No one notices as a small invader creeps onto an unsuspecting ship. After reaching the destination, the invader slinks away. One week later, a large army is discovered. Texas quickly falls, and the mussels have landed.

“The lakes that we’re really worried about are Lake Texoma and Lake Lavon,” Jason Anderson, Fishing Team sponsor, said. “Those are the two main lakes were we know that there are zebra mussels.”

Zebra Mussels have recently infected many U.S. lakes by hitching rides on oblivious boats. They cause many problems and can affect communities miles away. From their origins in Russia, they spread to the Great Lakes and eventually all the way to Lake Lavon. The zebra mussels drain the water of important nutrients, causing swift declines in aquatic life. This makes it harder to fish and enjoy nature in general.

“That’s not always the biggest concern; it’s that they reproduce at such a high rate,” Jason Nickal, aquatic science teacher, said. “One zebra mussel can lay hundreds of thousands of eggs.”

Although the mussels are tiny, they can cause major problems, such as blocking pipelines leading from infected lakes, hurting people directly with constant repair and water shortage. Water in Allen comes from two infected lakes: Texoma and Lavon. There is a way to slow the invaders, according to Anderson.

“It’s really easy,” Anderson said. “If you’re a boat owner you clean your boat anyway. Now we’re just more aware that we’re going to clean it even better.”

Anderson’s suggestion was recently made into law: stay vigilant and clean well. Stem the tide of the zebra mussels.

“You just need to responsible and know about zebra mussels, know what they do, and how they can damage other lakes,” Anderson said.