Kern agencies discuss golden mussel treatment, prevention even as state nixes boat inspections at key reservoir

A host of Kern water districts gathered recently to share information about the golden mussel as part of the county’s emergency declaration over the rapidly spreading invasive species.

At the top of the needs list was funding, yes, but also a coordinated battle plan from the state level on down. 

Water managers have been frustrated by what they feel is a lack of urgency and consistency toward the mussels on the part of the state. 

“We’re in full infestation mode. And it’s at the worst possible time.”

– North Kern Water Storage District General Manager Dave Hampton

So far, the Governor hasn’t declared a statewide emergency. And the Department of Water Resources recently stopped mandatory boat inspections at Lake Oroville, which feeds into California’s largest water delivery system.

DWR cut the inspections back in April based on a 2017 study that showed the water is too cold for mussels to get established in the lake, according to an email from a DWR spokesman.

Fewer inspections means more boaters may unwittingly move the mussels to other lakes, including the much warmer Lake Isabella, which has no boat inspections, attendees at Kern’s June 8 meeting noted.

Once in Lake Isabella, the mussels could spread throughout the Kern River system, which supplies multiple ag districts and is a major source of drinking water for California Water Service Company.

“What’s concerning to us is seeing how many opportunities there are for boat launching into Lake Isabella and there’s really no control,” said Rafael Molina, district manager of CalWater’s Bakersfield office. “We would like the county’s help to develop something more permanent for boat inspections.”

He added that CalWater’s microfiltration and treatment protocols will keep mussels out of the public’s water, but if they get into the plants, it will require expensive eradication efforts to keep them from clogging equipment.

Kern Delta Water District General Manager Steve Teglia agreed with Molina that keeping the mussels out of Isabella is key. He said ag districts with rights to Kern River water would welcome collaborating with the county – even possibly kicking in money – to establish boat inspections at the lake.

Such an effort could be paired with $5 million in federal funding for boat inspection and cleaning facilities secured by Rep. Vince Fong (R-Bakersfield) in the 2027 Energy and Water Development bill. That money, though, would be stretched between Isabella, Lake Kaweah, Success Lake, Pine Flat Reservoir and Millerton Lake.

Kern is also preparing a request for state disaster aid based on what districts have already spent combatting the mussels. Once the tally hits $5 million, the County Administrative Office will send the letter, according to Deputy CAO Stacy Kuwahara.

At the June 8 meeting, she said the total spent so far was $4.6 million. 

North Kern Water Storage District will likely spend $5 million on its own over the next month, said General Manager Dave Hampton.

The district missed the beginning stages of an infestation, likely because of silt covering the mussels. 

North Kern has 120 miles of canals that are running water at nearly 500 cubic feet per second. It is trying to maintain copper treatment levels at .3 part per million, but that’s a ton of water to treat, Hampton said. 

“We’re in full infestation mode. And it’s at the worst possible time,” he said.