SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY (KCRA) — Deep beneath the California Delta lurks a growing threat to the region's delicate ecosystem. Golden mussels, discovered in the area for the first time in history last year, are rapidly spreading and causing significant concerns for local officials and environmental advocates.
The invasive species are known for clogging pipes and harming native wildlife, creating a cascade of problems that extend far beyond the waterways themselves.
"We want to just make sure that we're doing everything we can to stop the spread of golden mussels," said Rhodesia Ransom, District 13 assembly member.
The spread of these invasive mussels has been particularly alarming. What started as a concentrated problem in San Joaquin County has now expanded southward, reaching as far as Los Angeles.
"Here in San Joaquin County you see the high concentration, but now it's continue to spread further down south and now we're in Los Angeles. That is really concerning. This can impact goods movement. It impacts the infrastructure and impacts our environment," Ransom said.
To combat this growing threat, the state has allocated $20 million in new funding specifically aimed at stopping the spread of golden mussels.
"It really went to set up the infrastructure for education, for tagging, for inspections," Ransom said.
Local officials are working to determine how counties can contribute to the effort, particularly in establishing decontamination sites and providing public information.
"And what we can do as a county for information and obviously, decontamination sites," said Paul Canepa, San Joaquin County Supervisor.
The severity of the infestation becomes clear when examining how these mussels operate. Andrew Genasci, executive director of the San Joaquin Farm Bureau, shared photographic evidence of the problem.
"They've attached to the wall of the pipe, and then you'll see them actually attaching to themselves and growing towards the middle, just eating up that empty space," Genasci said.
The infrastructure implications are far-reaching, affecting everything from agricultural operations to flood control systems.
"Intake pipes, farm pipes, storm drain, discharge. We obviously need to make sure that those don't get plugged, because then we could have local flooding. And then the water resources also, and farming for pumps," Canepa said.
Without swift and effective action, the economic and environmental consequences could be devastating. The impact extends beyond immediate infrastructure concerns to broader economic implications for the region's agricultural sector.
"You have farms that are not able to draw water during the summer or during the drought. That's going to impact productivity. If you're not being able to produce, you don't have need for employees. So it could just the impact will be felt all the way down the line," Genasci said.
Until comprehensive measures are implemented, the golden mussel infestation will continue to grow, threatening the Delta's ecosystem and the communities that depend on it.
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