A $200,000 Prize Is Being Offered to Anyone Who Can Stop This Invasive Species From Spreading in California

California is so desperate to stop invasive golden mussels from spreading through its reservoir system that someone is putting up $200,000 for a solution.

The prize is being offered to anyone who can propose a viable method for preventing the small, yellowish-brown mussels from colonizing new waterways. Golden mussels were previously discovered at Folsom Lake and have raised alarm about their potential to spread to other major reservoirs across the state, including Shasta Lake, which is the largest in California.

The concern is not just ecological. Once golden mussels take hold, they attach to pipes, boats and underwater infrastructure in massive numbers. They can clog water delivery systems, damage fish habitat and drive up treatment costs for communities that depend on reservoir water. Once established, they are extremely difficult to control or remove.

So far, Lake Oroville and its surrounding waterways have tested negative for the species. The Department of Water Resources runs a mandatory boat inspection program at Oroville, requiring all watercraft to be certified mussel-free and receive a blue seal before launching. Shasta Lake also requires inspections for vessels arriving from out of the area.

Prevention is the primary strategy right now. Boaters are the most common vector for spreading invasive mussels, carrying them on hulls, trailers and live wells from one body of water to another. Cleaning, draining and drying your boat every time you leave the water is the single most effective thing recreational boaters can do.