Lake Tahoe Species Introduction Timeline,
Sudeep Chandra
Corbicula fluminea shells found on Ski Run Marina beach,
Lake Tahoe April 21, 2008
Corbicula fluminea observed in Lake Tahoe
Aquatic Invasive Species
Non-native invasive species have been introduced into Lake Tahoe for many decades. Examples include lake trout, rainbow trout, brook trout, brown trout, Kokanee salmon, bass, bluegill, crayfish, and Mysis shrimp. Some of these were introduced purposely by resource managers to improve the fishery, while others were inadvertent introductions. Either way, these species have had a profound influence on the lake’s food web. Working in collaboration with other universities, state and federal resource agencies, TERC continues its history of understanding population dynamics and ecology of introduced species.
Asian Clam (Corbicula fluminea) at Lake Tahoe
On April 25, 2008, TERC senior researchers Scott Hackley and Brant Allen observed large populations of clams in some nearshore areas in the southeast corner of Lake Tahoe. It has been confirmed that these are the invasive species Corbicula fluminea or the Asian clam.
Corbicula was first collected in the U. S. in 1938 along the Columbia River in Washington State and is now widely distributed. While previous observations suggest that Corbicula has been in Lake Tahoe at least since 2002, the densities of clams and the size of the recently observed beds (as large as 6 x 16 feet) appear to be more extensive than ever reported in Lake Tahoe. The observations of Hackley and Allen using snorkeling gear reveal that the beds contain both living and dead calms. This information has been passed on to managers of the Tahoe Basin’s resource agencies and the Lake Tahoe Aquatic Invasive Species working group.
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