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Sanwaqin County declares local emergency over invasive golden mussel in Delta
Summary
After an ad hoc committee briefing on detections and risks, the Sanwaqin County Board unanimously declared a local emergency to coordinate response to the invasive golden mussel, which staff say threatens Delta infrastructure, fisheries and water supply.
The Sanwaqin County Board of Supervisors adopted a local emergency proclamation on April 28 after staff and the board’s Golden Mussel Ad Hoc Committee described widespread golden mussel detections across the Delta and the risk to water infrastructure and native fish.
Hillilary Crowley, legislative officer supporting the ad hoc committee, briefed the board on the species' biology and spread. She noted the mussel tolerates brackish water and can reproduce quickly — “a single female muscle can produce up to 1 million offspring a year” — and said the Delta is ‘ground zero’ for the invasive.
Crowley and supervisors outlined infrastructure impacts: mussels can foul gates, intake screens and pumps and have already coated components on the recently completed Smith Canal gate, adding maintenance time and expense. County representatives said they are coordinating with the state Golden Mussel Task Force and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife on pilot decontamination and outreach, and are urging the Legislature for state support.
Supervisor Canipa and others briefed the board on the ad hoc committee's outreach to state lawmakers and technical groups. An Assembly member’s office told the board the Assembly's Delta caucus had prioritized related bills and a budget request for decontamination centers.
The board voted 5‑0 to declare the local emergency, a step the county said would help organize local response, signal urgency to state lawmakers, and position the county to coordinate resources and communications while technical responses and state funding are pursued.
What’s next: staff said they will continue to coordinate with state agencies, pursue funding and pilot decontamination measures, and to advise the board of costs and needed resources as the emergency response develops.
