Wisconsin Officials Given Stern Warning

From September 17, 1990 (update #4)

More than 120 local government officials were given a strong warning to begin planning now to deal with zebra mussel infestations at three workshops held Aug. 28-29 in Milwaukee, Manitowoc and Ashland. Conducted by the Wisconsin Coastal Management Program in cooperation with local regional planning commissions, the workshops were held to aquaint local officials with the potential impacts of the zebra mussel invasion of the Great Lakes on Wisconsin water intakes and coastal facilities. The two-hour workshops featured presentations by Wisconsin Sea Grant Zebra Mussel Watch personnel and Department of Natural Resources officials. Wisconsin Sea Grant Advisory Services Coordinator Allen H. Miller, principal investigator for the Zebra Mussel Watch project, noted that officials unfamiliar with the zebra mussel's threat to water intakes were generally shocked and amazed by what they heard. "Communities and industries need to recognize that it will take time to prepare contingency plans to cope with zebra mussel infestations - time to seek internal approvals and funding, and time to obtain the necessary permits and approvals from the DNR for using various methods of control and disposal," Miller said. DNR officials indicated a willingness to work with communities but noted that, without new staff to deal with zebra mussel-related problems, review and approval could take six months or longer, depending on the type of permits needed.

ID: 19900917-9.

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.