adult group of the invasive species was discovered on a single rock by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers staff on Sep. 23, in the Management Park cove near the south end of the dam. Staff members found even more zebra mussels the next day.
KDWPT is sampling other parts of the lake to determine if the mussels have spread. Officials may try to treat the cove within the next week to kill as many of the mussels as possible to slow their spread. The cove and boat ramp will be closed for at least 72 hours if the chemical is used.
23 Kansas lakes now have confirmed zebra mussel infestations, including John Redmond Reservoir and Melvern Lake. There is no known method to completely rid a lake of zebra mussels. Officials emphasize prevention tactics to keep aquatic nuisance species from spreading to other lakes. This includes cleaning, draining, and drying boats and other equipment.
Zebra mussels are a mollusk the size of a dime with striped, sharp-edged shells. They cling to submerged hard surfaces, such as rocks, piers, boat hulls, and can clog pipes and mechanical parts underwater.
