Invasive mussels found on boat hauled to Oregon from Ohio

ONTARIO, Ore. (AP) - Oregon wildlife official say they’ve found a boat being hauled from Ohio infested with invasive mussels.

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife says technicians discovered the Zebra mussels on a boat at the Ontario boat inspection station. The vessel, which was hauled from Lake Erie in Ohio, had mussels attached around the propeller shaft and under the stern.

Invasive mussels have caused billions in ecosystem and economic damage around the U.S. The Pacific Northwest remains one of the few places on the continent still unaffected by the mussel invasion.

Motorists hauling boats in Oregon are required to stop at inspection stations to have their watercraft checked for aquatic invasive species under a 2011 Oregon law.