Zebra and Quagga mussels are freshwater mussels, native to Eastern Europe that can permanently attach to any hard surface including docks, watercraft, rocks, water conveyance intakes, pipelines, previous generations of adult mussels, and even grains of sand. They are prolific reproducers with female mussels releasing up to one million eggs per year into the water column. Zebra and Quagga mussels are very small, usually growing between 1-3 cm long, filter feeding on microscopic organisms and disrupting the food chain for native fish and invertebrate species. Adult mussels can survive up to 30 days out water, given the right temperature and humidity levels, and the microscopic larvae of mussels (veligers) can survive within water in bilges and live wells for a number of days.

Zebra and Quagga mussels can be found throughout the Great Lakes, Lake Winnipeg, and the Mississippi River watershed. A Zebra or Quagga mussel infestation in Alberta is estimated to cost over $75 million annually and can cause millions of dollars in damage to water-operated infrastructure, disrupt natural food chains, create toxic algal blooms, decrease property values, and hinder recreational activities.

Flowering rush is a cat-tail like perennial plant which thrives in moist areas on the edge of water bodies or submerged in deeper water. It is able to reproduce by seed and vegetatively through rhizomatous bulblets which separate from parent plants. Once established it forms dense mats of vegetation choking out native vegetation and disrupting fish and wildlife habitat. It was likely introduced into Alberta as an ornamental garden plant.

Flowering Rush is extremely difficult to control. Cutting and hand digging is feasible with small populations, however attempts must be made to remove all of the plant as any small piece of root fragment has the potential to regrow and start a new infestation. Cutting and hand digging must be ongoing until all traces of the plant is removed and regrowth does not appear which is usually very difficult to achieve. There is currently no chemical control measures to eradicate this invasive plant due to its growth within and in proximity to water bodies.

Flowering Rush is present in a few lakes, rivers and reservoirs in Alberta.

Prussian Carp (Carassius gibelio) a type of goldfish native to central Europe was first discovered in a single southern Alberta lake in 2006 and has now established breeding populations in water bodies through the Red Deer, Bow and South Saskatchewan river basins. We do not know how the fish was introduced. It is probable that it was released through an aquarium or backyard pond dumping or through contaminated bait.

Prussian Carp are hardy and reproduce rapidly. They are adaptable and able to live in aquatic environments with low oxygen levels, such as dugouts, and are tolerant of pollutants. They can also survive out of water for relatively long periods of time. Females are able to reproduce one to two years into their lifespan and can spawn up to three times per year.

Prussian Carp threaten native fish populations by competing with native fish species for food and habitat.

Should you catch a Prussian Carp while angling, please kill it and either take it home to eat or properly dispose the carcass away from any water bodies.