COMING UP NEXT IN THE NEW KSAT EXPLAINS. >> WELL, A LOT OF PEOPLE WILL
BE PACKING LOCAL LAKES TODAY
AND THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE SUMMER
TO HAVE FUN AND STAY COOL.
BUT THERE’S A PROBLEM IN THE
WATER ZEBRA MUSSELS YOU MIGHT
HAVE HEARD ABOUT THIS INVASIVE
SPECIES ONCE THEY’RE FOUND IN
THE WATER, IT’S NEARLY
IMPOSSIBLE TO GET RID OF THEM.
YEAH, THEY CAN CAUSE SOME
SERIOUS ISSUES FOR BOATERS AND
INFRASTRUCTURE.
>> BUT A LAKE UP IN WACO DID OR
ADVOCATE ZEBRA MUSSELS. IT WAS
A LONG SHOT, BUT IT WORKED IN
THIS WEEK’S KSAT EXPLAINS.
DAVID SEARS AND MYRA ARTHUR.
FIND OUT HOW AND WHETHER A
SOLUTION LIKE THAT COULD WORK
FOR OUR LOCAL LAKES HERE AT
HOME.
>> THIS IS LIKE FIRE ANTS OR,
YOU KNOW, THEY JUST COME AND
YOU REALLY CAN’T GET RID OF
THEM.
WE JUST ACCUMULATING AS THEY
>> YOU LITERALLY HAVE MILLIONS,
IF NOT BILLIONS OF THEM OUT
THERE.
>> IT’S REALLY NOTHING THAT CAN
BE DONE TO ERADICATE THEM THAT
THEY ARE.
ZEBRA. MUSSELS WERE FOUND IN
CANYON LAKE IN 2017 SCUBA
DIVING TYPES OF ADEN CANYON
LAKE.
>> AND THEY DIDN’T FIND ANY
ADULT. SEE THE WATCHES, RIGHT.
AND 2017 WAS ONE. IT WAS IN
FAST.
>> ABBOTT’S FAST BOATS ARE TO
BLAME. THE MUSCLES ATTACH
THEMSELVES TO BOATS AND HANG ON
TO THOSE THAT ARE NOT DRAINED
AND DRIED. ESSENTIALLY THEY
HITCH A RIDE FROM LAKE TO LAKE
28 TEXAS LAKES ARE CONSIDERED
INFESTED WITH ZEBRA MUSSELS,
WHICH MEANS THEY’RE THERE AND
REPRODUCING WHEN THEY GROW.
>> THEY CLOG PIPES. THEY GET
AL OVER BOATS.
THEY JUST BASICALLY DESTROY
INFRASTRUCTURE.
>> AND THAT’S A HUGE PROBLEM
FOR PLACES LIKE CANYON LAKE
WHERE THIS IS THE COMMUNITY’S
WATER SOURCE. LOOK AT THE
MUSCLES CLOCK. THIS WATER
INTAKE BY BELONGING TO CANYON
LAKE WATER SERVICE COMPANY IN
2019, THE INFESTATION CHOKE OFF
THE WATER SUPPLY, DROPPING IT
BY 50%. THE FACT IS THAT THEY
CAN SMOTHER THINGS, ANYTHING
THAT IN.
>> AND THE WATER TO SPOTTED
THESE IRONICALLY SMOTHERING IS
EXACTLY THE STRATEGY THAT GOT
RID OF ZEBRA MUSSELS IN WACO
REALLY DIDN’T HAVE MUCH CHANCE
TO SUCCEED MOMENT WHEN WE DID
IT. WHAT WE THOUGHT, WHY NOT
THE MUSSELS WERE FOUND IN LAKE
WACO IN 2014. THEY FELL OFF OF
A BARGE THAT TIP SAYS WAS PUT
IN THE WATER DESPITE SHOWING
OBVIOUS SIGNS OF THE CREATURES.
THEY KNEW THE THREAT OF ZEBRA
MUSSELS, WHICH IS WHY JUST
WEEKS BEFORE THEY WERE
DISCOVERED HERE IN WACO PARKS
AND WILDLIFE ACTUALLY TRAINED
CITY STAFF.
>> ON HOW TO SPOT THEM. THAT’S
HOW THEY WERE FOUND ALONE.
PAIR OF EYES SAW THE MUSCLES IN
THE WATER AND THAT KICKED OFF
THIS WHOLE EXPERIMENT. WE
DEFINE AN AREA THE DECISION WAS
MADE TO PUT.
>> ALL OVER THE BOTTOM LEVEL OF
THE LAKE HERE TO SMOTHER OUT
THIS EVIL BOSS, THEY REQUIRE
OXYGEN TO LIVE THERE WITH OUR
FOOD TO BE TAKEN FROM THE
WATER. AND SO IF THEY WERE
SMASH TO THE BOTTOM OF THE
LAKE, THEY’RE NOT GOING TO ABLE
TO DO ANY OF THAT. THE MUSSELS
WERE FOUND RIGHT AT THE
SHORELINE AND AREA OF THE LAKE
ABOUT THE SIZE OF A FOOTBALL
FIELD WAS COVERED IN TARPS,
HELD DOWN BY SANDBAGS. IT WAS A
WACO CITY EMPLOYEES IDEA.
WE GAVE A KIND OF OUT OF 10%
CHANCE OF SUCCESS, BUT IT WAS
THE CITY’S MONEY. SO WE HELP.
>> AND HE WAS RIGHT. IT WORKED
FOR 6 MONTHS LATER. THEY PULLED
UP THE TARPS AND FOUND ONE
ZEBRA MUSSEL. AND NOW YEARS
LATER, THEY’VE YET TO FIND ANY
MORE. HOW DID THEY DESCRIBE
THE SUCCESS?
>> WOULD BE ONE WORD I WOULD
USE. HERE’S WHY THE MUSCLES AT
LAKE WACO WERE CAUGHT EARLY.
THERE WERE ONLY ABOUT 75 OF
THEM WITH THE TIME, ALL ADULTS
AND THEY HADN’T TO REPRODUCE
YET. IT WAS.
>> JUST IN THE NICK OF TIME FOR
THAT TECHNIQUE TO WORK MOST
OFTEN BY THE TIME THE MUSCLES
ARE DISCOVERED, THERE ARE FAR
TOO MANY TO CONTROL. THAT’S THE
CASE IN BOTH KENYAN AND MEDINA
LAKES, CHEMICAL REMOVAL OF THE
MUSSELS WOULD HAVE A NEGATIVE
EFFECT ON THE ENVIRONMENT,
POTENTIALLY KILLING OFF OTHER
WILDLIFE. NOT TO MENTION IT’S
GOING TO BE HUGELY EXPENSIVE.
THE WAKE OF THIS SIZE.
>> TO PUT CHEMICALS IN THERE
SO NOT ONLY IS IT
ENVIRONMENTALLY IT WILL BE VERY
EXPENSIVE. SO ON LAKES, LIKE
CANYONS AND MEDINA, IT’S ABOUT
LEARNING TO LIVE WITH THE
MOTHER. NATURE HELPS OUT MEDINA
LAKE WHERE THE WATER LEVEL IS
LOW DOWN. 57 FEET.
>> IN AREAS WHERE THE WATER
DRIES UP, THE MUSCLES WILL DIE.
>> THE LAKE LEVEL GOING UP AND
DOWN LIKE THAT CERTAINLY AID
AND SLOWING THE POPULATION AND
MAYBE THEY WON’T REACH IN A
VARIABLE LEVEL LAKE. THEY MAY
NOT REACH JUST MASSIVELY HIGH
INTO THE STATION LEVELS
THAT WE SEE ON LAKES LIKE
TRAVIS IN CANYON AT CANYON LAKE
CHANGE. IT HAD TO BE MADE TO
DEAL WITH THE INVESTIGATION.
CANYON LAKE WATER SERVICE
COMPANY, ENLARGED ITS
INFRASTRUCTURE, MAKING IT BIG
ENOUGH FOR DIVERS TO DO
INSPECTIONS. EVERY MOVE, ANY
MUSCLES THEY FIND. AND NOW WE
ACTUALLY HAVE A BRUSH THAT GOES
DOWN INTO THE CASING AND WILL
CLEAN OUT ALL OF THE DEBRIS OR
ANY KIND OF ZEBRA MUSSELS AND
PUSH HIM OUT.
>> BACK INTO THE LAKE. BOTTOM
CLEANERS. IT IS A GIANT BOTTLE
CLEAN ON THE DRILL. IT JUST
GOES ALL THE WAY DOWN. CANYON
LAKE WATER ALSO CHANGED UP THE
SCREENS ON THE WATER INTAKES
MOVING TO COPPER MATERIAL.
THE ZEBRA MUSSELS DON’T LIKE TO
STICK TO.
>> BUT THE BIGGEST SOLUTION,
CLEAN DRAIN AND DRY. CLEAN
DRAIN. DRY, CLEAN, DRAIN AND
DRY. THEIR BOATS MUST COME FROM
BOATERS. THE IMPORTANT THING IS
THAT WHEN YOU COME OUT OF A
LIKE, YOU KNOW, CHECK YOUR BOAT
OVER.
>> PARTICULARLY IF IT’S IN A
SLIP AND IT’S BEEN IN THERE A
LONG TIME. YOU REALLY NEED TO
CLEAN AND TRAIN ALL THE WATER
FROM EVERY COMPARTMENT RAISE
AND LOWER THE MOTOR, GET ALL
THE WATER OUT OF THAT. AND THEN
WHEN YOU GET HOME OPEN
EVERYTHING UP AND LET
EVERYTHING DRY OUT PERFECTLY
FOR A WEEK THAT’S FOR LAKES
IN GENERAL. WHEN YOU KNOW THAT
IT’S A ZEBRA MUSSEL, IN FACT,
INFESTED LAKE LIKE THIS ONE
THAT MAKES IT EVEN MUCH MORE
IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE ALL THAT
THERE’S NO WATER ON BOARD THAT
WAY. THESE CRITTERS CAN STAY ON
BOARD EITHER.
♪
ZEBRA MUSSELS ARE NATIVE TO
PARTS OF EUROPE AND ASIA, THE
BALKAN PENINSULA AND PULL IT.
>> HERE IN TEXAS HAVING ARE
TRANSPORTING ZEBRA, MUSSELS IS
A LEGAL AND CAN EARN YOU A $500
FINE. YOU CAN CATCH ANY EPISODE
OF KSAT DEMANDS. KSAT EXPLAINS
ON DEMAND. JUST SCAN THIS QR
CODE. YOU SEE THERE ON YOUR
SCREEN AND WE’LL TAKE YOU RIGHT
TO KSAT.COM SLASH EXPLAINS AND