Researchers help curb invasive clam at Lake Tahoe

Photo Credit: TERC.

LAKE TAHOE, Calif. (KGO) -- Boating season is now in full swing at Lake Tahoe. Extra safeguards are in place to make sure invasive species don't get in the lake, but some unwanted creatures are already there. The good news: experiments on getting rid of at least one harmful species appear to be paying off.

Researchers rolled out the "un-welcome" mat. A UC Davis video shows how researchers spread sheets of rubber on the bottom of Lake Tahoe. The rubber is intended to smother an invasive species called the Asian clam. It blocks the oxygen and the clams are underneath it.

Asian clams are tiny, but have potential to cause big problems. So a multi-agency task force is trying to control the clams before it's too late. They took an ABC7 News crew out on the lake to show us how it's going. In some areas, the clams are easily visible through a scope.

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