California is ramping up its efforts to fight the invasive golden mussel.
U.S. Representative Josh Harder and other California Democrats are backing a $15 million bill in Congress to launch a task force focused on managing the fast-spreading species. The team would build on several efforts already underway across the state.
Officials have been scrambling to stop the mussels since they were first discovered at the Port of Stockton last October. The species can form dense colonies that clog pumps, pipes and other water infrastructure.
They’re also environmentally destructive. To slow their advance, California has started mandatory boat inspections at some lakes to check for larvae before launching.
But lawmakers say more is needed. The Golden Mussel Eradication and Control Act would create a national monitoring program and fund research into new control technologies. It would also improve coordination between local, state and federal agencies.
So far, golden mussels have mostly spread throughout the Delta and Central Valley. But there’s growing concern they could reach Lake Oroville, which is a key reservoir in the state’s water system.
Experts warn if that happens, the mussels could move downstream, putting even more of California’s infrastructure at risk.
