The LTER Zebra Mussel Monitoring Program is a collaborative effort among NTL-LTER, Clean Lakes Alliance, and a committed group of volunteer lake monitors in the greater Madison area. Community monitors help researchers track the spread and abundance of zebra mussels around the Yahara chain of lakes including Lake Wingra.
Zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) are a well-known aquatic invasive species in the Great Lakes region. They were first documented in Lake Mendota by the Center for Limnology in 2015 and have spread downstream since then. Zebra mussel populations reached their peak in 2017 but have been observed in much smaller numbers over the past few years. This community-based approach is an effort to understand the current status of zebra mussels in the Yahara lakes and document future trends.
To monitor zebra mussels, brick samplers are deployed from piers to accumulate mussels over the summer. Then the samplers are removed and analyzed by Center for Limnology researchers.
Thank you to the volunteers for your time and effort!
If you are interested in joining the LTER Zebra Mussel Monitoring Program in summer 2026, please contact Helen Schlimm at the Center for Limnology or Caitlin McAleavey at Clean Lakes Alliance.
Summer 2024
Key findings from 2024, the first summer of monitoring:
- First reported zebra mussel in Lake Wingra
- Most bricks had fewer than 1,000 small mussels attached, but the greatest number found on one brick was 5,969.
Summer 2025
The program was modified in 2025, with 30 teams around the lakes participating in monitoring. Volunteers recorded and shared relevant site information and photos while their bricks were deployed from May – September. The samplers are currently being processed and results will be shared when available.
