SACRAMENTO, CA – Assemblymember Rhodesia Ransom’s AB 2032, the Golden Mussel Response Act, has passed both houses of the Legislature and is now headed to Governor Gavin Newsom.
AB 2032 would give local water agencies the tools to respond more quickly by allowing necessary maintenance work to move forward without delay and streamlining critical scientific research to find the most effective solutions. Without urgent action, the growing costs of treatment, maintenance and damaged infrastructure could reach California families through higher water rates and increased food prices.
“The Sacramento San Joaquin Delta in my District has been ground zero for golden mussels, which were first detected in October 2024 and are now seen as far south as San Diego. We authored AB 2032 to remove roadblocks and give our local water agencies the tools to quickly and effectively respond to invasive mussels that detriment our state’s water infrastructure.”
-Assemblymember Rhodesia Ransom
Golden mussels can devastate water infrastructure. China currently spends 12.4 billion dollars annually to remove golden mussels attached to their water pipes. This problem isn’t going away and AB 2032 is just the first step. In California, the costs are already mounting. The Metropolitan Water District estimates it could face $100 million in upfront treatment costs and an additional $15 million to $20 million annually for operations and maintenance.
Contra Costa Water District estimates that sending a diver to manually clean a single water intake pump costs $150,000. In San Joaquin County, golden mussels have covered the Smith Canal Gate, a critical flood-control project, requiring hours of removal work that will now become part of its ongoing maintenance.
