Omaha, NE - The Army Corps of Engineers on Friday began partially lowering water levels at Omaha's Lake Zorinsky, the next step in trying to contain a mussel species that could quickly take over the lake's ecosystem.
Water levels at the lake will be reduced by 7 feet over the next 10 days to expose swatches of shoreline infested with the invasive zebra mussels.
Exposing the area will allow workers to "freeze and kill any mussels that are above the water line," said Jolene Hulsing, a natural resources specialist with the Corps.
The action is seen as precautionary as the Corps, City of Omaha, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and other agencies develop a long-term plan to curtail the presence of the mussels, Hulsing said.
"We wanted to initiate lowering the reservoir before it begins to ice over," she said. "Once the reservoir ices over, public safety can become an issue."
After Saturday morning, public access to the lake will be prohibited.
Multiple warning signs will be posted around the area as trails, playgrounds and ballfields remain open on a limited basis. Sledding on the Zorinsky dam or near the water is not allowed, nor is ice fishing, the city said.
In the meantime, the Corps is developing an assessment that will give authorities multiple options for controlling the mussels.
Long-term options include letting the mussels take over Zorinsky but trying to prevent their spread to other lakes; poisoning the lake; and bringing in predatory ducks and fish.
The mussel, native to Russia, is able to take over a North American lake within a few years.
After a lake is infested, fish populations plunge, sharp clusters of shells develop along shorelines and anything in the lake gets coated with a concrete-like mass of shells.
The lowering of Lake Zorinsky's water levels won't have a detrimental impact on fish species, said Dave Tunink, an assistant administrator with the Game and Parks Commission.
0 comments:
Post a Comment