Golden Mussels Threaten Kern County Farms | Bakersfield News

Golden mussels are wreaking havoc on Kern County’s water systems, threatening California’s farming heartland. These invasive invaders, originally from China, are clogging canals and irrigation channels, forcing water agencies to deploy copper-based chemical treatments like EarthTechQZ to curb their spread. Experts say eradication is impossible, so the focus is on damage control — but costs are mounting, with some districts already spending millions. With no state emergency response yet, local leaders are scrambling to form task forces and seek reimbursement, while urging boaters to clean their vessels to prevent further spread. The real nightmare? These mussels could invade rivers and lakes — and everyone’s watching Sacramento to see if it will finally step up. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/593e328e78dcc832