How were zebra mussels introduced to the Bay watershed?
Zebra mussels are native to the Caspian and Black seas in Eastern Europe. In 1988, the first zebra mussel was found in North America in Lake St. Clair in the Great Lakes region. It was most likely introduced there via ballast water from a European ship. By 1989, zebra mussels were well established throughout the Great Lakes, and by the end of 1993 they had found their way to many major rivers and lakes in eastern North America and Canada. In the Chesapeake watershed, zebra mussels have spread to water bodies in Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia, including: • The lower Susquehanna River in Maryland. • Eaton Brook reservoir in Madison County, New York, on the upper Chenango River of the Susquehanna River basin. • Canadarago Lake and Oaks Creek into the Susquehanna River in Otsego County, New York. • The upper Susquehanna River to Binghamton, New York. • Richland Quarry in eastern Pennsylvania. • Milbrook Quarry in Prince William County, Virginia. (This population has been suc
