Anyone of a certain vintage will remember when Okanagan lakes were still largely devoid of a nasty intruder known as Eurasian milfoil.
The non-native weed was first discovered in Okanagan Lake in 1970, and it soon spread to all main lakes in the valley. Unsuspecting boaters then helped the invasion by taking it to Shuswap and Mara lakes and elsewhere in B.C.
Vast forests took root, virtually tickling anyone swimming overtop. Pristine beaches were soon covered in clumps of the soggy plants, a less than appealing visual for the tourists that swarm to the Okanagan every summer.
Aggressive control measures have been underway since the 1970s, but milfoil has dominated and changed the landscape of the valley forever.
However, the impact of milfoil will seem like a tea party if the zebra and quagga mussels arrive as most experts believe is just a matter of time.
“The clock is ticking,” Heather Larratt, an aquatic biologist, told the Regional District of North Okanagan board recently.
Native to eastern Europe, the mussels first showed up in the Great Lakes basin in eastern North America in the 1980s and they have spread across the continent like wildfire since then. Water intake pipes and pumps have become useless, putting domestic water supplies in jeopardy. Bridges have been undermined and they produce toxins that kill fish and birds.
In Lake Mead, Nevada, a fish hatchery had to be abandoned because the infestation of quagga mussels was overpowering.
The fear is the mussels will hop a ride on a boat coming across the border into B.C. and flourish in the Okanagan’s calcium rich water, which is necessary to develop strong shells.
And it’s those shells that could have the most visible impact on the public as they are razor sharp. Imagine owning a home along the lake and being unable to walk through the sand anymore. What does that do to property values?
When infrastructure, fisheries, tourism and property values are all added up, Larratt believes the mussels could cost the Okanagan $43 million annually.
“If we were to compare it to milfoil, it would be like comparing dandelions to mountain pine beetle,” she said.
Larratt, the Okanagan Basin Water Board and local politicians aren’t being alarmist when they talk about zebra and quagga mussels. There is enough evidence across North America to know what will happen when they get here.
And the experts are realistic enough to know that isolating the Okanagan from the invasion is unlikely. At best, we can slow the arrival down and minimize the infestation.
And while local players are doing their part through public awareness (dontmoveamussel.ca), they are getting virtually no assistance from senior levels of government.
There has been a lack of interest from Ottawa in establishing inspections for any boats coming across the U.S. border and insisting the vessels be decontaminated. The provincial government has some measures in place but they are reactive instead of proactive.
“Fining people (money) after the infestation is too late,” said Juliette Cunningham, an RDNO director.
RDNO is pushing both the federal and provincial governments to ramp up their activities and to begin taking the mussel threat seriously. But regional politicians can’t do it alone.
Contact MLAs Eric Foster, Greg Kyllo, Christy Clark and Norm Letnick, and MPs Colin Mayes, Ron Cannan and Dan Albas and let them know that they are required to start lobbying on the valley’s behalf.
Yes there is a lot of cynicism about politics, but now is the time to get directly involved. After all, this is our home and we need to do what we can to ensure it continues to be a great place to live.
—Richard Rolke is the senior reporter for The Morning Star
