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All water craft have the potential to inadvertently transfer alien species from one water body to the next. Many kinds of aquatic pests, including both plants and animals, are easily carried by trailered boats. These aquatic pests occlude pipes in municipal and industrial raw-water systems, requiring millions of dollars annually to treat. Boat Washing is the solution to safeguard our water systems.
Zebra mussels are especially prone to this kind of transport due to their ability to attach to hard objects. Zebra mussels create a mass of sticky threads (called a bysus) that they use to glue themselves to practically any hard surface: boat hulls, anchor chains, motors, wheel wells, rocks, wood, beer cans, crayfish, and native bivalves for example. If you see zebra mussels in the wild, you'll often find them attached in bunches or clusters, but they may not appear this way on your boat. In fact, it is possible that you may not see young zebra mussels with your naked eye. You should, however, be able to feel them by running your hand along the hull of your boat. A rough texture is a clue that zebra mussels may be attached to your boat. These should be removed with a power sprayer before launching your boat in other waters.
You can find additional information on Zebra mussel harm at
The USDA National Invasive Species Information Center
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