Fish and wildlife: invasive mussels: golden mussels

Golden mussels threaten water infrastructure, water supplies, water bodies, and ecosystem health. The law takes effect immediately to support rapid prevention, control, and removal efforts.

What the law does ​

• Exempts water-system operators that submit invasive-mussel control plans from certain restricted-species permit requirements for system maintenance, operations, and research.
• Allows those operators to handle dead invasive mussels without those permits for research, outreach, education, verification, training, and department-approved purposes.
• Requires the Department of Fish and Wildlife to issue voluntary control-plan and research guidance by April 1, 2027, and update infestation maps at least quarterly.
• Requires pesticide and water-quality regulators to identify response tools and faster existing processes for invasive-species threats, including golden mussels.
• Requires the State Water Resources Control Board, when needed, to coordinate regional water-board responses.

Who it affects ​

• Public and private agencies operating water supply systems.
• State and local agencies responding to invasive-species threats.
• Researchers handling invasive mussels outside infested water supply systems.

Breakdown ​

Golden Mussel Control Plans ​

The bill lets water-supply agencies work with invasive mussels without first getting a restricted species permit when they have submitted a required control plan to the Department of Fish and Wildlife. It also requires state guidance for agency control plans and research, and requires quarterly updates to online maps showing waters infested with invasive mussels.

Key takeaways

• Water-supply agencies that submit a control plan may handle invasive mussels for maintenance, operations, and research within their water systems without a restricted species permit.
• Agencies that submit a control plan may handle dead invasive mussels without a restricted species permit for research, outreach, education, species verification, training, or other state-approved purposes.
• These permit exemptions continue until the department finds that an agency’s control plan fails to meet legal requirements or approves the plan.
• The Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Invasive Species Program must develop voluntary guidance for effective control plans by April 1, 2027.
• The program must also publish guidance by April 1, 2027, for scientific research by or for water-supply agencies aimed at preventing and controlling invasive mussel spread.
• The department must update its online maps of invasive-mussel-infested water bodies at least every three months using monitoring results and reported detections.

Rapid Response to Invasive Mussels ​

The bill requires the Department of Pesticide Regulation, the State Water Resources Control Board, and regional water boards to work with state and local agencies when an invasive-species threat arises, including golden mussels. The Department of Pesticide Regulation and the state board must identify available response tools and existing ways to use them quickly through faster administrative or procedural processes. The state board must also coordinate regional water-board efforts when needed.

Key takeaways

• The bill creates a coordinated rapid-response duty for invasive-species threats, including threats from golden mussels.
• The Department of Pesticide Regulation and the State Water Resources Control Board must work with state and local agencies to respond quickly and efficiently.
• Those agencies must identify tools that a state or local agency can use to address an invasive-species threat.
• They must also identify existing procedures that can allow those tools to be used more quickly.
• The State Water Resources Control Board must help coordinate regional water quality control boards when coordination is necessary.