Could This Indeed Be A Watershed Moment?

On May 22 a single Zebra Mussel was found in Candlewood Lake – the first of its kind to have been sighted in our waters and, worst case, possibly the precursor of others in hiding, yet to be found by soon-to-be-deployed dive teams, watchful boaters and anglers, or other Lake enthusiasts. Thus, the well-worn saga begins as it has for literally thousands of water bodies across our nation and without the serious and committed engagement of our boating public, municipal leaders, legislative representatives, and DEEP, it can yield devastating results.

Hence, our central challenge: will we continue to be complacent in funding and mounting the essential defenses to prevent further entry by Zebra Mussels and their Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) brethren (essentially equating to Candlewood’s ‘waterloo’) or will this single Mussel finding provide the accelerant for this event to become Candlewood’s ‘watershed moment’ as we turn the corner and seriously commit to fending off these dangerous pillagers?

I monitor the online press daily to stay abreast of zebra and quagga mussel developments nationally -- their inroads into our lakes and rivers, state and local attempts at preventing and controlling their spread, and the aftereffects of derailed ecosystems, blighted beaches, clogged boat intakes and jammed props, constricted drinking water and pumping systems, and the many millions being spent annually to contain and prevent entry.

Stories come from Europe and Canada, and many corners of our country, including some here right in our own backyard. The picture they paint is not a pretty one. But don’t trust me; check out the excerpts below from two articles posted to TwinCities.com, and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Both articles are sobering, instructive, and offer an objective assessment of just what we are up against here at Candlewood Lake. That is, if we continue to rest on our laurels, oblivious to the reality encroaching around us and its potential for transforming ‘CT’s Crown Jewel’ into a wasteland. I’ve cited sections of these intertwined articles below (italics added for emphasis) to help better comprehend the threat’s aftermath and hopefully help us muster the will, courage and resources to act before it’s too late:

“Beneath the serene waters of Lake Michigan and other Great Lakes, a war rages. It pits armies of invaders bent on establishing colonies against a dwindling force of native lake dwellers. The invaders – at least 56 organisms not native to the Great lakes – have infiltrated the lake over the decades, most of them arriving stealthily … The tenacious zebra mussel has cost Great Lakes industries billions of dollars over the past two decades … You may have heard about its even more destructive cousin, the quagga mussel: It roams farther than the zebra and blankets nearly the entire lake bottom. Damage: unfathomable. And … there are more lake pillagers likely to come. ...”

“Nor do most people comprehend the staggering scale of what’s happening beneath the waves: The public can comprehend the devastation of a catastrophic wildfire that torches vast stands of trees, leaves a scorched forest floor littered with wildlife carcasses and turns dancing streams into oozes of mud and ash. But forests grow back. The quagga mussel devastation of Lake Michigan is so profound, it is hard to fathom. … The mollusks now stretch across the bottom of Lake Michigan almost from shore to shore, piling on top of one another like a gnarly, endless plate of coral, clustering at densities exceeding 35,000 per square meter. People might still think of Lake Michigan as an inland sea full of fish. It’s now more accurate to think of it as an exotic mussel farm.”

“So what? Here’s what: We wear shoes while swimming or risk stinging, razor-sharp shell cuts. We buy exotic farm-raised tilapia instead of local fish such as chubs at our local grocery stores and restaurants. We turn up our noses and walk away from beaches fouled by rotting seaweed slicks triggered by the mussels and laced with their carcasses – often wrongly blaming the stench on sewage spills. We don’t even notice the millions of extra dollars in utility bills we’ve paid to keep water pumping through everything from our power plants to our faucets.”

“The mussel colonization of Lake Michigan has opened the floodgates … There’s a rouges’ gallery of potential invaders on the government’s watch list ... Defending Lake Michigan against hordes of aquatic raiders is a grinding, long-term fight that requires constant vigilance. Not every invader harms the ecosystem. But this region’s most precious commodity, sloshing just outside your window, needs to be protected and safeguarded – from pollution, yes, but also from alien invaders.”

Think about it. Aquatic invasive species (AIS) left to their own devices are now overrunning water bodies across the nation and across our state. Others have had the unfortunate job of tackling the initial invaders and of perfecting defensive strategies to keep these marauders at bay. That learning experience has since been somewhat codified and we are now privy to what is required to prevent incursions and to control their spread.

Overland transport and entry of AIS are made possible via a human link – hitchhiking on our vessels, our trailers, our recreational equipment, our bathing suits, even our pets. We know the source, the means of carriage, and what needs to happen if we are to stem the spread from reaching and overtaking Candlewood Lake. But are we collectively up to the task of making prevention happen? It won’t come easily.

While similarly tough to fathom, without your help and commitment to prevention and that of other boaters, Candlewood Lake could end up in the same quagmire now experienced by the Great Lakes. Think prevention, be proactive, and rigorously practice the ‘Clean - Drain - Dry’ protocols described on the CLA’s web site (candlewoodlakeauthority.org).

And beyond Candlewood’s recreational users, preventive actions and reinforcement are needed by our State legislators and DEEP agency staff, as well as our municipal and Lake leaders. Hoping that this learning experience and awareness articles such as the above will be the impetus for instituting similar initiatives here at Candlewood, there is cause for optimism. Together we can control our Lake’s destiny and leave a lasting legacy that will be the pride of our and future generations. Let’s indeed make this single Zebra Mussel finding a ‘Candlewood Lake Watershed Moment’ and secure that legacy!