TWIN FALLS, Idaho — Last month, the Idaho State Department of Agriculture announced a 50% reduction in the invasive Quagga Mussel population in the Snake River.
Now, another round of treatment is underway to tackle the remaining infestation.
WATCH: ISDA tests copper concentration levels to make sure treatment is working
“Quagga Mussels are one of those things that are really a showstopper potentially for a state like Idaho,” said Lloyd Knight, Deputy Chief of ISDA.
Given the high stakes, ISDA is committed to containing and eliminating Quagga Mussels from the Snake River.
"We've reduced the area of impact by roughly 50%, effectively cutting it in half. Now we're treating from Shoshone Falls up to Twin Falls and the Twin Falls Reservoir,” said Nick Vurfluh, Bureau Chief of ISDA.
Starting Tuesday, ISDA crews began applying the third round of the copper-based chemical, Natrix. I joined them during the treatment process as samples were collected.
"Our ability to monitor the bioavailable copper concentration is absolutely key because that is what the Quagga Mussels are exposed to. They absorb it and reach what we call 'the dose'—the copper that targets toxic sites of action, primarily the quagga mussel gill, preventing them from being able to breathe,” explained Nick Vurfluh.
Dr. West Bishop, a scientist with the company that produces Natrix, demonstrated how critical concentration sampling works.
"We have a vial here with our water sample, and this method is designed for 10 milliliters of water. The contents of this packet react with the bioavailable copper. As soon as I added it, you can see the pink color reaction starting. Now that our sample has fully reacted, we can put it on the instrument. Our target concentration was 1.0 milligram of copper per liter. This reading here is 0.96, which is slightly below our target, but still within an acceptable margin,” said Dr. West Bishop from SePro Corporation.
Once the correct concentration is achieved, the clock starts ticking.
"Our goal is one part per million for a duration of 200 hours. This method is very effective at eliminating or eradicating quagga mussels in both the adult and veliger life stages," Nick Vurfluh added.
In addition to real-time sampling on the river, ISDA has established a temporary lab in Twin Falls, where water samples are evaluated for the presence of Quagga Mussels. This setup significantly reduces result wait times.
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