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Idaho Politics & Beyond — One Mussel, Millions Spent. Idaho’s Snake River Experiment. By Idaho Senator Glenneda ZUIDERVELD (11/02/25)
Contents
Snake River’s “Copper Bullet” or a Shot in the Dark?
Sometimes the questions that aren’t asked say more than the ones that are
Follow the Copper
Necessary or Negligent?
The Unseen Guardians of the Snake River
Accountability Isn’t Anti-Agriculture, It’s Pro-Idaho
Final Thought
My interview discussing this issue with Liberty Talks, Miste Karlfeldt
Sen. Zuiderveld’s Introduction (formatted but otherwise unedited):
Sometimes the questions that aren’t asked say more than the ones that are.
In September 2023, Idaho officials declared an emergency over quagga mussels in the Snake River near Twin Falls, launching what’s become one of the most aggressive, expensive, and controversial chemical treatments in state history.
Like COVID, we suddenly found ourselves in a state of emergency, decisions made at lightning speed, information tightly controlled, and fear driving the narrative.
From the moment the mussel was “found,” everything was fast-tracked, even the first town hall was held on a Sunday night. At that meeting, officials told us that scuba divers had searched two miles of river to find the single male quagga mussel, comparing it to “finding a needle in a haystack.”
They also explained that the larvae, or veligers, could only be seen through a magnifying glass, and we were told to simply trust them.
And yes, we all want to trust our government. But after COVID, and after uncovering $87 million in fraud and abuse within our Health and Welfare, Education, and Insurance budgets, not to mention learning that we can’t even reconcile parts of our budget through the Luma accounting system, I’ve learned to be cautious when government agencies say, “trust me.”
And if we’ve learned anything, it’s this: when government fast-tracks something, it rarely ends well for the people footing the bill.
They told us the river was infested. But here’s the truth that’s gotten buried under the headlines: only one adult quagga mussel was ever confirmed, and it was reportedly male.
So how did we end up dumping over eleven million dollars in three years worth of copper into one of Idaho’s most iconic rivers when no breeding colony was ever found?
ED NOTE
Sen. Zuiderveld has done another brilliant exposé of what’s wrong with government’s knee-jerk, fear based reactions to EVERYTHING! We thank her yet again for her research, tenacity, and courage to speak out.
The cures definitely have been worse than the disease in this and so many other areas that are coming to light because courageous researchers and lay people are speaking the truth at last.
Other examples of bad cures include: vaccines, cloud seeding and other geoengineering activities, pesticides and herbicides (including mosquito abatement chemicals), fever suppression, chemotherapy, pain medications, and antidepressants/SSRIs, to name just a few.
Every non-natural “cure” man has imposed has proven worse than the disease in nearly every case. The very things we try to “fix” —typically with a KILL, KILL, KILL, ERADICATE approach — inevitably break something or someone else while generally benefitting only special interests such as corporations, conglomerates, politicians, lobbyists, etc.
❓❓ When will humans stop mucking around with the natural order and allow the wisdom of nature to prevail?
🙋♂️🙋♀️ Citizens and elected officials must insist that NO government actions be taken without careful consideration, including during the legislative season when hundreds of bills flood in that cannot possibly receive adequate input and deliberation regarding their inevitable unintended consequences.
💡💡 It’s often MUCH BETTER for government to do NOTHING than to do the WRONG THING simply to look like it’s doing SOMETHING!Contents
Snake River’s “Copper Bullet” or a Shot in the Dark?
Sometimes the questions that aren’t asked say more than the ones that are
Follow the Copper
Necessary or Negligent?
The Unseen Guardians of the Snake River
Accountability Isn’t Anti-Agriculture, It’s Pro-Idaho
Final Thought
My interview discussing this issue with Liberty Talks, Miste Karlfeldt
We encourage you to read the entire article (it’s not that long and has some great bonus material), but for those in a hurry, here’s a summary.
Summary (Grok ai, edited; images from article)
In September 2023, Idaho officials declared an emergency due to quagga mussels in the Snake River near Twin Falls, Idaho, initiating a chemical treatment program involving copper-based Natrix™.
The program has cost over $11 million over three years, with only one confirmed adult male quagga mussel found and no breeding colony identified.
Government Mucks Up Again. Why? Rapid decision-making; limited public information; and past government failures, including budget fraud and accounting problems, show a pattern of overreach, possible corruption, and lack of foresight.
Follow the Copper Natrix™ is produced by SePRO Corporation, based in Indiana and owned by Stanley Capital Partners (London) with Goldman Sachs Alternatives as a minority investor.
In 2024, Idaho purchased over 71,000 gallons at $40.67 per gallon, totaling $2.89 million.
Including contractors, monitoring, and agency costs, the FY2025 program totals $6.6 million.
Necessary or Negligent? Quagga mussels can clog irrigation, hydroelectric, and water systems, causing significant damage. However….
Evidence for the program included one adult mussel and some larvae.
Copper treatments can reduce aquatic invertebrates by up to 90%, kill fish, and leave lingering toxic sediment, per peer-reviewed studies.
The Unseen Guardians of the Snake River
Native fish including white sturgeon and trout consume quagga mussel veligers (larvae). Natural pest control works!
Studies from Great Lakes, Columbia River, and Idaho document sturgeon ingesting mussels and trout feeding on veligers in zooplankton diets.
Accountability Isn’t Anti-Agriculture, It’s Pro-Idaho
Questions include:
Approval of contracts without competitive bidding.
Testing confirming self-sustaining infestation.
Long-term effects on fish, irrigation, and sediment.
Monitoring of copper in the Snake River basin.
Final Thought The treatment has killed native species including sturgeon, trout, and suckers that consume veligers, while quagga mussels persist after three years and millions spent.
ED NOTE
Government has instituted yet another “cure” that doesn’t work (to eradicate quagga mussels) and harms the patient (Snake River and its creatures).Related:
Natrix Label (look especially at ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS, Use Restrictions, Warranty Disclaimer): tinyurl.com/4atsbsc3
Natrix Safety Data Sheet (look especially at Sections 11, 12, 13): tinyurl.com/223jjkz4
