Zebra mussels now found in Tuttle Creek Reservoir

Add another lake to the list – this time, Tuttle Creek Reservoir.

The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism confirmed Thursday the presence of invasive zebra mussels at Tuttle Creek Reservoir in Pottawatomie and Riley counties.

The 12,500-acre lake is six miles north of Manhattan and owned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism manages the fishery.

With the discovery of zebra mussels, it means all boats and anglers need to take precautions and not transport any water, or live fish, from the lake to other bodies of water. The zebra mussels attach to rocks in the shallows and can cut human skin. Those wading in the lake are advised to wear footwear.

In a news release issued Thursday, the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism acknowledged the zebra mussel population in the lake is currently small but there is no known method to completely rid the lake of the invasive species.

The mussels likely “hitch-hiked” by unsuspecting lakegoers. Adult zebra mussels can attach to boats or other equipment and microscopic larvae can be present in any water originating from an infested lake or stream.

Zebra mussels came to the Great Lakes region in the ballasts of ships from Europe and Asia about 25 years ago, and have since spread down many connecting rivers and streams. Usually smaller than a dime, zebra mussels can also be transported within water of boats, motors, bait buckets and/or attached directly to boats or trailers.

They were first found in Kansas in 2003 at El Dorado Reservoir, and have since been found to be several bodies of water in Kansas, including Cheney Reservoir.

This story was originally published August 18, 2017 at 9:36 AM with the headline "Zebra mussels now found in Tuttle Creek Reservoir."