Stewardship at the Wickecheoke Creek Preserve
Protecting New Jersey Waters From a Highly Invasive Mussel Species
|
The silty pond mussel, formerly known as the Chinese pond mussel, are a highly invasive species that can outcompete native shellfish for food as well as space and, in large numbers, even alter river bottom conditions upon which other wildlife depend.
Land stewards for NJ Conservation discovered the farm’s ponds contained bighead carp, a non-native species of fish that could wreak ecological havoc if allowed to escape to nearby waterways. Eliminating the carp required lowering the water in the ponds, which revealed the severity of the invasive mussel infestation.
Since the farm is in the headwaters of the Wickecheoke Creek, a Delaware River tributary, there was a danger of the pond mussels spreading to local waterways and, ultimately, the Delaware River. These invasive mussels can outcompete native shellfish for food as well as space and, in large numbers, even alter river bottom conditions upon which other wildlife depend.
“While they might not look threatening, this mussel species from China has proven to be incredibly damaging to aquatic life in places where it has become established — destroying native mussel populations and even changing water chemistry,” said Tim Morris, NJ Conservation’s Director of Stewardship. “New Jersey has seven species of mussels that are already classified by the state as threatened or endangered. If the silty pond mussel were to spread, we could lose these native species.”
A plan was carefully developed, and in 2019, NJ Conservation attempted to eradicate the mussels in all nine ponds at the farm using a common copper-based algae killer that is also approved for killing mussels after a previous eradication attempt proved unsuccessful. That effort was funded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Other project partners included the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, New Jersey Fish & Wildlife, the Friends of Hopewell Valley Open Space’s New Jersey Invasive Species Strike Team, Earth Science Labs, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and Raritan Headwaters Association.
While the ponds were searched extensively after the algaecide treatments and no live mussels were found, NJ Conservation reached out to Rutgers University’s eDNA Lab in 2020 to see if the lab could develop a way to confirm the eradication of the invasive mussels using water samples from the ponds. The lab’s environmental DNA (eDNA) testing — which looks for genetic material left behind by organisms in an environment — indicated there was a possibility mussels were still present, leading to additional physical surveys of the ponds that eventually uncovered remaining mussels.
Over the next few years, NJ Conservation worked with partners to develop a more stringent eradication plan for the invasive mussels and secure the necessary funding to carry it out.
The plan was implemented this summer with assistance from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, New Jersey Fish & Wildlife, Rutgers University, NJ Water Supply Authority, SePRO Corporation, Princeton Hydro, Lower Delaware Wild and Scenic River Management Council and the National Park Service.
“Our partners at Rutgers University will conduct eDNA sampling of the ponds next year to help us determine the success of our latest eradication efforts,” said Morris. “We’re cautiously optimistic that the ponds will receive a clean bill of health. We couldn’t be more pleased with the extraordinary team effort to ensure New Jersey waters are protected.”
SePRO Corporations's Dr. West Bishop (left) and Rebekah Buczynski, NJ Conservation's Project Manager for North Jersey, collect and analyze water samples in Hunterdon County ponds to ensure the effectiveness of a treatment to eradicate invasive mussels.