San Benito County officials are planning to meet Monday with representatives of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation at San Justo Reservoir to discuss the eradication plan for the site.
San Justo Reservoir has been closed since January 2008 after the discovery of the invasive zebra mussels there. Federal officials with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation have been working with the San Benito County Water District on an eradication plan since then as the reservoir, a popular fishing spot, has remained closed to the public.
That eradication plan focuses on the use of a natural substance called potash—sodium chloride—to kill the mussels, which can clog water systems and cause costly damage. The federal agency is nearing the completion of its environmental work on the project.
County officials will be learning Monday about the eradication process moving forward.
“We’ve been very patient letting the bureau of reclamation work through its environmental process in partnership with the water district,” said county Supervisor Anthony Botelho, who expects to attend Monday’s gathering.
Mussel eradication is challenging, while officials must be particularly wary about the species potentially spreading throughout the Central Valley water system.
