The City of Austin approved spending up to $4 million over the next five years on copper sulfate, a liquid chemical compound that is expected to help combat an infestation of zebra mussels in Lake Austin and Lake Travis. According to KVUE, the City also will work to “retrofit water intake structures to reduce the risk of the chemical killing fish and other wildlife.”
Zebra mussels are small but invasive creatures that clog pipes, harm aquatic life, and cut swimmers who brush up against them or step on them. Zebra mussels have been found in all of the Central Texas portions of the Colorado River. The species was blamed in 2019 for a smell in the Austin water supply.