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[Narrator] Texas is one of the best places in the country
for boating and fishing.
However that may not always be true.
Right now our lakes and rivers are under attack by zebra mussels.
And if we don't do the right thing, Texas could be changed forever and not in a good
way.
Zebra mussels are an invasive species which first appeared in Texas in 2009.
They have been found in North Texas water bodies and threaten to spread throughout the state.
They attach to any hard surface in the water such as boats, pipes and docks causing damage
and resulting in increased operational and maintenance costs.
Zebra mussels can negatively impact aquatic life including native mussels and fish populations
and hinder recreational opportunities.
They can foul shorelines and can even affect a city's water supply costing millions of
taxpayer dollars to maintain and repair those systems.
These destructive zebra mussels have already infested lakes in North Texas and threaten
to spread to lakes across the state!
And it is frighteningly easy to spread them.
In fact, just one infested boat could carry zebra mussels clear across the state!
One adult female zebra mussel can produce up to one million microscopic larvae each
year and they're invisible to the naked eye.
And if only a few tiny adult zebra mussels are transported to another lake they can reproduce
rapidly.
So even those boaters with good intentions can be carrying zebra mussels aboard and not
even know it.
Unfortunately, once zebra mussels become established in a water body it is too late as there is
no known way to get rid of them.
And that is why a new Texas law is aimed at getting boaters to drain their boats before
leaving an infested lake.
Boaters need to drain ALL water from their boat, including any water in live wells and
bilges if they have been boating in infested water bodies.
Also it is ILLEGAL to possess or transport zebra mussels or any other aquatic invasive
species on a boat knowingly or unknowingly.
So what you can't see, meaning the microscopic zebra mussels on your boat, can hurt you.
Lawbreakers will face fines of up to five hundred dollars for the first incident and
steeper fines with possible jail time for subsequent offenses.
The good news is that boaters can take a few simple precautions to help ensure they are
in compliance with the law.
First, inspect the boat, trailer, and gear.
Clean off any vegetation, mud, or foreign objects that you find.
Second, pull the plug and drain all of the water from the boat including the motor, the
bilge, live wells and bait buckets BEFORE leaving the lake.
Third, open all compartments and live wells and allow your boat, trailer and gear to completely
dry for a week or more BEFORE entering another water body.
If can't leave your boat and trailer out of the water for a week, you will need to wash
your boat, trailer, and gear.
Be sure to use high-pressure, hot soapy water at least 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
If you have kept your boat on an infested lake for an extended period of time it may
be heavily infested and you will need to have it fully cleaned and decontaminated at a marina.
Especially if you plan to transport the boat to another lake.
If you love Texas lakes help save them from the spread of zebra mussels. Clean, drain,
and dry your boat every time you leave one of our state's great lakes!
To learn more including which lakes are infested with zebra mussels visit TexasInvasives.org/ZebraMussels.
Because it's Hello Zebra Mussels...Goodbye Texas Lakes.