Yolo County Declares Emergency After Golden Mussels Found in West Sacramento

Yolo County supervisors proclaimed a local emergency July 21 after invasive golden mussels were confirmed in and around the Port of West Sacramento, giving the county a stronger basis to coordinate with other agencies and pursue funding and technical assistance.

The emergency action followed a June 25 confirmation by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. CDFW said one mussel was collected between the Jefferson Boulevard overpass and the port’s west lock, while another was found near Boathouse Road and Stone Boulevard. Additional mussels were found during surveys around the docks at Washington Lake.

Why the declaration matters to West Sacramento

Yolo County said the proclamation is intended to support coordination with local, regional, state and federal partners and long-term efforts to protect water infrastructure, agricultural water deliveries, flood-control facilities, native ecosystems and the regional economy.

The response includes the county, the City of West Sacramento and the Sacramento-Yolo Port District, along with state and regional partners. The detection is especially significant because the Port of West Sacramento and Washington Lake are connected to waterways serving infrastructure and communities across the region.

City and county guidance warns that golden mussels can attach to submerged hard surfaces and form colonies on intake structures, pipes, pumps, docks, irrigation equipment, boats and other water-related infrastructure. Dense colonies can clog or reduce the efficiency of water-conveyance systems and increase maintenance demands.

Those are potential impacts, not proof that West Sacramento infrastructure has already failed or been damaged. The available records do not establish current water-service disruptions, flooding or a completed assessment of local infrastructure damage.

What the emergency proclamation does

The county says the declaration strengthens its ability to work with partner agencies, pursue financial support and obtain technical assistance. It is an authority-enhancing step intended to help officials protect shared waterways and infrastructure as they assess the infestation.

The proclamation itself does not establish a quarantine or announce an eradication program. The county says eradication in open waters such as the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is unlikely to be feasible once golden mussels are established, so response efforts are focused on slowing the spread, protecting critical infrastructure, supporting detection and monitoring, and limiting potential effects.

Boaters urged to clean, drain and dry

CDFW is asking boaters, anglers and other water users to follow the Clean, Drain, Dry protocol whenever equipment leaves a waterway:

• Clean boats, trailers, anchors, fishing gear, kayaks, paddles and other equipment by removing visible plants, animals and mud.
• Drain water from bilges, live wells, motors, ballast tanks, bait containers and other compartments.
• Dry equipment completely before using it in another waterway. Yolo County guidance recommends drying for at least five days.

Anglers should dispose of unwanted bait, worms and fish parts in the trash. Live fish, bait and other aquatic organisms should not be moved between waterways.

People who suspect they have found a golden mussel can report it to CDFW online, by email at invasives@wildlife.ca.gov or by calling 866-440-9530. Reports should include the location, a clear close-up photograph and contact information.

What remains unresolved

Officials have not established the full extent of the infestation, the amount of infrastructure exposure, whether any local damage has occurred or the cost and timing of future control measures. Monitoring, technical assessments, funding requests and coordination among Yolo County, West Sacramento and the port district will shape the next phase of the response.

For residents, boaters and businesses that use the area’s waterways, the immediate practical message is to prevent further spread. The emergency declaration does not by itself show that residents face an immediate water-service or flood-control disruption, but it signals that local officials are treating the confirmed West Sacramento-area detection as a broader infrastructure and environmental risk.

Sources

• Yolo County emergency proclamation announcement
• CDFW West Sacramento golden mussel detection notice
• West Sacramento golden mussel fact sheet
• CBS Sacramento report on the county emergency

Look for updates to this story

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