The zebra mussel is a native of the Caspian Sea that is now found in many U.S. rivers, the Great Lakes, New York’s Finger Lakes and Lake Champlain. The rapidly spreading mollusk tends to biofoul and restrict the flow of water through intake pipes and has the potential to cause problems for household and municipal water systems. The zebra mussel attaches to boat hulls, docks, and lines causing maintenance headaches. The mussel’s sharp shells can be a recreational nuisance for swimmers.

Zebra mussels also have the ability to disrupt freshwater ecosystems.

When the mussel was discovered a few years ago in Canadarago Lake, the village of Cooperstown established a boat inspection/washing program to prevent its unintentional spread by recreational boaters. And for four years it worked, said Dr. Theodore Peters, who helped get the program started.

During a special meeting of the zebra mussel committee Monday morning, Mayor Carol Waller said she dreaded the day this would come.

``It’s bad news, but not the worst news,’’ she said. ``There’s no need for panic, we just have to deal with it.’’

Dr. Willard Harman, Director of the SUNY Biological Field Station on Otsego Lake, said Tuesday that the zebra mussel will probably not make a huge difference in the lake because there isn’t a lot of shallow water like there is in Canadarago and Oneida Lakes.

Harman also commented that a lot of people have been trying for 15 years or more since the mussel came to the U.S. to keep it out of the lake and they should not feel frustrated or that the effort was lost.

``Everyone knew sooner or later we would have them in the lake,’’ he said. ``It’s been well worth the efforts to keep them out as long as we have.’’

We agree with Harman. Not only was it worthwhile, it needs to continue.

In recent years methods to deal with the problems caused by the zebra mussel have greatly improved and come down in cost.

But more importantly, there are still invasive and exotic plant and animal species which continue to pose a threat to the lake and its ecosystem.

Recreational boaters moving between lakes and rivers are often the means by which those species are moved about. Sometimes they’ll hitchhike a ride on hulls, get tangled in a few weeds caught on the trailer or perhaps in a bait well.

So far, the village plans to continue its boat inspection program. We believe the money is well spent considering the lake is Cooperstown’s drinking water source.