AUSTIN, Texas — Jonathan Chen craves the calm of the waters when he is kayaking at Lake Austin.
"It's about slowing down. No one's in a hurry kayaking, but then you're just down close to the water, you can feel it with your hands as you glide over top," Chen said.
But he is also thinking about something else that is free floating in the water: the zebra mussels. They are an invasive species that spread between lakes, primarily by boat. They are sharp and can cut people's feet.
"We just keep our footwear on anytime we're walking in the water," Chen said.
Steps like these are great to protect yourself from zebra mussels, but Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Senior Scientist for Aquatic Invasive Species Monica McGarrity said we also need to prevent zebra mussels from spreading to other bodies of water. Once they are inside, there's not much that can be done to eradicate them.
Over time, the Highland Lakes have seen high populations of the mussels.
"For anybody who has a boat, whether it's motorized or non-motorized like a kayak, you can take steps to clean, drain and drive. So remove any plant material," McGarrity said. "Remove any mud or organisms, drain all of the water out of the boat or kayak and then let everything dry completely when you do get home."
Lake Travis and Lake Austin are drinking water sources for the city, so any time there are zebra mussels in a body of water, there is a chance they could infest the systems and give our drinking water a foul taste and smell.
"We all share this ecosystem, and we're all trying to enjoy it the best way we can," Chen said.
Learn more about zebra mussel mitigation.