Who's leading fight against invasive golden mussels? Officials explain response efforts
FRESNO, Calif. - California continues to battle the spread of invasive golden mussels, a species that experts warn could have major impacts on waterways, infrastructure, and ecosystems across the state.
FOX26 set out to answer two questions: who is leading the response to stop the species from spreading, and how often are new detections added to the state's tracking map?
"We might do a site visit. We might send samples to a lab. We might have experts look at the photos who know how to identify golden mussels," said Krysten Kellum, Public Information Officer for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
According to Kellum, once a sighting is confirmed, it is typically added to the state's interactive map within about a week.
On Tuesday, two vehicles were pulled from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta covered in invasive golden mussels.
The vehicles showed significant shell buildup and corrosion, highlighting how quickly the species can spread once attached to surfaces.
State officials continue to urge boaters and water users to take preventative measures.
"It's very important for people to do their part to slow the spread, stop the spread of these golden mussels, and it's easy for people to do that. We're asking people to clean, drain, dry all of their equipment that goes into bodies of water," Kellum said.
While multiple state and local agencies are involved in the response, FOX26 learned there is no single agency solely responsible for managing the issue. However, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife serves as the lead agency overseeing monitoring and coordination efforts.
When asked whether the recently discovered vehicles would likely be added as new points on the state's map, Kellum noted that reports found in areas with known infestations may not be considered a high priority.
Meanwhile, Assemblymember Rhodesia Ransom has taken a leading role in pushing legislation aimed at speeding up California's response.
Ransom said local agencies and communities affected by the infestation are growing frustrated with the pace of action.
"There's an ongoing discussion around how do we have the statewide coordination and our focus is making sure that any structure leads to real action and faster support for the local agencies who are clearly being impacted by what you saw. It's a real thing; cars covered in mussels. And that tells you, what's lurking under the water," Ransom said.
Ransom's legislation, Assembly Bill 2032, has already passed the assembly and is currently awaiting a hearing in the senate.
If approved, the measure would still need to clear additional legislative hurdles before reaching the governor's desk.
To put the scope of the problem into perspective, officials say a single golden mussel can produce more than 100,000 offspring in a single year, underscoring concerns about how rapidly the species could continue spreading throughout California waterways.
Congressman Jim Costa and three other California members of congress are urging the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to take immediate action to address the growing threat posed by invasive golden mussels.
In a letter sent last week, the lawmakers called on federal officials to provide emergency funding, improve coordination between agencies, and speed up protections aimed at slowing the spread of the species.
They say more federal support is needed before the problem gets worse.
Costa told FOX26 there is not currently a formal action plan in place to combat the invasive mussels.
"No, and I'm trying to put that with a bipartisan effort at the federal, state, and local level, "he said.
He said bringing federal, state, and local officials together is the first step toward developing a comprehensive response and believes an action plan could be created within months.
Costa also expressed concerns about the state's current efforts to track the spread of golden mussels, saying more needs to be done to understand how widespread the infestation has become.
"Well, I don't pretend to be an expert here, but it seems to me that it needs more expansive efforts because we are just now beginning to determine how widespread this is."