Well before quagga mussels were found in southern Nevada's Lake Mead in 2007, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency and other federal agencies had prepared protective measures in case the mussels were detected in the West. Without examining the biological requirements of quagga mussels, the TRPA overlooked dozens of scientific studies that showed quagga can't reproduce and survive in Lake Tahoe and implemented the nation's most aggressive watercraft inspection program. As water quality studies increasingly demonstrated that quagga can't survive in high Sierra lakes and reservoirs, the TRPA and their scientific partners expanded the list of aquatic invasive species that could potentially infest Lake Tahoe. However no reputable studies have demonstrated that New Zealand mud snails, spiny water fleas, or hydrilla - the organisms that TRPA says boat inspections protect Lake Tahoe from - can live in the lake either.
About the Author: Steve Urie's interest in aquatic environments began when his father and grandfather told him that as boys they swam and fished for trout in the Upper Mississippi River, which until it was dammed as part of a massive WPA project during the Great Depression, flowed as fast and clear as a mountain stream. Twenty-nine dams turned the river into a series of stagnant reservoirs, and children born after World War II now know the once Mighty Mississippi as only the "Muddy Mississippi." After discovering Lake Tahoe on a ski vacation, he has lived with his wife and editor, Peggy, in and around Truckee, California, for 40 years, where he worked as an IT systems engineer and small business owner. He is the proud father of Meg Urie Rab and grandfather of Ethan "Huck" Raymore. He is a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan and is currently planning a career in sports journalism.