JOHNSON COUNTY ( KSNT ) – Kansas wildlife officials say an invasive species has taken up residence in a Johnson County lake, posing some new problems for people fishing or boating on the water.
Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks ( KDWP ) commissioners met on Thursday, Oct. 3 to discuss several items related to hunting, fishing, threatened and endangered species and invasive species in Bonner Springs. Chris Steffen, aquatic invasive species coordinator with the KDWP, told commissioners during the meeting that zebra mussels have been found in Gardner City Lake.
“In December of 2023, Gardner City Lake was found to contain zebra mussels and so we would like to add that location to the AIS-designated waters list,” Steffen said.
KDWP commissioners voted unanimously to approve the addition of Gardner City Lake to the Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) list. This follows the approval of adding Willow Lake and Tuttle Creek River Pond to the AIS list in June earlier this year .
Macro photo of druse (cluster) of Dreissena polymorpha, also known as zebra mussels, shells lying on coarse-grained sand. (Getty Images)
Zebra mussels are one of the most invasive and damaging species in Kansas. The mussels first appeared in Kansas in 2003 at El Dorado Reservoir and have since spread to numerous other bodies of water in the Sunflower State. Zebra mussels cost Kansas taxpayers millions in cash each year and, once they infest a body of water, are nearly impossible to remove.
Boaters and anglers who frequent lakes impacted by zebra mussels need to take precautions while on the water to prevent the spread of the invasive species to other areas. Some tips the KDWP has include:
Let equipment sit for five days.
Inspect your boat’s hull and trailer for any zebra mussels and remove them.
Wash your equipment with hot water.
Never take fish or plants from one lake and put them in another.
Never dip your bait bucket into a lake or river if it has water in it from another body of water.
Wildlife officials are also monitoring the spread of other invasive species such as bighead carp , silver carp and white perch . You can watch the full discussion of KDWP commissioners on Oct. 3 by clicking here . To read through the list of lakes, reservoirs and rivers in Kansas that contain invasive species, click here .
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