The Battle of Tippecanoe

From May, 1997 (Update #30)

Fifteen lakes in Indiana are currently known to be infested with zebra mussels. The "mother of all lakes" is Lake Wawasee in Kosciusko County, the first North America inland lake in which zebra mussels were found. Wawasee drains north to Lake Michigan, but another nearby infested lake, Lake Tippecanoe, is at the headwaters of the Tippecanoe River, which drains south toward the Mississippi River via the Wabash River and Ohio River. "Zebra mussels are now in two of the major drainage areas in Indiana. This makes management decisions concerning the zebra mussel more complex," said Randy Lang, Fisheries Program Specialist with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IDNR). "Having zebra mussels in two separate drainages increases the number of water bodies to which zebra mussels can spread," Lang said. "Of particular concern is the Tippecanoe River. This river has one of the most diverse assemblages of native mussels in the Midwest, maybe in the country. "It looks like most of the inter-lake movement is caused by boat traffic and other accidental transportations. In response to this, the IDNR has adopted a policy that guides departmental personnel in preventing the accidental spread of zebra mussels." Lang added that the policy expresses the department's concern over this issue, and it is hoped it will serve as an example to the public and other agencies about the importance of preventing the spread of zebra mussels.

- Pat Charlebois, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant.

ID: 199705-11.

The Zebra Mussel Update was a 4- to 8-page quarterly national newsletter published by the University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute from May 1990 through May 1997. The ZMU documented the spread of the zebra mussel -- an exotic nuisance mussel -- through North America's freshwater environments, especially the Great Lakes, and on efforts to control it.