If you’ve launched a boat in the past several years, you have probably had to have an inspection to check for Quagga Mussels. Quagga what? Quagga Mussel.
The Quagga Mussel is a subspecies of a freshwater mussel that is indigenous to the Ukraine. It attaches itself to boats and ships and is then introduced into a new body of water when that vessel is launched into it.
Well, what is so bad about that, you may ask? This mussel is a filter feeder. They siphon water through their shell and remove things such as phytoplankton, zooplankton and algae. This causes a chain reaction in the lake that changes the entire ecosystem and sends toxins up the food chain. Not Good!
What’s worse is that the Quagga is a prolific breeder. Think of it as the rabbit of the lake. A fully mature female can produce more than one million eggs a year. These little guys can wreck havoc on a lake. For a more in depth look at the Quagga, visit the Wikipedia page here.
RS Vacations reminds you that when launching any type of watercraft into Big Bear Lake, it is very important to follow lake protocol and launch any vessel from an appropriate facility that can give the boat a thorough inspection. We need to keep the Quaggas out of our lake!!
RS Vacations - Big Bear Lake, CA 
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