The state Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism says invasive zebra mussels have been found in Tuttle Creek Reservoir.
The 12,500-acre U.S. Army Corps of Engineers lake is a popular recreation area six miles north of Manhattan. The department said in a news release that the zebra mussel population is currently small but noted there is no way to completely rid a lake of the species.
They are usually introduced into lakes after attaching themselves to boats or from bait buckets. Zebra mussels can produce huge populations in a short time. Their vast populations can clog intake pipes, hindering water treatment and other operations that draw water from the lakes.
The invasive mollusks have also been found in most of the other reservoirs in Kansas, including Hillsdale in Miami County.
