Volunteer Monitoring for Zebra Mussels
Limiting Factors
<30
Depth (m)
0.1-1.0
Water velocity (m/s)
8-10
Dissolved O2 (ppm)
7.2-9.0
pH
>20
Calcium (mg/l)
0-30 ºC
(32-86°F)
12-20 ºC
(54-68°F)
Temperature
Preferred
Range
Factor
Source: C.R. O’Neill Jr. 1996. The zebra mussel: impacts and control. New York Sea Grant, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.
Predicting which lakes and rivers are at greatest risk from zebra mussels is difficult.  However, there are some important factors that determine where, and in what quantity, the mussels are and could be found.
First is temperature. Although zebra mussels can exist in water temperatures that range from as cool as 32 degrees Fahrenheit to as warm as 86 degrees Fahrenheit, they generally prefer temperatures in the range from 54 to 68 degrees.
They also require more calcium than many mussel species in North America. Typically, calcium levels must be greater than 20 mg/l for zebra mussels to occur in a water body.
They prefer that water pH be only slightly basic, but can also occur in water with higher pH.
They also prefer a fairly high dissolved oxygen, so this is a limiting factor in some water bodies. Some mixing in a water body to bring in dissolved oxygen is good, but zebra mussels don’t do well in a rapid current.
And finally, zebra mussels prefer to live at a depth less than 30 meters and usually less than 10 meters. On the other hand, their cousin the quagga mussel does well in deeper waters and at colder temperatures.