Zebra mussels spread in Lake Minnetonka
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Researchers have found the invasive zebra mussels are spreading in a popular recreational lake in eastern Minnesota.
The Minnehaha Creek Watershed District collected data from June through September and found the zebra mussels have become more prominent on the east side of the lake and are spreading to the west.
Zebra mussels litter beaches, damage boats and clog intake pipes. The watershed district began a three-year study after the pesky mussels were first detected in Wayzata Bay in 2010. The study will give scientists insight into the extent of the infestation and better manage the species in the future.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources says the zebra mussels have spread throughout the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River from Brainerd downstream and are now in other rivers and inland lakes.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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