ISDA holds town hall to discuss findings and treatment plan for Quagga Mussels
ISDA working to determine the extent of the Quagga Mussels in the Snake River.
TWIN FALLS, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) —Over the past week the Idaho State Department of Agriculture has been working to determine the extent of the Quagga Mussel infestation in the Snake River at Centennial Park, as well as multiple other locations along the river.
They’ve been testing the areas where samples came back positive, diving to see if they can find adult mussels and determining an action plan which involved consulting several state agencies and reaching out to other states that have developed a problem with the mussels themselves.
On Sunday evening, ISDA leadership along with local and statewide officials held a town hall meeting for the public and stakeholders at Twin Falls City Hall to go over what they’ve found, and what we can expect next.
Idaho State Department of Agriculture Director Chanel Tewalt says, “ISDA has worked to implement a really aggressive response that also means we’ve been acting quickly so we have to give stakeholders an opportunity to ask questions to really understand what we’re trying to do this is both technical and quick so we know that the stakeholders have questions, we need to answer those and we’re also trying to get out to people as many ways as we can so a town hall is important.”
Most of the input from stakeholders thus far has been, how bad is the problem? And what is going to be done, and how will it impact the river now and in the future?
“I think most of the questions we’re getting right now are what are you doing and how does it impact me and I live 20 miles downriver and is it going to have an impact on the ways that I interact with the river?” Director Tewalt says, “So that’s really what we’re trying to answer tonight is here’s what were doing and for how long here’s the expectation and here’s who it impacts.”
ISDA revealed that they have found one mussel, and they will be starting a treatment action beginning at the Twin Falls Dam and down river to Centennial Park.
Natrix, a copper-based product approved for aquatic application will be used to kill the Quagga population. The treatment will impact fish, aquatic plants and algae in a six-mile stretch from Shoshone Falls to Auger Falls. There is no impact to drinking water according to the department.
They remind the public to stay off the water as treatment and further testing will be going on. The river from Twin Falls Dam to Niagara Springs is closed.
Idaho State Department of Fish and Game has their current ban on fishing, hunting and trapping in place until further notice.
For a map of the closures, the link to the town hall, treatment plan and all things Quagga can be found here.
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