AUSTIN – The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) has added O.H. Ivie Lake near San Angelo to the statewide list of lakes designated as positive for invasive zebra mussels after multiple specimens were found in the lake in 2019.
In March 2019, four adult zebra mussels were discovered by the Colorado River Municipal Water District (CRMWD) in an above ground storage tank that is part of the lake’s water transmission system near San Angelo. Given the presence of zebra mussels in the water transmission system, the CRMWD and TPWD continued to follow up with additional sampling at the lake and in November found a zebra mussel veliger larva near the Concho Recreation Area boat ramp.
“TPWD and CRMWD are going to continue to monitor the situation to determine if zebra mussels have established a reproducing population in the lake, but we are also asking the public to help us by keeping an eye out and reporting any zebra mussel sightings at O.H. Ivie Lake to
O.H. Ivie is now the sixth lake in the Colorado River Basin with invasive zebra mussels along with Austin, Lady Bird, Lyndon B. Johnson, Marble Falls, Travis and Walter E. Long. Because O.H Ivie is miles upstream of where they have been found before in the river basin, it is likely they were transported to the lake on a boat or other equipment.
“It is essential that boaters be vigilant to not spread zebra mussels to nearby lakes that are now at higher risk due to proximity of zebra mussels,” said Brian Van Zee, TPWD Inland Fisheries Regional Director. “It is important for all lake users to protect our lakes by cleaning, draining and drying their boats and equipment every time they
