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Single quagga mussel found in Crook County triggers rapid‑response monitoring; no further detections yet
Summary
Staff reported one adult quagga mussel found on a Prineville Reservoir shoreline; Portland State University sampling, eDNA and dive surveys so far show no additional mussels, but the board activated biweekly monitoring and rapid‑response planning in case of further detections.
Alan Hansen told the board that Portland State University investigators found a single adult quagga mussel on a Pineville (Prineville) Reservoir shoreline after a boat inspection tied to a vessel stored in California. “They found a single adult quagga mussel on the beach,” Hansen said, and staff activated a rapid‑response investigation including shoreline surveys, dock checks, veliger plankton tows and eDNA testing.
So far, laboratory and dive inspections have not discovered additional mussels. Hansen said PSU and ODFW will continue biweekly monitoring at Prineville Reservoir and Lake Billy Chinook; the board also discussed using mussel‑sniffing dogs, underwater drones and other detection tools. Staff warned that a confirmed establishment could force lake closures, have cascading impacts on irrigation and municipal water systems and require large mitigation expenditures.
Board members asked about contingency funding and the state's ability to respond at scale. Hansen said current AIS fees and some OSMB funds cover initial responses but that large infestations would likely require emergency supplemental appropriations and multi‑agency coordination; there is not a single statewide sinking fund for a catastrophic infestation.
