Sad but necessary: How will mussel treatment affect Snake River?

ERIC GOODELL

TWIN FALLS — Recently, spigots were turned on and, gradually, thousands of gallons of molluscicide were intentionally released into the Snake River from the hydropower plant at the Twin Falls downstream to Centennial Waterfront Park in an effort to kill quagga mussels.

It shows that sometimes you have to harm something for it to survive.

It was an aggressive move, but state officials said they had no choice after quagga mussel larvae and an adult mussel were found in that section of the river last month. It was either that or let the small invasive pests slowly take over the waterway, clogging pipes and choking out wildlife.

“It is hard,” said Chanel Tewalt, director of the Idaho State Department of Agriculture, “and as hard as it is, it would be harder to have this river changed forever.”

A crew on a boat works on the Snake River.

PHOTO COURTESY OF IDAHO POWER

Even though officials say the water will still be considered safe for humans to drink during the treatment, no one knows exactly how the river will be affected

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