PFMC Habitat Committee raises alarm on invasive golden mussels, flags Coos Bay channel proposal and Columbia River EIS

The Pacific Fishery Management Council’s Habitat Committee on March 6 reported the discovery of invasive golden mussels in California waters, encouraged the council to consider comment on a proposed supplemental environmental impact statement for Columbia River operations and flagged a large Port of Coos Bay channel modification project as having potentially substantial habitat impacts.

The habitat update was presented by Gary Griffith and Dr. Scott Hapelle, vice chair of the council’s Habitat Committee. “The golden mussel is an invasive freshwater brackish bivalve native to China and Southeast Asia,” Hapelle said, summarizing the committee’s supplemental informational report and the state and federal response to detections last October in the Port of Stockton and San Luis Reservoir.

Why it matters: committee members warned the mussels can alter food webs and clog water infrastructure, putting municipal and agricultural water supplies, hydroelectric facilities and fish passage at risk. The committee also flagged near‑term comment deadlines and coordination needs for federal and regional reviews that may affect fish and habitat across the Columbia River Basin.

Key details and immediate actions

- Golden mussel detections and responses: Golden mussels were first found in October 2024 at the Port of Stockton and San Luis Reservoir. The…